cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Qualitative dynamics from asymptotic expansions: Local theory

Perturbation problems in nonlinear oscillations have been studied from two points of view. One may seek asymptotic expansions of the solution in a small parameter, and give error estimates valid on some interval of time, generally an expanding interval of the form 0 ,( t .< L/C for some positive constants L, a. Or one may attempt to prove existence of periodic solutions for all time, and investigate their stability. These approaches overlap, in that a well-known theorem (stated below) enables one to deduce existence and stability properties of periodic solutions from the first term of an asymptotic expansion when that first term satisfies a certain condition. The purpose of the present paper is to extend the theory to provide stability criteria for periodic solutions which are known to exist but for which the first term of the asymptotic expansion does not determine stability. Some of our results have been announced in [5], which also poses a larger problem about the topological conjugacy of a map with its asymptotic approximations; one aspect of this problem is addressed in Section 4 below. Both problems arose from [4], in which the qualitative features of a certain spin/orbit resonance problem are shown to depend upon second-order terms in the asymptotic expansion. Section 5 of the present paper contains an additional application, a system of two coupled Duffing equations. More specifically, we shall consider a system of familiar form
Retooling the Global Positioning System.

The article focuses on the capabilities of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Underlying improved capabilities is a series of system upgrades that include additional satellite signals, increased broadcast power, performance monitoring, guaranteed error bounds, smart antennas that can selectively direct and receive signals, and integration with television and cellular-phone networks. GPS got its start when the U.S. Department of Defense launched the first Navstar satellite in 1978. Today some 30 million people regularly track their whereabouts using GPS. The receiving units assist in guiding road vehicles, ships and boats, as well as in fleet management for rental cars and buses, and recreational uses. The American GPS Navstar satellites are not alone in orbit, however. Russian GLONASS navigation satellites share that physical and functional space, and in a few years so will the European Galileo constellation. Each time a GPS receiver locates itself on the planet's surface, it trilaterates (a cousin of triangulation) its precise distance from at least four GPS satellites using ranging signals broadcast from overhead. In essence, the specially coded radio signals serve as invisible rulers that measure the path from the satellites to the receiver. Because mobile users change position rapidly, current GPS receivers also monitor the Doppler shift of the incoming signals--that is, motion-caused shifts of the signal's wavelengths. Transmitters onboard GPS satellites broadcast their information through standard radio-frequency (RF) waves. Starting in 2005, GPS satellites will begin to broadcast new signals that will boost the robustness of services and help fine-tune their positioning accuracy by eliminating the ionospheric errors. INSET: Overcoming GPS Signal Interference.
The continuing evolution of neurotoxins for nonsurgical facial rejuvenation: an introduction.

As aesthetic surgeons and medical practitioners, we always welcome the opportunity to offer patients new treatment options that have been tested for safety and efficacy. The approval of a new formulation of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNTA-ABO; Dysport [abobotulinumtoxinA], Medicis Aesthetics, Scottsdale, AZ) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers aesthetic specialists in the United States just such an opportunity. FDA approval of BoNTA-ABO is for treatment of cervical dystonia in adults and for temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines in adults under 65 years of age. Back in the 1980s, it would have been difficult (if not impossible) to predict that within 20 years, nonsurgical rejuvenation would be the fastest growing segment of most cosmetic practices. I am well aware that the 1980s may seem like ancient history to some readers of Aesthetic Surgery Journal . In fact, in the ‘80s—when I was a medical student, house officer, and junior attending—if a senior surgeon referred to “how we did it back in the ‘60s,” I would listen politely but usually considered the information largely irrelevant. Like many young surgeons, I held the belief that the world was different then. Today, that's probably more true than ever, but to understand how we arrived at the point where an entire supplement of the world's leading journal of cosmetic surgery is devoted …
Global problems in magnetospheric plasma physics and prospects for their solution

Selected problems in magnetospheric plasma physics are critically reviewed. The discussion is restricted to questions that are 'global' in nature (i.e., involve the magnetosphere as a whole) and that are beyond the stage of systematic survey or isolated study requirements. Only low-energy particle aspects are discussed. The article focuses on the following subjects: (1) the effect of the interplanetary magnetic field on the topography, topology, and stability of the magnetospheric boundary; (2) solar-wind plasma entry into the magnetosphere; (3) plasma storage and release mechanisms in the magnetospheric tail; and (4) magnetic-field-aligned currents and magnetosphere-ionosphere interactions. A brief discussion of the prospects for the solution of these problems during and after the International Magnetospheric Study is given.
Diffusive fluxes and equilibrium processes in relation to phosphorus dynamics in the Upper Mississippi River

