cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Raman and ESR Spectroscopic Studies of Accelerator Systems. II. Thermal Degradation Vulcanizing Systems and Its Significance to Vulcanization Mechanisms

Abstract Raman and ESR spectroscopy has been used to study the thermal decomposition of accelerator systems based on derivatives of dimethyldithiocarbamic acid. The combination of these two spectroscopic techniques has proved to be a very powerful method for detecting intermediate compounds that are important for the elucidation of the mechanism of accelerated sulfur vulcanization.
EFFECT OF ICE FORMATION ON THE ELASTIC MODULI OF CEMENT PASTE AND MORTAR

Abstract The effect of ice formation on the elastic moduli of cement paste and mortar is analyzed using a modified direct method which is based on both micromechanical and classical elasticity theory. Experimental studies were conducted on saturated and frozen cement paste and mortar specimens. The experimental data showed a good agreement with the predictions of the modified direct method.
Virile womanhood: Olive Schreiner's narratives of a master race

Abstract Olive Schreiner's enormously successful novels, as well as her feminist tract Woman and Labor (1911), enact conflicts between ideologies of motherhood and the desire for female independence in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As a white woman from Southern Africa, Schreiner feels affinities with both colonial rulers and colonized people of South Africa; her writing uses myths of transcultural motherhood to mediate between these opposed political positions. The allegorical endings of Schreiner's narratives are at odds with the complexities of gender and sexuality imagined in her powerful prose.
Living with HIV and Care and Support: Implications for Social Work Services

Recent federal initiatives focusing on people living with HIV have stressed the need for identification of HIV-positive persons as well as linking them to services and engaging them into the care s...
The low-frequency gas shadow on seismic sections

About six years ago, Greg Partyka and his colleagues at Amoco Research showed how an old technique (the Fourier transform) could be used effectively for seismic interpretation and visualization. This idea has come to be known as spectral decomposition. In recent years, many spectral decomposition techniques have been developed and utilized for stratigraphic analysis and direct hydrocarbon detection. With the refined spectral decomposition techniques now available, the low-frequency shadow beneath gas reservoirs is another old idea that has renewed importance and interest in the exploration community. Almost a decade ago, Dan Ebrom studied a variety of possible mechanisms for the low-frequency shadow and why it might be associated with hydrocarbons. He presented his analysis at the 1996 SEG Summer Research Workshop.
Novel three-dimensional MRI technique for study of cartilaginous hip surfaces in Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.

Treatment of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD) may improve if new knowledge can be obtained regarding how articular cartilage changes shape during the course of this disorder. A new technique is presented showing how analyses of magnetic resonance images can be used to quantify the three-dimensional changes in the femoral and acetabular articulating cartilage surfaces of children with LCPD. Ten male subjects (8 ± 1 years) with unilateral LCPD were enrolled in this IRB approved study. Sets of magnetic resonance images of both hips were obtained at three different times. Three-dimensional virtual models of the cartilage were created from these images, and mathematical spheres were fit to the articulating surfaces. Five parameters (size, shape deformity (sphericity error), radial growth rate, joint fit, and joint incongruity) were used to quantify cartilage surface shape. Data were analyzed by using a linear mixed-model. Joint incongruity, i.e., the distance between the centers of the femoral and acetabular spheres, was slightly more than 2.5 times larger (p = 0.001) in LCPD hips than the contralateral normal hips. Cartilage shape deformity was 65% larger in hips with LCPD than in normal hips. Growth rates of the femoral head and the opposing acetabular surface showed that distortion of the femoral surface occurred first and the opposing acetabular surface followed. Mean radial difference (acetabular surface radius minus femoral surface radius) in LCPD hips was less than half (p < 0.01) the value of normal hips. Interobserver variability was ∼10% of the value attributable to LCPD. This is the first known report presenting a technique that quantifies the three-dimensional size, deformity, growth, fit. and incongruity of the femoral and acetabular articulating cartilaginous surfaces of LCPD and contralateral normal hips. The data obtained support the use of this technique and provide pilot data for a future clinical study of LCPD. Objective assessment of cartilage shape enabled by this technique may aid future diagnoses, enable monitoring of three-dimensional femoral and acetabular remodeling, and permit quantitative assessment of treatment efficacy. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 27: 981–988, 2009
Enhanced chemical and biological sensor based on liquid crystal using a bias electric field

With a suitable bias electrical field, the sensitivity, response speed and signal strength of LC based optical sensor can be improved greatly. The field can enhance the optical anisotropy of LC sensing for binding event.
Cryptic gametic interactions confer both conspecific and heterospecific advantages in the Chrysochus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) hybrid zone

