cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calibration and Characteristics of an Electrowetting Laser Scanner

We present a calibration method to correct for fabrication variations and optical misalignment in a two-dimensional electrowetting scanner. These scanners are an attractive option due to being transmissive, nonmechanical, having a large scan angle (±13.7°), and low power consumption ( $\mu \text{W}$ ). Fabrication imperfections lead to non-uniform deposition of the dielectric or hydrophobic layer which results in actuation inconsistency of each electrode. To demonstrate our calibration method, we scan a $5\times5$ grid target using a four-electrode electrowetting prism and observe a pincushion type optical distortion in the imaging plane. Zemax optical simulations verify that the symmetric distortion is due to the projection of a radial scanning surface onto a flat imaging plane, while in experiment we observe asymmetrical distortion due to optical misalignment and fabrication imperfections. By adjusting the actuation voltages through an iterative Delaunay triangulation interpolation method, the distortion is corrected and saw an improvement in the mean error across 25 grid points from 43 $\mu \text{m}$ (0.117°) to 10 $\mu \text{m}$ (0.027°). Schematic of a four electrode electrowetting laser scanner used to generate a 25-point grid target.
Data-driven stochastic optimization approaches to determine decision thresholds for risk estimation models

The increasing availability of data has popularized risk estimation models in many industries, especially healthcare. However, properly utilizing these models for accurate diagnosis decisions remai...
Correction to: Comprehensive functional annotation of susceptibility variants associated with asthma

In the original article published, the “p” value in the Fig. 5 legend is incorrectly presented as *p < 0.50. The correct p value is *p < 0.050.
Bone Cement Cranioplasty Reduces Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak Rate after Microvascular Decompression: A Single-Institutional Experience.

Background Microvascular decompression (MVD) is a common surgical treatment for cranial nerve compression, though cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak is a known complication of this procedure. Bone cement cranioplasty may reduce rates of CSF leak. Objective To compare rates of CSF leak before and after implementation of bone cement cranioplasty for the reconstruction of cranial defects after MVD. Methods Retrospective chart review was performed of patients who underwent MVD through retrosigmoid craniectomy for cranial nerve compression at a single institution from 1998 to 2017. Study variables included patient demographics, medical history, type of closure, and postoperative complications such as CSF leak, meningitis, lumbar drain placement, and ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion. Cement and noncement closure groups were compared, and predictors of CSF leak were assessed using a multivariate logistic regression model. Results A total of 547 patients treated by 10 neurosurgeons were followed up for more than 20 years, of whom 288 (52.7%) received cement cranioplasty and 259 (47.3%) did not. Baseline comorbidities were not significantly different between groups. CSF leak rate was significantly lower in the cement group than in the noncement group (4.5 vs. 14.3%; p Conclusion CSF leak is a well-known complication after MVD. Bone cement cranioplasty significantly reduces the incidence of postoperative CSF leak and other complications. Modifiable risk factors such as body mass index were not associated with the development of CSF leak.
Preliminary evaluation of an automated robotic transfer assist device in the home setting.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of six weeks of routine use of a novel robotic transfer device, the AgileLife Patient Transfer System, on mobility-related health outcomes, task...
Dry formation of recent Martian slope features

Abstract Martian surface conditions are cold and dry, unfavorable for liquid water, yet steep slopes display young and currently active features suggestive of wet processes. These include recurring slope lineae and slope streaks, gully landforms, and small lobate features. Wet origins for these features would imply surprising amounts of liquid water at the surface. However, detailed observations of the morphology and activity of these features have demonstrated that dry processes, some of them unique to the Martian environment, can account for all of them. This reconciles the contradiction between physics and geomorphology and provides a self-consistent model of a Martian surface that is very active today despite having negligible volumes of liquid water.
Recent Research on the Archaeology of War and Violence

The mid-1990s through the first decade of the new millennium marked an increase in publications pertaining to war and violence in the ancient past. This review considers how scholars of the past de...
Numerical Algorithms for Water Waves with Background Flow over Obstacles and Topography.

We present two accurate and efficient algorithms for solving the incompressible, irrotational Euler equations with a free surface in two dimensions with background flow over a periodic, multiply-connected fluid domain that includes stationary obstacles and variable bottom topography. One approach is formulated in terms of the surface velocity potential while the other evolves the vortex sheet strength. Both methods employ layer potentials in the form of periodized Cauchy integrals to compute the normal velocity of the free surface. We prove that the resulting second-kind Fredholm integral equations are invertible. In the velocity potential formulation, invertibility is achieved after a physically motivated finite-rank correction. The integral equations for the two methods are closely related, one being the adjoint of the other after modifying it to evaluate the layer potentials on the opposite side of each interface. In addition to a background flow, both formulations allow for circulation around each obstacle, which leads to multiple-valued velocity potentials but single-valued stream functions. The proposed boundary integral methods are compatible with graph-based or angle-arclength parameterizations of the free surface. In the latter case, we show how to avoid curve reconstruction errors in interior Runge-Kutta stages due to incompatibility of the angle-arclength representation with spatial periodicity. The proposed methods are used to study gravity-capillary waves generated by flow over three elliptical obstacles with different choices of the circulation parameters. In each case, the free surface forms a structure resembling a Crapper wave that narrows and eventually self intersects in a splash singularity.
Assessing Damages to Built and Natural Environments: Linking Hydrodynamic and Geospatial Enviro-Economical Models

