cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Corneal Endothelial Evaluation in Intraocular Lens Implantation and Cataract Surgery

We analyzed pre- and postoperative corneal endothelial photographs of 33 intraocular lens patients and found an average endothelial cell density loss of 14%. Twenty-six cataract patients, similarly examined, showed a 13% mean endothelial cell loss. In 14 of the intraocular lens patients, a second postoperative evaluation of the central endothelium, at a later date, revealed a trend toward continuing cell loss. Our results indicate fewer endothelial cells were lost after intraocular lens implantation than has been previously reported. This may be accounted for by our considering only patients with normal corneas for lens implantation, and by our constant maintenance of the anterior chamber with an air bubble during lens implant surgery.
ACOUSTICAL ACTIVITY AND OTHER FIRST ORDER SPATIAL DISPERSION EFFECTS IN CRYSTALS.

Abstract : It is demonstrated phenomenologically that, as a result of first order spatial dispersion, an 'acoustic activity' of transverse acoustic waves, the analog of optical activity, arises in certain crystal classes. Crystals which are optically active are also found to be acoustically active. Furthermore, in the case of propagation along high symmetry axes, the effect manifests itself, as in the case of optical activity, as a simple rotation of the plane of polarization of transverse acoustic waves. Acoustic effects of first order spatial dispersion which have no optical analog are also treated. Acoustical activity can also be inferred from the transformation properties of the acoustic phonons, and the acoustical activity of crystals may, thereby, be derived from phonon dispersion curves. An estimate of the magnitude of the acoustical activity of tellurium is so obtained. The effects of first order spatial dispersion on transverse optical phonons and the optical properties which arise from them are also considered. Practical problems involved in the observation of acoustical activity are discussed. (Author)
Evaluation of commercial erythropoietin activity after preparative isoelectric focusing

Abstract The in vitro study of erythropoiesis is often hampered by impurities associated with commerical preparations of erythropoietin. This report describes the activities associated with commercial erythropoietin, as well as a rapid and convenient method, preparative isoelectric focusing, to enhance the purity of low specific activity erythropoietin preparations.
Reactive Control and its Operation Limits in Responding to a Novel Slip in Gait

The purposes of this study were: (1) to examine the reactive control of the resultant joint moments at the lower limbs in response to a novel and unannounced slip; (2) to establish individualized forward-dynamics models; and (3) to explore personal potential by determining the operation limits of these moments at each lower limb joint, beyond which the resulting motion at this or other joints will exceed its/their normal range(s). Ten young subjects’ kinematics and kinetics, collected during regular walking and during their first exposure to a novel and unannounced slip, were randomly selected from an existing database. An inverse-dynamics approach was applied to derive their (original) resultant joint moments, which were then used as input to establish forward-dynamics models, each including an individualized 16-element foot model to simulate ground reaction force. A simulated annealing (SA) algorithm was applied to modify the original moments, so that the subsequent output (baseline) moments can closely reproduce these subjects’ recorded motion. A systematic alteration of the baseline moments was employed to determine the operation limits. The results revealed that the subjects reactively increased the hip extensor and knee flexor moments and reduced their ankle plantar flexor moments of their single-stance limb following slip onset. The “baseline” correction of the original moments can reach as much as 21% of the original moments. The analysis of the operation limits revealed that these individuals may be able to further increase their knee flexors more so than increase the hip extensors or reduce ankle plantar flexors before causing abnormal joint movement. Such systematic approach opens the possibility to properly assess an individual’s rehabilitation potential, and to identify whether this person’s strength is the limiting factor for stability training.
The effect of dietary bacitracin on the incidence of streptococcus faecalis subspecies liquefaciens and related streptococci in the intestines of young chicks

abstract 1. A study has been made of changes occurring in the numbers and types of faecal streptococci in the intestines of chicks from hatching to 23 d of age, when fed on a diet containing 50 mg bacitracin/kg. 2. It was found that Streptococcus faecalis sub‐species liquefaciens predominated in chicks prior to feeding and in control birds the organism remained as a significant part of the flora throughout the experiment. 3. Strep. faecalis s.s. liquefaciens was not found after the first week in birds given dietary bacitracin. 4. Although outnumbered initially in the caeca by Strep, faecalis s.s. liquefaciens, other streptococci were present at 106 to 107/g contents from 14 d onwards in both control and bacitracin‐treated birds; these included Strep. faecium biotypes and two other unidentified but related groups. 5. Tests made in vitro showed that Strep. faecalis s.s. liquefaciens was more sensitive to bacitracin than Strep. faecium. 6. The possible effects of Strep. faecalis s.s. liquefaciens on the deve...
Laws of conservation as related to brain growth, aging, and evolution: symmetry of the minicolumn.

