cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of dental chair light exposure duration on shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets: An in vitro study

Background The purpose of this study is to determine if the duration of exposure to the halogen overhead dental chair light has an effect on shear bond strength (SBS) of metal orthodontic brackets. Material and Methods One hundred twenty extracted human lower incisor teeth were divided into six groups (n=20/group). Each group was assigned a predetermined duration of exposure to the halogen dental chair light, set at a fixed distance, before being cured. Light exposure times of 0 minutes (Group 1-Control), 1 minute (Group 2), 2.5 minutes (Group 3), 5 minutes (Group 4), 10 minutes (Group 5), and 15 minutes (Group 6) were tested. Each tooth was subjected to an exclusion criteria examination, scrubbed of all debris, and imbedded in a PVC-stone fixture with the crown of the tooth exposed above the stone surface. All groups had orthodontic brackets bonded with the same materials and process, then light cured for 6 seconds using the Valo LED curing unit after their designated light exposure time. Groups were tested using an Instron E-1000 universal testing machine with a shear load test set at a speed of 1mm/min using a knife-edged chisel. Data was analyzed using a one-way ANOVA test. The Adhesive Remnant Index (ARI) was scored under 10x magnification. The ARI data was analyzed using the Chi-square test (p-value < 0.05). Results All control and experimental groups for each specific tooth type tested resulted in SBS within or above the clinically acceptable range. Statistically significant differences (p<.05) were found between the control and experimental groups for dental chair light exposure times of 5 minutes, 10 minutes and 15 minutes. A chi-square test determined that there was statistical significance when evaluating the frequency of ARI scores when light exposure duration was greater than 5 minutes. Conclusions It can be concluded that dental chair light exposure in the 5 minute, 10 minute and 15 minute groups produced higher shear bond strength than those of the control, 1 minute and 2.5 minute groups. The dental chair light is capable of initiating polymerization and causing higher bond strengths than the clinical acceptability of 5.8-7.9 MPa, thus continued dental chair light exposure over 5 minutes is not recommended. The ARI analysis revealed that as bond strength increased, the fracture pattern shifted from most remaining adhesive attached to the tooth toward that attached to the bracket. Key words:Shear bond strength, orthodontic bracket, adhesive remnant index, dental chair light, light exposure, composite curing.
Field Method for Evaluation of Rodenticides for Control of Microtus pinetorum in Apple Orchards

A pine vole population censusing technique using whole apples for measuring rodent activity (apple-indexing) levels in the evaluation of rodenticide treatments in orchards is described in detail in this paper. Its use in combination with exhaustive dead trapping at the termination of experiments has provided a rapid and reliable method for making comparisons between treatments. The apple-indexing technique uses the consumption of strategically placed apples as a means of censusing the vole activity in the animals' runway system. This method requires little equipment, does not depend on highly skilled labor, and allows the researcher to evaluate large numbers of plots relatively rapidly. Making comparisons between as many as ten or more treatments in a randomized complete block design with three or four replications becomes practical. The technique simply gives information on the percent of trees or sites visited by voles in a 24-h period. Throughout the posttreatment period rapid evaluation of the population status of each treatment can be evaluated in 24 h. This rapid evaluation is quite valuable in determining the proper timing for the final dead trapping. A number of experiments over a period of years has shown a high correlation between apple-indexing and dead trapping.
Giant Symptomatic Meningocele as a Delayed, Adult Complication of Lipomyelomeningocele.

Background An expanding cohort of patients with spina bifida live well into adulthood and pose complex management challenges due to unique combinations of adult health issues overlying congenital problems. Case Description We present a case of a 45-year-old woman with an expanding, disfiguring, painful lumbar meningocele more than 40 years after her only surgery as a 3-year-old child. A team of pediatric and adult neurosurgeons as well as plastic/reconstructive surgeons successfully performed surgery to obliterate the meningocele, with preservation of her baseline functional status, and no evidence of recurrence after more than 1 year of follow-up. Conclusions Symptomatic meningocele may present in a long-delayed fashion in adult patients with a history of spina bifida. Surgical treatment may provide symptomatic benefit.
Bourdieu’s Concept of Field in the Anglo-Saxon Literature

The concept of field is being used globally more and more today. This chapter reviews Bourdieu’s understanding of the concept and key elaborations and applications found today in the Anglo-Saxon social scientific literature. The concept now appears in numerous substantive areas of investigation. While by no means an exhaustive review of all the work inspired by Bourdieu’s concept, this chapter offers illustrative references for a diverse range of substantive areas, such as culture, education, economics, intellectuals, media, organizations, politics, religion, social movements, stratification, and globalization. The chapter opens with a brief discussion of the origins and key characteristics of the concept. It then illustrates how Bourdieu and others have used and elaborated the concept of field in selected substantive areas of investigation. For each substantive area we identify those writings of Bourdieu that have been most relevant.
Correlates of depression outcomes in collaborative care for HIV.