We examined total suspended solids (TSS) and phosphorus (P) dynamics in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) above naturally impounded Lake Pepin between 1994 and 1996, with attention to P loadings which may be contributing to impaired water quality conditions. The Minnesota River, located 97 km upstream of Lake Pepin, accounted for most of the annual and summer TSS and total P load while the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant, located 80 km upstream of Lake Pepin, accounted for much of the annual soluble reactive P (SRP) loading to the UMR. Lake Pepin retained 80% and 13% of the TSS and total P load, respectively, during the summer period. However, the lake was a source of SRP during the same period, exporting up to 130% of the summer SRP load it received. Diffusive P flux from profundal sediments averaged 7.5 mg m−2 d−1 during the summer, accounting for 41% of the net SRP export from the lake. Recently deposited sediments in Lake Pepin (originating primarily from the Minnesota River) also exhibited a high equilibrium P concentration (EPC=0.155 mg l−1) and linear adsorption coefficient (Kd=1043 l kg−1). Application of these P equilibrium characteristics to TSS loads entering the system resulted in a calculated potential P desorption flux from TSS of 2.0 mg m−2 d−1 during the summer. Potential P desorption flux to the system was driven by dilution of SRP concentrations in the Mississippi River below the EPC by SRP-deficient inflows of the St Croix River, located 16 km upstream of the lake. P desorption was, thus, an important additional internal P flux that is not commonly included in P budgets of riverine systems. Published in 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tortillas for the Gods: A Symbolic Analysis of Zinacanteco Rituals

Reprint of the Harvard University Press edition originally published in 1976 on the relationship between food and ceremony. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
Left-moving fermions with odd spin structures in heterotic string models☆

Abstract For a class of heterotic string models in ten or less dimensions, odd spin structures appear for the left-moving fermions in the parity-violating amplitudes in the fermionic formulation. In this case, the behaviors of amplitudes, such as singularities near the boundary of the moduli space or the nonrenormalization theorems, are different from those of parity-preserving amplitudes. As an example we discuss the d =10 tachyonic SO(16)×E 8 heterotic string model.
Determination of the role of cuticular carbohydrates in the hemocompatibility of Dirofilaria immitis (Nematoda).

We have partially characterized surface glycoproteins of the canine heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis. Histochemical studies indicated the presence of neutral and acidic mucopolysaccharides at the blood–cuticle interface. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated lectin binding patterns suggested the presence of α-D-glucosyl and/ or α-D-mannosyl, β-galactosyl, N-acetylneuraminyl and N-acetylated-D-hexosaminyl (sialic and glucuronic acids, respectively) terminal residues among the constituent sugars of the glycocalyx. An additional goal of this study was to assess the significance of each carbohydrate in parasite hemocompatibility by using scanning electron microscopy, internal reflection infrared spectroscopy, and comprehensive contact angle measurements. Each carbohydrate identified in the glycocalyx was selectively cleaved with the appropriate exoglycosidase. Heartworms bearing native and enzyme-altered surfaces were exposed to platelet-rich canine plasma. Activation and aggregation of platelets were significantly increased on enzyme-treated surfaces as compared with native surfaces. Enzyme-induced cleavage of carbohydrate residues was associated with an increase in critical surface tension or a loss in cuticular structural integrity or both. Hemocompatibility of the heartworm cuticle depends on the retention of a stable saccharide-rich layer that minimizes interaction with plasma proteins and platelets; thus, carbohydrate residues on the glycocalyx may contribute to parasite hemocompatibility. The presence of similar low-critical-surface-tension coatings with high mechanical integrity may impart thromboresistance to other polyphenolic or chitinous substances. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Transit tomography using probabilistic time geography: planning routes without a road map

Vehicle routing usually depends on a road map, and road maps are expensive to create and maintain. While crowdsourcing road maps from logged GPS data has proven effective, the limited availability of GPS data limits their coverage area. To overcome this limitation, we show how to use location data from geotagged tweets, which cover much of the world, to compute routes directly without making a road map. We compensate for the wide spacing of tweets' latitude/longitude points by using probabilistic time geography, which explicitly models the uncertain location of someone traveling between measured locations. In our formulation, each pair of temporally adjacent tweets contributes an estimate of the driving time along hypothesised roads in a regular grid. We show how to compute these estimates as expected values based on probabilistic Brownian bridges. We can compute routes on this regular grid using traditional A* search. Our experiments demonstrate that our computed routes match well with routes computed on...
Effects of Pine Bark Extracts and Pine Bark Powder on Fungal Pathogens, Soil Enzyme Activity, and Microbial Populations1