Development, aging, and evolution offer different time scales regarding possible anatomical transformations of the brain. This article expands on the perspective that the cerebral cortex exhibits a modular architecture with invariant properties in regards to these time scales. These properties arise from morphometric relations of the ontogentic minicolumn as expressed in Noether’s first theorem, i.e., that for each continuous symmetry there is a conserved quantity. Whenever minicolumnar symmetry is disturbed by either developmental or aging processes the principle of least action limits the scope of morphometric alterations. Alternatively, local and global divergences from these laws apply to acquired processes when the system is no longer isolated from its environment. The underlying precepts to these physical laws can be expressed in terms of mathematical equations that are conservative of quantity. Invariant properties of the brain include the rotational symmetry of minicolumns, a scaling proportion or “even expansion” between pyramidal cells and core minicolumnar size, and the translation of neuronal elements from the main axis of the minicolumn. It is our belief that a significant portion of the architectural complexity of the cerebral cortex, its response to injury, and its evolutionary transformation, can all be captured by a small set of basic physical laws dictated by the symmetry of minicolumns. The putative preservations of parameters related to the symmetry of the minicolumn suggest that the development and final organization of the cortex follows a deterministic process.
Tritium and deuterium permeation in stainless steels: influence of thin oxide films

Abstract Bulk permeabilities were determined for sputter-cleaned palladium coated samples of three different stainless steels (309S, a weldable A-286 and 21-6-9) using tritium and deuterium driving pressures up to 100 kPa. These were compared with samples having thin oxide films produced by a chemical etch and characterized by Auger electron spectroscopy. The bulk permeabilities of the three stainless steels were very nearly the same in the temperature range 325 K to 700 K, but the thin oxide films resulted in permeability reductions of two to three orders of magnitude. Experiments in which thin palladium films were deposited on top of the upstream and/or downstream oxides showed that upstream surface effects were rate-limiting under the conditions of this study and that the barrier effect of a sample oxidized on both sides could be negated by depositing palladium on top of the upstream oxide.
Mucin Adsorption to Hydrophobic Surfaces.

Abstract The adsorption isotherm of bovine submaxillary gland mucin (BSM) onto a hydrophobic polystyrene surface was determined by using the solution depletion method, in which mucin concentrations were analyzed by amino acid analysis. Adsorption and desorption kinetics of BSM onto hydrophobic polystyrene surfaces were also studied by the solution depletion method, in which mucin solution concentrations were determined by measuring UV absorbance at a wavelength of 280 nm and by a BCA colorimetric assay with final calibration by amino acid analysis. From the adsorption isotherm, we found that the saturated surface concentration (Γ max ) was 2.3 mg/m 2 , and the adsorption constant ( K ) was calculated as 0.099 (ml/mg). By using a Langmuir adsorption model and nonlinear fitting, kinetics parameters, k on and k off , were found to be 8.13×10 −3 cm 3 mg −1 s −1 and 5.67×10 −4 s −1 , respectively. The coating was found to be very stable with very limited desorption (less than 2%) from a long-term observation (28 h). The mucin coating layer thickness was investigated by several analytical techniques: flow field–flow–fractionation, photon correlation spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The thickness was measured as 4–5 nm, from which a monolayer coating was concluded. Finally, the weight average molecular weight of purified bovine submaxillary gland mucin (BSM) was determined as 1.6×10 6 Da by using static light scattering.
Inorganic Chemistry Learning Objects for Use in the General Chemistry Curriculum

Three VIPEr learning objects featuring inorganic chemistry content for general chemistry students are highlighted.
Facet Translation Analysis in the Lumbar Spine: An Application in Posterior Dynamic Stabilization

Facet articulation in the human lumbar spine has not been thoroughly characterized with regard to the effects of degeneration or surgical intervention. Kozanek et al. investigated the translation and rotation of the facets in 11 healthy adult subjects during maximal voluntary bending [1]. Li et al. used the same measurement technique on a cohort of 10 patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD) and found some significant differences in facet motion compared to a cohort of healthy patients [2]. Jegapragasan et al. investigated facet translations in intact lumbar spines in vitro and found the technique of facet translation analysis (FTA) to yield significantly different results compared to a similar analysis based on a vertebral body based coordinate system [3]. This abstract describes the application of this FTA technique in evaluating a posterior dynamic stabilization (PDS) system.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
On the identification of the procurement model

Abstract Under multiplicative separability of the cost function, this paper investigates the identification of the procurement model. Moreover, we characterize the model restrictions on observables and show its observational equivalence to one where the function of private information is the identity.
Studies on the regulation of initiation of chromosome replication in Escherichia coli.

