cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comments on “Reconstructing the NH Mean Temperature: Can Underestimation of Trends and Variability Be Avoided?”

In a recent paper, Bo Christiansen presents and discusses ‘‘LOC,’’ a methodology for reconstructing past climate that is based on local regressions between climate proxy time series and instrumental time series (Christiansen 2011, hereafter C11). LOC respects two important scientific facts about proxy data that are often overlooked, namely that many proxies are likely influenced by strictly local temperature, and, to reflect causality, the proxies should be written as functions of climate, not vice versa. There are, however, several weaknesses to the LOC method: uncertainty is not propagated through the multiple stages of the analysis, the effects of observational errors in the instrumental record are not considered, and as the proxies become uninformative of climate, the variance of a reconstruction produced by LOC becomes unbounded—a result that is clearly unphysical. These shortcomings can be overcome by interpreting the LOC method in the context of recently proposed Bayesian hierarchical reconstruction methods. Section 2 reviews the basic modeling assumptions underlying LOC and details the shortcomings of this approach. To illustrate one possible solution to the shortcomings of LOC, section 3 presents a Bayesian interpretation of LOC and briefly describes the connections between LOC and two recently published Bayesian reconstruction methods. Section 4 discusses the variance of the reconstructed series in both the original and Bayesian LOC frameworks, and section 5 provides a few concluding remarks.
Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics with Overlap Fermions on GPUs

Lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) calculations were one of the first applications to demonstrate the potential of GPUs in the area of high-performance computing; the nature of lattice QCD calculations matches well with the GPU's computational model. This article discusses ways to effectively use GPUs for lattice calculations using the overlap operator, a discretization that preserves chiral symmetry even at nonzero lattice spacing and makes possible lattice QCD simulations in the parameter region relevant to nuclear physics. The author shows that the large memory footprint of these codes requires the use of multiple GPUs in parallel and discusses methods for implementing this operator efficiently: hybrid CPU/GPU memory use for eigensolvers and MPI/OpenMP/CUDA parallelization strategies required to take full advantage of both GPU and CPU resources. He then compares the performance of codes on a GPU cluster and a CPU cluster with similar interconnects, discussing the strong scaling for problem sizes relevant to current lattice QCD simulations.
Phonological investigation of speech sound errors in children with autism spectrum disorders

AbstractFew studies have explored the comorbidity of autism and articulation/phonological disorders. In this study, phonological analyses were performed on eight children with autism. Speech elicitation included object naming and a connected speech sample. Data analyses involved phonetic inventory, phonological process analyses, and percentage consonants correct. Results showed that all eight children exhibited both delayed phonological behavior as well as some atypical phonological processes. Findings also revealed a strong relationship between severity of phonological behavior and severity of language impairment. Group comparisons showed that children with moderate–severe language impairment exhibited more typical and atypical phonological processes than children with mild–moderate language impairment, and overall correlation between phonological severity and language impairment was high. The findings contrast with some earlier studies but support and extend recent research showing unusual phonological ...
Isolation of a lysine transfer ribonucleic acid species from Bacillus subtilis by use of chemical modification.

Abstract A method is described for the purification of lysine tRNA of Bacillus subtilis by sequential passage of the native and oxidized forms through benzoylated DEAE-cellulose columns. The distinct elution pattern of the oxidized form resulted in a lysine tRNA preparation with a purity of 66 %.
Surgical Repair of Leaking Blebs

To repair a ruptured filtering bleb, we used the conjunctiva alone, or combined with its undissected Tenon's fascia, to cover the sclerostomy site. We used mattress sutures to thread the new flap into a vertical corneal groove anterior to the sclerostomy, creating a firm, nonretracting but still sufficiently "porous" cover that maintained filtration and resisted infection and perforation. Seven of eight cases of ruptured filtering blebs have been successfully repaired in this manner with the maintenance of adequate filtration.
Effect of discontinuity of surface catalycity on boundary layer flow of dissociated gas

