cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ULTRASONIC ANATOMY OF THE TENDONS AND LIGAMENTS IN THE DISTAL METACARPAL‐METATARSAL REGION OF THE EQUINE LIMB

In a two-phase study, ultrasound was used to delineate the normal sonographic anatomy of soft tissues of the equine distal limb. The study was limited to the soft tissues of the palmar surface of the limb just proximal to the fetlock joint. In the first phase, cadavers were evaluated with a B-mode ultrasound machine, † Then the limbs were radiographed and dissected to compare their gross, radiographic, and ultrasonographic appearances. In the second phase, nine normal adult horses were ultrasonographically scanned. The sonographic appearance of the normal animals was compared with that of the cadavers. Front and rear limbs of all horses had similar ultrasonographic appearances. Flexor tendons and the suspensory ligament were easily identified as having linear, uniformly intense ecogenicity. The borders of the digital sheath and of the proximal palmar pouch of the fetlock joint had a less organized and less intense ecogenic appearance than the flexor tendons and suspensory ligament, and they were poorly delineated unless distended with fluid. Ultrasonography was used in three lame horses and aided the diagnoses of synovial proliferation in the fetlock joint, tendosynovitis, and bowed tendon. Diagnostic ultrasonography was effective in identifying and characterizing soft-tissue structures of the distal equine limb. It is a valuable, noninvasive diagnostic aid.
Stimulant and depressant properties of sedative-hypnotics in mice selectively bred for differential sensitivity to ethanol.

A genetic analysis of sedative-hypnotic response in selectively bred Long-Sleep (LS) and Short-Sleep (SS) mice showed LS mice to be more depressed by acetaldehyde, ethanol (ETOH), and t-butanol, but less sensitive to pentobarbital. Intermediate inheritance was shown by the two reciprocal F1 hybrids for the alcohols, but dominance to the LS genotype occurred for the aldehyde and the barbiturate. At severa subhypnotic doses of ETOH in two experiments, LS mice showed less locomotor stimulation and greater disruption of coordination than the SS mice. The two reciprocal F1 hybrids did not differ form one another and had dose-response curves intermediated to the two parental lines. Study of the effects of t-butanol on locomotor activity revealed a pattern of line differences similar to that for ETOH. The genetic selection for LS and SS mice appears to have differentiated loci that pleiotropically influence a variety of behavioral responses to alcohols.
Personal and partner measures in stages of consistent condom use among African American heterosexual crack cocaine smokers

Participants' personal condom use measures and those of their last sex partner's were examined in five stages of change for consistent condom use among 449 urban sexually active, heterosexual, African-American crack smokers. The measures included participants' personal and their last sex partner's perceived responsibility, personal and perceived negative attitudes, and participants' self-efficacy to use condoms. The relationships between the measures and the stages were examined using analyses of variance and multivariate logistic regression. Over 90% of participants did not use condoms, consistently. Two-thirds of the inconsistent users were in the precontemplation stage. The rest were equally divided between the contemplation and preparation stages. Personal responsibility outperformed other measures in initial intention to become a regular condom user; partner's perceived responsibility dominated continued intention and actual consistent condom use. Negative attitudes and self-efficacies had strong relationships to the stages of consistent condom use in univariate analyses but these relationships became substantially weaker when the responsibility, attitude, and self-efficacy concepts were entered simultaneously into multivariate analyses.
SubPatCNV: approximate subspace pattern mining for mapping copy-number variations

Background Many DNA copy-number variations (CNVs) are known to lead to phenotypic variations and pathogenesis. While CNVs are often only common in a small number of samples in the studied population or patient cohort, previous work has not focused on customized identification of CNV regions that only exhibit in subsets of samples with advanced data mining techniques to reliably answer questions such as “Which are all the chromosomal fragments showing nearly identical deletions or insertions in more than 30% of the individuals?”.
Reflections on the Hohmann Transfer

Walter Hohmann was a civil engineer who studied orbital maneuvers in his spare time. In 1925, he published an important book (Ref. 1) containing his main result, namely, that the most economical transfer from a circular orbit to another circular orbit is achieved via an elliptical trajectory bitangent to the terminal orbits. With the advent of the space program some three decades later, the Hohmann transfer maneuver became the most fundamental maneuver in space. In this work, we present a complete study of the Hohmann transfer maneuver. After revisiting its known properties, we present a number of supplementary properties which are essential to the qualitative understanding of the maneuver. Also, we present a simple analytical proof of the optimality of the Hohmann transfer and complement it with a numerical study via the sequential gradient-restoration algorithm. Finally, as an application, we present a numerical study of the transfer of a spacecraft from the Earth orbit around the Sun to another planetary orbit around the Sun for both the case of an ascending transfer (orbits of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) and the case of a descending transfer (orbits of Mercury and Venus).
Membrane-based actuation for high-speed single molecule force spectroscopy studies using AFM.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based dynamic force spectroscopy of single molecular interactions involves characterizing unbinding/unfolding force distributions over a range of pulling speeds. Owing to their size and stiffness, AFM cantilevers are adversely affected by hydrodynamic forces, especially at pulling speeds >10 μm/s, when the viscous drag becomes comparable to the unbinding/unfolding forces. To circumvent these adverse effects, we have fabricated polymer-based membranes capable of actuating commercial AFM cantilevers at speeds ≥100 μm/s with minimal viscous drag effects. We have used FLUENT®, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, to simulate high-speed pulling and fast actuation of AFM cantilevers and membranes in different experimental configurations. The simulation results support the experimental findings on a variety of commercial AFM cantilevers and predict significant reduction in drag forces when membrane actuators are used. Unbinding force experiments involving human antibodies using these membranes demonstrate that it is possible to achieve bond loading rates ≥106 pN/s, an order of magnitude greater than that reported with commercial AFM cantilevers and systems.
A pseudo-weighted sensing scheme for memristor based cross-point memory