Abstract Background Collaborative care can treat depression in HIV but existing studies have been limited by excluding patients with acute or severe depression. The purpose of this analysis is to determine if real-world implementation of collaborative care in HIV is associated with improvement in depression, and to identify correlates of depression outcomes. Methods Collaborative care was implemented as part of a large practice transformation initiative. Change in depression, measured by PHQ-9 score, at baseline compared to 12 months post-enrollment was the outcome, which was operationalized as remission, response, and neither response nor remission. Bivariate and multivariate associations were assessed between several variables at baseline and the outcome. Results Out of 416, 99 (23.79%) patients remitted and 89 (21.39%) responded (without remission). In the bivariate analysis having a documented psychiatric comorbidity was associated with low remission [31 (16.58%)]; p = 0.008. Having generalized anxiety disorder was associated with low remission [18 (15.00%)] and response rates [26 (21.67%)]; p = 0.022. Having a substance use disorder (alcohol, cocaine, or amphetamine) – was associated with poor remission [29 (16.67%)] and response [33 (18.97%)]; p = 0.004. Social isolation was correlated with lower response and remission rates (p = 0.0022). In the multivariate analysis older age was associated with higher remission rates (OR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.005–1.194) whereas being a Medicaid beneficiary (OR: 0.652; 95% CI: 1.123–2.797), having comorbid generalized anxiety disorder (OR: 0.267; 95% CI: 0.122–0.584) or a stimulant use disorder (cocaine [OR: 0.413; 95% CI: 0.222–0.926] or amphetamines [OR: 0.185; 95% CI: 0.037–0.766]), was associated with lower remission rates. Conclusion We found that depression improved in our study subjects. We identified several modifiable correlates of depression outcomes.
Eye injuries in the National Hockey League from 2010 to 2018: an analysis of injury rates, mechanisms, and the National Hockey League visor policy.

Abstract Objective We aim to assess the efficacy of widespread visor adoption by assessing eye injury rates during the 2010–2018 seasons. We also compare injury rates, missed games, and financial losses to previously reported data in order to track progress over time. Lastly, we characterize the mechanism and type of eye injuries sustained by National Hockey League (NHL) players to examine risk areas within NHL games. Design We performed a retrospective review of NHL player injuries using official NHL team reports, ProSportsTransactions, and TSN Sports. Participants All NHL players who suffered an eye injury from 2010 to 2018 were included; 31 injuries matched this criterion. Methods Trends in injuries, missed games, and financial losses over time were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficients. Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests were performed to compare our data with eye injury data. Fisher's exact test was performed to assess significance between mechanism and type of eye injury and outcome. Results There were 31 total eye injuries causing 233 missed games and a total of US$8 951 000 in financial losses across the 2010–2018 seasons. There was a strong decrease in the number of eye injuries (r = −0.83, p = 0.01) and a moderate decrease in number of missed games (r = −0.62, p = 0.09). Injuries due to direct puck strikes contributed to over US$6.5 million in financial losses and led to significantly more missed games compared with stick injuries (14.6 vs 4.3). Conclusion We tangibly demonstrate the financial and physical effects of recent safety interventions and indicate areas for improved safety in the NHL.
Launching Nukes: The Spread of Ballistic Missile Technology and Nuclear Weapons Proliferation

Ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons are complementary technologies that dramatically enhance each other’s strategic utility. To date, explanations of how these military technologies proliferate have largely considered their developmental paths as separate from one another. In this study, we argue that mastering missile technology provides states with significant advantages in acquiring nuclear weapons. Both missile programs and nuclear weapons programs are costly, scientifically challenging endeavors that require the mastery of a significant body of tacit knowledge. However, missile programs are less expensive, less risky, and pose lower scientific entry barriers compared to nuclear programs. By investing in the mastery of rocket technology, states cultivate scientific-military industrial complexes (SMICs) that increase the research infrastructure and scientific and technical human capital within their countries that can also aid in nuclear weapons acquisition efforts. Furthermore, such programs provide governments with cross-applicable experience in managing expansive, interdisciplinary weapons acquisition projects. Lastly, military rocketry SMICs have significant incentives to lobby on behalf of acquiring nuclear weapons, which could spur significant additional investments in their own programs. We test our theory with a large-n analysis of the factors affecting the acquisition of nuclear weapons in 154 countries from 1945-2000. Our results provide strong support for our theory, demonstrating that mature military rocketry programs substantially contribute to countries’ ability to acquire nuclear weapons.
Association of perioperative ibuprofen exposure with post-tonsillectomy bleeding requiring operative management.