Abstract The catalytic recombination of atoms along a surface with a discontinuous variation of the surface catalytic activity is studied. The catalycity is considered to have a discrete jump from either zero or infinity to an arbitrary but constant value at a given location. Highly cooled hypersonic laminar boundary layers are considered for general two-dimensional and axisymmetric bodies. Two approaches are used in the study: a Volterra integral equation which is solved by both a series method and a numerical method and a modified Pohlhausen integral method. The effect of a non-catalytic up-stream surface on the heat transfer to down-stream surfaces with a finite catalycity is discussed. Also, a method is advanced to increase the sensitivity of a differential catalytic gage used for the determination of local atom concentrations of high temperature experimental facilities.
Oxytocin-Induced Ca2+ Responses in Human Myometrial Cells

Complex spatiotemporal changes in intracellular Ca 2+ were monitored in an immortalized human myometrial cell line (PHM1-41) and first-passage human myometrial cells after oxytocin stimulation (1.0-1000 nM). Laser cytometry revealed intracellular Ca 2+ oscillations in both culture systems starting at 1.0 nM, which were followed by repetitive Ca 2+ transients by 10-15 min that lasted for at least 90 min. The amplitude of the initial Ca 2+ spike was dose dependent, while the frequency of Ca 2+ oscillations identified by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) tended to increase with dose. Removal of oxytocin resulted in termination of oscillations. Analysis of the sources of the Ca 2+ involved in oscillations indicated that the major contribution to oscillation frequencies of < 6 mHz in cells was from the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive pool, accounting for about 60% of the frequencies. Most of the remaining frequencies were attributable to extracellular Ca 2+ , which presumably comes from plasma membrane channels other than L-type channels. When oscillation frequencies exceeded 6 mHz, a significant contribution from a ryanodine-sensitive Ca 2+ pool was detected. Eight-bromo-cAMP suppressed both the initial Ca 2+ spike and the long-term oscillations. Prostaglandin E 1 and E 2 caused a significant increase in the frequency of oxytocin-induced Ca 2+ oscillations. FFT analysis may be of considerable value for study of the mechanisms of rhythmic Ca 2+ transients and their function in myometrial cells, as well as the mechanisms by which uterotonins and tocolytic agents impact myometrial Ca 2+ regulation.
SCF treatment of charge polarization effects in intermediate‐energy electron scattering calculations with applications to N2

Converged rotational close coupling calculations of differential, integral, and momentum-transfer cross sections are obtained for seven model potentials for electron-N2 scattering at an impact energy of 30 eV. The model potentials involve a static potential calculated by the INDO/1s or INDOXI/1s method, and exchange potential calculated by the semiclassical exchange approximation from the INDO/1s or INDOXI/1s unperturbed electron density and a polarization potential. The polarization potentials used include the Buckley-Burke semiempirical one and various modifications of the INDOXI and INDO SCF (self-consistent-field) adiabatic polarization potentials. Without adjustment of parameters, good agreement is obtained with the angle dependence of the experimentally measured sum of the elastic and rotational excitation differential cross sections; however, the absolute value of the calculated cross sections is about 20-30% larger than the measured values in the best case, perhaps indicating that the model potentials are too strong or should have a nonzero imaginary part.
Wind-Tunnel Measurements of Sabot-Discard Aerodynamics

Abstract : This report addresses the flow field around a fin stabilized, hypervelocity projectile during the sabot discard process. The mutual interference of the flows around the flight body and three sabot components is examined through wind tunnel tests conducted at a free stream Mach number of 4. 5. Since it was not practical to attempt the actuation of all three sabot components, the flow field was simulated by using splitter plates to develop reflection surfaces along planes of symmetry. The data show the effects of multiple shock interactions, shock-boundary layer interactions, and the variation in aerodynamic loadings as the sabot discard proceeds.
Household Politics: Conflict in Early Modern England. By Don Herzog. (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2013. Pp. xiv, 209. $38.00.)

