cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Initial in vitro evaluation of DIAGNOdent for detecting secondary carious lesions associated with resin composite restorations.

Objective: To assess the potential of DIAGNOdent (DD) readings for detecting secondary enamel and dentin carious lesions associated with resin composite restorations in a set of preserved extracted adult teeth. Method and materials: Thirty test sites adjacent to resin composite restorations in 15 extracted teeth were evaluated visually and with DD readings for enamel and dentin caries. The results were compared to gold standard diagnosis determined by sectioning through each site and subsequent microscopic observation. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and likelihood ratios at optimum threshold values for enamel and dentin caries were determined. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to compare visual and DD diagnostic methods. Results: Histologic incidence of enamel caries was 20% and dentin caries was 36.67%. All composite restorations in the sample teeth fluoresced (range 5 to 22). For enamel caries detection with DD, the optimum threshold of >/= 26 produced a sensitivity of .67 and a specificity of .79. For dentin caries detection with DD, the optimum threshold of >/= 22 produced a sensitivity of .73 and a specificity of .84. ROC analysis showed that the DD readings do contain diagnostic information. DD readings for dentin caries diagnosis produced better diagnostic results compared to visual readings for the 30 test sites in the study, but these results were not significantly different. Conclusion: DIAGNOdent readings may have potential for resin composite secondary enamel and dentin carious lesion detection. DIAGNOdent instrument design factors and technique should be optimized to improve performance prior to clinical trial for this application.
Adjustment of Children from Maritally Violent Homes

The author examines various risk and protective factors at multiple system levels that mediate the impact of marital violence on child adjustment. Participants included 185 children and their mothe...
In visibilities: the Groupe du 6 novembre and the production of liberal lesbian identity in contemporary France

This article analyses the little-known contributions of a Paris-based activist group of self-identified lesbians of colour, the Groupe du 6 novembre, which formed in 1999. Their self-published anth...
Ischemic Heart Disease

In the developed areas of the western hemisphere at least one-half of all deaths are attributable to cardiovascular disease and three-quarters of these are a result of coronary atherosclerosis. During the last century these countries have witnessed a tremendous improvement in life expectancy calculated from the time of birth, chiefly because of the conquest of infectious diseases. However, for individuals who have already reached the age of 40, the improvement in life expectancy has been less dramatic because of their predisposition to coronary artery disease. In the United States, 500,000 deaths are a result of ischemic heart disease and one-half of these occur suddenly.
P127 Correlates of Screened Food Insecurity in Undergraduate Students

Background A growing body of evidence suggests that post-secondary (i.e. college) students in the US are at higher risk of food insecurity (FI) than the general population. However, the accuracy of the common assessment procedures has come into question. Evidence suggests that pairing the 10-item Food Security Survey Module (FSSM) with a brief screener may produce the most accurate estimates, but this protocol has thus far not been adopted in the field to understand correlates of FI among students. Objective The current study aims to estimate behavioral and health-related correlates of FI using the suggested protocol – incorporating a two-item screener with the 10-item FSSM. Study Design, Settings, Participants Undergraduate students, aged 18- to 24-years old and fluent in English were recruited from a land-grant university using digital advertisements. During the cross-sectional study, participating students completed questionnaires and anthropometric data was collected by trained researchers. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Questionnaires assessed FI, perceived stress, diet quality, perceived health, grade point average (GPA), and financial anxiety. Anthropometric data was used to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI). Differences between secure and insecure students were assessed with student's t-tests. Results Among the preliminary sample of n = 74 participants, students were on average 20.2 years old (± 1.4), predominantly male (55%), and 48.7% experienced FI. Food insecure students reported significantly greater perceived personal stress (P = .011), higher financial anxiety (P Conclusion These preliminary findings suggest that students experiencing FI consume poorer quality diets and experience greater stress and financial anxiety when compared with secure students. These results are consistent with some of the previous findings when researchers have used the 10-item FSSM without the screening items. Further research that uses this FI assessment protocol with a larger sample of students from a variety of institutions is warranted. Funding None.
Iris Print Biometric Identification Using Perceptual Image Hashing Algorithms

Biometric identification using Iris Print Scanning is the simplest, most accurate and least intrusive method currently available for positively identifying human beings. The main idea of the work presented in this paper is to define a radically new methodology for Iris Print Scanning, built on modern image processing and cryptographic techniques that are simpler to implement, computationally lightweight, and yet highly accurate. As Iris Print scanning is becoming more mainstream in the future, this paper’s proposed high-speed hashing identification technique will become a necessity to keep up with the demands of automated human identification.
Barriers to and facilitators of using MyPlate nutritional guidelines in K-12 teachers and principals:

Objective:MyPlate, a tool for communicating the federal nutrition guidelines in the USA, may contribute to healthy diets and behaviours, yet whether and how it is used by teachers and school princi...
Revisional Bariatric Surgery for Management of Late Complications