Abstract Introduction Pediatric tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the United States. The safety of ibuprofen use after surgery is debated given concern for increased bleeding. The primary objective of this study was to compare the rate of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage requiring operative management in patients who received ibuprofen perioperatively vs. patients who did not. Methods Retrospective cohort study of patients 0–18 years old who underwent tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy (T&A) with recorded inpatient medication administration data at a single tertiary care institution from 1/2005-1/2019. The association between perioperative medication administration and return to operating room (OR) for control was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for patient demographics and operative indication. Secondary outcomes evaluated included the time to operative bleed when it occurred. Results A total of 4098 patients with a median age of 6 years old (IQR 4–10) underwent T&A over the study period. The overall rate of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage requiring OR was 3.37% (n = 138/4098). After adjustment for confounders, the odds of bleeding requiring OR did not differ significantly between the ibuprofen (OR 1.16, 95% CI (0.76, 1.74), 3.55%, n = 41/1,156, p = 0.47) and non-ibuprofen groups (3.30%, n = 97/2942). The median time to bleeding requiring OR was postoperative day 6.5 (IQR6-8) in the ibuprofen group and day 6 (IQR 3–8) in the non-ibuprofen group. Conclusions No difference in post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage requiring OR was observed between patients receiving perioperative ibuprofen versus those patients not receiving this medication. Additional research is required to definitively determine a safe dose and interval for ibuprofen administration following tonsillectomy.
Biosynthesis of mannophosphoinositides by Mycobacterium phlei. Enzymatic acylation of the dimannophosphoinositides.

Abstract The phosphatidylmyoinositol dimannosides (dimannophosphoinositides) of mycobacteria occur in multiply acylated forms, two fatty acids being attached to the glycerol part of the phospholipid and additional fatty acids being esterified to available hydroxyls on the mannose or myoinositol parts. This report describes a particulate enzyme in Mycobacterium phlei which is specific in its ability to incorporate labeled fatty acids into the dimannophosphoinositides. The acylation requires coenzyme A and ATP, and it is shown that fatty acyl coenzyme A can replace these two substances in the reaction. The fatty acid specificity of the enzyme is broader than the range of fatty acids found in the lipids in the cell; in addition to palmitic and tuberculostearic acid, myristic, stearic, and oleic acid are effective substrates. The first acylation step has been clearly shown. Pure dimannophosphoinositide C (two fatty acids) is acylated by palmityl coenzyme A to yield dimannophosphoinositide B (three fatty acids). The further acylation of the latter to dimannophosphoinositide A (four fatty acids) is observed in short incubation periods, but this is followed by the conversion (deacylation) of the product to isomeric forms of dimannophosphoinositide B and C. Evidence is presented that this occurs via still more highly acylated members of the dimannophosphoinositide family. The enzyme system in M. phlei that is responsible for the biosynthesis of the dimannophosphoinositides from phosphatidylmyoinositol and GDP-mannose has been examined in more detail. Evidence has been obtained for heterogeneity in the dimannophosphoinositide B component of the products of this reaction in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which provides a further indication for the existence of isomeric forms of these lipids. An over-all scheme is suggested for the biosynthesis of these complex lipids in Mycobacterium species.
Experimental and numerical study of blood backspatter interaction with firearm propellant gases

Experiments are used to quantify the influence of propellant gases on blood backspatter and the numerical model presented in the first part of this work (G. Li, N. Sliefert, J. B. Michael, A. L. Yarin, Phys. Fluids, 33, 043318 (2021)) is compared with the experimental results, which stem from muzzle gas expansion. Experimental results with blood backspatter show the reversal of backspatter blood drops and also indicate the presence of secondary atomization induced by the high relative velocity of the oncoming muzzle gases and the backward propagating bullet-induced blood spatter. To characterize the degree of influence, the muzzle gases for a range of modified and unmodified rifle and pistol configurations are considered. These muzzle gas expansions are used to infer the parameters of the numerical model presented in the first part. The significant effects of muzzle gases on blood backspatter have important implications for the use of forensic analysis of deposited bloodstain patterns, where flow reversal and breakup may significantly alter the forensic evidence.
Asymptotics of classical spin networks

A spin network is a cubic ribbon graph labeled by representations of SU.2/. Spin networks are important in various areas of Mathematics (3‐dimensional Quantum Topology), Physics (Angular Momentum, Classical and Quantum Gravity) and Chemistry (Atomic Spectroscopy). The evaluation of a spin network is an integer number. The main results of our paper are: (a) an existence theorem for the asymptotics of evaluations of arbitrary spin networks (using the theory of G ‐functions), (b) a rationality property of the generating series of all evaluations with a fixed underlying graph (using the combinatorics of the chromatic evaluation of a spin network), (c) rigorous effective computations of our results for some 6j ‐symbols using the Wilf‐Zeilberger theory and (d) a complete analysis of the regular Cube 12j spin network (including a nonrigorous guess of its Stokes constants), in the appendix. 57N10; 57M25
3D Audio Interface for Rich Mobile Web Experiences

We propose a novel paradigm of consuming rich web content in a mobile setting (which are often eyes-free), through a predominantly 3D audio interface. Web content, formatted in audio, is streamed via the mobile device’s network connection, and placed virtually in a 3D audio space. The user moves in the virtual space, using a variety of human computer interaction (HCI) means, such as voice input, touching, rotating, and shaking the device, as well as hand and head gesturing. We provide applications benefitting from this paradigm of rich mobile 3D audio web consumption. We provide system designs, and a system architecture for mobile 3D audio. Finally, we implement our ideas in a system prototype using the Apple iOS mobile platform.
Generalized Coordinates and Rayleigh’s Method