Abstract The total initiation frequency of chromosome replication in Escherichia coli is dependent on two factors; the timing or time interval between successive initiations on an individual chromosome (initiation pace) and the number of individual chromosomes which are being replicated per cell. We have examined these parameters in a dna A ts , conditionally-lethal, “initiation mutant” of an E. coli K12 strain growing at different permissive temperatures. Our results indicate that at temperatures between 30 and 35 °C the gene product of the dna A167 allele becomes limiting with respect to the number of replicating chromosomes per cell, which decreases from two at 30 °C to one at 35 °C. However, over this same temperature range it is clear that cell growth is balanced and the initiation pace, as determined from the growth rate, increases with temperature and is indistinguishable from that of the dna A + parent. These results demonstrate that one can alter the total initiation frequency independently of the initiation pace, indicating the involvement of at least two cellular components in the regulation of initiation. They also suggest that while the dna A product may be involved in determining the total number of initiation events which can occur per cell per doubling time it does not control the timing or pace at which successive initiation events are triggered on each chromosome, i.e. it is not the “pace-maker” for initiation.
Refraction of Waves from a Point Source into a Medium of Higher Velocity

A point source is placed in one medium and the fields in a second medium, separated from the first by an infinite plane boundary, are calculated for the case that the wave velocity in the second medium exceeds that in the first medium. Absorption is neglected and the problem is solved both by ray methods and by evaluating, by the method of steepest descents, of an exact solution of the wave equation. The agreement between the solutions by different methods permits a ready and expected interpretation of the wave solution. Rays incident on the boundary at angles exceeding the critical angle are totally reflected; however, directly transmitted energy penetrates to all points in the second medium. At points in the second medium outside the critical angle, near the surface and far from the source, the directly transmitted fields are much smaller than the fields, exponentially decaying from the surface, which result from totally reflected rays. This suggests an experiment to measure quantitatively the penetration of the fields into the second medium in total reflection, easily performable for the case of sound waves penetrating from air into water.
A Cutaneous Manifestation of Untreated Disseminated Histoplasmosis

We present a case of histoplasmosis with skin manifestations occurring 17 years after initial diagnosis. The clinical manifestations of disseminated disease are discussed. Amphotericin B administered through an A-V shunt resulted in prompt resolution of the skin lesions.
NMDA receptor antagonists disrupt the retinotectal topographic map

We tested the effect of two NMDA receptor antagonists, APV or MK801 (with NMDA), and the receptor agonist NMDA on the maintenance of retinal topography in frogs. Topography was assayed by measuring the dispersion of retrogradely labeled ganglion cells following a local HRP injection into the tectum. In untreated tadpoles, labeled cells covered about 5% of the retinal area. In APV- or MK801/NMDA-treated tadpoles, labeled ganglion cells covered 17% and 10% of the retinal area, respectively. Neither treatment with L-APV nor with NMDA disrupts the fidelity of the retinotectal projection. Neither APV- nor NMDA-treated ganglion cell terminals differed from untreated terminals with respect to tangential area, branch number, or branch density. These data support a role for the NDMA receptor in visual system development.
A call control driven MVC programming model for mixing web and call or multimedia applications

With the evolution of internet towards web 2.0 and real time communications and the adoption of IMS by telecommunications service providers, SIP becomes the next major protocol that application developer may want to rely on to develop their latest applications.As SIP specifications stabilize, SIP application server become well understood entities. In fact most application servers, like J2EE, now support SIP servlet containers. As a result it become essential to understand how such SIP applications should interact with other web or IT applications.In this paper, we describe a call control driven MVC programming model for converged applications, defined as application that mix Web and SIP. The programming model is then generalized to any call or media control situation.As most telecommunications networks, in particular mobile network evolve towards the IMS, such programming model is expected to become essential to the development of future IMS mobile applications. It is in fact not limited to mobile, but extends to any application on network deploying IP (internet, broadband, wired and wireless with or without IMS as well as converged applications that provides a same experience across multiple such access networks).The programming model presented in this paper can be extended to rely on the notion of enabler, thereby supporting the combination of call control with other mobile, voice and communication features and the deployment over any network (IMS, SIP and other SIP deployments as well as legacy networks (e.g. PSTN and IN)).
Distributed Information Storage Architecture