Most species pairs are isolated through the collective action of a suite of barriers. Recent work has shown that cryptic barriers such as conspecific sperm precedence can be quite strong, suggesting that they evolve quickly. However, because the strength of multiple barriers has been formally quantified in very few systems, the relative speed with which conspecific sperm precedence evolves remains unclear. Here, we measure the strength of both conspecific sperm precedence and cryptic non-competitive isolation between the hybridizing sister species, Chrysochus auratus and C. cobaltinus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and compare the strength of those barriers to the strength of other known reproductive barriers in this system. Overall, cryptic barriers in this system are weaker than other barriers, indicating that they have not evolved rapidly. Furthermore, their evolution has been asymmetric. Non-competitive barriers substantially reduce the production of hybrid offspring by C. auratus females but not by C. cobaltinus females. In multiply-mated C. cobaltinus females, heterospecific sperm outcompete conspecific sperm, as evidenced by the fact that heterospecific males sired disproportionately more offspring than predicted from the results for singly-mated females. In C. auratus females, neither sperm type has a competitive advantage. Such asymmetries explain why nearly all F1 hybrids in the field are from crosses between C. cobaltinus females and C. auratus males. We discuss these findings in terms of understanding the cost of mating ‘mistakes’ in the Chrysochus hybrid zone. In addition, our discovery that 95% confidence intervals for commonly-used isolation statistics can be very wide has important implications for speciation research. Specifically, to avoid biases in the interpretation of such isolation metrics, we suggest that studies should routinely include error estimates in their analyses of reproductive isolation.
Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields Alter the Replication Cycle of MS2 Bacteriophage

The effect of exposure to 60-Hz electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on RNA coliphage MS2 replication was studied. EMF exposure commenced when the bacterial cultures were inoculated with the phage (t = 0). In 12 experiments in which the strength of the field was 5 G, a significant delay in phage yield was found in the EMF-exposed cultures 45-65 min after inoculation, compared with control cultures. However, the EMF did not alter the final phage concentration. Experiments at 25 G (N = 5) suggested that the stronger field resulted in both impeded phage replication and increased phage yield. No differences between test groups were found in experiments involving sham-EMF exposure, thereby indicating that the results obtained with the EMFs were not due to systematic error. It appears that MS2, which codes for only four proteins, is the simplest biological system in which an EMF-induced effect has been demonstrated. The MS2 system is, therefore, conducive to follow-up studies aimed at understanding the level and nature of the underlying interaction process, and perhaps to biophysical modeling of the interaction process.
Outer Sphere Metal-to-Ligand Charge Transfer in Organometallic Ion Pairs

A series of organometallic salts which comprise a fac-(b)ReI(CO)3(py)+ cation (b = 4,4‘,5,5‘-tetramethyl-2,2‘-bipyridine (tmb), 2,2‘-bipyridine (bpy), or 4,4‘-dicarbomethoxy-2,2‘-bipyridine (dmeb); py = pyridine) paired with the Co(CO)4- anion have been prepared and subjected to photophysical study. In nonpolar solvents the salts feature a broad, low-intensity ion-pair charge transfer (IPCT) absorption band. The energy of the IPCT band decreases with the LUMO energy of the diimine ligand, suggesting that the orbital basis of the transition is d (Co) → π* (b). An X-ray crystal structure of [(bpy)ReI(CO)3(py)+][Co(CO)4-] (2a) reveals that the anion occupies a lattice position which is directly below (or above) the plane defined by the bpy ligand, which supports the d (Co) → π* (b) IPCT assignment. Luminescence studies of the salts indicate that the dπ (Re) → π* (b) metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited state is quenched by reductive electron transfer from Co(CO)4-. Nominally IPCT and MLCT excitatio...
Body composition changes during the first two years of university.

Abstract Objective Changes in body weight, composition, and shape were investigated in male and female college students between the freshman and sophomore years. Methods Changes in weight, body mass index (BMI), percent and absolute body fat and fat-free mass (via bioelectrical impedance), and waist circumference (via body scans) were assessed over the freshman and sophomore years (2007–2009) among 120 students attending a Southern public university. Results Weight (2.5 and 1.7 lbs) and BMI gains (0.3 and 0.3 kg/m 2 ) did not significantly differ between the freshman and sophomore years, respectively. Significantly more percent body fat and fat mass were gained during the freshman (1.9% and 3.3 lbs, respectively) than the sophomore year (0.0% and 0.6 lbs, respectively). Females lost significantly more fat-free mass during the freshman (−0.8 lb) than during the sophomore year (1.0 lb). Changes in waist circumference and weight were significantly correlated. Increases in the percentages of females classified as overweight and with unhealthy body fat amounts and waist circumferences were observed. Conclusion While the sophomore year was characterized by slightly healthier body composition changes than the freshman year, the gains in weight, fat mass, and waist circumference measurements suggest increased health risks for many college females.
Stereoscopy by tilted illumination in transmission electron microscopy