In this study, a novel framework was developed to provide a holistic damage assessment caused by severe hydrologic events whether individually or as a compound event. The novel framework uses a developed hurricane-specific water quality model, Environmental Fluid Dynamic Code-Storm Surge model (EFDC-SS) and an ArcGIS-based framework, the Facility Economic Damage and Environmental Release Planning (FEDERAP) to assess damages to the built and natural environment. The developed framework could be used to compare different hurricanes and storms with a focus on land inundation, spill destination in both land and water and their associated risks, as well as economic loss including both physical and seconadary losses. The results showed different spreading mechanisms during surge and rainfall-based hurricanes. While storm surge pushed contaminants (from spills) upstream, the rainfall-based hurricane caused a larger footprint of contaminantion on land. Though different in spreading patterns, spills during both hurricane types can widely spread miles away from the release location in a very short period of time. The FEDERAP economic loss model showed that facility area, average land elevation, the number of storage tanks and process units at the facility, and daily production are key drivers in the calculated total losses for a given hydrologic event.
A Decision-Making tool based on historical data for service time prediction in outpatient scheduling.

Abstract Background Appointment scheduling in outpatient settings typically uses simple classification rules to assign patients to long or short appointment slots, based on the anticipated duration of the patient-physician consultation, i.e., the service time. For example, new patients are assigned longer appointment slots, and return patients are assigned shorter slots. While these rules are convenient, they fail to account for the significant variability in service time of outpatient visits. Methods We present a data-mining approach that allows practices to predict service time based on patient characteristics and several other clinical attributes. This approach provides a decision-support tool that helps practices determine the length of time to allocate to a patient’s appointment. Specifically, we use a neural network to accurately estimate service time for each patient based on his/her characteristics. The neural network is trained using eight years of real appointment data (2010 to 2018) from a local outpatient clinic. We compare the performance of the neural network predictions against commonly used classification rules, using a randomly sampled test dataset and a statistical test. Results Our results suggest that outpatient practices can refine their current practices by adopting a data-driven approach to determining slot lengths for appointments. The average absolute difference and the standard deviation of differences between the neural network predictions and the actual service times in practice (case study) are 5.7 min and 4.0 min, respectively. These two measures are significantly lower than the same comparison with the common classification rule (new patient versus return patient) at the clinic; i.e. average time and standard deviations are 14.3 min and 8.2 min, respectively. Conclusion Neural network modeling can capture the effect of processes in a medical facility and create individualized predictions of patient service time with more accuracy.
Mechanistic insights into the enhancement or inhibition of phase separation by polyubiquitin chains of different lengths or linkages

Ubiquitin-binding shuttle UBQLN2 mediates crosstalk between proteasomal degradation and autophagy, likely via interactions with K48- and K63-linked polyubiquitin chains, respectively. UBQLN2 is recruited to stress granules in cells and undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in vitro. However, interactions with ubiquitin or multivalent K48-linked chains eliminate LLPS. Here, we found that, although some polyubiquitin chain types (K11-Ub4 and K48-Ub4) did generally inhibit UBQLN2 LLPS, others (K63-Ub4, M1-Ub4 and a designed tetrameric ubiquitin construct) significantly enhanced LLPS. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and complementary biophysical techniques, we demonstrated that these opposing effects stem from differences in chain conformations, but not in affinities between chains and UBQLN2. Chains with extended conformations and increased accessibility to the ubiquitin binding surface significantly promoted UBQLN2 LLPS by enabling a switch between homotypically to partially heterotypically-driven phase separation. Our study provides mechanistic insights into how the structural and conformational properties of polyubiquitin chains contribute to heterotypic phase separation with ubiquitin-binding shuttles and adaptors. HighlightsO_LIUbiquitin or short polyubiquitin chains bind to phase separation-driving stickers on UBQLN2 and inhibit its phase separation whereas longer chains provide the multivalency needed to enhance UBQLN2 phase separation. C_LIO_LICompact K11- and K48-linked Ub4 chains destabilized UBQLN2 phase separation, while extended M1- and K63-linked Ub4 promoted UBQLN2 phase separation. C_LIO_LIChain conformation and accessibility of the Ub interacting surface is a driving factor of UBQLN2/polyUb co-phase separation. C_LIO_LIUBQLN2 condensates assemble during in vitro enzymatic assembly of K63-linked polyUb chains as free ubiquitin is depleted. C_LI
Comparison of Purification Procedures for p‐Conglycinin and the Effect of Toasting: A Research Note