Bariatric and metabolic surgery has demonstrated safety and efficacy with an acceptable risk profile leading to significant growth in recent decades. Bariatric interventions alter gastrointestinal anatomy that can lead to unique late complications requiring specialized referral and management. Following available dietary, behavioral, and medical treatment options, patients with refractory complications may require endoscopic or surgical revision or conversion to other surgical procedures. Such chronic complications requiring revision are discussed following primary laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch.
Field experiments of surface water to groundwater recharge to characterize the mobility of uranium and vanadium at a former mill tailing site

Characterizing the mobility of uranium and vanadium in groundwater with a hydraulic connection to surface water is important to inform the best management practices of former mill tailing sites. In this study, the recharge of river water to the unsaturated and saturated zones of a uranium-contaminated alluvial aquifer was simulated in a series of forced-gradient single- and multi-well injection-extraction tests. The injection fluid (river water) was traced with natural and artificial tracers that included halides, fluorobenzoates, lithium, and naphthalene sulfonate to characterize the potential mass transport mechanisms of uranium and vanadium. The extraction fluid (river water/groundwater mixture) was analyzed for the tracers, uranium, and vanadium. The results from the tracers indicated that matrix diffusion was likely negligible over the spatiotemporal scales of the tests as evident by nearly identical breakthrough curves of the halides and fluorobenzoates. In contrast, the breakthrough curves of lithium and naphthalene sulfonate indicated that sorption by cation exchange and sorption to organic matter, respectively, were potential mass transport mechanisms of uranium and vanadium. Uranium was mobilized in the saturated zone containing gypsum (gypsum-rich zone), the vadose zone (vadose-rich zone), and the saturated zone containing organic carbon (organic-rich zone) whereas vanadium was mobilized only in the saturated gypsum-rich zone. The mechanisms responsible for the mobilization of uranium and vanadium were likely dissolution of uranium- and vanadium-bearing minerals and/or desorption from the gypsum-rich zone, flushing of uranium from the vadose-rich zone, and desorption of uranium from the organic-rich zone due to the natural contrast in the geochemistry between the river water and groundwater. The experimental design of this study was unique in that it employed the use of multiple natural and artificial tracers coupled with a direct injection of native river water to groundwater. These results demonstrated that natural recharge and flooding events at former mill tailing sites can mobilize uranium, and possibly vanadium, and contribute to persistent levels of groundwater contamination.
Formation of Platinum Nanocrystals on Silicon Nanotubes and Corresponding Anti-Cancer Activity In Vitro

Biodegradable porous silicon nanotubes (pSiNTs), functionalized with primary amine moeities via the use of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), is demonstrated as a template for formation of platinum nanocrystals (Pt NCs) (1-3 nm). Transmission electron microscopy - energy dispersive X-ray analysis (TEM-EDX) indicates a relatively high and tunable concentration of Pt uniformly immobilized on a given nanotube (wt% Pt: 20-60%). In vitro viability and cellular uptake studies are consistent with a time-dependent toxicity of Pt NCs-pSiNTs against HeLa cells that is influenced by the degradation kinetics of the pSiNTs; internalization of the composites inside the cells exerts cellular damage in an apoptotic manner, therefore suggesting promising future applications in anticancer treatments.
Slouching1 Toward Nuclear War: Coorientation2 and NATO Exercise Able Archer 83

ABSTRACTNATO exercise Able Archer 83 was perhaps the closest the world came to nuclear war since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. But whereas events in Cuba and the Atlantic Ocean can generally be...
Cognitive Profiles Among Individuals With Spinal Cord Injuries: Predictors and Relations With Psychological Well-being

Abstract Objectives To examine predictors of profiles of cognitive functioning among individuals receiving acute inpatient spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation, as well as associations between their cognitive functioning and psychological well-being (life satisfaction and depression) 6 months after the baseline assessment. Design Prospective observational study design, with 2 assessments approximately 6 months apart. Setting A rehabilitation unit at a level 1 trauma hospital during acute SCI hospitalization and outpatient setting after discharge. Participants Individuals (N=89) with SCI. Intervention None. Main Outcome Measures Cognitive functioning (assessed by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status), life satisfaction (measured by the Life Satisfaction Index A), and depressive symptoms (measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9). Results Latent profile analysis identified 3 classes of individuals with similar patterns of cognitive functioning: class1 (average levels of cognitive performance across all assessed domains; n=48), class 2 (average cognitive performance, except in recall and memory; n=23), and class 3 (low cognitive functioning across multiple domains of cognition; n=18). Fewer years of education, history of smoking, history of substance use other than alcohol, and greater postconcussion symptoms were associated with higher odds of classification in class 3 (P Conclusions The impact of impaired cognition during acute rehabilitation may persist after discharge and influence the psychological well-being of individuals with SCI. Identifying individuals with cognitive dysfunction and attending to modifiable risk factors and may help ameliorate maladjustment after SCI.
Brexit and the Myth of British National Identity