Abstract Pine bark extracts and pine bark powders were evaluated in vitro and in greenhouse experiments for effect on fungal growth and infectivity, soil enzyme activity and soil microbial populations. Agar media were formulated using powdered fresh or composted pine bark and pine bark extracts prepared by refluxing pine bar powder with acid, neutral, and alkaline solutions Growth of Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum, Phytophthora parasitica, Alternaria solani, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was reduced on agar containing either fresh or composted pine bark powder, whereas growth of the nonparasitic fungus Penicillium citrinum was enhanced. Growth of parasitic fungi on media containing pine bark extracts was varied. However, extracts prepared using alkaline solutions reduced the growth of more of the fungi tested and to a greater extent than extracts prepared with neutral or acid solutions. In greenhouse experiments, emergence of lentil (Lens culinaris) was significantly increased by the addition of fresh or composted pine bark powder to soil inoculated with either R. solani or S. rolfsii. Increases in soil trehalase activity were correlated with increases in total populations of indigenous fungi and specifically with species of Penicillium and Paecilomyces. Pine bark powder decreased fungal growth in vitro and reduced disease incidence in greenhouse experiments while altering soil fungal populations. Analysis of soil trehalase activity provides a simplified means for monitoring soil fungal populations leading to a more complete understanding of soil microbial ecology.
Optimization of centroid finding algorithms for cathode strip chambers

Abstract We compare the data obtained by a precision cathode strip chamber (CSC) with a static point charge model. The observed strip charge profile is in good agreement with the model prediction. We have used this model to calculate the systematic error of some popular centroid-finding algorithms, and found good agreement with the systematic error observed in the data. We further studied the effect of incidence angle and of anode wire displacements. By using an algorithm based on a hyperbolic secant function (sech 2) to describe the charge profile, we are able to improve the published single layer resolution of our CSC prototype in a muon beam by 14%, from 53.3 ± 0.9 to 45.8 ± 0.7μm.
Rigid-Band Behavior in the Specific Heats of PbTl and PbBi Alloys: Electron-Phonon Enhancement Effects

The normal-state specific heats of pure lead and four dilute PbTl and PbBi alloys have been measured in the temperature range 1.0-2.3 K. The fractional rate of change of the electronic specific-heat coefficient $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ with respect to the number of conduction electrons per atom was found to be 0.25\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06 for PbTl alloys and 0.51\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04 for PbBi alloys. When changes in the electron-phonon enhancement factor as determined from tunneling measurements are included, good agreement is found between the measured changes in $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and those expected from the rigid-band model. Semiquantitative calculations indicate that changes in the electron-phonon enhancement factor may also account for the apparent discrepancy between previous experimental results and the rigid-band model in noble-metal alloys. The Debye temperature was found to decrease for both lead alloy series.
Experience with laparoscopic gastric resection: results and outcomes for 37 cases

Background This study aimed to review the authors’ technique, results, and outcomes for laparoscopic gastric wedge and segmental resections in patients with benign gastric diseases.
Seismic response of linear and non-linear asymmetric systems with non-linear fluid viscous dampers

This investigation is concerned with the seismic response of one-story, one-way asymmetric linear and non-linear systems with non-linear fluid viscous dampers. The seismic responses are computed for a suite of 20 ground motions developed for the SAC studies and the median values examined. Reviewed first is the behaviour of single-degree-of-freedom systems to harmonic and earthquake loading. The presented results for harmonic loading are used to explain a few peculiar trends—such as reduction in deformation and increase in damper force of short-period systems with increasing damper non-linearity—for earthquake loading. Subsequently, the seismic responses of linear and non-linear asymmetric-plan systems with non-linear dampers are compared with those having equivalent linear dampers. The presented results are used to investigate the effects of damper non-linearity and its influence on the effects of plan asymmetry. Finally, the design implications of the presented results are discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
IP-based services over GPRS

The utility of mobile computing in the future will be determined to a large degree by the quality of service achievable over cellular based systems. In this paper, we examine the traffic-handling capabilities of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) with respect to supporting IP-based Internet services. We begin with an overview of GPRS. We then present an analytical model to assess throughput of the reverse link as a function of the number of users connected and the distribution of user message lengths for a scenario in which users are continuously backlogged. Next, we investigate the capability of GPRS to support World Wide Web access using a modified version of the analytical model. Specifically, we present a realistic scenario for user sessions operating under the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and we assess the transaction-handling capabilities as a function of the number of user sessions, taking into account network delays, forward link transmission, random access delay, and other factors. We also consider a scenario where both continuously backlogged users and users operating HTTP sessions are present. We conclude with a discussion of some open issues in the design of GPRS based Internet access.
The effect of pasteurization temperature on consumer acceptability, sensory characteristics, volatile compound composition, and shelf-life of fluid milk.