In the preceding chapters we concentrated our efforts in obtaining the response to dynamic loads of structures modeled by the simple oscillator, that is, structures that may be analyzed as a damped or undamped spring-mass system. Our plan in the present chapter is to discuss the conditions under which a structural system consisting of multiple interconnected rigid bodies or having distributed mass and elasticity can still be modeled as a one-degree of-freedom system. We begin by presenting an alternative method to the direct application of Newton’s Law of Motion, the principle of virtual work.
Experimentwise Error Rate in Practice

Multiple comparisons are frequently performed in medical experiments. These occur when dealing with multiple treatments, multiple endpoints, multiple subgroups, or multiple looks. Use of the nominal significance level for each comparison results in an inflated overall type I error rate, called the experiment-wise error rate. Approaches for controlling this error rate are discussed and a number of references are provided. Keywords: Bonferroni inequality; family-wise error rate; false discovery rate; hypothesis testing; multiple comparisons; multiplicity; power; type I error
Patterns and predictors of smoking cessation in an elderly cohort

OBJECTIVES: To identify subject characteristics that predict smoking cessation and describe patterns of cessation and recidivism in a cohort of elderly smokers. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Piedmont region, North Carolina. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred seventy-three subjects enrolled in the North Carolina Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly who responded “yes” to question 179 on the baseline survey (Do you smoke cigarettes regularly now?) and survived at least 3 years, until the next in-person follow-up (1989/90). Subjects were classified as quitters (n=100) or nonquitters (n=473) based on subsequent smoking behavior. MEASUREMENTS: Reported smoking behavior, demographic characteristics of the smokers at baseline or subsequent interviews, 7-year mortality. RESULTS: After controlling for all characteristics studied, subjects who quit smoking were more likely to be female (P=.03) and showed a trend toward greater likelihood of a recent cancer diagnosis (P=.11). Recidivism was observed in only 16% (19/119) of subjects who reported no smoking in 1989/90. The percentage of subjects who died during 7 years of follow-up was 44.0% of quitters, compared with 51.6% of nonquitters. Smoking cessation was not associated with a statistically significant decrease in risk of death after controlling for other variables (odds ratio=0.78, 95% confidence interval=0.48–1.26). CONCLUSION: Smoking cessation in this elderly cohort was associated with different subject characteristics from those that predict successful cessation in younger populations, suggesting that older smokers may have unique reasons to stop smoking. Further study is needed to assess potential motives and benefits associated with smoking cessation at an advanced age.
Boundary components of Riemann surfaces

The boundary components of an abstract Riemann surface were defined by B. v. Kerekjerto [7] and utilized in the book [14] written by S. Stoilow. It is the purpose of the present paper to investigate their images under conformal mapping and to solve the Dirichlet problem with boundary values distributed on them.
Measurement and analysis of the nitrogen total and differential scattering cross sections in the resonance region

High-resolution neutron transmission and differential elastic scattering measurements have been made on samples of nitrogen from 0.5 eV to 10 MeV at the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator (ORELA). For the transmission measurement several different detectors were used at various flight path lengths, with high-purity nitrogen gas samples. The data have been corrected for the dead time of the time digitizer and for several small backgrounds. For the scattering measurements six detectors were placed at various angles inside an evacuated scattering chamber at 200 meters from the neutron producing target. The sample was silicon nitride held in a thin graphite container. Scattering from carbon and silicon samples was also measured to correct for these materials and calibrate the relative efficiencies of the scattering detectors. The data have been corrected for dead time and for a constant background. A preliminary analysis has been completed to obtain parameters of the resonances up to 4.8 MeV.
Is computing at a tipping point? A personal prespective: Friday plenary session

Over the last 60+ years computing, communications, and information, originally emerging from disparate disciplines, have evolved into an unimagined set of capabilities influencing, directly or indirectly, nearly every person, every institution, and every endeavor in much of the world. These capabilities form a global infrastructure for a world where time and place are often irrelevant, access to information is instantaneous, and knowledge widely shared.
Conserved DNA binding and self-association domains of the Drosophila zeste protein.