To further extend the scaling trend of traditional CMOS technology, many hybrid architectures integrating emerging device technologies have been proposed recently. Among them, memristor based cross-point memory (MBCPM) demonstrates great potential in data storage and computation. However, accessing a cross-point memory inevitably induces currents flowing through those unselected cells, called as sneak paths. The existence of sneak paths severely limits the capacity growth of MBCPM. In this work, we proposes a pseudo-weight sensing scheme. The design minimizes the impact of sneak paths in read operations by forcing all the unselected rows and columns to the same potential. Moreover, we use an op-amp to sum up the weighted currents through multiple cells and retrieve their information at a time. Thus, the efficiency of read peripheral circuit is significantly enhanced.
γδ T cells mitigate the organ injury and mortality of sepsis

Sepsis is a difficult condition to treat and is associated with a high mortality rate. Sepsis is known to cause a marked depletion of lymphocytes, although the function of different lymphocyte subsets in the response to sepsis is unclear. γδ T cells are found largely in epithelial-rich tissues, and previous studies of γδ T cells in models of sepsis have yielded divergent results. In the present study, we examined the function of γδ T cells during sepsis in mice using cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Mice deficient in γδ T cells had decreased survival times and increased tissue damage after CLP compared with wild-type mice. Furthermore, bacterial load was increased in γδ T cell-deficient mice, yet antibiotic treatment did not change mortality. Additionally, we found that recruitment of neutrophils and myeloid suppressor cells to the site of infection was diminished in γδ T cell-deficient mice. Finally, we found that circulating levels of IFN-γ were increased, and systemic levels of IL-10 were decreased in γδ T cell-deficient mice after CLP compared with wild-type mice. γδ T cell-deficient mice also had increased intestinal permeability after CLP compared with wild-type mice. Neutralization of IFN-γ abrogated the increase in intestinal permeability in γδ T cell-deficient mice. The intestines taken from γδ T cell-deficient mice had decreased myeloperoxidase yet had increased tissue damage as compared with wild-type mice. Collectively, our data suggest that γδ T cells modulate the response to sepsis and may be a potential therapeutic target.
Predictors of Major Hemorrhage Following Fibrinolysis for Acute Pulmonary Embolism

One hundred four patients at Brigham and Women's Hospital who received alteplase for acute pulmonary embolism were evaluated. Major bleeding occurred in 20 patients (19.2%). The principal site of bleeding was unknown in 9 (45.0%), gastrointestinal in 6 (30.0%), retroperitoneal in 3 (15.0%), intracranial in 1 (5.0%), and splenic in 1 (5.0%). Independent predictors of major hemorrhage were the administration of catecholamines for systemic arterial hypotension (odds ratio [OR] 115, 95% confidence interval [CI] 9.4 to 1,410.9, p < 0.001), cancer (OR 16.0, 95% CI 3.2 to 80, p = 0.004), diabetes mellitus (OR 9.6, 95% CI 1.7 to 54, p = 0.010), and elevated international normalized ratio before fibrinolysis (OR 5.8, 95% CI 1.5 to 22, p = 0.012).
Supercomputer requirements for selected disciplines important to aerospace

Speed and memory requirements placed on supercomputers by five different disciplines important to aerospace are discussed and compared with the capabilities of various existing computers and those projected to be available before the end of this century. The disciplines chosen for consideration are turbulence physics, aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, chemistry, and human vision modeling. Example results for problems illustrative of those currently being solved in each of the disciplines are presented and discussed. Limitations imposed on physical modeling and geometrical complexity by the need to obtain solutions in practical amounts of time are identified. Computational challenges for the future, for which either some or all of the current limitations are removed, are described. Meeting some of the challenges will require computer speeds in excess of exaflop/s (10/sup 18/ flop/s) and memories in excess of petawords (10/sup 15/ words). >
Measurement of total particle energy in a large solid angle detector

Abstract A large-area, thick plastic scintillation counter (60 cm × 60 cm × 10.65 cm) has been used to measure the energy of stopping 3 He nuclei. Energy resolution of the counter was 6% fwhm, independent of measured energy. The gain of the counter was electronically stabilized. Average pulse heights for monoenergetic particles varied 10% over the face of the counter, but we were able to correct for this non-uniformity to within 1% using position information from spark chambers. The effects of nuclear breakup on the pulse height distribution have been studied in detail.
Advances in health monitoring of railroad tracks