In this paper we analyse Brexit in relation to changes in British national identity since World War II. We begin by analysing how the concept of “tradition” relates to “nation”, and then examine current discourses surrounding Brexit and national identity. We trace the ways in which British national identity has been renegotiated since World War II through contests over nationality, citizenship, cultural diversity, and Europe. Finally, we ask why British political actors have struggled to negotiate the dilemmas of post-Imperial British identity, and what lessons can be learned. We look at changing coalitions within British political parties, which we connect to philosophical tensions in their underlying intellectual traditions, and to changes brought about by globalisation. We conclude that Brexit and the broader crisis of liberal democracy of which it is a part have deep historical and philosophical roots, and that attempts to unite our policy through a single national identity will be unsuccessful.
Rehabilitative Yoga and Mindfulness Counseling Interventions with People Who are Incarcerated

This article examines the use of yoga and mindfulness as therapeutic group interventions with people who are incarcerated. The authors discuss the various benefits of yoga and mindfulness with this...
The improved thermal stability of anthocyanins at pH 5.0 by gum arabic

Abstract Gum arabic (GA) was studied to improve the thermal stability of anthocyanins. Solutions with 0.51 mg/mL anthocyanins at pH 5.0 were heated at 80 and 126 °C up to 80 min with and without 10 mg/mL GA. The half-life of thermal degradation of anthocyanins at 80 and 126 °C was increased by 2.0 and 1.8 times, respectively, after adding GA. The residual concentration of anthocyanins with GA was 1.02 and 1.35 times higher than that without GA after 30-min heating at 80 and 126 °C, respectively. The DPPH and ABTS free-radical scavenging capacities and ferric reducing power after heating anthocyanin solutions with GA at 126 °C for 30 min were significantly higher than those without GA. Fluorescence spectroscopy data suggested the formation of complexes between anthocyanins and GA. Zeta-potential data suggested the formation of complexes by hydrophobic attraction. Stable particle size and zeta-potential of GA with and without anthocyanins were observed after heating. This study indicated that the assembled GA nanostructures significantly reduced the thermal degradation of anthocyanins at pH 5.0.
Chapter 6 Isolation of Single Nuclei and Mass Preparations of Nuclei from Several Cell Types1

Publisher Summary To assay the syntheses of ribonucleic acid (RNA), deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA ), acid-soluble protein, and acid-insoluble protein in single nuclei and in mass preparations of nuclei, a method using detergent, Triton X-100, and spermidine or spermine has been developed for nuclear isolation that eliminates all cytoplasm and avoids loss of macromolecules. Various staining and isotope tracer experiments have indicated that no RNA, DNA, or protein is lost during the treatment. The spermidine stabilizes the nucleus with remarkable effectiveness and even extremely fragile structures, such as the Euplotes macronucleus or the macronuclear anlagen, are easily and cleanly isolated free of cytoplasm. The procedure has been used successfully with single and mass isolation of macronuclei from the ciliates Tetrnhymena and Euplotes , interphase and division stages of the micro- and macronuclei of Paramecium , the developing macronuclear anlagen of Euplotes , macronuclei from various other ciliates, nuclei from Amoeba proteus , and mass isolation of nuclei from HeLa cells. The technique is applied to practically any cell type that lacks a cell wall.
Asymmetric transcription during post-germinative development of Bacillus subtilis spores. II. Hybrid competition analyses.

Abstract Hybrid-competition analyses were done to estimate the relatedness of 3H-labeled mRNA species synthesized during spore germination and log-phase growth. The competitions showed that early in the germination process 10–15 and 1–3% of the RNA transcribed from the H and from the L strand, respectively, were unique and absent during log-phase growth. At later stages, the amounts of the germination-specific H transcripts decreased more rapidly than the L transcripts. The competitions with pulse-labeled log-phase RNAs showed that vegetative genes were transcribed more rapidly from the H strand than from the L strand. Most of the results could be correlated with the observed decrease in the H L asymmetry ratio during spore germination.
THE REVISION-POSTPONEMENT DISTINCTION IN THE 1970 CLEAN AIR AMENDMENTS

The Amendments to the Clean Air Act of 1970 provide statutory standards for revisions and postponements of deadlines for ambient air quality standards. EPA and two circuit courts have interpreted these standards differently. This has led to avoidance of meeting deadlines of state implementation plans. EPA allows state granted deferrals to be considered as revisions as long as the deferral ends before the date of attainment of national air quality standards as allotted by the state plan regardless of how this interferes with attainment and maintenance of air quality. The Fifth Circuit gives the pollution sources three alternatives; it can come into compliance with the state plan, meet the requirements for a postponement or close down. The First Circuit sees the standards as giving the pollution source the Fifth Circuit's three alternatives plus it may request a deferral by revision if the attainment and maintenance of air quality standards will not be effected. There are strict guidelines as to when this deferral may be requested. In the end ambient air quality standard will be achieved no matter which interpretation is used. The level of ambient air quality, however, does depend on the strictness of compliance. The resolution of the three interpretations is up to the Supreme Court.
The Little Rock Crisis and Foreign Affairs: Race, Resistance, and the Image of American Democracy