Abstract The zeste gene product is involved in two types of genetic effects dependent on chromosome pairing: transvection and the zeste-white interaction. Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequence with that of the Drosophila virilis gene shows that several blocks of amino acid sequence have been very highly conserved. One of these regions corresponds to the DNA binding domain. Site-directed mutations in this region indicate that a sequence resembling that of the homeodomain DNA recognition helix is essential for DNA binding activity. The integrity of an amphipathic helical region is also essential for binding activity and is likely to be responsible for dimerization of the DNA binding domain. Another very strongly conserved domain of zeste is the C-terminal region, predicted to form a long helical structure with two sets of heptad repeats that constitute two long hydrophobic ridges at opposite ends and on opposite faces of the helix. We show that this domain is responsible for the extensive aggregation properties of zeste that are required for its role in transvection phenomena. A model is proposed according to which the hydrophobic ridges induce the formation of open-ended coiled-coil structures holding together many hundreds of zeste molecules and possibly anchoring these complexes to other nuclear structures.
Costs and Clinical Outcomes of Epilepsy Surgery in Children With Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

Abstract Purpose Approximately 20% of children with epilepsy are drug-resistant, incurring considerable costs. Epilepsy surgery has been shown to be an effective intervention in this population. This study provides an initial look at the costs associated with surgical management of children with drug-resistant epilepsy as compared with medical management alone. Procedures In a retrospective cohort study of children with drug-resistant epilepsy referred for possible surgical intervention, we compared direct costs of those treated surgically versus those offered surgery but managed medically instead. We also assessed the difference in seizure frequency between the two groups. Findings There were 94 total patients, 78 (83%) in the surgical group and 16 (17%) in the medical group. The median (25th-75th percentile) cost of the epilepsy surgery hospitalization was $118,400 ($101,900-$143,800). Total median annual follow-up costs, not including the cost of surgical hospitalization, were not significantly different between the two groups at 1- or 2-year follow-up. However, the surgical patients who were seizure-free at 1-year follow-up, and those that remained seizure-free at 2-year follow-up, had significantly lower costs compared with the medical group ($8000 versus $16,200, P = 0.04 and $4300 versus $7600, P = 0.05, respectively). The surgical group had significantly fewer seizures compared with the medical group at 1-year follow-up. Conclusions Although epilepsy surgery is expensive and the overall costs of surgical and medical management are similar in the first 2 years, patients who achieved seizure freedom after surgery had lower costs compared with those treated medically.
A Multivariate Analysis of Arctic Climate in GCMs

Abstract A multivariate analysis of Arctic climate is performed comparing the observed climate with that simulated by four different global climate models (GCMs). The focus is on the patterns of temporal and spatial variability in several climate parameters (sea level pressure, temperature, specific humidity, and precipitation). There are broad similarities between the observed data and all the CYCM climates. There are, however, severe major differences. The observed data show the Arctic climate to be dominated by the summertime pattern of temperature and humidity, which is decoupled from the atmospheric circulation. The winter patterns explains less of the observed variance but show a much closer association between temperature and the large-scale circulation. The GCMS, in contrast, overemphasize the winter season and show more of a large-scale advective control on summertime temperature patterns. Possible reasons for these differences are suggested, and their implications for GCM climate studies are dis...
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks increase T-wave alternans.

ICD Shocks Increase TWA. Introduction: While implantable defibrillator shocks save lives, shock can lead to ventricular arrhythmias. However, the mechanism of shock-related proarrhythmia remains unclear. We evaluated the impact of ICD shock on repolarization instability, a factor associated with ventricular arrhythmogenesis. Methods and Results: Sixty-five patients with ICDs underwent ambulatory ECG monitoring during defibrillation testing 3 months postimplant. TWA was analyzed continuously in the time domain during baseline, sedated, and post-shock states. RR, QRS, and QT intervals and catecholamines were also measured continuously. Adequate pre- and post-shock Holter data were recorded in 55 patients, 48 male, mean 64 ± 12 years, 50 with coronary disease, 48 with prior spontaneous or induced arrhythmia. TWA significantly increased after shock, from 9.6 ± 0.5 to 11.9 ± 0.6 µV, as did QRS duration, epinephrine, and norepinephrine levels, compared with sedated and baseline states. RR intervals decreased minimally. TWA changes with shock were not associated with RR or QRS duration changes, but were associated with changes in epinephrine. Conclusions: ICD shock, even in the sedated state, increases repolarization instability as measured by TWA, an effect mediated in part by sympathetic stimulation. This association between shock and TWA may have important mechanistic and clinical implications for optimization of defibrillation therapy. (J
Estimating neurotransmitter kinetics with ntPET: a simulation study of temporal precision and effects of biased data.

Abstract We recently introduced neurotransmitter PET (ntPET), an analysis technique that estimates the kinetics of stimulus-induced neurotransmitter (NT) release. Here, we evaluate two formulations of ntPET. The arterial (ART) approach measures the tracer input function (TIF) directly. The reference (REF) approach derives the TIF from reference region data. Arterial sampling is considered the gold standard in PET modeling but reference region approaches are preferred for reduced cost and complexity. If simulated PET data with unbiased TIFs were analyzed using ART or REF, temporal precision was better than 3 min provided NT concentration peaked less than 30 min into the scanning session. The consequences of biased TIFs or stimulus-induced changes in tracer delivery were also evaluated. ART TIFs were biased by the presence of uncorrected radiometabolites in the plasma whereas REF TIFs were biased by specific binding in the reference region. Simulated changes in tracer delivery emulated ethanol-induced blood flow alterations observed previously with PET. ART performance deteriorated significantly if metabolites amounted to 50% of plasma radioactivity by 60 min. The accuracy and precision of REF were preserved even if the reference region contained 40% of the receptor density of the target region. Both methods were insensitive to blood flow alterations (proportional changes in K1 and k2). Our results suggest that PET data contain information – heretofore not extracted – about the timing of NT release. The REF formulation of ntPET proved to be robust to many plausible model violations and under most circumstances is an appropriate alternative to ART.
An unprotected public.