Air-coupled ultrasonic testing is gaining increasing attention in a variety of NDE applications that can benefit from non-contact probing and ease of transducer positioning. The main focus of this paper is the assessment of an air- coupled ultrasonic method for the inspection of railroad tracks focusing on the detection of internal defects. It is shown that resonant standing waves can be successfully generated in the rail cross-section to alleviate the challenges associated with the large acoustic impedance mismatch between air and steel. The effectiveness of the resonance concept is demonstrated in through-transmission laboratory testing of the rail head, web and head flange aimed at the detection of longitudinal defects. A pitch- catch configuration potentially effective for the detection of transverse defects in the head flange is also demonstrated. The suitability of the air-coupled ultrasonic method for field use is discussed with particular attention to the achievable inspection speed. Feasibility results are also presented from the measurement of flexural (guided) vibrations in rails. These vibrations propagate long distances and could therefore be well-suited for long-range testing.
Direct simulation of yeast 2-μm circle plasmid amplification

The 2-μm circle is a plasmid found in most strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae at approximately 60–100 copies per cell. The plasmid possesses the novel capacity for replicative amplification induced by site-specific recombination. To address the question of whether the recombination model is adequate to account for observed rates of 2-μm circle amplification, we developed a direct computational simulation of the amplification system. Results of this simulation show that theoretically at least six copies per plasmid can be produced in each generation, and that previously unanticipated replication intermediates contribute largely to this degree of amplification.
Gene Targeting of Mutant COL1A2 Alleles in Mesenchymal Stem Cells From Individuals With Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult cells with the capacity to differentiate into multiple cell types, including bone, fat, cartilage, and muscle cells. In order to effectively utilize autologous MSCs in cell-based therapies, precise genetic manipulations are required to eliminate the effects of disease-causing mutations. We previously used adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to target and inactivate mutant COL1A1 genes in MSCs from individuals with the brittle bone disorder, osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Here we have used AAV vectors to inactivate mutant COL1A2 genes in OI MSCs, thereby demonstrating that both type I collagen genes responsible for OI can be successfully targeted. We incorporated improved vector designs so as to minimize the consequences of random integration, facilitate the removal of potential antigens, and avoid unwanted exon skipping. MSCs targeted at mutant COL1A2 alleles produced normal type I procollagen and formed bone, thereby demonstrating their therapeutic potential.
Excited state dipole moments of benzophenone in singlet and triplet n π ∗ states

Abstract The dipole moments of the lowest 3 nπ ∗ and 1 nπ ∗ excited states of benzophenone have been determined by optical spectroscopic methods and are 1.79 D and 1.46 D respectively; these values refer to the benzophenone molecules in a polar lattice assuming a ground state moment of 2.98 D. It was possible to obtain an accurate comparison of the change in dipole moment for the singlet and triplet states of Δ μ s Δ μ τ = 0.78 , and this number most likely does not depend so critically on the details of the microscopic part of the internal field.
Phospholipase C: A Putative Mechanotransducer for Endothelial Cell Response to Acute Hemodynamic Changes

Endothelial cells (EC) in vivo are exposed to a multitude of physical forces with each pulse of the cardiac cycle. Ongoing studies support the concept that EC respond to these forces through specific signal transduction pathways. Previous investigations in our laboratory have shown that EC respond to the initiation of cyclic strain or to an acute increase in cyclic strain frequency with the production of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). This study demonstrates that EC also respond to an acute decrease in cyclic stretch frequency with a transient increase in IP3 production. Thus, EC detect both increases and decreases in cyclic stretch frequency with phospholipase C (PLC) activation leading to IP3 generation.
An Automated Method for Creation of Patient-Specific Volumetric Articular Cartilage Elements in the Human Foot

metric articular cartilage elements in the human foot is presented. The algorithm generates visually accurate based on depictions in the literature articular cartilage elements by identifying contact surfaces on adjacent bones in a computationally effective manner based on a distance threshold criterion. This method provides an automated and practical cartilage model when compared with current methods, which include scan-by-scan identification and selection, a highly user-biased and tedious process.
En busca de la sombra y los sueños de Clitemnestra: La revisión del mito en la obra dramática de María José Ragué-Arias y Dacia Maraini

For centuries, the myth of the Oresteia has been one of the pillars of patriarchal cultures. The revisionist trend that has appeared in European literature in the last decades urges the establishment of a new symbolic order that embraces maternal genealogies. I sogni di Clitennestra (1981) by Dacia Maraini and Clitemnestra (1986) by Maria Jose Rague-Arias rewrite the Orestes myth from a feminist perspective, warning about the dangers involved in the perception of the mother as a monstrous and phobic object that must be eliminated. Their works show that psychic matricide is not a viable way to acquire subjectivity, since it is based in masculine anxieties and in absolute identification with the father, which is in turn the base for a society also founded on violence. Maraini and Rague-Arias vindicate Clytemnestra while denouncing the violence inherent to the patriarchal order of Western societies.
A Gender Difference in Acceptance of Sport Aggression: A Classroom Activity

Aggression is a common topic in sport psychology courses. Research has revealed a gender difference in the acceptance of aggressive behavior during sport competition. This article presents a classroom activity to demonstrate that difference. Participants were given descriptions of behaviors from six sport competition situations and were asked to judge those behaviors as acceptable or unacceptable. Males in three psychology classes endorsed significantly more aggressive acts than did females. A number of relevant discussion topics are suggested.
The individual and combined influence of HIV and hepatitis C virus on dyslipidaemia in a high-risk Hispanic population.