When President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce a school desegregation order at Central High School in the fall of 1957, more than racial equality was at issue. The image of American democracy was at stake. The Little Rock crisis played out on a world stage, as news media around the world covered the crisis. During the weeks of impasse leading up to Eisenhower's dramatic intervention, foreign critics questioned how the United States could argue that its democratic system of government was a model for others to follow when racial segregation was tolerated in the nation. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles was concerned about the impact of the crisis on the nation's international prestige. In the context of a cold war battle for the loyalties of the peoples of other nations, the image of American democracy as a just system of government was thought to be a critical national security issue.In this context, this paper argues, the impact of race discrimination on foreign relations, a "cold war imperative" for civil rights reform, was one of the factors motivating Eisenhower's handling of the Little Rock crisis. Yet the protection of the nation's image abroad would, at least in the Little Rock case, Cooper v. Aaron, affirming Brown v. Board of Education as the "supreme law of the land." However, as strong as the Supreme Court's opinion was in Cooper about the role of the courts in enforcing equality, the token desegregation upheld in Little Rock made clear that the "equality" ultimately achieved in that case was more formal than substantive. Still, Cooper aided the Eisenhower Administration's efforts to appease foreign critics. To the extent that foreign affairs was a motivating factor in Little Rock, formal equality -- the creation of an image of constitutional equality -- would be enough to satisfy the cold war imperative for civil rights reform.
Macroenvironmental factors affecting integration Turks in Germany and the Netherlands

This study examines the causal factors to explain the different integration patterns of the Turkish immigrant community in the Netherlands and Germany.The Dutch and German Turkish communities offer an excellent opportunity for comparative analysis of integration, since they share many socio-cultural characteristics but differ in their level of integration. It suggests that the Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands are more integrated into the host society than their counterparts in Germany due to the difference in macro-environmental factors such as the political, legal framework and economic factors in these countries.
Symphony of rhythms in the Xenopus laevis retina.

The photoreceptor layer in the retina of Xenopus laevis harbors a circadian clock. Many molecular components known to drive the molecular clock in other organisms have been identified in Xenopus, such as XClock, Xper2, and Xcrys, demonstrating phylogenetic conservation. This model system displays a wide array of rhythms, including melatonin release, ERG rhythms, and retinomotor movements, suggesting that the ocular clock is important for proper retinal function. A flow-through culture system allows measurements of retinal rhythms such as melatonin release in vitro over time from a single eyecup. This system is suited for pharmacological pertur- bations of the clock, and has led to important observations regarding the circadian control of melatonin release, the roles of light and dopamine as entraining agents, and the circadian mech- anisms regulating retinomotor movements. The development of a transgenic technique in Xenopus allows precise and reliable molecular perturbations. Since it is possible to follow rhythms in eyecups obtained from adults or tadpoles, the combination of the flow-through culture system and the transgenic technique leads to the fast generation of transgenic tadpoles to monitor the effects of molecular perturbations on the clock. Microsc. Res. Tech. 50:360 -372, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cloning and sequencing of the human nucleolin cDNA.

A cDNA containing the entire coding region for human nucleolin has been isolated from a λ gt10 human retinal library using a bovine cDNA probe. The cDNA hybridized to a transcript of 3000 bases from fast-dividing cells, as well as terminally differentiated tissues of several species. Translation of the nucleotide sequence revealed a long open reading frame which predicts a 707 amino acid protein with several distinct domains. These include repeating elements, four conserved RNA-binding regions, a glycine-rich carboxy-terminal domain and sites for phosphorylation, glycosylation and dibasic cleavage. Human and bovine nucleolin exhibited more additions and/or substitutions of aspartate, glutamate and serine residues in the chromatin-binding domains by comparison with the hamster and mouse nucleolins. These differences may be related to species-specific functions in transcription.
A Comparison of Conventional 60Co Testing and Low Dose-Accumulation-Rate Exposure of Metal-Gate CMOS IC's

Data are presented for the CD4000 family of Hi-Rel, rad-hard, metal-gate CMOS ICs which show a much greater tolerance to low dose-rate ionizing radiation than that observed with "conventional rate" (approximately 106 rad(Si)/hr) 60Co testing. Data obtained using conventional rate 60Co irradiations followed by either a 24-hour, high-temperature (100°C) anneal or a 65-day, room temperature anneal are in good agreement with data obtained by exposing similar parts at a low dose-accumulation rate (daily 17-second, 5000 rad(Si) exposures) for 200 consecutive days. Graphs of thresholds, output drive, and propagation delay for both low dose-accumulation rate and conventional rate exposures are included.
Characteristics of a Surface Conductivity Moisture Monitor for Hermetic Integrated Circuit Packages