We are facing a quiet public health crisis. This crisis is not from an emerging disease, nor is it from an infectious disease for which there is no treatment or inadequate prevention. Instead this ...
Templating Conducting Polymers via Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers and Supramolecular Recognition

Rui Zhang, Tomasz Kowalewski, andKrzysztof Matyjaszewski*Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon UniVersity,Pittsburgh, PennsylVania 15232ReceiVed August 31, 2007The success of conjugated polymers as components inanticorrosion coatings, charge-injection layers in organic light-emitting diodes, electromagnetic shielding, plastic circuitry, andbiosensors, among others, is due to their high conductivity, lowdensity, and reasonably high processability.
DNA‐Directed Assembly of Gold Nanowires on Complementary Surfaces

branes. The tubes are well ordered but somewhat tilted due to their relatively low mechanical strength compared with cylinders. The Raman spectra of the tubes have shown two broad peaks centered on 1345 and 1565 cm ‐1 , indicating that the tubes consist mainly of DLC. All the nanotubes have a uniform outer diameter of about 300 nm. The wall thickness of the tubes is very small, which can be controlled by optimizing the growth conditions. The tube length was about 7 lm, as in the case of cylinders. All the tubes have uniform height and are found to be hollow inside. Such nanotube arrays are probably useful for field emitters as well as for depositing metal catalysts or enzymes in the tubes, which in turn may be useful for new technologies. Other applications presumably include their use as porous electrodes in electrochemistry, as conductive diamond is known to exhibit outstanding electrochemical properties such as low background current, wide electrochemical potential window and high resistance to deactivation. [19] The present technique is a simple one for producing highly ordered diamond nanocylinders and nanotubes in high yield. The dimensions of these nanofibers are easily controllable by varying the pore dimensions of the alumina membrane. This technique enables others to adopt it easily and study the physical properties of these arrays for various applications in fieldemission displays, photonic bandgap materials, composite materials, and electrochemistry.
High precision semi-automated vertebral height measurement using computed tomography: A phantom study

The measurement of vertebral heights is necessary for the evaluation of many disorders affecting the spine. High precision is particularly important for longitudinal studies where subtle changes are to be detected. Computed tomography (CT) is the modality of choice for high precision studies. Radiography and dual emission X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) use 2D images to assess 3D structures, which can result in poor visualization due to the superimposition of extraneous anatomical objects on the same 2D space. We present a semi-automated computer algorithm to measure vertebral heights in the 3D space of a CT scan. The algorithm segments the vertebral bodies, extracts their end plates and computes vertebral heights as the mean distance between end plates. We evaluated the precision of our algorithm using repeat scans of an anthropomorphic vertebral phantom. Our method has high precision, with a coefficient of variation of only 0.197% and Bland-Altmann 95% limits of agreement of [−0.11, 0.13] mm. For local heights (anterior, middle, posterior) the algorithm was up to 4.2 times more precise than a manual mid-sagittal plane method.
Epitaxial PtFe and PtCo(001) thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Abstract We report a technique for producing the ordered PtFe and PtCo intermetallic compounds with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and a preferred c -axis orientation perpendicular to the film plane. PtFe and PtCo alloys possess high magneto-optic Kerr rotations and magnetizations, suggesting them as likely candidates for magneto-optic and perpendicular magnetic recording.
The Expert’s Opinion: Is the Webmaster Position Becoming Obsolete?

Jeana Scheirer is currently a consultant in Research and Development for Q-Labs, Inc., an international Software Engineering consulting firm, dedicated to providing state-of-the-art Software Engineering techniques to organizations performing software development. Her previous experience has included web-based development for The Discovery Channel Online and American University. She can be reached at jeana.scheirer@q-labs.com.
Development of antimicrobial stainless steel via surface modification with N-halamines: Characterization of surface chemistry and N-halamine chlorination