It is common to characterize early modern Europe as replete with misogyny, an assumption reinforced in countless texts, and to describe the gendered social structure as largely uncontested with a p...
Cytokinin increases intracellular Ca2+ in Funaria: detection with Indo-1.

Abstract Changes in intracellular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i) after cytokinin-treatment in protonema cells of the moss Funaria hygrometrica have been measured using the pentapotassium salt of indo-1. The extent of dye loading strongly depended on lowering the pH of the incubation medium to 5.0. Exposing dye-loaded cells briefly with Mn2+ did not quench fluorescence suggesting that the source of fluorescence is from the cytoplasm and not from the cell wall. Indo-1 remains responsive to changes in [Ca2+]i in Funaria cells. The [Ca2+]i in quiescent cells (with and without extracellular Ca2+) is 250 nM, which is within the range of reported [Ca2+]i of other plant cells. Treatment of cells with extracellular cytokinin in 4 mM Ca2+ induced a three-fold increase in [Ca2+]i to 750 nM in target caulonema cells. This increase was not observed in Ca2+-free medium. These target cells respond to cytokinin treatment by an asymmetrical division, while non-target chloronema cells do not divide. Cytokinin appears to increase [Ca2+]i by extracellular Ca2+ uptake. However, non-target chloronema cells and tip cells also respond to cytokinin treatment by increasing [Ca2+]i. The differential physiological response of these cell types to hormonal stimulation must lie further down the signal transduction chain.
Peer relationship Difficulties in Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder

Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is associated with psychosocial impairment, but few studies have examined peer relationship functioning and PBD. Adolescence is a crucial developmental period when peers become increasingly salient. This study compared perceived friendship quality and peer victimization in adolescents with PBD to external community benchmarks and to adolescents with other psychopathology. We also measured the association between peer difficulties and current mood symptoms across diagnoses. Participants were 189 adolescents, ages 10–17 years (46 % female; 58 % African American, 32 % Caucasian, 10 % Other), recruited from a community mental health center (n = 73) and an academic medical center (n = 116). Diagnoses were made via semi-structured diagnostic interviews. Adolescents completed questionnaires to assess peer relationship functioning and mood symptoms. Caregivers completed a questionnaire to assess adolescents’ mood symptoms. Adolescents with PBD reported significantly fewer positive and negative qualities in a close friendship and more relational victimization than external community controls. There were no significant differences between adolescents with PBD and those with other psychopathology. Depression and (hypo)mania were both associated with more negative friendship quality and peer victimization. Adolescents with psychiatric disorders reported more peer difficulties than an external community sample, but difficulties were not specific to PBD. Mood symptoms were problematic for perceived close friendship quality and peer victimization in youth with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses. Results suggest that treatments targeting mood symptoms may improve peer relationships and those with an interpersonal focus may be particularly helpful to address mood symptoms.
The incorporation of a fluorinated ether functionality into a polymer or surfactant to enhance C02-solubility

Abstract A repeating fluorinated ether functional group, (hexafluoropropylene oxide) n , can enhance the solubility of compounds in dense carbon dioxide. A perfluorinated alkylpolyether which incorporates hexafluoropropylene oxide as the repeating unit, F(CF 3 CFCF 2 O) n C 2 F 5 , forms the most CO 2 -soluble polymers observed to date. The liquid-liquid dew point locus at 295 K of a poly(hexafluoropropylene oxide) (MW = 13,000)/carbon dioxide system was found to increase steadily with polymer concentration over the 1–10 wt % range, reaching a saturation pressure of only 17 MPa at 10 wt %. CO 2 -soluble surfactants were also made by replacing the hydrocarbon carboxylate tails of CO 2 -in-soluble surfactants with perfluoroalkylpolyether carboxylates. Nonionic surfactants, poly(hexafluoropropylene oxide) carboxylic acid (MW = 2,500) and hydroxyaluminum bis[poly(hexafluoropropylene oxide) carboxylate] (MW = 5,000), and an anionic surfactant, sodium poly(hexafluoropropylene oxide) carboxylate (MW = 2,500), exhibited complete miscibility with CO 2 at 313 K at pressures above 16 MPa. Despite the high bulk viscosity of the polymeric fluorinated oil (7,000 mpa-s at 293 K) and the associative thickening potential of hydroxyaluminum disoaps, no increases in solution viscosity, relative to pure CO 2 , greater than 10% were detected.
Batrachotoxin, an extremely active cardio- and neurotoxin from the Colombian arrow poison frog Phyllobates aurotaenia.