An in-situ surface conductivity sensor for measuring water content of hermetic package ambients is described. Results of correlation experiments with mass spectroscopy and volume-effect sensors are presented. Sensor studies of water desorption and contamination by leached ions are discussed. The surface conductivity sensor is well-suited to defining moisture levels within all types of hermetic packages.
Soft X-ray emission from the vicinity of the dwarf nova AY Lyrae

The detection of a low-intensity soft X-ray source in the region of the dwarf nova AY Lyrae is reported. The source, designated H1839 plus 37, appeared in superpositions of HEAO A2 X-ray scans taken on October 9, 1977; it was observed only in the energy interval 0.18 to 0.43 keV. The peak intensity was 0.014 plus or minus 0.0027 counts/sq cm/sec. If a thermal bremsstrahlung spectrum is assumed, the estimated upper temperature limit of the source is 5 million K; an upper limit of 1.4 million K is implied if a black-body fit is assumed.
Study of electron-phonon scattering in potassium via the radiofrequency size effect

Theoretical calculations and radiofrequency size effect (RFSE) measurements of the electron-phonon scattering rate 1/Τep in potassium are presented. The calculations show that the anisotropy of 1/Τep is very weak (6%rms), being too small to be resolved experimentally. In comparing the theoretical and measured magnitudes of 1/Τep, three corrections to the measured rates are considered in order to extract the rate at the Fermi level. The first concerns the effect of the finite skin depth; the second, the strong energy dependence of the intrinsic electron-phonon scattering rate; and the third, the small-angle nature of the scattering. After investigating these corrections in detail and applying them to the experimentally measured rates, we show that the dispersion of the measured rates is reduced by over a factor of two and that the mean rate is in good agreement with the calculated average rate at the Fermi level.
Effects of algivorous minnows (Campostoma) on spatial and temporal heterogeneity of stream periphyton.

The effect of grazing minnows (Campostoma) on spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the vertical height of attached filamentous algae (Spirogyra and Rhizoclonium) was measured in natural and artificial streams. Measurements were made at 1-m intervals across natural-stream pools during April–May, and at 0.3-m intervals longitudinally in smaller artificial streams during February–May. Spatial heterogeneity was calculated weekly, as the mean standardized difference in algal height (spatial MDH) between adjacent fixed points. Temporal MDH was calculated as the mean standardized difference in algal height at fixed points between adjacent weeks. Reduction in spatial and temporal MDH, detected only in artificial streams, suggested that grazing by Campostoma promoted and maintained more uniform algal height in contrast to ungrazed algae. Heterogeneity of algal export was greater for ungrazed algae, and decreased over time after sloughing, but that for grazed algae was lower and increased after sloughing. The contrasting experimental systems suggested that Campostoma can reduce spatial and temporal heterogeneity of algae, but that additional variation in depth, substratum characteristics, or presence of other biota may modify effects in natural streams.
Practical aspects of quantitative laser Raman microprobe spectroscopy for the study of fluid inclusions

Abstract This paper is addressed to both geologists who use laser Raman microprobe (LRM) spectroscopy to analyze fluid inclusions and to those who want to evaluate analyses done by this technique. Emphasis is on how to obtain quantitative analyses of fluid inclusions. We discuss the basic method of fluid inclusion analysis by LRM spectroscopy and the levels of accuracy and precision attainable with this technique. We evaluate which kinds of fluid inclusions and host mineral matrices will yield the most reliable compositional data. Necessary sample preparations, detection limits, problems with fluorescence, dependence of Raman scattering efficiencies on density, and many other questions asked at the workshop on Raman spectroscopy during the 1987 ACROFI meeting also are addressed. The complementary nature, advantages, and disadvantages of both LRM spectroscopy and microthermometry, the two techniques most frequently used for the analysis of individual fluid inclusions, are emphasized. Some discussions are intended to help LRM users calibrate, and evaluate the optical characteristics of, their particular instruments. It is hoped that this paper will further LRM users in finding a common ground on which to discuss the differences and similarities among different LRM instruments, and that it will encourage a future consensus on efficient means of calibration and on interlaboratory standards.
Nerve growth factor applications fail to alter behavior of hippocampal-lesioned rats

Abstract Rats were given one-stage, bilateral hippocampal lesions. Some of these animals were also administered approximately 2400 BU of 7S Nerve Growth Factor at the time of the operation. Other animals were administered a saline solution. Applications were made directly to the lesioned brain tissue. All rats were tested on two spatial mazes on postoperative days 49 and 50. No behavioral differences were noted as a function of NGF application; all hippocampal-lesioned rats displayed impaired spatial maze acquisition. The effect of NGF on the development of lesion-induced anomalous noradrenergic innervaion was examined with a modified glyoxylic acid technique. It was not possible to discern a consistent difference in fluorescence as a function of NGF application.
Friction-Induced Velocity Fields for Point Parts Sliding on a Rigid Oscillated Plate