A comparison of the effectiveness of two procedures, ammonium sulfate fractionation and concanavalin A affinity (Con A) chromatography, for the purification of β-conglycinin from soy flour was made. In addition, the effect of toasting on the effectiveness of these two procedures for purifying β-conglycinin was studied. Results indicated that Con A affinity chromatography was less effective than the ammonium sulfate fractionation for the purification of β-conglycinin. The ammonium sulfate fractionation produced nearly homogeneous β-conglycinin; however, the yield from this procedure was very low (4.1%). Toasting the soy flour decreased the purification effectiveness of both procedures.
Principles of Hand Surgery and Therapy.

Thomas E. Trumble. With the collaboration of Shelly M. Sailer. Illustrations by Butkui Barney Chiu. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; 2000. 672 pages. $139.00. Dr. Trumble, with the help of thirteen contributors, has written a refreshingly clear and comprehensive text on the basic concepts of the evaluation and treatment of hand conditions. The text …
Autonomic computing and VANET

As modern wireless communication networks continue to spread in coverage and ubiquity, so do the applications for networks that take advantage of mobile technology. One of the more interesting areas of research and development is in the development and deployment of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). VANETs offer the potential for intelligent transportation networks that can both actively and passively improve travel efficiency and safety for the vehicles that use them. Informative content can be delivered to drivers informing them of road conditions or nearby traffic congestion. Entertaining content like multimedia can be delivered to vehicle passengers. To be usable and efficient, VANETs need to be largely autonomous and self-adaptive. The software that organizes the nodes entering and leaving a VANET must be self-managing, without requiring their active participation of drivers or passengers in the organization and maintenance of the network. A VANET needs to automatically adapt to changes in the geography over which the network is deployed, and to the highly dynamic behavior of its participant vehicles. It must detect and recover from failures during content delivery, protect the integrity of data being delivered, and protect against malicious attacks by intruders. It should optimize the exchange of information between participant vehicles and roadside infrastructure, making the best use of power and bandwidth. In this paper, we describe the architecture of vehicular ad hoc networks, the principles of autonomic software design, and how the autonomic computing paradigm is applied to VANET applications.
India's New Constitutionalism: Two Cases That Have Reshaped Indian Law

As a nation of over one billion people and the world’s largest democracy, India is sometimes confronted with situations in which its democratic institutions clash. Under the Indian Constitution, legislation concerning land reform is placed in a special category designed to immunize it from judicial scrutiny. This scheme, known as the Ninth Schedule, has been abused by legislators seeking electoral benefit. Simultaneously, the country has been rocked by a series of public corruption scandals. As Parliament has sought to clean up its image by expelling disgraced members, its actions have been challenged as unconstitutional, leading to a constitutional showdown between the legislative and judicial branches. This Note analyzes two seminal decisions of the Indian Supreme Court, handed down in January 2007, which have the potential to transform Indian law by declaring the court the ultimate arbiter of the meaning of the Indian Constitution.
The effect of marital integration on African American suicide.

Research on the impact of marital integration on suicide has neglected race-specific analysis. Existing work has been marked by methodological problems and has thus found inconsistent results. The present paper is the first national study of the problem. In a logistic regression analysis of 2099 African American suicides and 1729 African American natural deaths, being divorced or widowed significantly raises the odds of death by suicide; being single does not. A parallel analysis for Whites finds greater support for a link between marital status and suicide. Marital status may be less important for African Americans in suicide prevention because extended family ties are stronger for African Americans than Whites.
Suppression of urine in connection with pregnancy

Abstract This report includes three types of anuria complicating pregnancy and the puerperal state: (1) complete suppression due to kidney degeneration, sometimes spoken of as “idiopathic anuria”; (2) suppression due to urinary calculus, and (3) that due to ureteral edema or pressure. The first example is that of a woman who lived for nine days with complete anuria following the birth of a stillborn fetus at seven and one-half months.
Legal Ethics and Human Dignity: A different nightmare and a different dream