The authors describe the Distributed Information Storage Architecture (DISA) defined and prototyped at Hewlett-Packard by the Networked Systems Architecture organization. In the first phase of the project, an architecture framework was defined that isolated storage-management functions from database and file-management systems. The idea was to identify and encapsulate functions related to the persistent characteristics of stored data. Only functions common to a large variety of database and file-management systems were of interest. The intent was to build a new storage-management base without altering file or database systems. To validate this idea, a storage-management prototype called StoragePlus was built. The StoragePlus prototype automated several storage-management and administration functions currently done manually. It also demonstrated how one could reduce and control storage administrative costs by doing central administration of distributed storage across a network. >
On the optimum method of analysis of Faraday rotation and ellipticity measurements in a metal-oxide-semiconductor system

electron gas at the oxide-semiconductor interface of a metal-oxide-semiconductor system. The results depend on such parameters of the system as the effective mass m *. the relaxation time T. and the electron surface concentration N, and in fact the motivation is to enable one to determine such parameters from measurements of 0 and 8. Here we discuss the optimum method for the determination of these parameters from the data. In particular. we argue that it is more desirable to carry out measurements at fixed magnetic field B and variable photon frequency w. rather than at fixed w and variable B. We also demonstrate how our analysis can be used to determine the predicted dependence of 7 on magnetic field, without explicit knowledge of m* or N. We have recently calculated the Faraday rotation 0 and the ellipticity S due to the two-dimensional electron gas at the oxide-semiconductor interface of a metal-oxidesemiconductor (MOS) system [ 11. The incident radiation of frequency w, and the external dc magnetic field B are oriented normal to the interface and we considered the transmission of the right and left circularly polarized components of a linearly polarized wave to obtain, in the case of the parameters of interest experimentally,
Effect of alternative temperatures on fatty acid profiles in pork/soy hull nuggets

A rotating hot air cooking system (RairR) was investigated for its effect on the fatty acid profile of pork/soy hull nuggets after heat processing at 204°C, 232°C and 260°C, with and without breading. Product yield, moisture, lipid, unsaturated fatty acids (palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, arachidonic) and saturated fatty acids (myristic, stearic, palmitic) were analyzed using documented laboratory procedures. The results showed highly variable effects of heat processing on both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Breading had a significant effect on several of the fatty acids. These data could be correlated with the physiological effects of individual fatty acids before heat processing parameters are determined.
Advances in understanding of bile acid diarrhea

Bile acids (BA) are actively reabsorbed in the terminal ileum by the apical Na+-dependent bile salt transporter. This review addresses the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of BA diarrhea (BAD). BAD is typically caused by ileal resection or disease; 25–33% of patients with chronic functional diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome-diarrhea (IBS-D) have BAD, possibly from deficiency in the ileal hormone, FGF-19, which normally provides feedback inhibition of BA synthesis. Diagnosis of BAD is typically based on reduced BA retention of radiolabeled BA (75SeHCAT), increased BA synthesis (serum C4) or increased fecal BA loss. In clinical practice, diagnosis is often based on response to BA sequestrants (e.g., cholestyramine or colesevelam). Diagnostic tests for BA malabsorption (BAM) need to be used more extensively in clinical practice. In the future, farnesoid X receptor agonists that stimulate ileal production of FGF-19 may be alternative treatments of BAD.
The role of the medial frontal cortex in the maintenance of emotional states

Evidence is accruing that people can maintain their emotional states, but how they do it and which brain regions are responsible still remains unclear. We examined whether people maintain emotional states ‘actively’, with explicit elaboration of the emotion, or ‘passively’, without elaboration. Twenty-four participants completed an emotion maintenance task in which they either maintained the emotional intensity from the first picture of a pair to compare to that of the second picture (‘maintain’ condition), or only rated their emotional response to the second picture (‘non-maintain’ condition). Supporting the ‘active’ maintenance hypothesis, when maintaining vs not maintaining emotion, participants exhibited increased height and width of activation in the dorsal medial frontal cortex (MFC) and lateral prefrontal cortex, regions associated with explicit emotion generation and manipulation of contents in working memory, respectively. Supporting the ‘passive’ maintenance hypothesis, however, when viewing negative emotional pictures (vs neutral pictures) that were not explicitly maintained, participants exhibited greater duration of activity in the rostral MFC, a region associated with implicit emotion generation. Supported by behavioral findings, this evidence that people maintain emotional states both naturally in the rMFC and strategically in the dMFC may be critical for understanding normal as well as disordered emotion regulation.
Stability in variation for nonlinear integro-differential equations

One of the important techniques for investigating the qualitative behavior of nonlinear differential equations is to utilize the corresponding linear variational equations. In this paper, exployting this approach, we investigate the stability properties of nonlinear integro-differential equations by means of corresponding variational systems.
Personal pregnancy health records (PregHeR): Facets to interface design