We show that small-amplitude periodic motion of a rigid plate causes point parts in frictional contact with the plate to move as if they are in a position-dependent velocity field. Further, we prove that every periodic plate motion maps to a unique velocity field. By allowing a plate to oscillate with six degrees of freedom, we can create a large family of programmable velocity fields. We examine in detail the class of plate motions described by sinusoidal linear and angular accelerations with a single frequency. We hypothesize that this simple class can generate all velocity fields that have constant and linear terms with respect to position, as well as some quadratic fields with respect to position. This set includes fields with isolated sinks and squeeze lines that can be used to perform tasks such as sensorless part orientation. Several of these fields have been verified on our programmable parts-feeding oscillatory device (PPOD). The PPOD is a parallel manipulator similar to a Stewart platform, but with flexures as joints. An iterative learning control algorithm is described that moves the platform with the six-degree-of-freedom periodic motion that creates the desired velocity field.
Vulnerability-Based Risk Assessment for Stream Instability at Bridges

The Federal Highway Administration recommends that stream stability analyses at bridges over water begin with a Level 1 assessment. Following this assessment of the physical condition of the stream in the vicinity of the bridge, the user must determine whether or not the relative risk is low. If it is low, then no action is needed. If the risk is greater than low, then a Level 2 analysis is recommended; however, no method is given for determining the risk. In this paper, the relative risk of unsatisfactory conditions at bridge foundations is assessed as a simple function of vulnerability and criticality. Vulnerability is based on a stream stability assessment and data from the National Bridge Inventory (NBI). Criticality is determined indirectly as a function of the bridge serviceability and cost by using data extracted from the NBI. Relative risk is then qualitatively determined by combining vulnerability and criticality. Three examples in central Pennsylvania are provided in which the relative level of risk is used to determine the need for a Level 2 analysis.
Evaluation of potato cultivars, clones and a true seed population for resistance toRhizoctonia solani

Field and laboratory studies were conducted in 1985–1986 to evaluate the relative severity ofRhizoctonia solani damage among 26 clones and five potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivars. A test with true potato seeds showed that resistance toR. solani could be identified in two years. One highly resistant line was identified by this method. Moderate degrees of resistance were found in lines from the USDA Potato Breeding Program (BARC) with russet types producing a higher percentage of highly resistant lines than round whites. A laboratory test revealed that apical sprout damage (nipping) was variable within and between lines and that it was an important phase of disease development to measure when determining resistance because of its effects on the resulting plant growth and production of marketable tubers. It was also determined that to accurately define resistance toR. solani in potato, all phases of the disease must be evaluated to insure against resistance “breakdown” at some point in plant development.
Schrittmacher und MRI – Mythos und Realität

In Osterreich leben etwa 50.000 Menschen mit einem implantierten Herzschrittmacher. Jahrlich werden 5.000 Schrittmacher neu implantiert - mit steigender Inzidenz. Diese ist einerseits auf die gesteigerte Lebenserwartung zuruckzufuhren, anderererseits auf eine verbesserte Diagnostik und erweiterte Indikationen. Die Schrittmachertherapie ist eine Therapie des alteren Menschen. Das Durchschnittsalter bei Erstimplantation betragt 77 Jahre und entspricht somit der durchschnittlichen Lebenserwartung in Osterreich. Verbesserte Diagnostik wird zum Beispiel durch den vermehrten Einsatz eines implantierbaren Loop-Rekorders erreicht, der nach Dokumentation einer arrhythmogenen Synkope in der Mehrzahl der Falle zur Schrittmacherimplantation fuhrt. Der Einbau eines Schrittmachers zur Behandlung der Herzinsuffizienz stellt eine neue erweiterte Indikation dar.
Thermodynamic Regulation of NKCC1-Mediated Cl− Cotransport Underlies Plasticity of GABAA Signaling in Neonatal Neurons

In the adult brain, chloride (Cl-) influx through GABA(A) receptors is an important mechanism of synaptic inhibition. However, under a variety of circumstances, including acquired epilepsy, neuropathic pain, after trains of action potentials or trauma, and during normal early brain development, GABA(A) receptor activation excites neurons by gating Cl- efflux because the intracellular Cl- concentration (Cl(i)) is elevated. These findings require an inducible, active mechanism of chloride accumulation. We used gramicidin-perforated patch recordings to characterize Cl- transport via NKCC1, the principal neuronal Cl- accumulator, in neonatal CA1 pyramidal neurons. NKCC1 activity was required to maintain elevated Cl(i) such that GABA(A) receptor activation was depolarizing. Kinetic analysis of NKCC1 revealed reversible transmembrane Cl- transport characterized by a large maximum velocity (vmax) and high affinity (Km), so that NKCC1 transport was limited only by the net electrochemical driving force for Na+, K+, and Cl-. At the steady-state Cl(i), NKCC1 was at thermodynamic equilibrium, and there was no evidence of net Cl- transport. Trains of action potentials that have been previously shown to induce persistent changes in neuronal E(Cl) (reversal potential for Cl-) did not alter vmax or Km of NKCC1. Rather, action potentials shifted the thermodynamic set point, the steady-state Cl(i) at which there was no net NKCC1-mediated Cl- transport. The persistent increase in Cl(i) required intact alpha2/alpha3 Na+-K+-ATPase activity, indicating that trains of action potentials reset the thermodynamic equilibrium for NKCC1 transport by lowering Na(i). Activity-induced changes in Na+-K+-ATPase activity comprise a novel mechanism for persistent alterations in synaptic signaling mediated by GABA.
The metrical organization of Classical Sanskrit verse