Nearly thirty years ago, H. L. A. Hart observed that American jurisprudence “is marked by a concentration, almost to the point of obsession, on the judicial process, that is, with what courts do and should do, how judges reason and should reason in deciding particular cases.” Then as now, the figure of the judge dominated American jurisprudence – and wrongly so, in my view. In this chapter I want to explore the hypothesis that a better standpoint for jurisprudence is that of the lawyer, not of the judge. If so, I suggest, legal ethics – regarded by some as a minor and trivial subject – undergoes a remarkable, Cinderella-like transformation to a central spot in how we understand law. The argument that follows is lengthy but essentially simple. It may be useful to set out its main conclusions here at the beginning. First, taking off from Hart's important insight that a system of rules counts as a legal system only if its institutional actors maintain an internal point of view on the rules, I argue that the most significant actors are not judges, nor, as Hart believes, officials more generally, but lawyers. The lawyer–client consultation is the primary point of intersection between “The Law” and the people it governs, the point at which the law in books becomes the law in action. Second, in singling out lawyer–client consultations as the paradigmatic legal events, I emphasize the role of the lawyer as advisor rather than the lawyer as advocate.
A LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATION OF SELF- AND PEER REPORTS OF BULLYING VICTIMIZATION ACROSS MIDDLE SCHOOL

Cross-sectional studies indicate how many students are victims of bullying at a single time, but do not tell us whether the same students continue to be bullied or whether there is a cumulative impact of bullying over time. This study examined the longitudinal stability and the cumulative impact of victimization in a sample of 382 students assessed in the fall and the spring of Grades 6, 7, and 8. Victimization assessed by both self- and peer reports indicated substantial variability in who was bullied, with nearly 51% of students reporting bullying victimization during at least one of the six assessments. The cumulative impact of victimization over 3 years was demonstrated on Grade-8 outcome measures of absences, disciplinary infractions, suspensions, grade point averages, standardized test scores, reports of youth risk behavior, and perceptions of school climate. This study provides new information about the cumulative impact of peer- and self-reported bullying across middle school. Language: en
The Effect of Distribution on Product Temperature Profile in Thermally Insulated Containers for Express Shipments

An uninterrupted cold chain is a continual series of storage and distribution activities that maintain a specific temperature or temperature range. Cold chain solutions typically involve excessive packaging to ensure that the desired product temperature is maintained through the distribution process, thereby increasing the logistics-related costs. There is a myriad of solutions available for shipping temperature-sensitive products, including those constructed with a variety of packaging materials as well as refrigerants. Although static characteristics for thermally insulated packaging solutions such as the R-values of package systems as well as the melting points and heat absorption rates of various refrigerants have been studied in the past, none of the past studies have evaluated the effect of comprehensive distribution on the reliability of the cold chain packaging solutions. This research was undertaken to study the temperature profiles for factors such as different densities for a given thickness of thermally insulating material, wall thicknesses and distribution environments for four different types of materials—polyurethane, virgin expanded polystyrene, recycled content expanded polystyrene and vacuum-insulated panels. The temperature range of 2 °C–8 °C, critical for pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines, was targeted. An interesting regression-based finding was that the interaction between the R-value and the wall thickness significantly influenced the length of time the thermally insulated packages stayed in the desired range of 2 °C–8 °C . The findings of this study will be decisive in designing cost-efficient and practical single-use cold chain transportation solutions for temperature-sensitive products. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effects and interaction of spatial visualization and domain expertise on information seeking

Abstract Information seeking skills are becoming increasingly important as rapid and widespread developments in technology have made information available in more formats and from more sources than ever before. Research in human computer interaction (HCI) has demonstrated that primary cognitive abilities represent a powerful predictor of information-seeking success in electronic information systems. Specifically, spatial visualization ability (SVA) seems to be particularly related to hierarchical menus systems navigation within databases, online learning environments, information archival systems, and virtually all internet web sites. Research indicates that individuals with low SVA take longer to complete tasks and experience more errors on first attempts to find information in hierarchical databases compared to those with high SVA. Understanding the influences of SVA as well as its interaction with other aspects of individual differences, such as domain expertise, is critical to the design of systems intended to accommodate individual differences in users. Thirty-five college students (23 males and 12 females) were selected from the general student body of two universities and assigned to groups based upon their self-reported membership in one of two specific disciplines: business ( n =26) or biology ( n =9). Participants were then assigned to groups based upon scores on tests of SVA using a median-split. Each participant conducted five searches: one neutral search, two searches for business related information, and two searches for biology related information using the FirstSearch archival search tool. A 2×2 factorial Analysis of Variance with one between-groups variable (high vs. low SVA) and one within-group variable (high vs. low domain expertise) indicated a significant main effect of SVA as well as a significant main effect of Domain Expertise on the time required to find their first relevant article on the search topic. The analysis also revealed that there was no main effect for SVA on the total number of relevant articles found during the search period but there was a significant main effect of Domain Expertise on the total total-number-of-relevant-articles found. There was no interaction between SVA and Domain Expertise on either time to first article or total number of articles found. Results of the study extend existing knowledge regarding the effects of SVA and domain expertise on information seeking by demonstrating a strong effect of SVA and domain expertise on information seeking skills. The results of this study also provide evidence in support of interface designs that are friendlier to information seekers who have low SVA. Related findings and suggestions for further research are discussed.
Modeling and simulation of information-embedded multi-converter power systems