We describe a new technique for stereoscopic observation in transmission electron microscopy, employing tilted illumination. A triple-hole objective aperture is used so that the bright beam can pass through with or without tilt. Stereo views can be acquired by tilting the illumination such that the bright beam passes through a pair of symmetrically arranged apertures alternately. The advantages of this technique as compared to the commonly used method of single-axis tilt are: (i) greater speed, potentially at or close to video rate so that live 3D observation is possible; (ii) elimination of specimen movement associated with stage tilt; and (iii) perspective views corresponding to multiple tilting axes which can be realized by installing more aperture-holes and choosing their positions properly. The main limitation is that the angle of tilt is limited by the extent to which the astigmatism, introduced by beam tilt, can be compensated by the objective lens stigmators.
Electron diffraction of yttrium iron oxide nanocrystals prepared by the alkoxide method

Abstract Yttrium iron garnet (YIG) ultrafine particles of several nanometers in diameter were prepared by the alkoxide method. The phase transformation of the particles during the course of calcination was studied in detail by transmission electron microscopy. A small fraction of the uncalcined amorphous particles was spontaneously crystallized into e-Fe 2 O 3 . The amorphous phase undergoes incomplete crystallization by forming an intermediate phase at 660°C calcination. Complete crystallization to YIG does not occur at temperatures lower than 675°C. A small amount of YFeO 3 and Fe 32 Y 12 O 2 (intermetallic compound) nanocrystals were also formed at calcination temperatures as low as 660°C. In selected area electron diffraction (SAED) experiment of the present YFeO 3 nanocrystals, we found a peculiar selection rule; we observed strong diffraction from the lattice planes, (i, j, k) , if the sum, i + j + k was odd, and weak or no diffraction from other planes. In the SAED experiment of YIG nanocrystals, we found that the diffraction rings fluctuated in the radial direction.
Entropic barrier model for polymer diffusion in concentrated polymer solutions and random media

Abstract It is argued that the diffusion of a polymer chain in random media such as controlled pore glasses, entangled semiconcentrated polymer solutions, and swollen gels is determined dominatly by the entropic traps arising from the spatial inhomogeneities and lack of full topological correlations in the background. It is shown from scaling arguments and Monte Carlo simulations od model systems that the diffusion coefficient of a chain in such random media has a stronger molecular weight dependence than even the reptation law. The newly identified entropically activated dynamical regime appears as an intermediate regime between the Rouse and reptation regimes. Most of the experimental investigations in semidilute solutions and swollen gels and computer simulations are argued to actually belong to this regime and the current controversies regarding whether reptation is present or absent in these investigations are resolved by the non-universal features of this intermediate regime. The relevance of such entropically controlled chain dynamics in gel electrophoresis is also addressed.
Streptogramin resistance patterns and virulence determinants in vancomycin-susceptible enterococci isolated from multi-component deli salads.

Aims: This study examined vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus (VSE) from deli salads for streptogramin resistance and presence of cpd, agg and gelE genes. Methods and Results: Fifteen VSE from retail salads were isolated for identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing by MicroScan, Etest and agar diffusion. Clinical vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (n = 32) and animal VSE (n = 17) were included for comparative purposes. Multiplex PCR was used to detect the following genes: agg, gelE, cpd, vatD, vatE and sodA. Results showed fewer streptogramin-susceptible Enterococcus faecium isolated from salad (1/6, 17%) and animals (6/10, 60%) than from clinical (26/29, 90%) sources. A low level of erythromycin susceptibility was detected among salad (2/6, 33%) and animal (3/10, 30%) Ent. faecium isolates. Food and animal VSE demonstrated similarities in antimicrobial resistance profiles. All Enterococcus faecalis carried one or more of the selected genes cpd (40%), gelE (33%) and agg (27%). The vatD or vatE genes were not detected in any of the isolates. Conclusions: Experiments demonstrated that streptogramin resistance and virulence genes agg, cpd and gelE are present in enterococci isolated from deli salads. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study provides useful information regarding streptogramin resistance and virulence determinants in enterococci from foods associated with multi-component ingredients.
Backward wave oscillators with rippled wall resonators: analytic theory and numerical simulation

In this paper, a comprehensive theoretical treatment is developed for backward wave oscillators composed of a relativistic electron beam guided by a strong magnetic field through a slow wave structure consisting of a cylindrical waveguide with a sinusoidally varying wall radius. This analysis, equally applicable to traveling wave tube operation, includes both a linearized theory of small‐amplitude perturbations and numerical simulations of the saturated, large‐amplitude operating regime. The variation of device operating characteristics with system parameters is examined in detail. Comparisons of the analytic and numerical results with experiments and additional calculations show excellent agreement and justify a high degree of confidence in the validity of the theory.
Solar system isotopic anomalies: Supernova neighbor or presolar carriers?

