cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gatekeeper training needs of community pharmacy staff.

Objective To develop an online suicide prevention gatekeeper training program to prepare community pharmacy staff to communicate with patients who exhibit warning signs of suicide. Method A convenience sample of 17 community pharmacy staff members completed a 1-hr semi-structured interview during which they viewed content from an existing gatekeeper training program and provided suggestions for improvement. Once thematic saturation was achieved, interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by two independent coders who reached consensus on the themes present in each transcript. Results Participants noted barriers to communicating about suicide, including lack of time and privacy, discomfort with using the word "suicide" and limited referral options. Participants wanted gatekeeper training to include local suicide prevention referral resources, take less than 30 min to complete, and incorporate 3-4 realistic role play scenarios, including a phone interaction. Conclusions Many environmental, interpersonal, and individual-level barriers complicate pharmacy staff members' ability to act as gatekeepers and communicate about suicide with at-risk patients. To maximize the public health impact of pharmacy staff, skills-based training on how to identify, communicate with, and refer at-risk patients is needed. Gatekeeper training should model brief, realistic interactions with patients and provide pharmacy staff with local referral resources.
High-strength nanocrystalline intermetallics with room temperature deformability enabled by nanometer thick grain boundaries

Although intermetallics are attractive for their high strength, many of them are often brittle at room temperature, thereby severely limiting their potential as structural materials. Here, we report on a previously unidentified deformable nanocrystalline CoAl intermetallics with Co-rich thick grain boundaries (GBs). In situ micropillar compression studies show that nanocrystalline CoAl with thick GBs exhibits ultrahigh yield strength, exceeding 4.5 gigapascals. Unexpectedly, nanocrystalline CoAl intermetallics also show prominent work hardening to a flow stress of 5.7 gigapascals up to 20% compressive strain. Transmission electron microscopy studies show that deformation induces abundant dislocations inside CoAl grains with thick GBs, which accommodate plastic deformation. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the Co-rich thick GBs play a vital role in promoting nucleation of dislocations at the Co/CoAl interfaces, thereby enhancing the plasticity of the intermetallics. This study provides a perspective to promoting the plasticity of intermetallics via the introduction of thick GBs.
Toward an understanding of structural racism: Implications for criminal justice.

Racial inequality is a foundational feature of the criminal justice system in the United States. Here we offer a psychological account for how Americans have come to tolerate a system that is so at...
Disaster Risk, Politicians, and Firm Capital Exuding: A New Role of Stock Market Participation

We propose a new function of stock market – to align voters’ preferences to politicians’ policies. We build a model with politicians’ ability to abate negative disaster shocks. Pro-business politicians are more likely to get re-elected when voters hold firm equity, and because of less severe disaster shocks, firms exude less capital and allocate investment more efficiently. We construct a novel stock market participation data for U.S. states using IRS statistics. We find that companies in states with higher stock market participation invest more efficiently and elect pro-business politicians. We use a novel neighboring states methodology and financial literacy instrument to eliminate endogeneity concerns.
Secondary Instabilities of Three-Dimensional Inflectional Velocity Profiles Resulting from Longitudinal Vorticity Elements in Boundary Layers

We consider the problem of “high frequency” secondary instability of nonlinearly developed and strongly modified Gortler vortices initiated at finite Gortler and wave numbers in the amplified region. Local linear stability analyses of relevant cross-sectional planes show that secondary instabilities are more correlated with the vertical vorticity and that they would originate in two regions: (1) in the outer region of the boundary layer at the “shoulders” on either side of the peak region and (2) in the lower regions at about y+≈30, on either side but more concentrated about the peak region. For the same frequency and strcamwise wave number found in experiments, the sinuous type disturbance would prevail over the varicose; disturbances in lower region near the wall have the largest amplification rate.
Modeling Performance on Collaborative Homework Projects

This paper investigates the determinants of grades on homework projects performed by assigned pairs of students in an undergraduate macroeconomics course. The assignment grade is found to depend on the ability of both students and the relative importance of the stronger and weaker student differs in predictable ways depending on the kind of assignment. Male-male pairs earn lower grades than male-female or female-female pairs, conditional on the measured ability of the students.
Geospatial Data Support for Infrastructure Interdependencies Analysis

Infrastructure interdependency analysis involves the synthesis of numerous datasets to arrive at an understanding of the pertinent connections within a complex, interrelated system. Geospatial data is beneficial for analyzing infrastructure interdependencies because it can be used to evaluate and visualize the myriad of component relationships that constitute critical infrastructures and key resources. However, various limitations in geospatial and nonspatial data have restricted the full utilization of Geographic information system and other visualization technologies in such analyses. The data requirements for analyzing interdependencies include ready access to a wide variety of critical infrastructure/key resource data that are geospatially validated and linked with nonspatial data to provide rich attributes that can be queried and visualized. Analysts have struggled long to find complete and accurate geospatial and nonspatial data. Their struggle is complicated further by the use of multiple data sources that differ in levels of completeness and accuracy. Analysis of interdependencies requires a high level of data validation and completeness, which can be difficult to discern from the currently available geospatial datasets. This technical article identifies key geospatial data pitfalls including accuracy and completeness, and offers solutions for improving and enhancing existing geospatial data for interdependency analysis. Keywords: GIS; geospatial data; data visualization; interdependencies analysis; nonspatial data; data validation
The Constitution in the Supreme Court: Full Faith and the Bill of Rights, 1889-1910