Interest and research in personal health record (PHR) systems has recently increased, leading to the availability of a variety of PHR systems on the market that target everyone from the general public to disease-specific patient groups. Few studies, have dealt with PHR needs of families. No studies have specifically targeted pregnant women regarding PHR systems design despite increased interest in health matters exhibited by pregnant women. In this project, we first developed five facets - Appointment, Diary, Health Data, Finance, and Resources - of personal health information organization and management. We then incorporated two time visualization tools - calendars and timelines - to provide access to information based on time and content. The Agileviews framework of Marchionini, Geisler and Brunk was adapted to structure agile, multiple point access to information in the interface designs. The result is three distinct interface prototypes of the PregHeR system: Calendar View, Timeline I, and Timeline II. This project adds to current research in PHR systems design through the organization of information into content-based facets and by emphasizing personal user needs in the design of personal health record systems interfaces.
Multidecadal climate variability in the Greenland Sea and surrounding regions: A coupled model simulation

Pronounced oscillations of ocean temperature and salinity occur in the Greenland Sea in a 2000 year integration of a coupled ocean-atmosphere model. The oscillations, involving both the surface and subsurface ocean layers, have a timescale of approximately 40-80 years, and are associated with fluctuations in the inten- sity of the East Greenland Current. The Greenland Sea temperature and salinity variations are preceded by large-scale changes in near-surface salinity in the Arctic, which appear to propagate out of the Arctic through the East Greenland Current. These anomalies then propagate around the subpolar gyre into the Labrador Sea and the central North Atlantic. These oscillations are coherent with previously identified multi-decadal fluctuations in the intensity of the North Atlantic thermohaline circula- tion. The oscillations in the G:eenland Sea are related to atmospheric variability. Negative (cold) anomalies of surface air temperature are associated with negative (cold) sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the Greenland Sea, with amplitudes up to 2oC near Green- land declining to several tenths of a degree C over north- western Europe. The c01d SST anomalies and intensified East Greenland Current are also associated with enhanced northerly winds over the Greenland Sea.
Colonial Habits: Convents and the Spiritual Economy of Cuzco, Peru . By Kathryn Burns. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1999. Pp. xi, 307. $49.95, cloth; $17.95, paper.

When liberal politicians attacked the entrenched power and wealth of the Catholic Church—especially of monastic establishments and endowed chaplaincies—in many areas of Latin America beginning in the middle decades of the nineteenth century, they were playing out a drama that had already begun in Catholic Europe considerably earlier. In greater or lesser degree, in Peru, Mexico, and other countries these statesmen adduced as justification for the expropriation the idea that the supposedly “dead hand” of the Church had prevented the free circulation of wealth and therefore retarded economic development, a viewpoint that has long survived as conventional wisdom in the economic historiography of Latin America. As historians' research over the last two or three decades has shown, however, in a prebanking age the capital-owning institutions of the Church—and particularly its great urban convents—served a vital function in accumulating and investing capital which often supported productive forms of enterprise, especially in the countryside, in economies that were still overwhelmingly agricultural. This did not mean that conventual life itself was not primarily a religious expression, nor that surpluses generated in the secular economy were not expended in unprofitable ways, but rather that cultural practices and expectations intertwined in a complex double helix with economic life, each influencing the other. Kathryn Burns's informative and beautifully written book on the history of three convents (one founded in 1573, the other two at the beginning and end of the following century) in Cuzco, the former Inca capital in the Peruvian highlands, fits this revisionist trend well. Burns provides the most detailed and theoretically informed treatment yet of the relationship between ecclesiastical investment, the institutional and intimate life of the lending convents, and the local elites of the region, who sent their daughters to the convents, endowed the institutions with funds, and took loans from them at interest. All were bound together in what she calls a “spiritual economy.”
Synovial Sarcoma Involving the Calcaneus and Plantar Compartment of the Foot: A Case Report

Synovial sarcoma arising in the foot is a rare finding. We report a 64-year-old female with synovial sarcoma involving the calcaneus and central plantar compartment. The patient presented with a 2-year history of painful heel with soft tissue mass presentation 21 months after initial pain. We performed an incisional biopsy with frozen section; histopathology was consistent with synovial sarcoma.
In-depth analyses of marine microbial community genomics

Marine microbes have evolved to live along extreme environmental gradients, whether at the microscale, in proximity to particles or over the entire water column. Using community genomics, DeLong et al. highlight deduced biological differences that result from open-ocean depth gradients. The power of the large-insert libraries used is that both phylogeny and function can be inferred from the genetic material obtained – even for uncultured microbes. Together with complete genomes of marine isolates and advances in physiology and ecology, this study paves the way for ecosystems biology approaches to dynamics and controls of marine microbial populations.
Effects of the Minnesota Adaptation of the NYU Caregiver Intervention on Primary Subjective Stress of Adult Child Caregivers of Persons With Dementia