The relationship among consumer acceptability, descriptive sensory attributes, and shelf-life was determined for 2% milk pasteurized at 77, 79, 82, and 85°C. Sensory descriptive attributes and volatile compound composition were monitored over the shelf-life of the products to determine if treatments could be differentiated at various times through out the shelf-life of the product. Consumers preferred 79°C milk over other treatments on d 0; however, at d 6 postpasteurization, 79 and 82°C milks were preferred over the 77°C treatment. Consumers were grouped into 8 clusters based on product liking for both d 0 and d 6 evaluations. The largest cluster liked all pasteurization treatments, and 79°C milk was highly acceptable to all consumers who liked milk. Similar sensory descriptors indicated the end of shelf-life for all pasteurization treatments even though treatments could be differentiated by descriptors on d 0. This research reveals that altering the pasteurization temperature from 79°C may cause a decrease in consumer acceptability to some consumers. Also, altering pasteurization temperature did not affect shelf-life or sensory descriptors and volatile compound composition at the end of shelf-life.
Branchial cleft and arch anomalies in children

Branchial anomalies are important lesions to consider in the differential diagnosis of head and neck masses in children. These anomalies are composed of a heterogeneous group of congenital malformations that arise from incomplete obliteration of pharyngeal clefts and pouches during embryogenesis. Although present at birth, many abnormalities do not become evident until later in infancy or childhood. It is common for branchial anomalies to become infected, causing significant morbidity. Surgical removal may be difficult, and inadequate resection of the lesion is likely to cause recurrence. Understanding the embryology and anatomy of these lesions is essential to the provision of adequate therapy.
Optical Absorption and Photoconduction in the Visible and Near Infrared in Single Crystals of BaO

Optical absorption studies of single crystals of BaO indicate the presence of absorption bands at 0.8 and 1.4 ev, induced by ultraviolet or x-ray irradiation at about - 160\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. These bands are enhanced about five-fold upon heating a crystal in air to about 1600\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and quenching.Crystals heated in barium vapor have a blue color and have an absorption maximum at 2.0 ev. Crystals heated in aluminum, magnesium, and calcium vapors have similar absorption curves, suggesting that either interstitial barium or oxygen vacancies are responsible for the 2.0-ev absorption. These results, taken together with the results of Redington on diffusion of radioactive barium and of Sproull, Bever, and Libowitz on the diffusion of color centers in BaO crystals, favor the latter imperfections as the cause of the coloration.Photoconduction studies, used mainly as a sensitive measurement of optical absorption, show the presence of energy levels at 2.0 and 2.6 ev in addition to those at 0.8 and 1.4 ev. Extensive x-ray irradiation greatly increases the 2.0-ev level photoconduction relative to that of the other bands.
Gating and Entropy in Guest Exchange by Rebek's Sportsballs. Theoretical Studies of One-Door, Side-Door, and Back-Door Gating

“Tennis ball” and “softball” are spherical dimeric molecules held together by hydrogen bonds yet able to exchange guest molecules. Mechanisms of guest exchange were explored with AMBER* force field calculations. The “one-door” SN1 and the “side-door” SN2 gating mechanisms are predicted for guest exchanges in the “softball”, while a dissociation mechanism is predicted for the “tennis ball”. Entropy changes have an important influence on the guest exchange mechanisms.
Necessity versus sufficiency: the role of input in language acquisition

Abstract There is data which indicates that the critical/sensitive period(s) for language development begins in the 6th month of fetal life and may be most susceptible to impairment during the first 2 years of life. There are observations which would indicate that the linguistic abilities which develop are dependent upon the amount of linguistic information available to the infant and are not dependent upon any particular receptive sensory mode. The challenge for the cochlear implant is to be able to transmit sufficient linguistic information—flux of information—during this period so that the resultant language is optimal. Language must be the primary outcome measure of the cochlear implant in the infant and young child.
Asian Americans in Class

how opposing fans used the Ν word) where the voices of the players themselves could have been more prominent. Also, the chapter on masculinity would have benefited from a closer engagement with existing scholarship on the topic. For May, masculinity is equated mainly with sexuality and relationships with girls and women. However, as scholars such as Richard Majors, Mike Messner, Don Sabo, and Ben Carrington have discussed, in sport it signals a much broader set of issues and problems, encompassing physicality, presentation of self, competition/domination, and dealing with pain. These qualms and quibbles may reflect the obsessions of a specialist more than the interests of the general readership May is clearly aiming for and has, in fact, begun to reach. Living Through the Hoop has already won one sociology award, and I won't be surprised if others follow. This is a more important point than may first meet the eye, even for specialists. After several decades of exceptional work on race and a host of other topics, sport scholarship in sociology as well as in a number of related disciplines has now achieved a rather impressive level of maturity, range, and sophistication. Reuben May, it seems to me, is one of those writers and thinkers who could help bring this body of work to broader visibility and influence, in both public and scholarly circles. More than that, May may be able to synthesize and consolidate these gains and, in doing so, not only contribute to the continued development of sport sociology, but also show how the study of sport can enrich our understandings of modern society and maybe even of sociology itself. A tall order, perhaps, but one occasioned by a very good piece of work.
Transition pathways in the unfaulting of dislocation loops