Information-embedded multi-converter systems can be found in modern shipboard power systems, dc distribution systems and renewable energy systems. The focus of this work is the incorporation of underlying coupling issues among the converters into their modeling and simulation. This inherent cross-regulation behavior can lead to exceeding controllers' limits, which results in harmful operation situations during system disturbances. Thus the incorporation of these system dynamics into their corresponding modeling formulation is an important feature. This paper addresses the aspects of modeling and simulation of multi-converter based power systems with the inclusion of power electronic equipment dynamics in the overall system model.
Women's Competence in Conversation

In this paper, my aim is to review the logic involved in existing assessments of women's competence as conversationalists. My point of departure is the very definition of competence, which, as I demonstrate, has not been employed in many descriptions of women's deficits. Instead, conversational competence has been generally defined by default, in relation to how men speak and what men mean to say. By contrast, conversation analysis yields a systematic means of assessing the demands that conversation makes on conversationalists and the efforts needed to meet them. To advance this approach, I examine the results of existing research that show women's skills at listening, at effecting smooth transitions between speakers, and at maintaining accord in task-oriented, as well as casual, conversations. This examination leads me to consider how women's conversational competence has been misrepresented in many existing assessments—and to consider how such misrepresentation is involved in the subordination of women ...
CD30, another useful predictor of survival in DLBCL?

In this issue of Blood , Hu et al[1][1] reported that expression of CD30 by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cells is associated with better outcome. ![Figure][2] Prognostic impact of CD30 expression in de novo DLBCL. (A-B) Overall survival (OS) (A) and progression-free survival (PFS) (
Placental transport of model amino acids.

SummaryThree model amino acids resistant to metabolic alteration are, like normal amino acids, strongly concentrated across the placental barrier in the guinea pig. Accordingly these substances are...
Diurnal expression of c-fos in the mouse retina

Abstract The diurnal levels of c- fos mRNA were studied in the mouse retinas by means of RNA blot analysis. Mice were kept on a 12/12 h dark/light cycle and gene expression was studied at various time points during the day and night periods. The highest levels of c- fos mRNA were measured during the first half of the night period. The high levels persisted for about 4–5 h. The c- fos mRNA levels declined during the second half of the night period and remained low during the day period. Continuous illumination of mice during the first hours of the night period prevented the increase in c- fos mRNA. If mice were kept in the dark during the day period, they failed to show an increase in c- fos mRNA levels in the subsequent night period. Hence, following activation of c- fos during the night period, a refractory period exists at which illumination is required before c- fos can be induced again by dark. Although light appears to suppress the activation of c- fos in the night period, a short lived burst in c- fos expression of 30–60 min in duration was observed when dark-adapted animals were illuminated, either at the transition between the dark and light period or during the dark period. Thus, it appears that c- fos is activated in at least two different cell types in the retina which respond differently to light and dark stimuli. The role of c- fos products in regulation of gene expression might be of importance in mediating the effect of light, via neurotransmitters or neuromodulators, on cellular activities in the retina during the day and night periods.
The Influence of Hydrilla Leaf Quality on Larval Growth and Development of the Biological Control AgentHydrellia pakistanae(Diptera: Ephydridae)

Abstract Hydrilla leaf quality was studied as a factor that may influence larval survival, growth, and development of the biological control agent Hydrellia pakistanae. Nitrogen content of plants and leaf toughness varied among different sites, within a site, and within each hydrilla apical tip. Percent nitrogen of the plants averaged from 1.2 to 3.6% (dry weight = dw) at different sites and the hydrilla apical tips (2.7–3.7% dw) had the highest concentration of nitrogen compared with tissues 15 cm from the tip (1.5–2.9% dw). Leaf toughness also varied at different sites, averaging from 190.4 to 235.3 g/mm 2 . The apical tip (136.9–210.3 g/mm 2 ) contained the softest leaves, whereas leaf toughness was greater in leaves 15 cm from the tip (159.0–252.9 g/mm 2 ). H. pakistanae individuals reared from neonate larvae to the adult stage on poorer quality hydrilla (low nitrogen, higher toughness) had higher mortality, longer developmental periods, and at one site, decreased female biomass compared with larvae fed the more nutritious hydrilla (high nitrogen, lower toughness). Additionally, when fed leaves of poorer quality, all instars moved among the leaves of the hydrilla stem and most frequently fed and pupated on the more nutritious leaves in the tip. The larvae fed hydrilla of higher nutritional quality fed and pupated most often in the fifth whorl from the apical tip, possibly to avoid predation by tip-foraging natural enemies. The biological control of hydrilla by H. pakistanae may be reduced by the latter's apparent sensitivity to poor plant quality; however, the ability of the larvae to exploit the more nutritious leaves may mitigate these negative effects.
Good Pastors or Careless Shepherds? Parish Ministers and the English Reformation