Abstract I evaluate several nuclear and chemical problems related both to the recent scenario suggesting that the known isotopic anomalies in the solar system have resulted from a supernova near the protosolar nebula and to the model of extinct presolar carriers. Major features include: (1) Large quantities of extinct 248Cm and 36Cl are predicted from the Cameron-Truran model of a minor injection about 106 yr before condensation; (2) an extinct-carrier model of 26Mg is set forth in detail with a solid chemistry picture of the early solar system; (3) a major thermonuclear supernova responsible for 26Al, 244Pu, and 40K would have to have occurred several million years (3 m.y.) before condensation and contributed a large fraction of the major stable chemical elements; (4) carbon isotope families are to be expected if the oxygen isotope families are due to a late injection of 16O; (5) the Earth and E meteorites may have condensed primarily in a carbon-rich nebula existing before admixtures of a major late 16O-rich mixture; (6) the extinct-presolar-carrier model is the single best explanation of all anomalies.
Cell kinetics of orthodontically-stimulated and non-stimulated periodontal ligament in the rat

Abstract The orthodontically stimulated rat periodontal ligament (PDL) proved to be a useful experimental model for studying cell proliferation. Stimulation resulted in a progressive increase in tritiated thymidine ([ 3 H]-T)labelling indices of “PDL fibroblasts” from 1.4 per cent to a peak of 25.2 per cent at 27 hr. The labelling index then dropped slowly to a level of 9 per cent which persisted for 72 hr. A plot of percentage labelled mitoses revealed the transit time of DNA synthesis ( t avc s ) to be 8.5 hr; the initial post-labelling peak of mitosis was complete by 16 hr. The observed number of “PDL cells” increased from 722 for the unstimulated PDL to 933 cells/3 μm section by 72 hr post stimulation. The predicted number of “PDL cells” at 72 hr was 1284. Only 37.5 per cent of the “PDL fibroblasts” which incorporated [ 3 H]-T underwent cell division within the time of this experiment.
Affective State, Attraction, and Affiliation: Misery Loves Happy Company, Too

Sixty male and 60 female subjects were made to feel relatively depressed or relatively elated prior to giving attraction responses toward a target person whose affective state was presented as sad, neutral, or happy. It was hypothesized that, consistent with the Byrne-Clore affective model of attraction, the more pleasant the affective state of the target, the more liking subjects would feel for that person and the more willing they would be to work with him/her. However, consistent with fear-affiliation research, it was also predicted that depressed subjects, relative to elated subjects, would find a depressed target to be a more desirable work partner. Results supported all these hypotheses.
THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LINOLEIC AND LINOLENIC ACIDS IN NEONATES MAINTAINED ON TPN INCLUDING SAFFLOWER OIL

An investigational 20% safflower oil emulsion with increased linolenic acid (3±1.5%) was evaluated in ten neonates and compared to a control group of ten receiving 20% safflower oil (0.1% linolenic). A subgroup of five study patients and four controls had received 10% safflower oil prior to the study and were evaluated separately. Mean birthweight for all groups was 1.5kg. Serum fatty acid (FA) profiles were done prior to and after completion of 7 days of fat therapy. Below are fatty acid levels for those infants who had not received previous lipid. (expressed as % total FA) The subgroup infants who had received 10% safflower oil prior to entering the study had L/A ratio changes that were not statistically different from the control group above. Safflower oil with added linolenic acid appears to inhibit the conversion of linoleic acid to its metabolites as evidenced by a significantly increased L/A ratio. This inhibition was not apparent by L/A ratio in those neonates who had previously received safflower oil.
Light Scattering Studies of Polymer Solutions and Melts

Static and dynamic properties of polymer solutions and melts can be investigated by means of modern scattering techniques. While small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) have made advances particularly in studies related to the static structure factor S(K), laser light scattering including the use of Fabry–Perot interferometry and photon correlation spectroscopy has become a standard tool in studying polymer molecular motions. In polymer solutions, the main technique is to use measurements of angular distribution of integrated scattered intensity by means of visible light, SAXS or SANS for S(K) and measurements of angular distribution of the spectrum of scattered light by means of photon correlation spectroscopy for the dynamic structure factor, S(K,ω). Recent advances have been made in the method of data analysis related to the ill-posed Laplace inversion problem. The new approaches include the singular value decomposition technique and methods of regularization with different criteria for the smoothing operator. By combining static and dynamic light scattering measurements with appropriate algorithms for the Laplace inversion of the time correlation function, a new analytical technique has been developed for polymer molecular weight characterizations. The non-intrusive method has been applied to determine the molecular weight distributions of linear and branched polyethylene in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene at 135°C and of poly(1,4-phenylenetere-phthalamide) in concentrated sulfuric acid. In addition, a new prism light scattering cell is being developed to integrate the above capabilities with chromatographic and other separation techniques. Aside from translational motions of the center of mass of polymers in dilute solution, photon correlation spectroscopy also permits us to investigate rotational, flexual and internal segmental motions. Polymer molecules entangle in semidilute solution. Light-scattering spectroscopy measures a cooperative diffusion coefficient and a slow mode which has been shown to be different in magnitude from the self-diffusion coefficient. The entanglement behavior varies from coils to rod-like polymers. Static and dynamic properties of polymer solutions in semidilute and semicoricentrated regimes can be related to those of bulk polymer melts where measurements of polarized Rayleigh–Brillouin spectra and depolarized Rayleigh spectra yield information on localized structural relaxation and collective segmental/molecular orientational motions. Relaxation times covering a very broad frequency range will be discussed.
Quantitative material characterization from multi-energy photon counting CT