In an earlier issue of this Review I explored the constitutional decisions of the Court respecting economic matters during Melville W. Fuller's tenure as Chief Justice.' This article discusses that period's remaining constitutional cases, which fall into two principal categories: those interpreting the Bill of Rights and those applying the article IV command that one state give "full Faith and Credit" to certain acts of another.2
Comment on "Molecular basis of the dual functions of 2B4 (CD244)".

The article published by Chlewicki et al. in the June 15, 2008 issue of The JI ([1][1]) presents a series of experiments demonstrating the complexity of activating vs inhibitory signals that can be imparted by the 2B4 (CD244)-CD48 interaction. However, direct correlation of these findings in vivo is
Power and Resistance: Perpetuating and Challenging Capitalist Exploitation

Although oppressive social practices like capitalism are often portrayed as static, totalizing social ‘structures’ with ‘logics’ and ‘imperatives’ that must be accommodated politically and economically, such portrayals are problematic both theoretically and politically. They rest on determinist and essentialist conceptions of social practices, and they curtail the scope of politics, government regulation, and human action and creativity. Fortunately, social practices can instead be conceptualized as thoroughly social, historical, and contingent, and thus susceptible to political intervention and reworking, as many feminist, post-structuralist, and anti-economistic Marxian theorists do. Attempting to build on such alternative conceptualizations, I argue that Judith Butler's concept of reiteration provides a particularly useful, in-depth theorization of power, the mechanisms enabling social practices to endure and change, and the role of the individual and collectivities in perpetuating and challenging social practices such as capitalism. In so doing, the concept of reiteration offers a compelling and detailed non-voluntaristic account of human agency. Butler's work is thus helpful in theorizing and empirically investigating both the obstacles to and the possibilities for resisting exploitation and altering unjust social practices.
What's past is prologue: developmental pathways and chronic allograft dysfunction.

The authors discuss how understanding developmental signaling pathways that are reactivated in fibrotic kidney disease might lead to new therapeutic strategies for chronic allograft dysfunction.
Examining Situationally Induced State Goal Orientation Effects on Task Perceptions, Performance, and Satisfaction: A Two‐Dimensional Conceptualization1

We examined the longitudinal effects of situationally induced 2-dimensional state goal orientations (i.e., achievement goals) on perceptions, performance, and satisfaction. Results (N = 268) indicated that high state learning cues led to higher perceived challenge and, for higher ability individuals, greater performance gains. Further, high state performance cues led to higher perceived effort. However, results revealed that state learning and performance effects were more complex than expected. State learning effects on challenge and state performance effects on effort were both stronger with other cues absent. Additionally, increasingly beneficial state learning cue effects were stronger for higher ability individuals. Thus, results provided support that state learning and performance goals are separate dimensions, and their interactive effects need further examination.
The effects of some polyamine biosynthetic inhibitors on growth and morphology of phytopathogenic fungi

We have studied the effects of two polyamine biosynthetic inhibitors, alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and alpha-difluoromethylarginine (DFMA), and of polyamines (PAs), alone and in combination, on mycelial growth and morphology of four phytopathogenic fungi: Botrytis sp, B. cinerea, Rhizoctonia solani and Monilinia fructicola. The inhibitors were added to a Czapek agar medium to get final concentrations of 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mM. DFMO and DFMA, suicide inhibitors of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and arginine decarboxylase (ADC) respectively, inhibited mycelial growth strongly; the effect was generally more pronounced with DFMA than with DFMO, but each fungus had its own response pattern. The addition of the PAs putrescine (Put) and spermidine (Spd) to the culture medium resulted in a promotion of growth. In Botrytis sp and Monilinia fructicola exposed to inhibitors plus PAs, mycelial growth was actually increased above control values. Mycelial morphology was altered and cell size dramatically reduced in plates containing inhibitors alone, whereas with PAs alone, or in combination with inhibitors, morphology was normal, but cell length and diameters increased considerably. These results suggest that PAs are essential for growth in fungal mycelia. The inhibition caused by DFMA may be due to its arginase-mediated conversion to DFMO.
Experimental studies towards optimization of the production of 5-(chloromethyl)furfural (CMF) from glucose in a two-phase reactor