(1971). Batrachotoxin, an Extremely Active Cardio- and Neurotoxin from the Colombian Arrow Poison Frog Phyllobates Aurotaenia. Clinical Toxicology: Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 331-342.
A Differential Scanning Calorimetry Study on the Effect of Annealing on Gelatinization Behavior of Corn Starch

Gelatinization characteristics of laboratory-isolated and commercial corn starch were compared by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) before and after being annealed at subgelatinization temperatures in excess water. Prior to annealing, commercial corn starch has a relatively narrow gelatinization range, with a peak temperature at 71°C. Starches isolated in the laboratory have wide gelatinization ranges and lower peak temperatures. After annealing, commercial starch showed little change in gelatinization characteristics, whereas laboratory starches all had narrowed gelatinization ranges, higher peak temperatures, and increased gelatinization enthalpy, indicating changes in the internal structure of the starch granules. This demonstrates that the wet-milling process anneals corn starch during the isolation procedure.
901-115 Beneficial Effects of Estrogen Replacement Therapy on Cardiovascular Hemodynamics in Postmenopausal Women

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) in postmenopausal women reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal coronary artery disease (CAD). The mechanism of the beneficial effect is not yet fully explained, although changes in plasma lipoproteins and a direct vasodilatory effect have been suggested. To investigate the effect of standard oral ERT, we performed exercise echocardiography in 11 postmenopausal women (mean age 62 ± 8 years). Subjects were randomized to 0.625 mg conjugated oral equine estrogen or no active treatment for 30 days, with crossover after a 4 to 6 week washout period. At rest and at peak exercise, systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), left ventricular end-systolic (LVESD) and end-diastolic (LVEDD) diameters were measured and cardiac double product (DP) calculated at baseline and after each treatment. The results follow: Variables Rest Exercise Drug-Free Estrogen Drug-Free Estrogen SBP/mmHg) 142 ± 24 131 ± 21 * 186 ± 33 181 ± 31 DP (SBPxHR) 9987 ± 2503 9087 ± 1422 † 27300 ± 9079 26432 ± 6821 LVEDD (cm) 4.4 ± 0.4 4.4 ± 0.6 4.3 ± 0.4 4.0 ± 0.7 LVESD (cm) 3.0 ± 0.6 29 ± 0.7 2.7 ± 0.6 2.5 ± 0.7 * p l 0.05 † p = 005 Conclusion Short-term ERT reduces systolic blood pressure, double product and LV diameters at rest and after exercise. These observations suggest that the beneficial mechanism of ERT in postmenopausal women may be mediated via a reduction in cardiac afterload.
Mentalistic Metatheory and Strategies

Mentalism (Dulany, 1991, 1997) provides a metatheoretical alternative to the dominant cognitive view. This commentary briefly outlines its main propositions and what I see as strategies for its use and support at this stage. These propositions represent conscious states as the sole carriers of symbolic representations, and mental episodes as consisting exclusively of conscious states interrelated by nonconscious operations. The mentalistic metatheory is a set of general propositions that provide a framework for more specific theoretical formulations, including those Perruchet and Vintner use in so ingeniously re-interpreting an impressively wide range of phenomena. But I want this commentary to be complementary as well as complimentary, and so this outline is intended to support the present analysis and perhaps contribute to further analyses. 1.
An Attributional Analysis Of Weight Outcomes