Purpose: To quantify the concentration of soft-tissue components of water, fat, and calcium through the decomposition of the x-ray spectral signatures in multi-energy CT images. Methods: Decomposition of dual-energy and multi-energy x-ray data into basis materials can be performed in the projection domain, image domain, or during image reconstruction. In this work, the authors present methodology for the decomposition of multi-energy x-ray data in the image domain for the application of soft-tissue characterization. To demonstrate proof-of-principle, the authors apply several previously proposed methods and a novel content-aware method to multi-energy images acquired with a prototype photon counting CT system. Data from phantom and ex vivo specimens are evaluated. Results: The number and type of materials in a region can be limited based on a priori knowledge or classification strategies. The proposed difference classifier successfully classified the image into air only, water+fat, water+fat+iodine, and water+calcium regions. Then, the content-aware material decomposition based on weighted least-square optimization generated quantitative maps of concentration. Bias in the estimation of the concentration of water and oil components in a phantom study was <0.10 ± 0.15 g/cc on average. Decomposition of ex vivo carotid endarterectomy specimens suggests the presence of water, lipid, and calcium deposits in the plaque walls. Conclusions: Initial application of the proposed methodology suggests that it can decompose multi-energy CT images into quantitative maps of water, adipose, iodine, and calcium concentrations.
Current Therapeutic Apheresis Technologies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

: A large number of physicians have indicated that patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) respond to current apheresis technology treatment. However, the mechanism of the apheresis procedure is undefined for patients with IBD. IBD appears to be caused by a complex of interactions from the genes, environment, and the immune system; therefore, the immune system plays a crucial role in the inflammatory responses. In this process, lots of interactions occur simultaneously, and they cross relate with each other. This review paper briefly discusses the etiology and pathogenesis of IBD and attempts to elucidate the mechanism that occurs after apheresis treatment.
The fine structure of the pit connections ofBatrachospermum sirodotii skuja

A new type of pit connection is described in the fresh water red algaBatrachospermum sirodotii and reported inTuomeya sp. consisting of a doughnut-shaped pit ring with a central pore that is occluded by a rivet-shaped pit plug. This structure occurs in pit connections between cells of the indeterminant axes and also cells of whorled assimilatory branches of limited growth, the pleuridia, but not between axial cells and the basal cells of the pleuridia, the periaxial cells. The pit plug and pit ring ultimately break down in pit connections of the main axis reopening the septal pore to intercellular cytoplasmic connection between vegetative axial cells. A similar breakdown of pit connections may also occur in the pleuridia. The functioning of a truncated cone-shaped network of endoplasmic reticulum in the development of the pit connection is described.
Association of proinflammatory cytokines and islet resident leucocytes with islet dysfunction in type 2 diabetes.

Aims/hypothesis Chronic inflammation in type 2 diabetes is proposed to affect islets as well as insulin target organs. However, the nature of islet inflammation and its effects on islet function in type 2 diabetes remain unclear. Moreover, the immune cell profiles of human islets in healthy and type 2 diabetic conditions are undefined. We aimed to investigate the correlation between proinflammatory cytokine expression, islet leucocyte composition and insulin secretion in type 2 diabetic human islets.
Pioneering the Psychiatric Nurse Role in Foster Care

Older youth served in the foster care system have elevated rates of mental health disorders and are high users of mental health services, yet concerns have been raised about the quality of this care. This paper describes the details of a psychiatric nurse's work within a multidisciplinary team to address gaps in care for older youth with psychiatric disorders. We describe the process, outcomes, and lessons learned in developing and piloting a psychiatric nurse intervention for older youth in the foster care system as part of a multidimensional treatment foster care program. Our experiences support further work to develop a role for nursing to improve the quality of mental health treatment in foster care.
Gender quotas and democracy: Insights from Africa and beyond

Synopsis Electoral gender quotas have been viewed as a way to promote greater inclusion and enhance the quality of democracy. They have also been criticized as ‘artificial’ solutions to women's under-representation in politics and as a means to bolster the legitimacy of authoritarian regimes. Mapping these debates, this epilog discusses three major contributions of the articles in this special issue, both on their own and in dialog with one another. The first two contributions are empirical, illustrating how democratic and non-democratic institutions, respectively, can promote women's representation through gender quotas. The third is the theoretical concept of ‘sustainable representation,’ or the role that quotas may or may not play in instituting durable changes in patterns of access to political office. Together, these case studies present new ways forward for fleshing out what quotas ultimately mean for women's empowerment and democratic development in both Africa and beyond.
Remote sensing of canopy water content: scaling from leaf data to MODIS