Objectives To assess the effects of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV infection on dyslipidaemia in a Hispanic population at high risk of insulin resistance. Methods We compared serum lipids and C-reactive protein (CRP) in 257 Hispanic adults including 47 HIV- mono-infected, 43 HCV-mono-infected and 59 HIV/HCV-co-infected individuals as well as 108 healthy controls. We also assessed the effect of HCV on lipid alterations associated with antiretroviral therapy (ART), and the impact of HCV and HIV on the associations among insulin resistance, triglycerides and cholesterol. Results HCV infection was associated with lower total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, but not high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or triglycerides compared with healthy controls. HIV infection was associated with higher triglycerides and lower HDL, but not total or LDL cholesterol. HCV mitigated the elevation of triglycerides associated with ART. In healthy Hispanic adults, insulin resistance was significantly correlated with higher triglycerides, CRP and lower HDL. HIV infection nullified the association of insulin resistance with triglycerides and HDL, and the association of triglycerides with LDL. HCV infection nullified the association of insulin resistance with triglycerides, HDL and CRP. Conclusions HCV co-infection alters the profile of HIV-associated dyslipidaemia. The clinical significance of these findings for cardiovascular complications in HIV merits further study.
A time-adaptive finite volume method for the Cahn-Hilliard and Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equations

This paper presents a complete finite volume method for the Cahn-Hilliard and Kuramoto-Sivashinsky type of equations. The spatial discretization is high-order accurate and suitable for general unstructured grids. The time integration is addressed by means of implicit an implicit-explicit fourth order Runge-Kutta schemes, with error control and adaptive time-stepping. The outcome is a practical, accurate and efficient simulation tool which has been successfully applied to accuracy tests and representative simulations. The use of adaptive time-stepping is of paramount importance in problems governed by the Cahn-Hilliard model; an adaptive method may be several orders of magnitude more efficient than schemes using constant or heuristic time steps. In addition to driving the simulations efficiently, the time-adaptive procedure provides a quantitative (not just qualitative) characterization of the rich temporal scales present in phase separation processes governed by the Cahn-Hilliard phase-field model.
Pulsed-neutron decay measurements on BeO systems in the vicinity of the continuum bound

Abstract Decay constants have been measured in BeO systems in the buckling range 0·0167–0·0342 cm−2. The corresponding decay constants range from below the constant collision frequency limit, λ*, to values above the elastic continuum bound, λel. A range of λel(B2) has been determined experimentally and the results are compared with calculated values based on cross-section data generated by the GASKET code.
The Ontological Generality: Recovery in Triadic Community with a Higher Power, Neighbor, and Self

The purpose of this article is to examine the spirituality of recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) with a focus on the triadic community of God (Higher Power), neighbor and self. This triadic nexus is termed the “ontological generality,” and is interpreted as an aspect of perennial theo-philosophy. AA is interpreted as an experiment in human fulfillment through the right love of self as integrated into this triadic community. Our approach relies on the methods of the humanities.
Irreversibly sickled cell β-actin: Defective filament formation

It has been demonstrated that cysteine modification in irreversibly sickled cell β-actin slows down the remodeling of membrane skeletons [Shartava et al.: J Cell Biol 128:805-812, 1995]. This slow remodeling can be due to alterations in spectrin-actin binding and/or actin-actin interactions in irreversibly sickled cell (ISC) membrane skeletons. In these studies we demonstrate that ISC actin binds spectrin normally. However, ISC β-actin polymerizes and depolymerizes more slowly than control β-actin, and forms unusual aggregates when placed under polymerizing conditions. Electron microscopic analysis of actin polymers indicated that ISC actin generates a large amount of aggregates which we conclude are due to the structural modification caused by the disulfide bridge between cysteine264 and cysteine373 in β-actin. Am. J. Hematol. 55:97-103, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Recent Publications of the Marx-Engels Gesamtausgabe (MEGA)