The post-Reformation English parish clergy were not pastoral failures or ‘careless shepherds’ who were forced by parishioners to change their doctrine and tactics. From the beginning, the reformed church taught an ideal of ministry that was extremely sensitive to its audience. This ideal emphasized preaching a balance of repentance and mercy and rejected divisive behaviour such as attacking individual sinners from the pulpit. Moreover, preaching was not the only activity required of godly ministers. They were also expected to be ‘good pastors’ and act as peacemakers and sources of hospitality. Divisive and unpopular ministers existed, but they can be explained by incompetence and failure to follow the norms set out by the church. This article argues that the changes in the quality of parish ministry which took place during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries were affected more by the church's attempt to spread the word about its own expectations than pressure from the laity.
Viscoelastic anisotropy in porcine skin: acousto-optical and mechanical measurements (Invited Paper)

The anisotropic nature of the mechanical loss factor, tan u, ofex vivo porcine skin was evaluated using a novel acousto-optical method as well as by more tranditional dynamic mechanical testing. The acousto-optical method called acousto-optical elastography (AOE) relies upon launching low frequency (0.5Hz) acoustic stress waves into the skin with an acoustic speaker and quantifying the displacement ofthe skin surface by tracking a backscattered laser speckle pattern with a linear array CCD camera. Two different optical wavelengths were used to monitor the surface acoustic waves, 543 nm and 633 nm. The 633 nm light has a penetration depth on the order of 3 times that of the 543 nm light. The value of tan δ was found to be dependent upon the orientation in which the skin samples were tested. For both the AOE employing 543nm light and the dynamic mechanical testing approaches, tan δ was greatest in the dorso-ventral direction and smallest in the cranial caudal direction. The actual values of tan δ were significantly greater when they were determined using traditional mechanical testing than with the AOE method. This was attributed to the greater strain range over which tan δ was calculated when using dynamic mechanical testing. The AOE method using the 633 nm light provided data not only on the skin, but the underlying tissue as well, masking the anisotropic behavior of the porcine skin. The results of this study indicate that AOE may be a suitable testing method for quantifying aspects of mechanical behavior of tissues in vivo.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Impact of Dreissenid Mussels on Growth of the Fragile Papershell (Leptodea fragilis), the Most Abundant Unionid Species in Lake Erie

The arrival of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771)) and subsequently quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis Andrusov, 1897) (Dreissenidae) in the Great Lakes in the 1980s induced many changes, most notably the devastation of native freshwater mussel species. Recently, empty shells of the fragile papershell (Leptodea fragilis (Rafinesque, 1820)) have become common, particularly in the western basin of Lake Erie, suggesting that this fast-growing species may be increasing in numbers in the lake. To examine continued competition with dreissenids, shell age and length of L. fragilis were used to contrast lifespan and growth rate, estimated as the slope of age on shell length, for shells from two beach localities where byssal threads were present on most shells and two sites where dreissenids were rare or absent. Few recent shells from Lake Erie beaches exceeded 5 years of age, and byssal thread counts were more numerous on older shells. Growth and lifespan were estimated to be significantly lower w...
A proposed mechanism for the growth of chalcedony

The structural disparities that distinguish chalcedony from macrocrystalline quartz suggest that different crystallization mechanisms are operative during the growth of these two forms of silica. Although the paragenesis of chalcedony has provoked marked disagreement among researchers, a review of previous studies supports the idea that chalcedony can precipitate from slightly saturated aqueous solutions at relatively low temperatures (<100° C). These conditions for deposition suggest a model for chalcedony crystallization that involves the assembly of short-chain linear polymers via bridging silica monomers. This assembly occurs through a spiral growth mechanism activated by a screw dislocation withb=n/2 [110], wheren is an integer. The proposed model can account for a number of peculiarities that have been observed in chalcedony at the microstructural scale, such as: (1) the direction of fiber elongation along [110] rather than [001]; (2) the periodic twisting of chalcedony fibers about [110]; (3) the high density of Brazil twin composition planes; (4) the common intergrowth of moganite within chalcedony.
Stress corrosion cracking facet crystallography of Ti―8Al―1Mo―1V

Abstract The spatial and crystallographic orientations of facets formed during stress corrosion cracking of Ti–8Al–1Mo–1V have been characterized using quantitative fractography and electron backscatter diffraction. The results indicate that most facets are formed nearly perpendicular to the loading direction on irrational { h k i l } planes. The facets were imaged with high resolution scanning electron microscopy and were found to contain evidence of localized plastic flow despite their “brittle” appearance at moderate magnification. Some fracture planes were related to titanium hydride habit planes, however, the mechanism of faceted growth does not appear to involve hydride nucleation, growth, and fracture, but rather hydrogen enhanced localized plasticity.
US Health Policy—Expectations and Realities