In order to study the dynamic mechanism of loop unfaulting, we performed large-scale classical molecular dynamics simulations involving computational cells with several millions of atoms. To induce dislocation loop unfaulting, we launched 1 ps duration traction stress pulses at a free surface of the computational box. In many cases, we observe unfaulting to involve both intuitive and complex dislocation processes with multiple Shockley partial dislocations. However, in some instances, we observe unfaulting to occur by a sudden instability of the stacking fault without clear traces of dislocation reactions.
DETERMINATION OF CONSTANTS AND COMPARISON OF RESULTS FOR VARIOUS CONSTITUTIVE MODELS

The ability to compare different constitutive models has been difficult in the past because the constants associated with these models are developed using different methods and test data. This work presents an explicit, consistent procedure for which constants can be determined for different constitutive models using the same test data base. This allows for a direct comparison of the models to be made independent of the material constants. Using this procedure, constants are determined for four material models : Johnson-Cook, Modified Johnson-Cook, Zerilli-Armstrong, and a Combined Model (from Johnson-Cook and Zerilli-Armstrong) using two materials : OFHC Copper and Armco Iron. Comparisons are made between the different models by simulating Cylinder Impact experiments using the EPIC code.
Measurements of [C I] emission from comet Hale-Bopp

We present quantitative measurements of cometary [C I] 9850 A emission obtained during observations of comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) in 1997 March and April. The observations were carried out using a high-resolution (λ/Δλ ≈ 40,000) Fabry-Perot/CCD spectrometer at the McMath-Pierce Solar telescope on Kitt Peak. This forbidden line, the carbon analog of [O I] 6300 A, is emitted in the radiative decay of C(1D) atoms. In the absence of other sources and sinks, [C I] 9850 A emission can be used as a direct tracer of CO photodissociation in comets. However, in Hale-Bopp's large, dense coma, other processes, such as collisional excitation of ground-state C(3P), dissociative recombination of CO+, and collisional dissociation of CO and CO2 may produce significant amounts of C(1D). The long C(1D) radiative lifetime (~4000 s) makes collisional deexcitation (quenching) the primary loss mechanism in the inner coma. Thus, a detailed, self-consistent global model of collisional and photochemical interactions is necessary to fully account for [C I] 9850 A emission in comet Hale-Bopp.
A comparative scanning electron microscopic study on degradation of absorbable ligating clips in vivo and in vitro

Using scanning electron microscopy, the degradation characteristics of two absorbable ligating clips, Absolok (polydioxanone) and Lactomer (poly-L-lactide-co-30%-glycolide) have been studied under in vivo and in vitro conditions. The rate of Absolok clip degradation was significantly greater than that of Lactomer clip degradation both in vitro and in vivo. The rate of degradation of Lactomer clips significantly increased and they showed a greater change in proportion of breakdown in vivo than in vitro compared to Absolok clips. The Absolok clip breakdown began with the formation of surface undulations which later developed into fissures. The undulations appeared on the clip surface as early as 7 days and by 2 weeks developed into fissures. The initial appearance of the fissures was at the edge of the clips particularly at the mating surface. The thickness of layers forming the fissures gradually decreased and by 15 weeks the layers appeared as very thin sheets of materials. The high energy areas (locking and molding points) were more resistant to breakdown and the remains of the clips were still present 25 weeks after initiation of the experiments. The Lactomer clips showed very little sign of degradation in vitro even after 10 weeks of incubation. However, in the in vivo experiments undulations formed on the clip surface as early as 2 weeks postimplantation. These clips also showed fissures similar to those observed on Absolok clips.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Nasal Synchronized Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation after Extubation of Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Randomized Controlled Trial of Nasal Synchronized Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation after Extubation of Very Low Birth Weight Infants
“Did anyone ever truly decide?” Rereading cultural feminism through the Patty Hearst case

The kidnapping of Patricia Hearst by the Symbionese Liberation Army and her subsequent arrest and trial has often been viewed in the context of left decline, an absurdist outpouring of violence that parodied authentic radicalism. This essay, argues, however, that the analyses of the case by feminist activists and thinkers Robin Morgan and Kathleen Barry allowed for an important examination of fundamental questions of agency. Specifically, it looks at their analysis of class, which marked a departure from many New Left thinkers. In addition, it argues that their examination of the problem of radical violence illuminated a central tension for the Left. Finally, it examines the question of sexual violence and rape as they played out in the case, looking at the problems they raised for feminists whose radical origins made cooperation with law enforcement particularly vexed.
A message‐routing strategy for multicomputer systems

A natural communication problem in a multicomputer system, such as the hypercube, is that a processor (called the source) wants to send a message to a number of other processors (destinations). A message-routing paradigm for such a multidestination communication has been formulated as finding a subgraph called an Optimal Communication Tree (OCT). We prove that the problem of finding an OCT is NP-hard for the n-cube graph as well as for a graph whose maximum degree is at most three. Heuristics for finding suboptimal communication trees for the hypercube multicomputer are discussed.
MELCOR Simulations of the Severe Accident at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3

In response to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in Japan, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and U.S. Department of Energy agreed to jointly sponsor an accident recon...
The Physics of Cell Motility