Karl Marx/Friedrich Engels. Gesamtausgabe (MEGA). Herausgegeben von der Internationalen Marx-Engels Stiftung. Erste Abteilung: Werke. Artikel. Entwiirfe. Bd. 14: Werke, Artikel. Entwiirfe Januar bis Dezember 1855. Bear beitet von Hans-Jiirgen Bochinski und Martin Hundt. Unter Mitwirkung von Ute Emmerich und Manfred Neuhaus. Berlin: Akademie Verlag. 2001. S. xv + 831 Text und S. 832-1695 Apparat. 4188.00. ISBN 3050036109. Karl Marx/Friedrich Engels. Gesamtausgabe (MEGA). Herausgegeben von der Internationalen Marx-Engels Stiftung. Dritte Abteilung: Briefwechsel. Bd. 9: Briefwechsel Januar 1858 bis August 1859. Bearbeitet von Vera Morozova, Marina Uzar, Elena Vashchenko und Jiirgen Rojahn. Unter Mitwirkung von Ursula Balzer. Berlin: Akademie Verlag. 2003. S. xvi + 554 Text und S. 555 1301 Apparat. 4E168.00. ISBN 3-05-003463-7. Karl Marx/Friedrich Engels. Gesamtausgabe (MEGA). Herausgegeben von der Internationalen Marx-Engels Stiftung. Dritte Abteilung: Briefwechsel. Bd. 10: Briefwechsel September 1859 bis Mai 1860. Bearbeitet von Galina Golovina, Tatjana Gioeva, Jurij Vasin und Rolf Dlubek. Berlin: Akademie Verlag. 2000. S. xvii + 584 Text und S. 585-1269 Apparat. p168.00. ISBN 3050034866. Karl Marx/Friedrich Engels. Gesamtausgabe (MEGA). Herausgegeben von der Internationalen Marx-Engels Stiftung. Dritte Abteilung. Bd. 13: Briefwechsel. Oktober 1864 bis Dezember 1865. Bearbeitet von Svetlana Gavril'chenko, Inna Osobova, Ol'ga Koroleva und Rolf Dlubek. Berlin: Akadeniue Verlag. 2002. S. xix + 616 Text und S. 617-1443 Apparat. 4168.00. ISBN 3050036753. Karl Marx/Friedrich Engels. Gesamtausgabe (MEGA). Herausgegeben von der Internationalen Marx-Engels Stiftung. Vierte Abteilung: Exzerpte, Notizen, Marginalien. Bd. 3: Exzerpte und Notizen Sommer 1844 bis Anfang 1847/
Multiple nutrient stresses at intersecting Pacific Ocean biomes detected by protein biomarkers

Marine primary productivity is strongly influenced by the scarcity of required nutrients, yet our understanding of these nutrient limitations is informed by experimental observations with sparse geographical coverage and methodological limitations. We developed a quantitative proteomic method to directly assess nutrient stress in high-light ecotypes of the abundant cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus across a meridional transect in the central Pacific Ocean. Multiple peptide biomarkers detected widespread and overlapping regions of nutritional stress for nitrogen and phosphorus in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and iron in the equatorial Pacific. Quantitative protein analyses demonstrated simultaneous stress for these nutrients at biome interfaces. This application of proteomic biomarkers to diagnose ocean metabolism demonstrated Prochlorococcus actively and simultaneously deploying multiple biochemical strategies for low-nutrient conditions in the oceans.
Analysis of forced convection heat flow effects in horizontal ribbon growth from the melt

A heat transport analysis which considers forced convective fluid flow induced by the motion of a continuous solid ribbon over a melt has been done for horizontal ribbon growth. A model has been developed which treats both 'active' and 'passive' cooling at the ribbon surface. The results show that heat flow from the melt requires active cooling in the region of the leading growth edge or growth tip. Steady-state liquid-solid interface shape is analyzed and numerical results are given for steady-state pulling of silicon ribbon.
Asymmetry of wind waves studied in a laboratory tank

Asymmetry of wind waves was studied in laboratory tank tinder varied wind and fetch conditions using both bispectral analysis of wave records and third-order statistics of the surface elevation. It is found skewness S (the normalized third-order moment of surface elevation describing the horizontal asymmetry waves) varies only slightly with the inverse wave u * /C m (where u * is the air friction velocity and C m is phase speed of the dominant waves). At the same time asymmetry A, which is determined from the Hilbert transform of the wave record and characterizes the skewness of the rate of change of surface elevation, increase consistently in magnitude with the ratio u * /C m . This suggests that nonlinear distortion of the wave profile determined by the degree of wind forcing and is a sensitive indicator of wind-wave interaction processes. It is shown that the asymmetric profile of waves can described within the frameworks of the nonlinear nonspectral concept (Plate, 1972; Lake and Yuen, 197 according to which the wind-wave field can be represented as a coherent bound-wave system consisting mainly of dominant component w. and its harmonics propagating with the same speed C. , as observed by Ramamonjiaris and Coantic (1976). The phase shift between o). harmonics is found and shown to increase with the asymmetry of the waves.
Reliability of partial structure factors determined by anomalous dispersion of x-rays

The reliability of the partial structure factors determined by either of two x-ray scattering techniques using the effects of anomalous dispersion is considered. A comparison of the two experimental techniques is given for both binary and ternary systems. The recently proposed x-ray frequency-modulation technique is found to be about an order of magnitude better than the direct x-ray anomalous scattering method, and it is also found to be suitable for ternary systems. Experimental error is simulated by a pseudo-random-number generator which produces normally distributed numbers with a specified mean and standard deviation. Conditions corresponding to about 1% experimental error from data acquisition and processing are assumed.
On using 1-out-of-n codes for (p,q) counter implementations