5-(Chloromethyl)furfural (CMF) is rapidly being established as a renewable platform chemical of great promise. The effects of mass transfer, reaction temperature, Hansen solvent parameters, solvent fraction, and initial glucose concentrations on yields of CMF, 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF), 2-(hydroxyacetyl)furan (HAF), levulinic acid (LA), and humic matter were investigated in a two-phase system of 6 M HCl and an organic solvent. The ability of the solvent to extract HMF from the aqueous phase is found to be critical to achieving high CMF yields. Effective solvents must possess at least a small degree of Hansen hydrogen bonding capacity, and a high polarity is beneficial. Yields of CMF and HAF decrease with increasing glucose concentration but the yield of HMF is largely unaffected. The maximum productivity of CMF is achieved at a glucose loading of ca. 1.5 M across all solvent fractions tested.
Role of transferrin and ceruloplasmin in antioxidant activity of lung epithelial lining fluid

Lung epithelial lining fluid (ELF) is a thin layer of plasma ultrafiltrate and locally secreted substances that may provide antioxidant protection and serve as a "front-line" defense for the lower respiratory tract epithelium. To characterize the antioxidant properties of ELF, young, healthy, nonsmoking volunteers underwent bronchoalveolar lavage with determination of ELF volumes and ELF proteins. ELF (greater than 0.4 ml) is a potent inhibitor of lipid peroxidation as measured by malondialdehyde (MDA) production in an in vitro iron-dependent assay system. Two serum proteins, transferrin and ceruloplasmin, were quantitated in ELF and found to be potent inhibitors of lipid peroxidation. Other ELF components, including vitamin E, vitamin C, and albumin, did not function as antioxidants in this system. Several experimental observations suggest that ELF transferrin was more important than ceruloplasmin in inhibiting lipid peroxidation: 1) ELF concentrations of transferrin were 20-fold higher than those for ceruloplasmin; 2) ELF antioxidant activity was abolished by preincubation with Fe3+; 3) ELF antioxidant activity was minimally affected by sodium azide, which is known to inhibit ceruloplasmin ferroxidase activity; and 4) ELF ceruloplasmin ferroxidase activity was virtually nondetectable. ELF possesses a significant antioxidant activity that may be important in vivo in protecting the lung from oxidant injury.
Comparison of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to cotinine in nonisotopic and isotopic immunoassays.

Abstract Monoclonal antibodies (McAb) were used to develop nonisotopic and radioimmunoassays (RIA) for quantitative determination of the major nicotine metabolite, cotinine, in physiological fluids. ELISAs and fluorescence immunoassays were carried out in microtiter plate wells coated with a conjugate of cotinine 4′-carboxylic acid bound covalently to poly- L -lysine. The detection systems were horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled staphylococcal protein A, HRP-streptavidin-biotin, and biotinylated alkaline phosphatase-4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate. With the three McAb tested, I50 values ranged between 0.024–0.063 ng cotinine and as little as 0.005–0.015 ng gave 15% inhibition. These assays were 5–20 times more sensitive than similar assays using six rabbit antisera. With McAb the standard inhibition curves were steeper and complete inhibition of immune binding was achieved with approximately 1 ng cotinine. In contrast, 100–500 ng cotinine failed to give greater than 80–90% inhibition with rabbit antibodies eiter in the plate assays or in RIA using a 125I-labeled tyramine derivative of cotinine as the tracer. In this RIA, the sensitivity with McAb (mean I50 of 0.55 ng cotinine) was over three-fold greater than with rabbit antisera (mean I50 of 1.84 ng). The presence of antibodies directed to the amide linkage group common to the polylysine conjugate, 125I-tyramine derivative and the immunogen likely accounts for the inferior quality of assays using rabbit antisera. Consistent with this conclusion, superimposable inhibition curves were obtained in the RIA when monoclonal or rabbit antibodies were used with [3H]cotinine. Cotinine levels in saliva, serum and plasma from smokers and non-smokers determined with McAb-based assays showed a strong correlation with values obtained by RIA using rabbit antisera or by gas chromatography. Properly selected McAb offer distinct advantages over conventional antisera in nonisotopic immunoassays and RIAs for cotinine as a biochemical marker of active or passive smoking.
A comparison of the background, needs, and expectations of patients seeking genetic counseling services.

Patient background, needs, and expectations (BNE) can be important predictors and modifiers of the process and outcomes of genetic counseling. We describe the assessment of BNE of 216 genetic counseling clients using the BNE Scale. Twenty-five percent sought reproductive genetic counseling (RGC), 57% sought adult-pediatric genetic counseling (APGC), and 18% sought cancer genetic counseling (CaGC). Analyses of the BNE of these patient groups identified significant differences in general unsureness/uncertainty about their condition (df = 2, F = 3.96, Significance = 0.02), beliefs about treatment for the condition (df = 2, F = 3.352, Significance = 0.04), and interest in support group involvement (df = 2, F = 4.6, Significance = 0.01). Respondents who had not had genetic counseling more readily endorsed the desire to address educational issues than those who had previously had genetic counseling (Previous GC: Mean = 4.03, SD = 0.67; No Previous GC: Mean = 4.29, SD = 0.61; t-value; −2.86; P < 0.01). These results suggest that there are significant differences in the BNE of groups of patients seeking genetic counseling. These data support differential genetic counseling goal setting based on practice subspecialty, as well as sustain the requirement of broad based clinical training in genetic counseling. Further, these data provide additional evidence of the reliability and validity of the BNE Scale to characterize groups of individuals eligible for genetic counseling. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Procidentia: surgical treatment.