N-halamine modification of materials enables the development of antimicrobial materials whose activity can be regenerated after exposure to halogenated sanitizers. Surface and bulk modification of polymers by N-halamines has shown great success, however, modification of inorganic substrates (e.g., stainless steel) remains an area of research need. Herein, we report the covalent surface modification of stainless steel to possess rechargeably antimicrobial N-halamine moieties. Multilayers of branched polyethyleneimine and poly(acrylic acid) were immobilized onto the surface of stainless steel and the number of N-halamines available to complex chlorine was quantified. Samples were characterized through contact angle, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ellipsometry, dye assay for amine quantification, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Increasing the number of multilayers from one to six increased the number of N-halamines available to complex chlorine from 0.30 ± 0.5 to 36.81 ± 5.0 nmol cm−2. XPS and FTIR confirmed successful covalent layer-by-layer deposition of the N-halamine multilayers. The reported layer-by-layer deposition technique resulted in a greater than seven-fold increase of available N-halamine compared to prior reports of N-halamine surface modifications. The N-halamine modified steel demonstrated antimicrobial activity (99.7% reduction) against the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Such surface modified stainless steel with increased N-halamine functionality, and therefore potential for rechargeable antimicrobial activity, supports efforts to reduce cross-contamination by pathogenic organisms in the food and biomedical industries. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Developing spatially explicit footprints of plausible land-use scenarios in the Santa Cruz Watershed, Arizona and Sonora

Abstract The SLEUTH urban growth model is applied to a binational dryland watershed to envision and evaluate plausible future scenarios of land use change into the year 2050. Our objective was to create a suite of geospatial footprints portraying potential land use change that can be used to aid binational decision-makers in assessing the impacts relative to sustainability of natural resources and potential socio-ecological consequences of proposed land-use management. Three alternatives are designed to simulate different conditions: (i) a Current Trends Scenario of unmanaged exponential growth, (ii) a Conservation Scenario with managed growth to protect the environment, and (iii) a Megalopolis Scenario in which growth is accentuated around a defined international trade corridor. The model was calibrated with historical data extracted from a time series of satellite images. Model materials, methodology, and results are presented. Our Current Trends Scenario predicts the footprint of urban growth to approximately triple from 2009 to 2050, which is corroborated by local population estimates. The Conservation Scenario results in protecting 46% more of the Evergreen class (more than 150,000 acres) than the Current Trends Scenario and approximately 95,000 acres of Barren Land, Crops, Deciduous Forest (Mesquite Bosque), Grassland/Herbaceous, Urban/Recreational Grasses, and Wetlands classes combined. The Megalopolis Scenario results also depict the preservation of some of these land-use classes compared to the Current Trends Scenario, most notably in the environmentally important headwaters region. Connectivity and areal extent of land cover types that provide wildlife habitat were preserved under the alternative scenarios when compared to Current Trends.
Cadmium transport by Chlorella pyrenoidosa.

Abstract Chlorella pyrenoidosa , incubated at 31°C in a medium containing CdCl 2 concentrations ranging from 0.025 to 0.500 μg/ml, incorporated cadmium in a linear fashion for 60 min. The rate of uptake was dependent upon the exogenous cadmium concentration; 2.98 μ M CdCl 2 was required to half-saturate the transport system. Cd uptake is reduced by lower temperatures and when cultures are not illuminated. Both manganese and iron inhibited cadmium uptake but zinc and cobalt had no effect. The inhibition of cadmium uptake by manganese could be correlated with the concentration of manganese present; kinetic studies showed manganese to be a competitive inhibitor. Similar kinetic studies revealed that Mn transport is competitively inhibited by cadmium. The ability of C. pyrenoidosa to incorporate cadmium and manganese is determined, in large part, by the composition of the growth medium. Cells, grown in a medium containing low levels of Mn, incorporate both Cd and Mn at a faster rate than cells grown in a medium containing high levels of Mn. The rate of Cd and Mn incorporation is also faster in cells that have been previously exposed to Cd. The data support the conclusion that manganese and cadmium share a common transport system in C. pyrenoidosa .
Fluigi: Microfluidic Device Synthesis for Synthetic Biology

One goal of synthetic biology is to design and build genetic circuits in living cells for a range of applications. Our incomplete knowledge of the effects of metabolic load and biological “crosstalk” on the host cell make it difficult to construct multilevel genetic logic circuits in a single cell, limiting the scalability of engineered biological systems. Microfluidic technologies provide reliable and scalable construction of synthetic biological systems by allowing compartmentalization of cells encoding simple genetic circuits and the spatiotemporal control of communication among these cells. This control is achieved via valves on the microfluidics chip which restrict fluid flow when activated. We describe a Computer Aided Design (CAD) framework called “Fluigi” for optimizing the layout of genetic circuits on a microfluidic chip, generating the control sequence of the associated signaling fluid valves, and simulating the behavior of the configured biological circuits. We demonstrate the capabilities of Fluigi on a set of Boolean algebraic benchmark circuits found in both synthetic biology and electrical engineering and a set of assay-based benchmark circuits. The integration of microfluidics and synthetic biology has the capability to increase the scale of engineered biological systems for applications in DNA assembly, biosensors, and screening assays for novel orthogonal genetic parts.
Consensus building on the FOMC: An analysis of end of tenure policy preferences

Abstract We document a behavioral idiosyncrasy in which Federal Reserve Bank presidents prefer tighter monetary policy at the end of their tenures. This suggests that consensus building on the Federal Open Market Committee occurs by moderating the policy preferences expressed by the presidents, rather than convincing them the consensus policy is superior.
Interdisciplinary education: Perceptions of the usefulness of a clinical simulation to promote learning about asthma in children