A new approach for implementing (p,q) counters is introduced, using 1-out-of-n code modules. The circuits were implemented in 1.2 /spl mu/m CMOS technology, and simulated using HSpice to measure the cost, delay, and average power consumption. Through simulation, the new method is shown to yield an average 19% reduction in critical delay, and an average 30% reduction in average power consumption, with the tradeoff of a 38% increase in average cost.
Lifetime-applied stress response in air of a SiC-based nicalon-fiber-reinforced composite with a carbon interfacial layer : Effects of temperature (300° to 1150°C)

The lifetimes in air as a function of applied flexure stress and temperature (300--1,150 C) are described for a Si-O-C based (Nicalon) fiber plain-weave cloth reinforced SiC-matrix composite ({approximately}7% closed porosity) with an {approximately}0.3 {micro}m thick carbon interfacial layer. The measured lifetimes of both samples with and without an external SiC seal coating were similar and decreased with applied flexural stress (for stresses greater than {approximately}90 MPa) and with temperature. At temperatures of {ge}600 C, the external CVD SiC coating had negligible effect on the lifetimes; however, at 425 C, a detectable improvement in the lifetime was observed with an external SiC coating. When the applied stress was decreased below an apparent threshold stress (e.g., {approximately}90 MPa) for tests conducted at temperatures {le}950 C, no failures were observed for times of {ge}1,000 H. Electron microscopy observations show that the interfacial carbon layer is progressively removed during tests at 425 and 600 C. In these cases, failure is associated with fiber failure and pull-out. At 950 and 1,150 C, the carbon interface layer is eliminated and replaced by a thick silica layer due to the oxidation of the Nicalon fiber and the SiC matrix. This results in embrittling the composite.
SF-6D utility index as measure of minimally important difference in health status change

Abstract Objectives To combine anchor- and distribution-based approaches to identify minimally important differences (MIDs) for the short-form six-dimension utility index (SF-6D) and to identify variables associated with self-reported health status change. Design Descriptive, exploratory, nonexperimental study. Setting United States between April 1, 1999, and October 31, 1999. Patients 2,317 participants of SADD-Sx (Study of Antihypertensive Drugs and Depressive Symptoms), aged 50 years or older and with hypertension and coronary artery disease. Intervention Patients were randomized into a verapamil SR– or atenolol-led hypertensive treatment strategy and mailed baseline and 1-year surveys. Main outcome measure SF-6D utility scores for patients completing both surveys. Results The pooled mean (±SD) MID change on the SF-6D of patients whose health status minimally changed was 0.035 ± 0.095. The anchor-based change scores had a median value of 0.036 (interquartile range −0.03 to 0.10). One-third and one-half of the SD of SF-6D change scores were 0.035 and 0.053, respectively. Whites were less likely to report minimally improved health status compared with nonwhites (odds ratio 0.59 [95% CI 0.40–0.88]). Change in SF-6D scores improved prediction of health status change. Conclusion We recommend using the MID range based on all patients combined (−0.03 to 0.10) to interpret SF-6D scores. These estimates can be used in conjunction with other measures of efficacy to determine meaningful changes. SF-6D demonstrates potential utility in predicting minimally important improvement or worsening among patients receiving different pharmacologic medications.
Measurements of intensities and nitrogen-broadened linewidths in the CO fundamental at low temperatures☆

Abstract Intensities and nitrogen-broadened half-widths of lines R(0), R(8) and R(16) in the fundamental band of 12C16O have been measured at 83°K, 100°K, 150°K, 200°K and 298°K. The intensities of several other lines in the P- and R-branches of the band have also been measured at 298°K. The absolute intensity derived from the line intensity data using the Herman-Wallis formula is S°v = 273 ± 10 cm-2 atm-1 at S.T.P. A separate measurement employing the Wilson-Wells-Penner-Weber method has yielded S°v = 277 ± 4 cm-2 atm-1 at S.T.P. Both of these values are within 6 per cent of most of the previously published direct measurements of this parameter. The values for the line intensities reported earlier by other authors are lower by nearly 16 per cent.
Closed-form expressions for the gain in three- and four-level laser fibers

Exact and approximate theoretical models of the small-signal single-pass gain in single-mode three-level laser fibers are presented. These models are relevant to the behavior of rare-earth-doped (in particular Er/sup 3+/) silica-based fibers. They account for the effects of both the pump and signal-mode structures and pump excited-state absorption (ESA), the latter being present for some pump wavelengths in Er-doped silica fibers. By relying on the modal overlap integral formalism for four-level lasers, relatively simple closed-form expressions for the pump absorption and the gain are derived. These expressions are also applicable to four level laser fibers by a simple adjustment of some of the model parameters. >
Testing enhances learning across a range of episodic memory abilities

Brewer and Unsworth (2012) reported that individuals with low episodic memory ability exhibit a larger testing effect, a finding with potentially important educational implications. We conducted two replication attempts of that study. Exp 1 (n = 120) drew from a broad demographic sample and was conducted online, while Exp 2 (n = 122) was conducted in the lab with undergraduate students. Both experiments demonstrated a large testing effect across the range of episodic ability in our sample, and with no trend suggesting a larger testing effect for lower ability subjects. We show that apparent differences in the distribution of episodic ability levels between our samples and that of Brewer and Unsworth provide a plausible account of the contrasting correlation results, and that, more generally, sampling from a restricted ability range can yield positive, negative, or no correlation even if there is no difference in the effectiveness of testing for low vs. high ability subjects in the broader population. We discuss methodological and theoretical issues that complicate interpretation of individual differences effects in this domain, individual difference predictions of testing effect models, and educational implications.
Delayed repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia with early high-frequency oscillatory ventilation during preoprative stabilization