Weiner's (1985b) attribution theory was tested by determining attributions for current weight and classification of attributions on the dimensions of locus, stability, controllability, intentionality, and universality. Relationships between these causal dimensions and expectancy for future success in weight control were tested using 260 faculty and staff in two collegiate settings. Subjects were placed in outcome (success or failure) groups, depending on whether they reported weighing what they desired (success) or more than they desired (failure). Personal habits related to food and activity were perceived as the major causes of weight outcomes, although success subjects frequently chose inherited or physiological factors. Weiner's stability-expectancy proposition was supported by increased expectancy after success when stability was rated higher, and after failure when stability was rated lower, R2 = .40.
UNIDIRECTIONAL (n, k)-STAR GRAPHS

Arrangement graphs14 and (n, k)-star graphs11 were introduced as generalizations of star graphs1. They were introduced to provide a wider set of choices for the order of topologically attractive interconnection networks. Unidirectional interconnection networks are more appropriate in many applications. Cheng and Lipman5, and Day and Tripathi17 studied the unidirectional star graphs, and Cheng and Lipman7 studied orientation of arrangement graphs. In this paper, we show that every (n, k)-star graph can be oriented to a maximally arc-connected graph when the regularity of the graph is even. If the regularity is odd, then the resulting directed graph can be augmented to a maximally arc-connected directed graph by adding a directed matching. In either case, the diameter of the resulting directed graph is small. Moreover, there exists a simple and near-optimal routing algorithm.
Maternal diet and larval diet influence survival skills of larval red drum Sciaenops ocellatus

Larval red drum Sciaenops ocellatus survival, turning rate, routine swimming speed, escape response latency and escape response distance were significantly correlated with essential fatty-acid (EFA) concentrations in eggs. Of the five traits that varied with egg EFA content, two (escape response latency and routine swimming speed) were significantly different when larvae were fed enriched diets compared with the low fatty-acid diet, indicating that the larval diet can compensate for some imbalances in egg composition. Turning rate during routine swimming and escape response distance, however, did not change when larvae predicted to have low performance (based on egg composition) were fed an enriched diet, indicating that these effects of egg composition may be irreversible. Escape response distances and survival rates of larvae predicted to perform well (based on egg composition) and fed highly enriched diets were lower than expected, suggesting that high levels of EFA intake can be detrimental. Altogether, these results suggest that both maternal diet, which is responsible for egg EFA composition, and larval diet may play a role in larval survivorship and recruitment.
Mechanisms of Mammalian Otoacoustic Emission and their Implications for the Clinical Utility of Otoacoustic Emissions

We review recent progress in understanding the physical and physiological mechanisms that generate otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). Until recently, the conceptual model underlying the interpretation of OAEs has been an integrated view that regards all OAEs as manifestations of cochlear nonlinearity. Ho
Improvements in navigation using SeaBeam crossing errors

Adjustments to satellite constrained navigation are required to match SeaBeam bathymetric data at track crossings due to errors in dead reckoning and inaccuracies in satellite fixes. By shifting one of the SeaBeam swaths involved in a track crossing relative to the other and calculating the sum of the squares of the differences in bathymetry within the area of overlapping coverage, we map a two-dimensional error surface whose minimum corresponds to the best estimate of the correction to navigation required at the crossing point. Estimates of the covariance of this correction are derived from the error surface. We employ the curve fitting technique of Tarantola and Valette (1982) to invert for a smooth correction function to a starting model of the position of the ship as a function of time. This technique incorporates formal errors assigned to dead reckoning, satellite fixes, and the shifts required to match bathymetric swaths at crossing points in a simultaneous inversion for the correction function for all tracks within the study area. In a test of the method in a study area on the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a data set involving two cruises, 30 days of SeaBeam data, and 753 track crossings, we found that crossing SeaBeam swaths can potentially resolve the relative position of the ship on the two tracks to within 30 to 70 m. The inversion procedure yielded a much better constrained navigation function and much improved match of bathymetry. The final model of the navigation fit crossing shifts about as well as satellite data (with respect to their assigned data errors) with the RMS value of the crossing shifts decreasing from 1200 m in the original satellite-constrained navigation to 200 m in the final solution. However, the potential resolution of position using SeaBeam swaths was not fully achieved in the solution because there are systematic bathymetric artifacts in SeaBeam data, multiple local minima in the error surfaces in highly lineated topography, inadequate dead reckoning data, occasional bad satellite fixes, and limitations on the short period corrections allowed in the model.
A high-current thyratron