Cell locomotion begins with a protrusion from the leading periphery of the cell. What drives this extension? Here we present a model for the extension of cell protuberances that unifies certain aspects of this phenomenon, and is based on the hypothesis that osmotic pressure drives cell extensions. This pressure arises from membrane-associated reactions, which liberate osmotically active particles, and from the swelling of the actin network that underlies the membrane.
Study of a transferred-arc plasma reactor with a converging wall and flow through a hollow cathode

In this paper the behavior of an arc in a transferred-arc plasma reactor with a converging wall geornetrr and flow through a hollow cathode is investigated numerically with emphasis on the fluid dynamics. The general conservation equations and auxiliary relations for the calculation domain are established based on reasonable assumptions Then, the coupled nonlinear differential equations are solved with suitable boundary conditions and temperature-dependent argon plasma properties at atmospheric pressure, by employing an efficient finite-difference method. The results, for a hollow cathode geornetrr with low injection flow rates, clear/y demonstrate the existence of the Maecker elect which is responsible Joy the formation of two recirculation zones. As the plasma gas flow rate is increased, the downstream recirculation zoner is swept away leaving only an upstream recirculation zone.
Phellinus tropicalis Abscesses in a Patient with Chronic Granulomatous Disease

Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD), caused by genetic defects in components of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase pathway, leads to recurrent life-threatening bacterial and invasive fungal infections. While a number of unique pathogens have been associated with this disease, the causative organisms may be difficult to identify. Here, we present a 24 year old male with known X-linked CGD who concurrently developed a cervical abscess and an abscess in the subcutaneous tissues of the right hip, both of which were surgically drained. Cultures failed to identify any organisms. He was treated empirically with ertapenem but the hip abscess recurred at the original site and in contiguous dependent areas in the posterior thigh and knee. A filamentous organism was observed microscopically, initially considered a contaminant, but on culture yielded a mold growth, identified as Phellinus tropicalis (synonym: Inonotus tropicalis) based on phenotypic and molecular methods. This is the third case report of human infection with P. tropicalis, all in subjects with CGD. The patient was treated with voriconazole with resolution of his symptoms.
ARE TELEVISION COMMERCIALS STILL ACHIEVEMENT SCRIPTS FOR WOMEN

Content analyses of television advertising document the ubiquity of traditional images of women, yet few studies have explored their impact. One noteworthy exception is the experiment by Geis, Brown, Jennings, and Porter (1984). These researchers found that the achievement aspirations of controls and women exposed to traditional images were lower than those of both women who viewed nontraditional replicas and men, leading to the conclusion that women's aspirations were muted by sexist advertising. An updated extension and modification of their study with 185 college women and 96 men did not find an interaction between gender and ad exposure, suggesting some changes over time in women's aspirations, as well as in the content and impact of commercials. Although women's achievement scripts now appear more similar to men's, as well as more resistant to sexist exposure, there are signs in the present data and related research that women's aspirations are not fully impervious to sexism in the media.
Multisite evaluations of health care policies and programs

The health care arena has a number of unique features that generally facilitate and influence the conduct of multisite evaluations.
Mapping FACT-melanoma quality-of-life scores to EQ-5D health utility weights.

Abstract Objectives We sought to develop a mapping function from functional assessment of cancer therapy-melanoma (FACT-M) quality of life scores to the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) utility scores. Methods FACT-M and EQ-5D scores were collected during a prospective study of melanoma-related quality of life at a tertiary cancer care center in the United States. The study sample was divided into development and validation datasets with equal distributions by cancer stage and treatment status. Censored Least Absolute Deviation (CLAD) and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analyses were performed using the developmental dataset to derive mapping functions, and model performance was examined through comparisons of residuals and measures of fit in the validation dataset. Exploratory analyses examined the predictive ability of clinical factors and individual subscales. Results Of 273 patients, 75 were undergoing treatment with 198 in follow-up surveillance. Relatively even distributions were observed by melanoma stage: I/II (n = 102), III (n = 100), and IV (n = 71). OLS regression resulted in a mapping function of EQ-5D = 0.0037*FACT-M+0.2238 with an R 2 0.499. CLAD regression resulted in a mapping function of EQ-5D = 0.0042*FACT-M+0.1648 with pseudo R 2 0.328. When applied to the validation dataset, correlations between observed and predicted values resulted in identical coefficients (r = 0.824, P Conclusions The OLS mapping function demonstrated better predictive ability and will facilitate the derivation of utilities when direct population preference measures are not available.
1H, 3H and 13C NMR studies on porphobilinogen

A key intermediate in porphyrin and corrin biosynthesis is the trisubstituted pyrrole porphobilinogen (PBG). The fate of PBG in the biosynthesis of porphyrins and corrins has been monitored by NMR spectroscopy in vivo and in vitro employing various nuclei. The syntheses of highly tritiated PBG and its immediate precursor 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) are reported, together with 3H, 1H and 13C assignments.
Continental Normativism and Its British Counterpart: How Different Are They?*