ABSTRACT The water in green vegetation is detectable using reflectances in the near infrared and shortwave infrared. Canopy water content is estimated from the product of leaf water content and leaf area index (LAI). The Normalized Difference Infrared Index [NDII = (R 850  R 1650 )/(R 850 + R 1650 )] was found to be strongly related to canopy water content using various moderate resolution sensors (Landsat TM, ASTER, AWiFS) during the SMEX02, SMEX04, SMEX05, and OTTER experiments. With the high te mporal resolution of MODIS, changes in canopy water content may perhaps be used to estimate plant water stress and wild-fire potential. However, the low spatial resolution of MODIS does not allow the relationship between NDII and canopy water content to be determined experimentally. The objective of this study is to validate the expected relationship of canopy water content with NDII by the standard LAI data product from MODIS; the quotient is the expected leaf water content which w ill vary by land-cover type. Maximum NDII for 2000-2007 was calculated from the MODIS standard su rface reflectance data products and compared to maximum MODIS LAI for the same years. Mean leaf water content from MODIS was not significantly different from leaf data for most land cover types. However the large standard devi ations indicated that canopy water conten t from NDII is not currently accurate for monitoring the incipient stages of plant water stress. Keywords: NDII, Normalized Difference Infrared Index, LAI, Le af Area Index, EWT, Equivalent Water Thickness
Can low‐power electromagnetic radiation disrupt hydrogen bonds in dsDNA?

Microwave radiation resonant with the natural phonon frequencies of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is shown to couple strongly to the breather modes of dsDNA under certain conditions. The excitation of the disruptive breather modes is controlled to a great extent by energy dissipation to its aqueous environment. For sufficiently high power—much higher than expected under ambient conditions—the breather solutions become unstable. Our analysis discounts the disruptive effect of low frequency, low power radiation on dsDNA. The authors hope to stimulate experiments via their analysis. The resulting data will dictate the future evolution of their models. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2740–2747, 2006
Effective volume changes during fatigue and fracture of polyacetal

Conventional tensile dilatometry techniques are extended to cyclic fatigue applications to study volume changes that occur during controlled-load cyclic fatigue of polyacetal. During fatigue, tn-situ measures of the irreversible and elastic volume change are monitored together with dynamic viscoelastic parameters (E', E, and Tan δ). and changes in the energy densities (strain energy, potential energy, and irreversible work). The results show that the effective irreversible volume of the polyacetal gradually increases over a wide range of applied cyclic stress. However, at high stress levels and/or frequencies (i.e., low-cycle, thermally dominated regime), the effective Poisson's ratio of the polyacetal increases as it softens (evidenced by the dynamic viscoelastic data). Conversely, at lower stress levels, the Poisson's ratio continually decreases coincident with decreases in the loss modulus (E) and the irreversible work density. These results are indicative of entirely different mechanisms governing the low-cycle (high stress level) and high-cycle (low stress) regimes. Also, comparisons between tensile and fatigue dilatometry studies show that the dilational-strain response of samples fatigued at high stress levels are similar to data obtained from monotonic tensile dilatometry. However, the dilation-strain response of samples fatigued at lower stress levels are distinctly different from low-cycle fatigue and tensile dilatometry.
Evidence that cholecystokinin-enhanced retention is mediated by changes in opioid activity in the amygdala

Abstract Mice, partially trained to avoid footshock in a T-maze, showed enhanced retention relative to vehicle-injected mice when treated peripherally with arecoline, d -amphetamine, cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8), epinephrine or naloxone. Both intra-amygdaloid and intraventricular injections of β-endorphin resulted in amnesia, d -amphetamine and arecoline blocked the amnestic effect of β-endorphin administered into the amygdala but it required higher doses for CCK-8, epinephrine and naloxone to block the amnestic effect of β-endorphin. The effects of CCK-8, epinephrine and naloxone showed a differential ability to block amnesia induced by β-endorphin intraventricularly with epinephrine and naloxone preventing amnesia but CCK-8 not improving retention. This dat suggests that the memory enhancement produced by peripherally administered CCK-8 involves the amygdala and that both CCK-8 and epinephrine interact with opioid amnestic mechanisms within the amygdala to alter memory processing.
Field Emission from Rhenium: Emission Pattern Corresponding to Hexagonal Crystal Structure

Field emission patterns from a clean metal having the hexagonal crystal structure (rhenium) are photographed. The fabrication of rhenium needle-shaped cathodes having tip radii of the order of 5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ cm is described, and electron microscope shadowgraphs of such emitters are shown. The use of a high-temperature flash in vacuum to smooth and clean the emitter is illustrated. Emission pattern detail is correlated with crystallographic structure; in particular, the crystal faces with low Miller-Bravais indices have reduced current density, resulting, it is assumed, from values of the work function which are higher than the average value. Rhenium is shown to be more resistant to work function change by oxygen adsorption than is tungsten by a direct comparison under identical experimental conditions.
A comparison of the abilities of nine scoring algorithms in predicting mortality.