The GL-5855, a new inert-gas-filled thyratron, has massive anode and grid elements sealed directly to a heavy-walled glass envelope. These elements, therefore, are cooled by convection as well as by radiation, permitting full-load operation with low grid current.
Physical and sexual intimate partner violence negatively affects women's mental health and their children's behaviour

Commentary on : Symes L, Maddou J, McFarlane J, et al. Physical and sexual intimate partner violence, women's health and children's behavioural functioning: entry analysis of a seven-year prospective study. J Clin Nurs 2014;23:19–20.[OpenUrl][1] Seven million women each year experience physical, sexual or psychological abuse by an intimate partner and approximately 16% of children are exposed to IPV (also known as domestic violence) during their lifetime.1 ,2 Women who experience IPV report more mental … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJ%2BClin%2BNurs%26rft.volume%253D23%26rft.spage%253D19%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx
On the numerical solution of the biharmonic equation in the plane

The biharmonic equation arises in a variety of problems in applied mathematics, most notably in plane elasticity and in viscous incompressible flow. Integral equation methods are natural candidates for the numerical solution of such problems, since they discritize the boundary alone, are easy to apply in the case of free or moving boundaries, and achieve superalgebraic convergence rates on sufficiently smooth domains, regardless of shape. In this paper, we follow the work of Mayo and Greenbaum and make use of the Sherman-Lauricella integral equation which is a Fredholm equation with bounded kernel. We describe a fast algorithm for the evaluation of the integral operators appearing in that equation. When combined with a conjugate gradient like algorithm, we are able to solve the discretized integral equation in an amount of time proportional to N, where N is the number of nodes in the discretization of the boundary.
The significance of fever in acute myocardial infarction: a reappraisal.

Abstract A reappraisal of the significance of fever in acute myocardial infarction was undertaken in the controlled environment of a coronary-care unit. With the use of standardized criteria, 334 patients were given a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. The seven-day point prevalence for fever was 65.3 per cent, with a maximal incidence of 72 per cent on the second day. No significant correlation could be found between maximal temperature levels, degree of enzyme elevation, and leukocyte count. A policy of making cultures from those patients with fever identified infection in 63 (18.9 per cent) with a high correlation in this group with heart failure, atelectasis, and the use of urinary and central venous pressure catheters. High fever or fever beyond the fourth day of illness was most likely caused by respiratory or urinary tract infection, frequently related to gram-negative organisms. These data reinforce the commonness of fever but also indicate that the prevention, recognition, and treatment of infections should be an important part of the management of patients with acute myocardial infarction.
A silver hexafluorophosphate additive to propylene carbonate-based electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries

Addition of silver hexafluorophosphate to propylene carbonate (PC)-based electrolyte may suppress the cointercalation and decomposition of PC in mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB). During the first charge/discharge cycle, silver ions are reduced at a potential (2.15 V vs. higher than that of the PC cointercalation potential (0.75 V vs. to form a protective film on the MCMB surface, thereby obstructing PC cointercalation. Results show an increasing trend for both reversible capacity and cycle life performance with increasing A satisfactory reversible capacity may be obtained when the silver addition is greater than 5 wt %. © 2004 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Poly(ethylene oxide)/LiI Melts. 2. Dynamic Properties