The surgical experience at the Mayo Clinic with 124 cases of rectal prolapse during the 16 years before December 31, 1967, has been presented. Anterior resection was performed in 28 patients, with one death and one recurrence (3.7 per cent); the Pemberton operation allowed recurrence in 22 of 68 cases (32.4 per cent); recurrence after the Altemeier procedure occurred in five of 13 cases (38.5 per cent). Other operations were of limited application. Combining a review of the surgical literature with our results allowed several conclusions about the efficacy of the various operations for this condition.
123I-ADAM SPECT imaging of serotonin transporter binding in patients with Night Eating Syndrome: A preliminary report

Night eating syndrome (NES) represents a delay in the circadian pattern of food intake, manifested by evening hyperphagia and/or nocturnal awakenings accompanied by ingestions of food. A neurobiological marker of NES has been implicated with the recently discovered therapeutic response to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) sertraline. This pilot SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) study compared the serotonin transporter (SERT) uptake ratios of night eaters with those of healthy controls. Six night eaters underwent SPECT imaging using the radiopharmaceutical (123)I-ADAM. Uptake, compared with that of the cerebellum, was obtained for the midbrain, basal ganglia, and temporal lobes; uptake ratios in night eaters were compared with those of six healthy controls. Night eaters had significantly greater SERT uptake ratios in the midbrain than healthy controls. These findings, in conjunction with the therapeutic response of NES to sertraline, indicate that the serotonin system is involved in the pathophysiology of NES.
RESPONSE TO SURFACTANT THERAPY IS INDEPENDENT OF EXTRAVASCULAR WATER ACCUMULATION IN NEWBORN RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME. 2041

To evaluate whether elevated pulmonary vascular permeability is associated with extravascular water accumulation and lack of response to surfactant replacement therapy in newborn Respiratory Distress Syndrome(RDS),we measured the pulmonary transcapillary escape rate(PTCER)for gallium-68 labelled transferrin and the extravascular density(EVD)with the quantitative, non-invasive nuclear medicine imaging technique of positron emission tomography(PET).Three groups of infants were studied: 1)NORMAL:infants without respiratory symptoms;2)RDS-NO SURF:preterm infants with RDS who did not require surfactant replacement;3)RDS-SURF:preterm infants with RDS who required surfactant.The NORMAL infants underwent one PET scan within the first 8 days of life.All but one RDS infant underwent 2 PET scans at least 6 hours apart within the first 24 hrs of life.The RDS-SURF infants underwent scans before and 6-8 hours after surfactant administration.The mean PTCER and EVD for all infants with RDS(131±48 10-4/min and 33±6 gms/100ml lung respectively) were significantly greater than for NORMAL infants(78±27 10-4/min and 28±6 gms/100ml lung respectively,p=0.02 and 0.04 respectively;Table).There was a correlation between PTCER and EVD(p=0.02,r=0.48).Initial PTCER and EVD were not significantly different between the two RDS subgroups and did not change between the two scans.The oxygen index (OI) decreased by 47% in the RDS_SURF subgroup.We conclude: 1)infants with RDS have increased pulmonary vascular permeability and extravascular water accumulation in the lungs;2)response to surfactant replacement therapy is independent of changes in the PTCER or EVD.
Evaluation of flavour characteristics of docosahexaenoic acid-fortified emulsions as a function of crystallisation temperature

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the stability and flavour intensity of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-fortified emulsions as affected by processing temperature (−5 and −10 °C) and oil content (20% and 40% oil-in-water emulsions). The emulsions’ physical stability was measured using backscattering measurements. Flavour attributes, such as oxidised, rancid, fishy and buttery, were quantified using a descriptive panel. For all conditions, DHA-fortified emulsions had a significantly higher fishy flavour; and flavour intensities were higher for emulsions crystallised at −10 °C than for emulsions crystallised at −5 °C. These differences were significant ( P
Enhanced Stability of Janus Nanoparticles by Covalent Cross-Linking of Surface Ligands