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare the abilities of nine Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS)– and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9)–based scoring algorithms in predicting mortality.Methods The scores collected on 76,871 incidents consist of four AIS-based al
Obesity and Atherogenic Dyslipidemia

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, in part due to its strong association with atherogenic dyslipidemia, characterized by high triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. There has been substantial research effort focused on the mechanisms of the link between obesity and atherogenic dyslipidemia, both in the absence and presence of insulin resistance. After a brief overview of the epidemiology of atherogenic dyslipidemia, this article details the known molecular mechanisms of adipocyte function and its relationship to apoB-containing lipoprotein assembly and metabolism, both in the healthy as well as in the obese states. We also discuss the pathophysiology of low HDL cholesterol in obesity and the implications for cardiovascular disease risk.
Cheek swabs, SNP chips, and CNVs: Assessing the quality of copy number variant calls generated with subject-collected mail-in buccal brush DNA samples on a high-density genotyping microarray

Background: Multiple investigators have established the feasibility of using buccal brush samples to genotype single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with high-density genome-wide microarrays, but there is currently no consensus on the accuracy of copy number variants (CNVs) inferred from these data. Regardless of the source of DNA, it is more difficult to detect CNVs than to genotype SNPs using these microarrays, and it therefore remains an open question whether buccal brush samples provide enough high-quality DNA for this purpose. Methods: To demonstrate the quality of CNV calls generated from DNA extracted from buccal samples, compared to calls generated from blood samples, we evaluated the concordance of calls from individuals who provided both sample types. The Illumina Human660W-Quad BeadChip was used to determine SNPs and CNVs of 39 Arkansas participants in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), including 16 mother-infant dyads, who provided both whole blood and buccal brush DNA samples. Results: We observed a 99.9% concordance rate of SNP calls in the 39 blood–buccal pairs. From the same dataset, we performed a similar analysis of CNVs. Each of the 78 samples was independently segmented into regions of like copy number using the Optimal Segmentation algorithm of Golden Helix SNP & Variation Suite 7. Across 640,663 loci on 22 autosomal chromosomes, segment-mean log R ratios had an average correlation of 0.899 between blood-buccal pairs of samples from the same individual, while the average correlation between all possible blood-buccal pairs of samples from unrelated individuals was 0.318. An independent analysis using the QuantiSNP algorithm produced average correlations of 0.943 between blood-buccal pairs from the same individual versus 0.332 between samples from unrelated individuals. Segment-mean log R ratios had an average correlation of 0.539 between mother-offspring dyads of buccal samples, which was not statistically significantly different than the average correlation of 0.526 between mother-offspring dyads of blood samples (p=0.302). (Continued on next page)
Trajectory Optimization Of Earth-Launched Interceptors At Supercircular Speeds

An alternative to satellite-based kinetic energy weapons for intercepting ballistic missiles early in their trajectories is the use of earth-based hyper-velocity rockets. Simple calculations show that with existing solid-propellant technology, rockets can be accelerated to more than twice circular-orbit speeds with mass ratios of several thousand to one. For intercept distances ranging from 2000 to 5000 miles this translates into flight times of between 4 and 10 minutes. This permits interception of hostile ballistic missiles during their ascent trajectory when vulnerability remains high. The use of miniature guided warheads in the defensive weapon reduces the interceptor takeoff weight to within reasonable bounds. Parameters to be optimized include the mass ratios and thrusting time for each stage, the coasting time between powered stages, and the parameters used to represent the time history of angle of attack. A quasi-Newton minimization algorithm is utilized with penalty functions to implement the terminal constraints, as well as any other constraints. The necessary gradients are computed numerically using finite differences. The multiple stage trajectories are calculated many thousands of times faster than real time using an AD 100 multiprocessor computer. A VAX host computer implements the optimization algorithm and inputs new parameters to the multiprocessor for each successive trajectory run. In this way the total required time for an overall trajectory optimization consisting of several thousand trajectories is reduced from several hours to several minutes.
The Association between Patient-Centered Attributes of Care and Patient Satisfaction

Little is known about the attributes of care that most strongly impact satisfaction in real-world settings where patients’ limited medical knowledge may restrict their ability to ascertain the true quality of care. We therefore examined the association between patient-centered attributes of physician care (thoroughness, explanation, and listening), in-office waiting time, and patient satisfaction. We used the Community Tracking Study Household Survey, a US nationally representative dataset (n = 71,594). Using logistic regression models, we analyzed the association between patient ratings of care attributes and patient satisfaction for the total sample and by subgroups, according to health status, physician type, and visit type. Patients’ perception of excellent or very good care attributes was strongly associated with being very satisfied with care received (thoroughness of care, odds ratio [OR] 2.64, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 2.31–3.02; listening, OR 2.04, 95 % CI 1.77–2.36; explanation, OR 1.63, 95 % CI 1.42–1.86), as was a waiting time of ≤10 min (OR 1.50, 95 % CI 1.39–1.63). The effect magnitude of thoroughness on satisfaction is particularly strong relative to high-quality listening and explanation among respondents in poor health, and for whom the most recent office visit was to see a generalist or for curative care. Thoroughness of care was the strongest determinant of patient satisfaction, followed by physician listening and explanation. Especially with patients’ improved access to current medical information, it is important for physicians to recognize that excellent communication cannot serve as a substitute for high-quality, thorough care.
Late orogenic mafic magmatism in the North Cascades, Washington: Petrology and tectonic setting of the Skymo layered intrusion