Purpose The authors reviewed their experience in the management of CDH after the introduction of early high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) during the preoperative stabilization period and delayed CDH repair. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of 24 consecutive infants with CDH treated at University of California, Irvine Medical Center (UCIMC) during a 36-month period from January 1993 to December 1996. Results Two patients were excluded from the study: one fetus with a prenatal diagnosis was referred for fetal surgery; one infant received CDH repair at another institution 2 weeks before transfer to UCIMC. Eight (36%) infants were inborn, and nine (41%) had a prenatal diagnosis of CDH. Median gestational age was 40 weeks (range, 29 to 42 weeks). Median birth weight was 3,019 g (range, 1,205 to 4,337 g). The defect was left sided in 18 infants (86%). Twenty-one infants were intubated within 5 hours of life, 15 had an AaDO2 greater than 610, 11 had an oxygenation index greater than 40, and 11 had a pH of less than 7.2. The median ratio of pulmonary artery pressure to systemic blood pressure was 0.93 (range, 0.51 to 1.15) in 12 infants. Eighteen infants were placed on HFOV within a median of 1 hour of life. Nitric oxide was given to six infants and surfactant to eight. Four infants were referred for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Repair of CDH was performed on infants at a median age of 33.5 hours (range, 5.5 to 322). Six (30%) received a prosthetic patch. Overall 18 of 22 infants survived (81%); three survivors received ECMO. Two infants of the survivor group had congenital heart anomalies: one ventricular septal defect (VSD) and one double-outlet right ventricle with a VSD. Of the four nonsurvivors, one had lethal cardiac anomalies and bilateral CDH, two had severe bilateral pulmonary hypoplasia (one received ECMO), and one infant was a 29-week premature baby who did not qualify for ECMO. Conclusion We report a survival rate of 81% (18 of 22) with the management of CDH by delayed surgical repair, early postnatal HFOV, and selective referral for ECMO.
Dealing with low pH: entry and exit of alphaviruses and flaviviruses

The alphaviruses and flaviviruses include many important human pathogens, such as the dengue, West Nile, and Chikungunya viruses. These enveloped viruses infect cells by a membrane fusion reaction triggered by the low pH in endosomes. Fusion is mediated by viral membrane proteins through their acid-dependent conversion from a dimer on the virus surface to a homotrimer inserted into the host cell membrane. Here we review recent studies on the regulatory mechanisms that silence these fusion proteins during virus exit and that sense low pH and mediate protein refolding during virus entry. We discuss results using truncated proteins to dissect the fusion reaction, and future research directions including the development of antiviral therapies against these medically important viruses.
Short- and Long-Term Deflections in Reinforced, Prestressed, and Composite Concrete Beams

A model that calculates both short- and long-term deflections i.e., transverse deflections and section rotations in reinforced, prestressed or posttensioned and composite concrete beams with generalized end conditions subjected to bending about any transverse axis proposed. The effects of creep, shrinkage, and tension stiffening in the concrete and flexural rotational restraints at the beam extremes are included in the proposed model. The model is limited to beams in which torsional moments or deformations along the member are not induced by the externally applied loads or by the prestressing or posttensioning. The moment-curvature M- diagrams are first determined at each section in order to calculate both the transverse deflections and section rotations. The concrete stress-strain curve is modeled by: 1 a hyperbola for high-strength concrete HSC for the zone under compression and 2 a straight line combined with a hyperbola for the zone under tension. The stress-strain curves of the reinforcements are modeled using a modified Ramberg-Osgood function for the prestressed steel bonded or unbonded and a multilinear function for regular rebars and composites like fiber-reinforced polymers FRP and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers CFRP. Five examples are included that show the effectiveness of the proposed method to predict the load-deflection behavior of reinforced, prestressed or posttensioned, composite HSC beams, and steel-concrete composite beams.
Cloud Timescales and Orographic Precipitation

Abstract Orographic precipitation is studied by analyzing the sensitivity of numerical simulations to variations in mountain height, width, and wind speed. The emphasis is on upslope lifting over isolated mountains in cold climates. An attempt is made to capture the essential steady-state volume-averaged cloud physics in a pair of coupled nonlinear algebraic equations. To do this, single-pathway snow formation models are analyzed with both linear and nonlinear accretion formulations. The linear model suggests that the precipitation efficiency is determined by three timescales—the advection timescale (τa), fallout timescale (τf), and a constant timescale for snow generation (τcs). Snow generation is controlled by the ratio of τcs/τa and the fraction of the snow that falls to the ground is controlled by the ratio of τf/τa. Nonlinear terms, representing accretion, reduce the utility of the timescale concept by introducing a threshold or “bifurcation” point, that is, a critical condensation rate that separate...
Microbial responses and nitrous oxide emissions during wetting and drying of organically and conventionally managed soil under tomatoes