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This study determined whether the NYU Caregiver Intervention for Adult Children (the NYUCI-AC) significantly reduced primary subjective stress for adult child caregivers of persons with dementia. DESIGN AND METHODS The NYUCI-AC was evaluated within a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. The sample included 107 adult child caregivers of persons with dementia (n = 54 assigned to the multicomponent treatment group; n = 53 assigned to a contact control group). Participants completed comprehensive assessments at baseline and at 4-month intervals during the first year and every 6 months thereafter. The focus of the current analysis was on the effects of the NYUCI-AC on change in primary subjective stress over 8, 12, and 18 months. RESULTS Individual growth curve models found that caregivers in the NYUCI-AC treatment condition indicated statistically significant (p < .05) linear declines in overall negative reactions to behavior problems over a 1-year period when compared with controls. Adult child caregivers in the NYUCI-AC also indicated greater decreases in negative reactions to disruptive behavior problems when compared with controls over 8, 12, and 18 months. IMPLICATIONS The NYUCI-AC offered adult child caregivers counseling and support that improved their ability to manage their reactions to disruptive behaviors. This occurred despite the fact that other primary subjective stressors, such as role captivity and role overload, were not reduced.
A Comparison of the Effects of Electrode Implantation and Targeting on Pattern Classification Accuracy for Prosthesis Control

The use of surface versus intramuscular electrodes as well as the effect of electrode targeting on pattern-recognition- based multifunctional prosthesis control was explored. Surface electrodes are touted for their ability to record activity from relatively large portions of muscle tissue. Intramuscular electromyograms (EMGs) can provide focal recordings from deep muscles of the forearm and independent signals relatively free of crosstalk. However, little work has been done to compare the two. Additionally, while previous investigations have either targeted electrodes to specific muscles or used untargeted (symmetric) electrode arrays, no work has compared these approaches to determine if one is superior. The classification accuracies of pattern-recognition-based classifiers utilizing surface and intramuscular as well as targeted and untargeted electrodes were compared across 11 subjects. A repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed that when only EMG amplitude information was used from all available EMG channels, the targeted surface, targeted intramuscular, and untargeted surface electrodes produced similar classification accuracies while the untargeted intramuscular electrodes produced significantly lower accuracies. However, no statistical differences were observed between any of the electrode conditions when additional features were extracted from the EMG signal. It was concluded that the choice of electrode should be driven by clinical factors, such as signal robustness/stability, cost, etc., instead of by classification accuracy.
Investigations of surfactant effects on gas hydrate formation via infrared spectroscopy.

Abstract This infrared (IR) spectroscopic study addresses surfactant effects on cyclopentane (CP) hydrate–water interfaces by observing both ice-like (3100 cm−1) and water-like (3400 cm−1) bands in the bonded OH region together with free OH bands. IR spectroscopy of hydrates has not been actively employed due to the overwhelming signal saturation of the OH bonding. However, this work is able to utilize this large signal of the OH bonding to understand the water structure changes upon adding sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to CP hydrate–water interfaces. The spectral data suggest a change to more ice like (3100 cm−1) features starting from 100 ppm to 750 ppm SDS, indicating favorable nucleation. At the same instance, water like (3400 cm−1) features are also shown in this range of SDS concentration, which suggests looser hydrogen bonding that is an indicator for facilitating hydrate growth. Additionally, this ATR-IR study firstly identifies both symmetric and anti-symmetric free OH bands of the hydrogen bond (HB) acceptors in the clathrate hydrate system. Relative area ratios of free and bonded OH bands provide important information about spatial arrangements of adsorbed SDS monomers.
Time-lapse seismic data registration and inversion for CO2 sequestration study at Cranfield

ABSTRACTThe time-lapse seismic survey for CO2 sequestration study at Cranfield can be problematic because of misalignments between time-lapse data sets. Such misalignments can be caused by the seismic data processing workflow and may result in the wrong interpretation of time-lapse seismic amplitude differences. We propose an efficient local-correlation-based warping method of registering the time-lapse poststack data sets, which can align these data sets without changing original amplitudes. Application of our registration method to Cranfield time-lapse data demonstrates its effectiveness in separating time-shift character from seismic amplitude signature. After registration, time-lapse differences show an improved consistency in vertical cross sections and a more localized distribution of difference amplitudes along the horizon, allowing us to apply a high-resolution basis pursuit inversion (BPI) for acoustic impedances. Inversion results show that decreases in acoustic impedances occur mostly at the to...
Organizational Liminality and Interstitial Creativity: The Fellowship of Power