The separability thesis claims that the concept of law can be explicated independently of morality, the normativity thesis, that it can be explicated independently of fact. Continental normativism, prominent above all in the work of Hans Kelsen, may be characterized in terms of the coupling of these theses. Like Kelsen, H. L. A. Hart is a proponent of the separability thesis. And–a leitmotiv–both theorists reject reductive legal positivism. They do not, however, reject it for the same reasons. Kelsen's reason, in a word, is the normativity thesis. Hart, however, grounds his theory in social fact. In place of the reductive thesis of the legal positivist tradition, and in sharp contrast to Kelsen's normativity thesis, Hart defends a non-reductive version of what the author terms the facticity thesis.
A negative feedback system between oocyte bone morphogenetic protein 15 and granulosa cell kit ligand: its role in regulating granulosa cell mitosis.

Although the existence of a regulatory paracrine feedback system between oocytes and follicular somatic cells has been postulated for some time, there has not yet been any definitive evidence that such a communication system exists. Herein we present a previously undescribed oocyte-granulosa cell (GC) feedback communication system involving an oocyte-derived factor, bone morphogenetic protein-15 (BMP-15) and a GC-derived factor, kit ligand (KL), both of which have been shown to be crucial regulators of female reproduction. We used a coculture system of rat oocytes and GCs and found that BMP-15 stimulates KL expression in GCs, whereas KL inhibits BMP-15 expression in oocytes, thus forming a negative feedback loop. Moreover, KL, like BMP-15, exhibited mitotic activity on GCs in the presence of oocytes. Because c-kit (KL receptor) is expressed in oocytes but not GCs, the oocytes must be involved in mediating the KL-induced GC mitosis. Furthermore, the blockage of c-kit signaling in oocytes by using a c-kit neutralizing antibody markedly suppressed BMP-15-induced GC mitosis, suggesting that the oocyte must play a role in the GC responses to BMP-15. In contrast, the c-kit antibody had no effect on the mitotic activities of two other known GC mitogens, activin-A and BMP-7. Altogether, this study presents direct evidence of a negative feedback system governed by oocyte-derived BMP-15 and GC-derived KL, and demonstrates that the mitotic activities of BMP-15 and KL for GCs depend on this oocyte–GC communication system. We hypothesize that the negative feedback system most likely plays a pivotal role in early folliculogenesis.
Authorship Ethics: Issues and Suggested Guidelines for the Helping Professions.

The authors review the literature and explore common ethical dilemmas related to publishing research. Varying standards are presented to assist professionals and students in their publication endeavors. Joint research collaboration in many graduate programs is encouraged and appears inevitable. Joint research activities may involve student–faculty collaboration or professional peer collaboration. Although many helping professions have ethics codes that address publication issues, there is no standard among them regarding the issue of authorship. Although it appears necessary to follow minimal codes of ethics regarding authorship, consideration of suggested guidelines and aspirational ethics may enhance the professional growth of mental health professionals and students in mental health programs.
Radio observations of Cygnus X-3.

Braes and Miley1, using the Westerbork synthesis array operating at 1,415 MHz, have detected a variable radio source associated with the X-ray source Cyg X-3. This letter reports observations of the radio counterpart of Cyg X-3 at 2,695 and 8,085 MHz with the NRAO interferometer at spacings of 2,400, 1,900 and 500 m.
Abnormal cytogenetics at date of morphologic complete remission predicts short overall and disease-free survival, and higher relapse rate in adult acute myeloid leukemia: results from cancer and leukemia group B study 8461.

Purpose As most patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with morphologic complete remission (CR) ultimately relapse, better predictors for outcome are needed. Recently, Cheson et al suggested using cytogenetic remission (CRc) as part of the criteria for CR. To our knowledge, ours is the first relatively large study evaluating the usefulness of CRc attained immediately following induction chemotherapy. Patients and Methods We included AML patients treated on Cancer and Leukemia Group B front-line studies with cytogenetic samples obtained at diagnosis and at the first day of documented CR following induction. Patients with abnormal cytogenetics at diagnosis, and normal cytogenetics at CR (NCR; n = 103) were compared with those with abnormal cytogenetics both at diagnosis and at CR (ACR; n = 15) for overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR). Cox proportional hazards models determined the prognostic significance of cytogenetics at CR, adjusting for other ...
Effect of counterions on surface and foaming properties of dodecyl sulfate.