A mercapto derivative of diacetylene was used as the hydrophilic ligand to prepare Janus nanoparticles by using hydrophobic hexanethiolate-protected gold (AuC6, diameter 5 nm) nanoparticles as the starting materials. The amphiphilic surface characters of the Janus nanoparticles were verified by contact angle measurements, as compared to those of the bulk-exchange counterparts where the two types of ligands were distributed rather homogeneously on the nanoparticle surface. Dynamic light scattering studies showed that the Janus nanoparticles formed stable superstructures in various solvent media that were significantly larger than those by the bulk-exchange counterparts. This was ascribed to the amphiphilic characters of the Janus nanoparticles that rendered the particles to behave analogously to conventional surfactant molecules. Notably, because of the close proximity of the diacetylene moieties on the Janus nanoparticle surface, exposure to UV irradiation led to effective covalent cross-linking between the diacetylene moieties of neighboring ligands, as manifested in UV-vis and fluorescence measurements where the emission characteristics of dimers and trimers of diacetylene were rather well-defined, in addition to the monomeric emission. In contrast, for bulk-exchange nanoparticles, no trimer emission could be identified, and the intensity of dimer emission was markedly lower (though the intensity increased with increasing diacetylene coverage on the particle surface) under the otherwise identical experimental conditions. This is largely because the diacetylene ligands were distributed on the entire particle surface, and it was difficult to find a large number of ligands situated closely so that the stringent topochemical principles for the polymerization of diacetylene derivatives could be met. Importantly, the cross-linked Janus nanoparticles were found to exhibit marked enhancement of the structural integrity, which was attributable to the impeded surface diffusion of the thiol ligands on the nanoparticle surface, as manifested in fluorescence measurements of aged nanoparticles.
TRIPpin’ on a Fat Cell

You’ve heard the news—the world is growing fatter every year. Although the detrimental effects of the obesity epidemic are unquestionable, pharmaceutical treatments for it remain plagued by serious and uncomfortable side effects, including gastrointestinal distress and cardiotoxicity. Surgical
High-dose ibuprofen for reduction of striatal infarcts during middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats

Object. Ibuprofen is an antiinflammatory drug that disrupts leukocyte—endothelial cell interactions by limiting expression of endothelial adhesion molecules such as intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), also known as CD54. The authors hypothesized that ibuprofen could reduce the size of the infarct associated with transient focal ischemia by inhibition of ICAM-1 expression, and they evaluated its effects in rats treated with middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. Ibuprofen treatment was compared with mild systemic hypothermia, which is known to be neuroprotective and is commonly used during neurosurgical procedures. Methods. The maximum ibuprofen dose (240 mg/kg/day) that could be tolerated with no systemic toxicity was established in the initial experiments. In the efficacy experiment, rats were pretreated with vehicle, ibuprofen, or hypothermia (33°C) prior to 2 hours of MCA occlusion; then their brains were harvested at 24 hours of reperfusion for histological studies. End-ischemic cerebral bloo...
Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM), air sampler - Results from the Space Transport System (STS-2) flight

An investigation involving sampling the rapidly changing environment of the Shuttle cargo bay is considered. Four time-integrated samples and one rapid acquisition sample were collected to determine the types and quantities of contaminants present during ascent and descent of the Shuttle. The sampling times for the various bottles were controlled by valves operated by the Data Acquisition and Control System (DACS) of the IECM. Many of the observed species were found to be common solvents used in cleaning surfaces. When the actual volume sampled is taken into account, the relative mass of organics sampled during descent is about 20 percent less than during ascent.
Isothermal reverse water gas shift chemical looping on La0.75Sr0.25Co(1−Y)FeYO3 perovskite-type oxides

Abstract The RWGS-CL is a two-step process for the conversion of CO 2 to CO using a redox cycle of a parent metal oxide. Previously, this process was demonstrated using La 0.75 Sr 0.25 CoO 3 perovskite, but this material required different oxidation and reduction temperatures. In this study, oxidation and reduction were achieved at the same temperature. La 0.75 Sr 0.25 Co (1− Y ) Fe Y O 3 ( Y = 0, 0.5, 0.75 and 1) perovskite-type oxides were synthesized by the Pechini method and were tested by X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (H 2 -TPR) and oxidation with carbon dioxide (CO 2 -TPO). Results demonstrated that the LaFeO 3 ( Y = 1) sample showed structure stability when reduced at 550 °C, the lowest CO formation onset temperature (450 °C) and high selectivity toward CO. Five isothermal RWGS-CL cycles were performed at 550 °C on the Y = 1 sample. The stability of the crystalline structure throughout the cycles was demonstrated by XRD. CO formation rates increased during the first cycles and stabilized at the third cycle due to the increased accumulated amount of oxygen vacancies ( δ ) on the perovskite surface, which is consistent with the findings from the density functional theory studies that directly correlate the CO 2 binding strength to the amount of oxygen vacancies. The high CO formation rates and the repeatability of the process make RWGS-CL a promising technology for CO 2 conversion, if a renewable hydrogen source is available.
Looking beyond transfer models: finding other sources of power for student models

Student modeling plays an important role in educational research. Many techniques have been developed focusing on accurately estimating student performances. In this paper, using Performance Factors Analysis as our framework, we examine what components of the model enable us to better predict, and consequently better understand, student performance. Using transfer models to predict is very common across different student modeling techniques, as student proficiencies on those required skills are believed, to a large degree, to determine student performance. However, we found that problem difficulty is an even more important predictor than student knowledge of the required skills. In addition, we found that using student proficiencies across all skills works better than just using those skills thought relevant by the transfer model. We tested our proposed models with two transfer models of fine- and coarse-grain sizes; the results suggest that the improvement is not simply an illusion due to possible mistakes in associating skills with problems.
Variable modulus cellular structures using pneumatic artificial muscles