In generative metrics, a meter is taken to be an abstract periodic template with a set of constraints mapping linguistic material onto it. Such templates, constrained by periodicity and line length, are usually limited in number. The repertoire of Classical Sanskrit verse meters is characterized by three features which contradict each of the above properties - (a) templates constituted by arbitrary syllable sequences without any overtly discernible periodic repetition: APERIODICITY, (b) absolute faithfulness of linguistic material to a given metrical template: INVARIANCE, and (c) a vast number of templates, ranging between 600-700: RICH REPERTOIRE. In this paper, I claim that in spite of apparent incompatibility, Sanskrit meters are based on the same principles of temporal organization as other versification traditions, and can be accounted for without significant alterations to existing assumptions about metrical structure. I demonstrate that a majority of aperiodic meters are, in fact, surface instantiations of a small set of underlying quantity-based periodic templates and that aperiodicity emerges from the complex mappings of linguistic material to these templates. Further, I argue that the appearance of a rich repertoire is an effect of nomenclatural choices and poetic convention and not variation at the level of underlying structure.
GATA-Binding Factor 6 Contributes to Atrioventricular Node Development and Function.

Background—Several transcription factors regulate cardiac conduction system (CCS) development and function but the role of each in specifying distinct CCS components remains unclear. GATA-binding f...
A dynamic approach to modeling of integrated manufacturing systems

Abstract The proper integration of manufacturing systems increasingly is the key in the international market, particularly given the changing global economic environment. The purpose of the integration is to improve the competitiveness of a manufacturing firm. In order to evaluate an integrated manufacturing system, a model representing the competitiveness of the system needs to be developed. This paper presents a new approach to modeling integrated manufacturing systems that takes into consideration some major factors hitherto ignored. In addition, the approach treats the environment in which the manufacturing systems compete as a dynamic process, which adequately reflects the highly competitive conditions of the changing global economic scenario. The modeling approach is illustrated through application to an example manufacturing firm.
Use of fluorescamine as an effective blocking reagent to reduce the background in protein sequence analyses by the beckman automated sequencer

As an effective aid to further develop the strategies for extended amino acid sequence determinations, the use of fluorescamine (fluram) as a novel blocking reagent to chemically reduce the newly generated amino termini responsible for the progressively increasing background is described. The method involves interruption of the run when proline has been determined to be the amino terminus, deletion of PITC delivery, in situ treatment of the sample with fluram within the spinning cup extraction of the reaction products using an ethyl acetate: benzene mixture, HFBA delivery, and second extraction with 1-chlorobutane. The normal program is then allowed to continue until the next proline is reached and the entire extended sequence information on nanomole amounts of proteins. The efficiency of the method has been demonstrated by direct comparison of the results of sequence analysis of amyloid P-component with (63 residues) and without (46 residues) fluram treatment.
Relationship of vascular thrombosis and inflammatory leukocyte infiltration to neointimal growth following porcine coronary artery stent placement.

Abstract Background : Superficial and intramural thrombosis are reproducible histopathological features of the porcine coronary oversized stent injury model. Fibrin and its degradation products are chemotactic for mononuclear leukocytes, and promote the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in vitro. The goal of this study was to quantitate the serial histomorphologic evolution of thrombosis, leukocyte infiltration, VSMC proliferation and collagen accumulation following porcine coronary artery stent placement in a porcine model. Methods : Twenty-four normocholesterolemic swine underwent oversized balloon (3.5 – 4.0 mm) coronary angioplasty and tantalum metal stent placement. Twenty-six different arterial sites were injured, followed by serial sacrifice at day 4 ( n = 6), 8 ( n = 6), 14 ( n = 6), and 28 ( n = 6). Quantitative analysis of the neointima was performed using a high resolution video-microscopy interface and a validated histomorphometric software program. Alpha actin-positive VSMC density (per 10 4 μ 2 neointimal area) and collagen-specific picro-sirius red fluorescence (percent of neointima) were quantitated at sites adjacent to and distant from coronary artery stent placement. Results : The percent of total neointimal area occupied by resolving thrombus material was greater at days 4–8 compared to 14–28 days (59–63% vs. 1–2%; P = 0.001). Mononuclear leukocytes were also significantly increased at days 4 and 8 (92 ± 1 and 70 ± 8%) compared to days 14–28 (both 3 ± 3%; P = 0.001), as a percentage of the total neointimal cellularity. Total neointimal cell density did not change (20 ± 10, 12 ± 6, 23 ± 7 and 20 ± 3 cells/10 4 μ 2 ; P -value, NS), despite progressive cross-sectional vascular area stenosis reduction from 7 ± 3% at day 4 to 72 ± 14% at day 28 ( P = 0.001). Percent neointimal fibrinoid thrombus content and mononuclear leukocyte cellularity were correlated in this model ( R = 0.81; P P Conclusions : Quantitative serial histomorphometry of porcine coronary vascular stent delivery sites demonstrates early (4–8 day) neointimal mononuclear leukocyte infiltration which is histomorphologically and temporally related to intramural fibrinoid thrombosis. Significant vascular stenosis and collagen deposition occurs by 14–28 days at these vascular injury sites. These data suggest a local interaction between thrombotic and inflammatory elements in porcine coronary neointima following oversized stent injury.
Processing of mesocarbon microbeads to high-performance materials: Part I. Studies towards the sintering mechanism