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on solutions of low molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and LiI at 363 and 450 K for compositions ether oxygen:Li (EO:Li) = 48:1, 15:1, and 5:1. An explicit atom quantum chemistry based force field has allowed us to make quantitative predictions of polymer dynamics, ion mobilities, and complex lifetimes in these solutions. In the more dilute PEO/LiI solutions we found dynamical behavior consistent with a separation of the solutions into salt-rich and polymer-rich (PEO-like) domains. Dihedrals with oxygen atoms bound to Li+ cations (complexed dihedrals) were found to have significantly slower conformational dynamics than those dihedrals not bound to Li+ cations (uncomplexed dihedrals). In the dilute solutions, the dynamics of the complexed dihedrals were found to be only weakly dependent on composition, and the dynamics of the uncomplexed dihedrals were found to resemble closely those of pure PEO. For the EO:Li = 5:1 system, the conformational dyna...
VEPTR: past experience and the future of VEPTR principles

Purpose This review summarizes the experience with the vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR) device, which enables five new procedures to treat complex spine and chest wall abnormalities in pediatric patients, which cause thoracic insufficiency syndrome, the inability of the thorax to support normal respiration or lung growth.
Molecular Mechanics Investigation of Gadolinium(III) Complexes.

Parameters for the commercially available modeling package SYBYL have been developed for Gd3+ complexes allowing these to be studied with molecular mechanics. With these parameters and a technique termed the “coordination scan”, the coordination numbers of Gd(III) based complexes can be predicted, and thus the hydration number q determined. Knowledge of q has allowed the prediction of molar relaxivities based on correlations to literature values. In addition, the calculated value ΔEcoord was found to successfully predict the thermodynamic stability constants for polyamino carboxylate ligands with Gd3+. Gadolinium complexes are commonly utilized as MRI contrast agents, and thus the techniques utilized in this work should aid in the development of new contrast agents.
Quantitative Methods for Anthocyanins. 4. Determination of Individual Anthocyanins in Cranberry and Cranberry Products

SUMMARY– A new method was developed to determine the quantities of the four major anthocyanins in cranberry and cranberry products. The pigments were streaked on Whatman No. 1 paper and separated by multiple ascending chromatography with 1-butanol-benzene-formic acid-water (100:19: 10:25). The individual bands were measured by transmission densitometry at 525 nm. The ratio of individual pigments was calculated from the densitometric peak areas. The linearity of densitometric response for anthocyanins was established. The amount of each individual anthocyanin present was calculated from the total anthocyanin content and the ratio of individual anthocyanins. The reproducibility of the methods was 6% for the two arabinosides and 4 to 5% for the two galactosides expressed as the coefficient of variability.
Watershed Functions Applied to a 3D Image Segmentation Problem for the Analysis of Packed Particle Beds

In an effort to advance the area of particle science and technology the University of Utah has been using cone beam X-ray microtomography as a major tool for the quantitative three dimensional (3D) analysis of packed beds of multiphase particles. In this regard, efficient imaging algorithms have been developed and applied in order to extend two dimensional (2D) image analysis techniques for the solution of three 3D problems. Based on this research, image analyses of different particle samples were carried out for identification, segmentation, and quantitative volume characterization of irregularly shaped particles. The whole analysis involves acquisition of a 3D image by X-ray microtomography and a sequence of image processing tools for thresholding, distance transformation, maxima detection using reconstruction by dilation, and a watershed 3D algorithm for segmentation and identification of irregularly shaped particles in three dimensions. Several examples of the 3D analysis for irregularly shaped particles are presented and the results discussed. Application of these algorithms is demonstrated by the determination of coal washability curves.
Passive polymer optical waveguides for interconnecting lightwave components