This paper presents a novel variable modulus cellular structure based on a hexagonal unit cell with pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) inclusions. The cell considered is pin-jointed, loaded in the horizontal direction, with three PAMs (one vertical PAM and two horizontal PAMs) oriented in an “H” configuration between the vertices of the cell. A method for calculation of the hexagonal cell modulus is introduced, as is an expression for the balance of tensile forces between the horizontal and vertical PAMs. An aluminum hexagonal unit cell is fabricated and simulation of the hexagonal cell with PAM inclusions is then compared to experimental measurement of the unit cell modulus in the horizontal direction with all three muscles pressurized to the same value over a pressure range up to 758 kPa. A change in cell modulus by a factor of 1.33 and a corresponding change in cell angle of 0.41° are demonstrated experimentally. A design study via simulation predicts that differential pressurization of the PAMs up to 2068 kPa can change the cell modulus in the horizontal direction by a factor of 6.83 with a change in cell angle of only 2.75°. Both experiment and simulation show that this concept provides a way to decouple the length change of a PAM from the change in modulus to create a structural unit cell whose in-plane modulus in a given direction can be tuned based on the orientation of PAMs within the cell and the pressure supplied to the individual muscles.
The impulse, multiple-scattering, glauber and no-recoil approximations

Abstract It is pointed out that the usual forms of the impulse approximation and multiple scattering equations are deficient in a no-recoil limit. This is the limit in which the scatterer suffers negligable recoil during intermediate collisions leading to a given final state. A version of the impulse approximation and multiple scattering equation appropriate to the no-recoil limit and a precise definition and expansion about the limit is proposed. The no-recoil approximation includes the Glauber approximation as a limiting case and their relationship is discussed.
A comparison of virulent and avirulent strains of Salmonella choleraesuis and their ability to invade Vero cell monolayers.

Abstract The mechanisms of invasion used by virulent and avirulent Salmonella choleraesuis were compared using a Vero cell invasion assay. Mouse virulent S. choleraesuis strain 38 and avirulent strain 9 were examined for their ability to invade and survive in Vero cells. The assay was performed by S. choleraesuis infection of the Vero cell monolayer alone and in the presence of various treatments applied to the Vero cell monolayers. Intracellular S. choleraesuis colony forming units were then counted to characterize the mechanism of bacterial uptake. Invasion was not affected by colchicine, but was significantly inhibited in the presence of cytochalasins B and D, chloroquine, and dansylcadaverine. Inhibition by the above substances suggested the importance of microfilaments and of receptor recycling in receptor mediated endocytosis. Both bacterial strains had decreased invasion in the presence of mannose and after enzymic treatment with trypsin. Mannose exposure caused a significant 48% decrease in the uptake of virulent S. choleraesuis 38 and a 28% decrease in avirulent S. choleraesuis 9. Inhibition of endosome acidification did not affect the virulent strain 38 as much as it affected avirulent strain 9. Results from these experiments suggested that Vero cell invasion by S. choleraesuis was due to host uptake by receptor mediated endocytosis, and was mediated in part by mannosesensitive adhesins. Outer membrane proteins were extracted from the virulent and avirulent strain and compared using SDS-PAGE following surface protein labeling with 125 I. Virulent S. choleraesuis 38 had a unique 35 kD protein. The outer membrane proteins of both strains were then examined by radio-immunoprecipitation and western blot using guinea pig polyclonal antisera and the 35 kD protein was again found to be unique to the virulent strain 38. Antisera against the 35 kD protein significantly inhibited invasion of Vero cells by S. choleraesuis strain 38.
Computer simulation of copper pharmaceuticals in cattle