The types and amounts of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) inputs, as well as irrigation management are likely to influence gaseous emissions and microbial ecology of agricultural soil. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) efflux, with and without acetylene inhibition, inorganic N, and microbial biomass C were measured after irrigation or simulated rainfall in two agricultural fields under tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum). The two fields, located in the California Central Valley, had either a history of high organic matter (OM) inputs (“organic” management) or one of low OM and inorganic fertilizer inputs (“conventional” management). In microcosms, where short-term microbial responses to wetting and drying were studied, the highest CO2 efflux took place at about 60% water-filled pore space (WFPS). At this moisture level, phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) indicative of microbial nutrient availability were elevated and a PLFA stress indicator was depressed, suggesting peak microbial activity. The highest N2O efflux in the organically managed soil (0.94 mg N2O-N m−2 h−1) occurred after manure and legume cover crop incorporation, and in the conventionally managed soil (2.12 mg N2O-N m−2 h−1) after inorganic N fertilizer inputs. Elevated N2O emissions occurred at a WFPS >60% and lasted <2 days after wetting, probably because the top layer (0–150 mm) of this silt loam soil dried quickly. Therefore, in these cropping systems, irrigation management might control the duration of elevated N2O efflux, even when C and inorganic N availability are high, whereas inorganic N concentrations should be kept low during times when soil moisture cannot be controlled.
Visualization of Simulated Urban Spaces: Inferring Parameterized Generation of Streets, Parcels, and Aerial Imagery

Urban simulation models and their visualization are used to help regional planning agencies evaluate alternative transportation investments, land use regulations, and environmental protection policies. Typical urban simulations provide spatially distributed data about number of inhabitants, land prices, traffic, and other variables. In this article, we build on a synergy of urban simulation, urban visualization, and computer graphics to automatically infer an urban layout for any time step of the simulation sequence. In addition to standard visualization tools, our method gathers data of the original street network, parcels, and aerial imagery and uses the available simulation results to infer changes to the original urban layout and produce a new and plausible layout for the simulation results. In contrast with previous work, our approach automatically updates the layout based on changes in the simulation data and thus can scale to a large simulation over many years. The method in this article offers a substantial step forward in building integrated visualization and behavioral simulation systems for use in community visioning, planning, and policy analysis. We demonstrate our method on several real cases using a 200-Gbyte database for a 16,300 km2 area surrounding Seattle.
Knowledge-Assisted Reconstruction of the Human Rib Cage and Lungs

Computer-aided disease detection software effectively helps medical professionals use PA (posterior-anterior) and lateral (side) x-ray images to detect diseases such as lung cancer at early stages, which can be quite difficult. Typically, such software focuses only on PA x-ray images and uses image-processing and soft-computation techniques to identify potentially diseased areas. There's been little focus on extracting knowledge from the x-rays and using knowledge of human anatomy to generate 3D reconstructions. Such reconstructions could help the detection process by providing a different way of visualizing the x-ray data to better investigate hard-to-diagnose regions.
Boolean modeling of transcriptome data reveals novel modes of heterotrimeric G-protein action

Heterotrimeric G-proteins mediate crucial and diverse signaling pathways in eukaryotes. Here, we generate and analyze microarray data from guard cells and leaves of G-protein subunit mutants of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, with or without treatment with the stress hormone, abscisic acid. Although G-protein control of the transcriptome has received little attention to date in any system, transcriptome analysis allows us to search for potentially uncommon yet significant signaling mechanisms. We describe the theoretical Boolean mechanisms of G-protein x hormone regulation, and then apply a pattern matching approach to associate gene expression profiles with Boolean models. We find that (1) classical mechanisms of G-protein signaling are well represented. Conversely, some theoretical regulatory modes of the G-protein are not supported; (2) a new mechanism of G-protein signaling is revealed, in which Gbeta regulates gene expression identically in the presence or absence of Galpha; (3) guard cells and leaves favor different G-protein modes in transcriptome regulation, supporting system specificity of G-protein signaling. Our method holds significant promise for analyzing analogous 'switch-like' signal transduction events in any organism.
Measurement of Longshore Sediment Transport Rates in the Surf Zone on Galveston Island, Texas

Abstract Longshore sediment transport in the surf zone on Galveston Island, Texas, was studied to develop a new technique involving optical instruments rapidly calibrated in situ and to compare measured transport rates with those predicted by the well-known Coastal Engineering Research Center (CERC) formula. This method used an instrumented sled equipped with a LISST-100 for particle size distribution determination, four optical backscatter sensors (OBSs) for turbidity measurements, and two velocity sensors for longshore current measurements. The sled was pulled across the surf zone, occupying 10 to 15 stations spaced about 10 m apart, for approximately 3 minutes each. The OBS data were calibrated with the LISST-100 particle size distribution data, thereby overcoming the difficulties associated with the use of these sensors in the presence of a mix of sand and fine particles. Subsequently, these data were fit to a logarithmic profile to determine the average vertical distribution of suspended sand concent...