The influence of counterions of surfactant on interfacial properties is studied by measuring foamability, foam stability, equilibrium and dynamic surface tension, and surface viscosity. The surfactant chosen is anionic dodecyl sulfate with various counterions, Li(+), Na(+), Cs(+), and Mg(++). Surface tension measurements show a decrease in the following order: LiDS > NaDS > CsDS > Mg(DS)(2). Foamability done using shaking method shows similar order as surface tension, i.e., LiDS > NaDS > CsDS > Mg(DS)(2). This has been explained in terms of the differences in micellar stability and diffusion of monomers. This is further confirmed by our dynamic surface tension results, which show the same order as equilibrium surface tension (i.e., LiDS > NaDS > CsDS > Mg(DS)(2)) at low bubble frequencies but the order is LiDS > NaDS = Mg(DS)(2) > CsDS at high bubble frequencies. Foam stability measurements were done at concentrations below and above cmc to elucidate the role of micelles. It was found that there is no significant change in foam stability when counterions are changed for surfactant concentration values below the cmc, but at concentration above cmc the foam stability of CsDS and Mg(DS)(2) are much greater than LiDS and NaDS indicating presence of stable micelles are essential to high foam stabilities. Surface viscosity measurements correlated well with the foam stability trends and gave the following order LiDS < NaDS < CsDS << Mg(DS)(2), indicating that the molecules of CsDS and Mg(DS)(2) are tightly packed at the air/water interface.
The Caspase 9 Inhibitor Z-LEHD-FMK Protects Human Liver Cells while Permitting Death of Cancer Cells Exposed to Tumor Necrosis Factor-related Apoptosis-inducing Ligand

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a potent inducer of apoptosis of transformed and cancer cells but not of most normal cells. Recent studies have revealed an unforeseen toxicity of TRAIL toward normal human hepatocytes, thereby bringing into question the safety of systemic administration of TRAIL in humans with cancer. We found that SW480 colon adenocarcinoma, or H460 non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, which are sensitive to TRAIL, were not protected by the caspase 9 inhibitor Z-LEHD-FMK from TRAIL-induced apoptosis. However, a human colon cancer cell line HCT116 and a human embryonic kidney cell line 293, which are sensitive to TRAIL, were protected by Z-LEHD-FMK from TRAIL-mediated death. Both HCT116 and SW480 cells were protected from TRAIL by the caspase 8 inhibitor Z-IETD-FMK, dominant-negative FADD and cellular FLIP-s and interestingly both cell lines displayed caspase 9 cleavage to a similar extent after TRAIL exposure. We confirmed that normal human liver cells are sensitive to TRAIL. Moreover, we found that normal human liver cells could be protected from TRAIL-induced apoptosis by simultaneous exposure to Z-LEHD-FMK. A similar brief exposure to TRAIL plus Z-LEHD-FMK inhibited colony growth of SW480 but not HCT116 cells. Because some cancer cell lines are not protected from TRAIL-mediated killing by Z-LEHD-FMK, we believe that a brief period of caspase 9 inhibition during TRAIL administration may widen the therapeutic window and allow cancer cell killing while protecting normal liver cells. This strategy could be further developed in the effort to advance TRAIL into clinical trials.
Control of linear systems with nonlinear disturbance dynamics

Globally asymptotic tracking and disturbance rejection is a desirable performance in many applications. Linear feedback control based on internal model principle achieves asymptotic tracking performance for linear systems with linear exogenous signal dynamics. The paper investigates the case of tracking or rejecting unknown exogenous signals with known nonlinear generating dynamics particularly chaotic signals for linear systems in the continuous time domain. Two different control structures are investigated: nonlinear internal model principle control and predictive internal model control. It is shown that globally asymptotic tracking or disturbance rejection can be achieved when perfect model matching for the linear system is possible. The closed loop robust stability and performance rely on the relative size of the model matching errors to the exogenous signal's local growth rate.
Linear stochastic analysis of polluted insulator leakage current

The measurement and analysis of leakage current (LC) for condition-based monitoring of, and as a means of predicting flashover of, polluted insulators has attracted a lot of research in recent years. Results presented in the technical literature show that surface arcing of contaminated insulators causes significant variations in both the magnitude and shape of the insulator's leakage current, and several techniques have been proposed for analysis. This paper submits the results of applying linear stochastic and statistical (probabilistic) analysis as a signature analysis tool for flashover prediction. A new twist is presented based on statistical analysis of the leakage current envelope (rather than just instantaneous peak values), in particular, level crossings, mean exceedances over high thresholds, and extreme value analysis of the envelope. The analysis was performed offline using digitized samples of leakage current obtained from a data acquisition system, which continuously scans the leakage current during flashover tests in a laboratory fog chamber.
Model Reference Adaptive Control of a Nuclear Rocket Engine

Parameter adjustment model reference adaptive control of nuclear rocket engine, noting design parameters, system performance, propellant savings estimates and dynamic stability
The interpretation of fuzziness

By analyzing related issues in psychology and linguistics, two basic types of fuzziness can be attributed to similarity and relativity, respectively. In both cases, it is possible to interpret grade of membership as the proportion of positive evidence, so as to treat fuzziness and randomness uniformly.