Abstract Treatment and prevention of copper deficiency in cattle by injection of copper pharmaceuticals is often the preferred palliative. Controlled release pharmaceuticals have often been used. These treatments were simulated using a personal computer. Simulation of copper glycinate and copper edetate injections agrees well with published studies. The copper status and copper intake of cattle are important in the metabolism of injected copper. Deficient animals metabolize injected copper more rapidly than copper sufficient animals. Simulations indicate that normal copper metabolism probably requires the induction of copper reactive proteins in the liver. With rapidly absorbed pharmaceuticals, the blood copper concentration rises dramatically especially in copper deficient animals. This may be involved in the pathologies and deaths reported reported using these preparations. Liver copper is the only available copper storage. Apparent liver turnover of copper is independent of the speed with which a dose is absorbed except for extremely slowly absorbed materials. Sustained release pharmaceuticals prolong the duration of effective liver concentrations of copper.
Home care nurses' ratings of appropriateness of wound treatments and wound healing.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine nurses' ratings of appropriateness of wound treatments and wound healing for patients in home care in relation to patient demographic and visit variables. Design: A cross-sectional design was used. Setting and subjects: Data were collected about patients with wounds by 281 nurses from 13 home care agencies located throughout lower Michigan. Patients with wounds (n = 881) ranged in age from 21 to 100 years. They included 492 women and 383 men who were white (72.4%) or African-American (26%). Instruments: The Community Wound Assessment Tool was developed for the study and was used to obtain demographic and wound data. The demographic section contained information about the patient's age, sex, reason for the visit, length of visit, and time the case was opened. The wound section included the wound type, treatments, presence of incontinence, nutritional supplementation, and adverse home environmental factors. Nurses rated wounds as healing or not healing. Wound treatments were rated as all appropriate, some appropriate/inappropriate, and all inappropriate. Methods: Nurses were systematically selected from each agency and collected data about each patient visited on one occasion. Main outcome measurements: The main outcome measurements were the relationship of patient demographic variables and visit variables to the appropriateness of wound treatments and wound healing. Results: The nurses' rating of wound treatments as appropriate was significantly related to younger patient age and a shorter time for the case to be open. Wound healing was initially associated with younger patient age, continence of urine or stool, shorter home visits, shorter time for the case to be open, and fewer reasons for the visit. When wound healing was controlled for the type of wound in path analysis, the patient's age was no longer significant and incontinence appeared to impair healing of nonsurgical wounds. The appropriateness of the wound treatments was significantly related to wound healing. Conclusions: Nurses' ratings of appropriateness of wound treatments and healing are significantly related to factors that affect length of service and complexity of care for the home care patient with a wound. Decisions nurses make about wound treatments and healing are important for the patient as well as for the agency. (J WOCN:2002;29:20-8.)
Tickling the TCR: selective T-cell functions stimulated by altered peptide ligands

Recent observations of T-cell responses following T-cell receptor (TCR) interaction with altered peptide ligands have highlighted the complexity of this signalling system. The indications are that the TCR responds to minor changes in ligand with gradations of T-cell activation and effector functions. Brian Evavold, Joanne Sloan-Lancaster and Paul Allen review these studies and present a model in which partial T-cell activation and TCR antagonism are related events in a continuum of signalling through the TCR.
A Gabor filters based method for segmenting inflected characters of Kannada script

OCR system plays an important role in automatic identification of a script in a given document image, which provides important applications. A country like India, most of the people use more than one language in their day to day life; the requirement of OCR system is very much essential. There is not much work in developing OCR system for south Indian languages such as Kannada are reported in the literature. Recognition of the Kannada character is more complex and challenging, because it has large set of character with more similarity in properties among characters and characters belonging to same class have higher variability among different set of fonts. Moreover, the Kannada characters are formed by combination of basic symbols; a natural approach for recognition is to segment characters into basic symbol and recognize each symbol subsequently. Therefore a character level segmentation method is highly desirable. Also precise segmentation will certainly reduce the number of classes to recognize. The naive use of characters images for segmentation may not yield more accurate results. With previous studies which have confirmed that the multi-channel Gabor decomposition represents an excellent tool for image segmentation and texture analysis, we propose a novel character segmentation method using Gabor filters. On comparing with manually segmented benchmark data we obtained overall accuracy of 93.82%.
The kinetics of Lagenidium giganteum growth in liquid and solid cultures.

Aims: Production of the mosquito biolarvacide Lagenidium giganteum in solid culture has been proposed as an economic alternative to production in liquid culture because of observations of improved shelf life and efficacy upon storage. Understanding the differences between these production systems and estimating growth rate in solid culture are important for commercialization. In order to address these needs a logistic model was developed to describe the growth kinetics of L. giganteum produced in solid and liquid cultures. Methods and Results: Kinetic parameters in the logistic model were estimated by nonlinear regression of CO2 evolution rate (CER) and biomass data from solid and liquid cultivation experiments. Lagenidium giganteum biomass was measured using DNA extracted directly from samples. The logistic model was fit to experimental biomass and CER data with low standard errors for parameter estimates. The model was validated in two independent experiments by examining prediction of biomass using on-line CER measurements. Conclusions: There were significant differences between maximum biomass density, maintenance coefficients, and specific growth rates for liquid and solid cultures. The maximum biomass density (mg dw ml−1) was 11 times greater for solid cultivation compared with liquid cultivation of L. giganteum; however, the maintenance coefficient (mg CO2 h−1 (mg dw)−1) was six times greater for liquid cultivation than in solid cultivation. The specific growth rate at 30°C was approximately 30% greater in liquid cultivation compared with solid cultivation. Slower depletion of substrate and lower endogenous metabolism may explain the longer shelf life of L. giganteum produced in solid culture. Significance and Impact of the Study: A simple logistic model was developed which allows real-time estimation of L. giganteum biomass from on-line CER measurements. Parameter estimates for liquid and solid cultivation models also elucidated observations of longer shelf life for production in solid culture.
Public Administration, the State, and the Postmodern Condition

This article examines the vision of the state as a purposive association, which undergirds much of the public administration literature, and explores its suitability in light of the postmodern condition. It is argued that a vision of purposive association is inappropriate and dangerous, given the diversity of political subcultures and language games characteristic of postmodernity, and that a more useful vision of the state here is that of a state as a civil association. The linkages between this latter vision and our constitutional tradition are explored and implications are drawn for the study of public administration.
An inexpensive 3D camera

We describe the implementation of a portable 3D-camera prototype based on a consumer grade digital camera and an inexpensive laser raster generator. Such hand-held device can be used to capture smooth shapes by acquiring one or more images. Its output can be either a 3D wireframe or a textured model.
A new class of defects.