Formal organizations share a common set of characteristics that include identifiable operating principles and coordinating mechanisms as well as lines of authority and communication. However, some organizations — especially those on the margins of institutional fields — creatively combine institutional and anti-institutional characteristics. This tendency, which I call organizational liminality, represents a way in which certain groups resist the isomorphic tendencies of modern organizational life. By comparing a group called The Fellowship, a religious organization of national and world leaders, with peer organizations, I show how formalized liminality is an intentional organizational strategy and discuss how this produces unique resources and liabilities for the group.
Polydiacetylene films: a review of recent investigations into chromogenic transitions and nanomechanical properties

Polydiacetylenes (PDAs) form a unique class of polymeric materials that couple highly aligned and conjugated backbones with tailorable pendant sidegroups and terminal functionalities. They can be structured in the form of bulk materials, multilayer and monolayer films, polymerized vesicles, and even incorporated into inorganic host matrices to form nanocomposites. The resulting materials exhibit an array of spectacular properties, beginning most notably with dramatic chromogenic transitions that can be activated optically, thermally, chemically, and mechanically. Recent studies have shown that these transitions can even be controlled and observed at the nanometre scale. These transitions have been harnessed for the purpose of chemical and biomolecular sensors, and on a more fundamental level have led to new insights regarding chromogenic phenomena in polymers. Other recent studies have explored how the strong structural anisotropy that thes em aterials possess leads to anisotropic nanomechanical behaviour. These recen ta dvances suggest that PDAs could be considered as a potential component in nanostructured devices due to the large number of tunable properties. In this paper, we provide a succinct review of the latest insights and applications involving PDA. We then focus in more detail on our work concerning ultrathin films, specifically structural properties, mechanochromism, thermochromism, and in-plane mechanical anisotropy of PDA monolayers. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and fluorescence microscopy confirm that films 1–3 monolayers thick can be organized into highly ordered domains,with the conjugated backbones parallel to the substrate. The number of stable layers is controlled by the head-group functionality. Local mechanical stress applied by AFM an dn ear-field optical probes induces the chromogenic transition in the film at the nanometre scale. The transition
Stick-slip and creep behavior in lubricated granular material: Insights into the brittle-ductile transition

Crustal deformation can occur via stick-slip events, viscous creep, or strain transients at variable rates. Here we explore such strain transients with physical experiments comprising a quasi-two-dimensional shear zone with elastic, acrylic discs and interstitial viscous silicone. Experiments of solely elastic discs produce stick-slip events and an overall (constant volume) strengthening. The addition of the viscous silicone enhances localization but does not greatly change the overall pattern of strengthening. It does, however, damp the stick-slip events, leading to transient, creep-like behavior that approaches the behavior of a Maxwell body. There is no gradual transition from frictional to viscous deformation with increasing amounts of silicone, suggesting that the mixed rheology is in effect as soon as an interstitial fluid is present. Our experiments support the hypothesis that a possible cause for strain transients in nature is an interstitial viscous phase in shear zones.
Reliability of a utilization review instrument in a large field study.

One important question for a utilization manage ment program is whether the utilization review in strument is consistent or stable when used on many occasions by the same abstractor (intrarater reliabil ity) or by several abstractors (inter-rater reliability). As part of a nationwide study of inappropriate utili zation of inpatient services by the Department of Veterans Affairs, we conducted a thorough investi gation of the inter-rater reliability of a widely used utilization review instrument by 27 nurse abstrac tors. All abstractors were extensively trained, both by the developers of the instrument and by use of practice medical records. A standard protocol for re solving questions was implemented, with immediate communication of decisions to abstractors. The re sults of three reliability assessments, conducted im mediately after formal training, after several weeks of reviewing practice records, and midway through review of the study records, demonstrated good to excellent reliability, both when compar...
The critical satellite technical issues of future pervasive broadband low-cost communication networks

The critical technical issues of signal waveform design, projected spacecraft technology, satellite launch options, and satellite cost are discussed for future pervasive broadband communication networks. With DPCM video signal encoding, 32 Mb/s user-to-user data rate per channel, 10% overhead, two orthogonal polarizations, and crosstalk loss limited to 1 dB, TFM permits about 75 channels/GHz of frequency allocation. The BOM (beginning of mission) weight and power of a baseline 400-channel multibeam satellite is about 1800 kg and 5000 W. Each 35 Mb/s channel can support 1 to 10 video channels. The weight and power estimates assume hardened digital logic, composite materials for a multibeam antenna structure, high-efficiency solar cells, batteries, and amplifiers. Based on a cost model for large communication satellites, the total space segment cost of two active satellites and one spare would be about $485 M.
A Review of: “George Annas. 2004, American Bioethics: Crossing Human Rights and Health Law Boundaries”: Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. 244 pp. $35.00, hardcover.