The Skymo Complex in the North Cascades, Washington, is a layered mafic intrusion within the Ross Lake fault zone, a major orogen-parallel structure at the eastern margin of the Cascades crystalline core. The complex is composed dominantly of troctolite and gabbro, both with inclusions of primitive olivine gabbro. Low-pressure minerals in the metasedimentary contact aureole and early crystallization of olivine + plagioclase in the mafic rocks indicate the intrusion was emplaced at shallow depths (<12 km). The Skymo rocks have trace-element characteristics of arc magmas, but the association of Mg-rich olivine (Fo88–80) with relatively sodic plagioclase (An75–60) and the Al/Ti ratios of clinopyroxene are atypical of arc gabbros and more characteristic of rift-related gabbros. A Sm-Nd isochron indicates crystallization in the early Tertiary (ca. 50 Ma), coeval with the nearby Golden Horn alkaline granite. Mantle melting to produce Skymo magma likely occurred in a mantle wedge with a long history of arc magmatism. The Skymo mafic complex and the Golden Horn granite were emplaced during regional extension and collapse of the North Cascades orogen and represent the end of large-scale magmatism in the North Cascades continental arc.
A Parametric Approach to the Design of Vaulted Tensegrity Networks

Significant new research in tensegrity theory and technology encourages tensegrity's implementation in architecture. A recently developed technology makes possible the rapid modular assembly of deployable tensegrity units, and the construction of alternate curved configurations by re-using the same modules [1]. Although a form exploration method for tensegrity structures already exists [2], estimating the structure's new geometry remains a challenge due to difficulties designers encounter in understanding and following the method's geometric construction process. Besides, the method doesn't address the geometry of vaulted configurations. This paper presents algorithms that link together the geometric parameters that determine the shape of tensegrity vaults by addressing different design-construction scenarios, and a software code that generates parametric models of tensegrity vaulted structures. The application of the algorithms to the morphological study of a tensegrity vaulted dome, which constituted th...
Microsystems Modular Programming in PL/M

Various methodologies have been used to control the high–and rising–cost of developing software products. Among these, one technique that has proved effective entails constructing programs from small, well-defined modules. This technique, called modular programming, can be used in any programming language; however, without language support to enforce module boundaries, errors often occur.
Origin of'exotic' minerals in Mississippi salt dome cap rocks : results of reaction-path modeling

Abstract Shallow salt domes in central Mississippi pierce Mesozoic formations hosting regionally extensive metal-rich brines. This association, coupled with the multiple fluid-migration pathways around salt domes, suggests that these brines were the source of Fe and base-metal sulfide, Sr, and Ba minerals in salt dome cap rocks. Fluid inclusions in barite and celestite indicate that the brines had a relatively constant average composition of approximately 200,000 mg/I total dissolved solids, which is similar to present-day oil field brines from central Mississippi. Geochemical reaction-path modeling indicates that the suite of observed cap rock minerals can be produced by alternating periods of biogenic SO4 reduction with inorganic anhydrite dissolution (or by mixing with seawater). Sulfide-rich portions of cap rock at Hazlehurst salt dome have molar Fe:Pb and Fe:Zn ratios similar to present-day oil field brines, indicating that mixing of brines with abundant amounts of H2S produced by biogenic SO4 reduction led to rapid precipitation of virtually all dissolved metals as relatively insoluble sulfide minerals.
Using Casts, Splints, and Braces in the Emergency Department

With increasing numbers of children participating in sports activities, orthopedic injuries are a very common presenting complaint. Emergency care providers should be familiar with the evaluation and management of common injuries in children and adolescent patients. This article will review the common uses of casts, splints, and braces in the emergency department. Different types of products, indications for their use, and other general considerations like fitting and cleaning will be discussed.
A New Circuit Identification Method in Four-Position Four-Bar Linkages

This paper describes an efficient procedure to rectify circuit defects in rocker-crank and double-rocker at the synthesis level based on the angular joint displacements. This method complements the crank-rocker and double-crank circuit rectification to complete the circuit rectification of four-bar linkages. The procedure utilizes the algebraic method where special points followed by a line construction procedure are employed to validate the range of the critical angle that can identify the circuit defects as a function of the design positions prior to the completion of the linkage. As a result, a direct technique is implemented at the computational level to efficiently identify the infeasible solutions.