THE YEAR 1988 is an auspicious time to take stock of US health policy. It is just 25 years since the federal government acted vigorously to expand the number of medical school graduates by an order of magnitude. It is 20 years since the Congress first became aware that the costs of Medicare would far exceed the original estimates with which it had reckoned and accordingly eliminated the 2% override in reimbursements to hospitals. And 1988 saw the first significant increase in Medicare entitlements when the President signed into law the catastrophic insurance bill. This longer retrospective emphasizes the extent to which earlier expectations have been fulfilled or, alternatively, undermined by later events. The increase of more than 60% in the ratio of physicians to population, from 140 to 233 per 100 000 (1960 to 1988) (Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and
Melody and Law's Mindfulness of Time*

A structured awareness of time lies at the core of the law's distinctive nor- mativity. Melody is offered as a rough model of this mindfulness of time, since some important features of this awareness are also present in a hearer's grasp of melody. The model of melody is used, first, to identify some temporal dimensions of inten- tional action and then to highlight law's mindfulness of time. Its role in the struc- ture of legal thinking, and especially in precedent-sensitive legal reasoning, is explored. This article argues further that melody-modeled mindfulness of time is evident also at a deeper and more pervasive level, giving structure to the distinctive mode of law's normative guidance. The article draws one important theoretical con- sequence from this exploration, namely, that the normative coherence of momentary legal systems depends conceptually on their coherence over time.
Why Assessment Centers Do Not Work the Way They Are Supposed To

Assessment centers (ACs) are often designed with the intent of measuring a number of dimensions as they are assessed in various exercises, but after 25 years of research, it is now clear that AC ratings that are completed at the end of each exercise (commonly known as postexercise dimension ratings) substantially reflect the effects of the exercises in which they were completed and not the dimensions they were designed to reflect. This is the crux of the long-standing “construct validity problem” for AC ratings. I review the existing research on AC construct validity and conclude that (a) contrary to previous notions, AC candidate behavior is inherently cross-situationally (i.e., cross-exercise) specific, not cross-situationally consistent as was once thought, (b) assessors rather accurately assess candidate behavior, and (c) these facts should be recognized in the redesign of ACs toward task- or role-based ACs and away from traditional dimension-based ACs.
Crack propagation in amorphous polymers and their composites

Abstract The fracture energy of a polymer depends strongly on the viscoelastic responses of the material, and therefore is a function of temperature and crack velocity. The toughness of a composite is determined by the way in which the reinforcing filler modifies the energy dissipating mechanisms of the polymeric matrix. The fracture toughness of a variety of polymeric glasses and their composites with glass beads, glass fibers, and rubber particles was measured. The velocity of rapidly moving cracks and the crack propagation rates under controlled loading conditions were also measured. It was found that the crack propagation velocities in unfilled and glass bead filled materials were controlled by the longitudinal stress waves in the matrix and that the only effects of the glass beads were to blunt the crack tip and limit the viscous deformation. The effect on fracture toughness was relatively small and either positive or negative, depending on which of the above two factors dominated. The presence of ru...
A new approximation to the distribution function of the studentized maximum root

The Studentized maximum root (SMR) distribution is useful for constructing simultaneous confidence intervals around product interaction contrasts in replicated two-way ANOVA. A three-moment approximation to the SMR distribution is proposed. The approximation requires the first three moments of the maximum root of a central Wishart matrix. These values are obtained by means of numerical integration. The accuracy of the approximation is compared to the accuracy of a two-moment approximation for selected two-way table sizes. Both approximations are reasonably accurate. The three-moment approximation is generally superior.
Heegaard structures of manifolds in the Dehn filling space

Abstract We prove that after Dehn filling an incompressible torus in the boundary of an a-cylindrical 3-manifold the Heegaard genus degenerates by at most one for all but finitely many fillings. We do so by proving that for all but finitely many fillings the core of the attached solid torus can be isotoped into the minimal Heegaard surface of the filled manifold, we say that these manifolds are good. For these fillings, after stabilizing the Heegaard surface once, it becomes a Heegaard surface of the original manifold. We show that any two Heegaard surfaces in different fillings, into which the core is not isotopic, can be isotoped to intersect essentially. Using this, a bound on the distance between fillings containing such surfaces is given in terms of the genera of the Heegaard surfaces.
Exact solution of a vibronic coupling model and its implications for the herzberg—teller expansion method

Abstract The nonadiabatic coupling between two electronic manifolds through a single harmonic oscillator is calculated exactly and compared with the first-order Rayleigh—Schrodinger and Tanaka—Fukuda perturbation results. The treatment leads to a physical interpretation of the Herzberg—Teller expansion for adiabatic coupling.
Pulsed radial jet reattachment nozzle