Owing to their exceptional properties, carbon–carbon composites have a variety of important applications. One attractive approach for the efficient and low-cost production of such materials is to utilize the unique sintering ability of mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB). However, the mechanism of MCMB sintering is not fully understood. In this work, detailed studies are made towards this goal, using dilatometric, thermogravimetric, and mass spectrometry techniques along with microstructural analysis. It is shown by independent measurements that significant changes in pycnometric density, mass loss, and shrinkage all occur in the same temperature range (800–1200 K). Based on the obtained results, a new explanation is suggested for the high sinterability of the investigated material, which includes two main stages: (i) neck formation between particles by a viscous phase non-densifying sintering mechanism (<800 K); (ii) rapid sample shrinkage due to crystallographic transformations leading to changes of theoretical particle density in the temperature range 800–1200 K. � 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Algorithm to search for gravitational radiation from coalescing binaries

This paper describes an algorithm to search for gravitational radiation from coalescing compact binary stars. As two stars rotate about each other they emit gravitational radiation, causing the stars to spiral together. One's best chance of detection is in the binary's last few moments, when the signal is strongest and the frequency is changing rapidly. This algorithm will track the change in frequency, no matter what the masses of the stars in the binary; thus, one can conduct a search for coalescing binaries without making assumptions about the stars' masses. This algorithm is capable of analyzing the data in real time.
A geostatistical framework for quantifying the reach-scale spatial structure of river morphology: 1. Variogram models, related metrics, and relation to channel form

Abstract Fluvial geomorphology is fundamentally concerned with the association between form and process in rivers. Examining these interactions in complex, natural channels requires a means of quantifying the variability and organization of bed topography—this paper introduces a geostatistical framework for characterizing reach-scale spatial structure. Transformation to a channel-centered coordinate system allows topographic variations to be resolved into along- and across-stream components. Dimensionless variables, obtained by scaling distances by the mean channel width and de-trended elevations by the mean bankfull depth, account for channel size and allow spatial patterns to be compared over time or among sites. These patterns are effectively described by the variogram, a spatial statistic that expresses dissimilarity as a function of distance. Fitting a parametric model to the sample variogram provides a rich description of channel form. For example, multiple, nested structures can be combined to account for anisotropy, with varying degrees of spatial variability observed over different length scales along and across the channel. Integral metrics derived from the variogram model yield a more compact summary, and variogram maps a useful visualization. To guide interpretation of these metrics, I used a simple ‘channel builder’ to isolate the effects of specific aspects of river morphology on the variogram. This analysis indicated that geostatistical models were sensitive to changes in the size, shape, and orientation of channel features, but not to a pure translation of the morphology. The results also highlighted the importance of considering streamwise and transverse components jointly rather than in isolation.
Effect of quenching temperature on grain boundary chemistry and mechanical properties of Ni3(Si,Ti)

It has been shown that Ni{sub 3}Si displays excellent mechanical properties when Ti is added. However, the Ni{sub 3}(Si,Ti) alloy has been known to exhibit a so-called environmental embrittlement. This embrittlement involves the generation of atomic hydrogen produced by a reaction of Si and/or Ti with moisture in air, and the subsequent penetration along grain boundaries, resulting in severe hydrogen-induced embrittlement. On the other hand, it has been shown by Takasugi et al. that boron doping almost completely suppresses the environmental embrittlement of this alloy. Similar embrittlement and beneficial effect of boron have been observed in Ni{sub 3}Si alloys. It has been suggested that boron probably enriches on grain boundaries (actually detected by field ion microscopic observations (FIM)) and prohibits harmful action of hydrogen atoms at grain boundaries. However, no direct correlation between the embrittlement and the grain boundary composition, particularly boron concentration, has been reported for this alloy. In this work, the authors used a Ni{sub 3}(Si,Ti) alloy unintentionally charged with boron, whose mechanical properties have been reported previously using different heat treatments and in different test conditions at room temperature. The Ni{sub 3}(Si,Ti) alloys prepared in this work were quenched from various temperatures, and thereby are expected tomore » have different concentrations of boron (and/or constituent elements) at grain boundaries and different mechanical properties.« less