We find the conditions for the existence of a new class of defects. These defects arise from the non-trivial homotopy associated with the spontaneous breaking of subgroups of the full symmetry group of the field theory and may be viewed as topological defects embedded in a larger theory. Examples include monopole configurations in an O(4) model and a new vortex solution in the Weinberg-Salam model
A procedure for the design of experiments in fluid phase equilibria

Abstract Process designers often find that available data are insufficient in number, precision and/or range of independent variables(s) for the design task at hand. This occurs because the experiments were not designed with the end use of data in mind. This paper presents a method for designing an experiment based on criteria related to the end use of the data. Probability for success of a given experimental design can be judged by this method prior to actually taking any experimental data. This means that laboratory effort is utilized more efficiently and the likelihood of acquiring data which would be of insufficient quality for process design is minimized.
An Assisted Photography Framework to Help Visually Impaired Users Properly Aim a Camera

We propose an assisted photography framework to help visually impaired users properly aim a camera and evaluate our implementation in the context of documenting public transportation accessibility. Our framework integrates user interaction during the image capturing process to help users take better pictures in real time. We use an image composition model to evaluate picture quality and suggest providing audiovisual feedback to improve users’ aiming position. With our particular framework implementation, blind participants were able to take pictures of similar quality to those taken by low vision participants without assistance. Likewise, our system helped low vision participants take pictures as good as those taken by fully sighted users. Our results also show a positive trend in favor of spoken directions to assist visually impaired users in comparison to tone and silent feedback. Positive usefulness ratings provided by full vision users further suggest that assisted photography has universal appeal.
Growth Of Gallium Nitride On Silicon Carbide By Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a compound semicon-ductor with a direct, wide bandgap (3.5 eV at 300K) and a large saturated electron drift veloc-ity. This unique combination of properties pro-vides the potential for fabrication of short wave-length (near UV and blue) semiconductor lasers, LEDs and detectors as well as transit-time-limited (IMPATT, etc.) microwave power amplifiers from this material. However, all GaN previously pro-duced has possessed a high n-type carrier concen-tration which has limited its potential. This phenomenon has been almost invariably associated with the presence of nonequilibrium nitrogen va-cancies. This paper reports growth of GaN by mod-ified MBE techniques in order to reduce the nitro-gen vacancies. The primary advantages of these MBE-based techniques are low growth temperature and high nitrogen activity. A standard effusion cell was used for the gallium source, but for ni-trogen, a microwave glow discharge was used to ac-tivate the nitrogen prior to deposition. The films were deposited on (100) 3-SiC and (0001) Al203 substrates. Growth results and preliminary film characterization will be presented.
The interactions of oxygen with aldehydes on the Pd(111) surface

Abstract Oxygen atoms alter the characteristic chemistry of aldehydes on transition metal surfaces in a variety of ways. The most dramatic effect of oxygen on the Pd(111) surface was to shift the principal reaction pathway of C1C3 aldehydes from decarbonylation on the clean surface to carboxylate formation on the (2 × 2)O surface. This shift actually involves several different roles played by surface oxygen, including alteration of the preferred binding state of aldehydes from η2 to η1, and nucleophilic oxidation of adsorbed aldehydes to form carboxylates. Oxygen adatoms also influence the thermal stabilities and reaction selectivities of carboxylates, both by lateral interactions and by scavenging adsorbed hydrogen atoms which would otherwise hydrogenate carboxylates carboxylic acids. Oxygen adatoms also initiated formaldehyde polymerization on the Pd(111) surface, but no polymerization of the higher aldehydes was observed. The multiple roles played by oxygen serve to illustrate some of the difficulties in oxidation catalysis by noble metals.
Lorentz resonances and the structure of the Jovian ring

Charged dust orbiting through spatially periodic planetary magnetic fields will experience time-variable electromagnetic forces. When the forcing frequencies are nearly commensurate with the particle's orbital frequency, the particle undergoes large out-of-plane and radial excursions. Specific 'Lorentz' resonances, corresponding to particular spatial periodicities in the magnetic field, occur on either side of synchronous orbit. Lorentz resonance locations and strengths for the Jovian and Saturnian rings are described. The boundaries of the halo of the Jovian ring, and perhaps other ring structures, are near resonances.