Bioethics is a land of illegal intellectual immigrants. Its inhabitants are persons with an academic license to practice in one discipline who move back and forth across disciplinary borders. Philo...
Movement of Small Gas Bubbles in Smoothly Decelerating Liquid

The time-dependent motion of small gas bubbles in a decelerating liquid is studied. Expressions for the distance traveled by the bubble and for the bubble slip are derived as functions of liquid gas bubble densities, initial velocities, and in terms of a parameter denoting the ratio of the pressure and viscous interaction forces. Results indicate that in cases where the initial velocity of the bubble is lower than the liquid velocity less the limiting slip, the bubble accelerates relative to the liquid. In cases where the bubble initial velocity is equal to or greater than that of the liquid, the bubble decelerates much faster than the liquid until a limiting slip between the gas bubble and liquid is reached. At the equilibrium conditions, in all cases the gas bubble velocity is found to be smaller than that of the corresponding liquid velocity.
Strength of Composite Foam Core Sandwich Structures Subjected to Thermomechanical Loading

An experimental test program and companion analytical study were designed and conducted at The Aerospace Corporation to gain understanding of the tensile failure mechanisms in asymmetrical tapered sandwich core structures at cold temperatures. Representative test coupons were subjected to a tensile load in an environmental chamber to induce foam tensile failure in the core. Finite-element modeling with a proposed maximum principal stress criterion was used to predict the failure loads of the tapered test coupon design at the test temperatures. The predicted failure loads were in good agreement with test results. An important finding is that the cure stresses in the foam are significant and should not be ignored. Additionally, the analysis correctly predicted the failure initiation location, which was verified using high speed photography during the tensile test. The study identified the critical failure regions of asymmetrical tapered sandwich core designs and the failure load dependence on the temperature gradient in the structure.
Chemical Vapor Deposition of Diamond Films Using Water:Alcohol:Organic-Acid Solutions

A low pressure chemical vapor deposition technique using water-alcohol vapors has been developed for the deposition of polycrystalline diamond films and homoepitaxial diamond films. The technique uses a low pressure (0.50 - 1.00 Torr) rf-induction plasma to effectively dissociate the water vapor into atomic hydrogen and OH. Alcohol vapors admitted into the chamber with the water vapor provide the carbon balance to produce diamond growth. At 1.00 Torr, high quality diamond growth occurs with a gas phase concentration of water approximately equal to 47% for methanol, 66% for ethanol, and 83% for isopropanol. A reduction in the critical power necessary to magnetically couple to the plasma gas is achieved through the addition of acetic acid to the water:alcohol solution. The lower input power allows lower temperature diamond growth. Currently, diamond depositions using water:methanol:acetic-acid are occurring as low as 300°C with only about 500 W power input to the 50 mm diameter plasma tube.
Development of Cotesia marginiventris (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Tobacco Budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae Treated with Bacillus thuringiensis and Thiodicarb

Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki and thiodicarb were evaluated for their impact on Cortesia marginiventris (Cresson) survival in exposed Heliothis virescens larvae. B. thuringiensis tests were conducted at concentrations of 0, 10, 50, and 250 ppm in artificial diet with initial exposure at parasitization or 24 or 48 h following parasitization. Thiodicarb tests were conducted at concentrations of 0, 50, 100, and 200 ppm in artificial diet with initial pesticide exposure at parasitization or 72 h following parasitization. H. virescens mortality was directly related to B. thuringiensis concentration. Mortality trends were similar with respect to time of initial B. thuringiensis exposure. Exposure of H. virescens larvae to the combination of B. thuringiensis and C. marginiventris parasitization increased larval mortality over that of either alone. Emergence of C. marginiventris was inversely related to B. thuringiensis concentration and directly related to timing of B. thuringiensis exposure. In all instances, greater C. marginiventris emergence was noted when host exposure to B. thuringiensis was delayed for 48 h following parasitization. Mortality in thiodicarb-exposed H. virescens was influenced by both insecticide rate and parasitization. A delay in initial insecticide exposure significantly increased early larval mortality in both parasitized and nonparasitized groups. Overall, results suggest that use of both thiodicarb and B. thuringiensis would preclude maintenance of natural field populations of C. marginiventris .