Abstract Steady periodic surface pressure distributions have been obtained for a mechanically pulsed radial jet reattachment (PRJR) nozzle. Local time-averaged and average Nusselt numbers have been obtained for air flow exiting a PRJR nozzle and impinging on a flat plate. The Nusselt numbers were obtained as a function of the following nondimensional nozzle parameters: Reynolds number, nozzle to plate spacing, exit angle, Strouhal number (pulsation frequency) , exit gap spacing, and pulsation amplitude. The nozzle exit gap is cyclically varied for a PRJR nozzle, causing pulsations in the flow field that alter the convective coefficients and surface pressure distribution when compared to flow exiting an RJR nozzle under similar conditions. It was shown that the Nusselt number is a strong function of the Reynolds number, exit angle, and the combined effects of nozzle height, pulsation amplitude, and pulsation frequency.
Role of adenosine triphosphate and adenosine in oxygen-induced pulmonary vasodilation in fetal lambs.

We investigated the hypothesis that purine nucleotides, ATP and adenosine, mediate the pulmonary vasodilation that occurs at birth in response to an increase in arterial O2 pressure (Pao2). We studied 20 fetal lambs 1 to 3 d after placement of intravascular catheters and a flow transducer around left pulmonary artery. In 16 lambs, we investigated the effects of I) an increase in fetal Pao2 on ATP levels in pulmonary circulation and 2) &phenyl- theophylline (8-PT) and cibacron blue, antagonists of receptors for adenosine and ATP, on pulmonary vasodila- tion caused by increased Pao2. In four other lambs, we investigated the specificity of 8-PT and cibacron blue for purine receptors by investigating their effects on pulmonary vasodilation caused by acetylcholine, bradykinin, and ni- troprusside. The fetal Pao2 increased by 7 +: 2 during administration of 100% O2 to the pregnant ewe, resulting in a 3-fold decrease in PVR and increase in pulmonary blood flow. Blood and plasma concentrations of ATP in fetal pulmonary artery and left atrium increased signifi- cantly during the increase in fetal Pao2. 8-PT and cibacron blue caused increases in baseline pulmonary and systemic vascular pressures and pulmonary vascular resistance and inhibited the pulmonary vasodilation caused by 02. 8-PT and cibacron blue did not alter the pulmonary vascular effects of acetylcholine, bradykinin, and nitroprusside. An increase in baseline pulmonary vascular resistance caused by infusion of U46619 (in four lambs) did not alter the pulmonary vasodilation caused by 02. In summary, 02- induced pulmonary vasodilation is accompanied by in- creased ATP levels in pulmonary circulation and is atten- uated by antagonists of purine receptors. Adenosine and ATP are important mediators of 02-induced pulmonary vasodilation in fetal lambs. (Pediatr Res 33: 533-539, 1993)
Photochromism and thermochromism of schiff bases in the solid state and in rigid glasses

Abstract The photochromic and thermochromic properties in various classes of the Sciff bases of salicylaldehydes with anilines, aminopyridines or benzylamines were investigated in the crystalline state and in rigid glasses at various temperatures. The reaction involved is an intramolecular hydrogen transfer where the enol-keto tautomeric species are in equilibrium. In all the series studied, the salicylaldimino group that takes part in the reaction has the same geometry in the crystalline state: a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond that “locks” it in the planar configuration. It is suggested that what determines thermochromic or photochromic behaviour is not planarity or non planarity of the molecules respectively, but rather the electron density of the lone pair of the imino nitrogen atom.
Dehn fillings producing reducible manifolds and toroidal manifolds

Abstract If two surgeries on a hyperbolic knot produce a reducible manifold and a toroidal manifold, respectively, then the distance between the surgery slopes is at most three.
Fosinopril: a new generation of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

Fosinopril, the first agent in a new chemical class of phosphorus-containing angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, has unique pharmacologic properties. Fosinopril administration leads to complete inhibition of plasma ACE activity for 12-24 h. In patients with normal renal function, approximately equal amounts of the drug are eliminated via the hepatic and renal routes. With worsening renal function, increasing amounts of fosinopril are eliminated hepatically. This dual elimination allows for the administration of fosinopril using the same starting dosage to any patient, regardless of renal function
A multiphysics modeling approach to develop right ventricle pulmonary valve replacement surgical procedures with a contracting band to improve ventricle ejection fraction

Patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot account for the majority of cases with late onset right ventricle (RV) failure. A new surgical procedure placing an elastic band in the right ventricle is proposed to improve RV function measured by ejection fraction. A multiphysics modeling approach is developed to combine cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, modeling, tissue engineering and mechanical testing to demonstrate feasibility of the new surgical procedure. Our modeling results indicated that the new surgical procedure has the potential to improve right ventricle ejection fraction by 2-7% which compared favorably with recently published drug trials to treat LV heart failure.