Abstract Rationale The aim of this study was to analyze the perceived usefulness of an interdisciplinary approach for students in the health care disciplines of nursing, medicine, pharmacy and respiratory therapy to learn about the clinical management of asthma in children. Methods A qualitative approach was utilized for this study. Focus group discussions with students from each discipline were utilized to identify perceptions about interdisciplinary learning, use of the EPR II guidelines for management of asthma, and use of the CDROM for clinical simulations. Results Use of interdisciplinary learning helps to clarify roles/responsibilities of each discipline. Learning from one another is enhanced through this type of learning. Participants felt that it would be most helpful to introduce interdisciplinary learning early in their program of study. Additionally, guidelines for the management of children with asthma are more likely to be followed if introduced early in the program and prior to actual clinical management. Use of clinical simulations were perceived as being most helpful when beginning to learn about the particular disease, as opposed to after having cared for a patient with this disease in the clinical setting. Conclusions Use of clinical simulations for interdisciplinary learning was perceived as being helpful in learning about other disciplines roles and responsibilities in the clinical management of asthma.
Survival and vertical distribution of larvae of Culicoides variipennis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in drying mud habitats.

The ability of third and fourth instars of Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett) to survive in drying sandy loam soil was tested under simulated field conditions. Two hundred larvae were added to each of a number of soil-filled, plastic tubes, which were buried in the field and retrieved after 2, 5, and 7 d. Of 306 pupae or pupal exuviae recovered, 98.1% were in the top 2 cm of mud. Estimated larval mortality on day two ranged from 25.6 to 87.1% among three trials, and 92.3% of live larvae were in the top 2 cm. Estimated larval mortality on day 5 ranged from 81.4 to 97.2%, and 75.5% of live larvae were in the top 2 cm. On day 7 mortality was 95.2–100%, and 63% of surviving larvae were in the top 2 cm. Some larvae dispersed as deep as 7–10 cm (the maximum depth in the tests). Larval tolerance of unfavorable drying conditions may allow relic populations to persist in some situations, but probably this is of little concern in control of this species through water management in most settings.
Degradation of exogenous membrane proteins implanted into the plasma membrane of cultured hepatoma cells

Abstract The degradation of radiolabeled red cell band 3 and Sendai envelope proteins was studied after band 3 virosomes were fused with hepatoma cells as previously described (Hare, J E & Huston, M, Exp cell res 161 (1986) 317) [26]. 125I-band 3 ( T 1 2 =13−14 h ), Sendai HN ( T 1 2 =37−40 h ), and F ( T 1 2 =21−23 h ) envelope proteins were degraded by an apparent first-order process that was >90% sensitive to 20 mM NH4Cl. 125I-Sendai envelope proteins were degraded at approximately similar rates when hepatoma cells were fused with intact virus, isolated viral membrane, or band 3 virosomes. There thus appears to be distinct heterogeneity among the degradation rates of implanted polypeptides dependent on structural aspects of each. To identify the subcellular site of membrane protein degradation, band 3 was labeled with membrane impermeant [14C]sucrose and implanted into hepatoma plasma membranes. After replating, trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble label was found to accumulate in the lysosomal compartment of fractionated cells. The results identify the lysosome as the ultimate site of plasma membrane protein degradation, but suggest that plasma membrane proteins are selectively rather than non-selectively delivered to this compartment.
Special Issue: AI in Manufacturing: State of the Art

The AAAI Special Interest Group on AI in Manufacturing (SIGMAN) organization represents a wide array of researchers addressing fundamental scientific problems that arise in engineering design and manufacturing. The human endeavor that is design and manufacturing is rich in basic problems for researchers in Artificial Intelligence. From process planning researchers who aim to augment the abilities of human process engineers, to those who employ agents and distributed AI to model and control the factory floor—AI has found one of its most fertile and challenging proving grounds in the manufacture of products.
Analog Computer for Quadrupole Magnet Design

In the design of particle accelerators, magnets are sometimes used to bend the paths of charged particles in linear accelerators for focusing and defocusing purposes. These magnets, in the present case, are known as quadrupoles. Their design hinges on the solution of certain mathematical expressions of particle trajectories. A computer of the analog type was constructed to solve the equations and so facilitate magnet design. The analog computer for this application has dials labeled "L", "?", and "?". The settings of these dials represent the design parameters under study. The operator can set the dials of each stage to any of thousands of different combinations of L, ?, and ?. The results of his settings may be observed on a CRO screen. He can then proceed to search for the best combination of control settings with regard to their effect on particle trajectories. Once having found a satisfactory combination, the corresponding magnet design parameters are obtained from the settings of the controls. Three features of construction required special consideration. These were: the high gain, minimum phase shift, and minimum crosstalk. These items and others are discussed in the article from the practical as well as the theoretical point of view.