There are many different types of components used in optical communication systems. Difficulties in interconnecting these elements are responsible for the increased cost and complexity of many systems. One of the main issues is the coupling efficiency between the different components involved. The coupling efficiency is affected by mode mismatches as well as device misalignments. In this paper, we look at the example of a hybrid optical switch to show some of the coupling issues when using otpical interconnects. We first show how the use of tapered polymer waveguides can perform a mode transformation in order to reduce the mode mismatch. We also present results for a Monte-Carlo simulation which shows the effects of the component misalignments in the hybrid device.
Optimization of capillary zone electrophoresis-electrospray mass spectrometry for cationic and anionic laser dye analysis employing opposite polarities at the injector and interface

Abstract On-line capillary zone electrophoresis-electrospray mass spectrometry (CZE-ES-MS) has been used to investigate the purity of laser dyes. A CZE-ES-MS interface linking a Dionex CE System I and a Vestec 201 clectrospray mass spectrometer was constructed and employed for this purpose. Interface optimization studies revealed that maximum sensitivity conditions are significantly different from maximum stability conditions. Use of a cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, proved effective at reducing the interaction between the cationic laser dye, Rhodamine 6G, and the wall of the silica capillary, a problem which can otherwise persist even at low pH. To direct electroosmotic flow towards the detector, negative voltages were applied to the CZE source vial. This enabled efficient separation of Rhodamine 6G from low level isomeric and analogue impurities which were detected using positive voltages at the mass spectrometer ion source. Despite intrinsic difficulties associated with negative-ion ES-MS, negative-ion detection was used in combination with positive CZE potentials to separate and characterize analogue impurities found in the anionic laser dye Eosin Y. Impurities present in such laser dyes can have profound effects on the operating efficiencies of dye lasers and the usable lifetime of the dye.
Purification of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein from bovine serum

Abstract Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) plays a central role in presentation of bacterial-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS; endotoxin) to leukocytes such as macrophages and neutrophils. Interaction of LBP with LPS is significant because LBP-LPS complexes promote activation of leukocytes and the immune system, which results in enhanced secretion of a spectrum of proinflammatory cytokines. An improved, simplified method was used to purify bovine LBP from serum. Methodology consisted of ion-exchange chromatography using Bio-Rex 70 resin, followed by gel-filtration chromatography (Sephacryl S-200 resin) of a selected ion-exchange fraction (0.22-0.50 M NaCl). Densitometric scans on silver-stained polyacrylamide gels of chromatographically-derived proteins indicated up to 88.7% purity of the resultant 64 kD protein (bovine LBP) in the cleanest fractions. The isoelectric point of bovine LBP was determined to be 6.8. Identity of the protein was substantiated by western-blot analysis, and by N-terminus amino acid sequence analysis with favorable comparison to published sequence data from rabbit, human, and murine LBP Identity was corroborated by use of purified bovine LBP in bioassays which demonstrated enhanced tissue factor expression of LPS (1 ng ml −1 )-stimulated bovine alveolar macrophages. Tissue factor expression was inhibitable in these assays using anti-CD14 monoclonal antibodies, which is also consistent with LBP-mediated activation of cells. When bovine LBP was heated at 56°C for 30 min, the biological activity was reduced by 50% in the macrophage-based bioassays. Biological activity of bovine LBP was completely destroyed by heating at 62°C for 30 min, which compared favorably with data resulting from use of fetal bovine serum.
Private wishes: Gender similarities and differences

Preference for a variety of “private wishes” were investigated in two studies. In Study 1, two college samples and two samples of pedestrians selected 10 out of a list of 48 wishes. In Study 2, two college samples rated 20 wishes. Although ethnicity data were not gathered, the populations from which the samples were drawn are ethnically diverse. Correlations of preferences between women and men within samples averaged .86 in Study 1 and .85 in Study 2, indicating a great deal of similarity between genders in their overall wish preferences. By far, the largest gender difference was for the wish “To have sex with anyone I choose.” Men consistently preferred this wish across all samples and age groups. These results point to sexuality in its interpersonal context as a primary focus of difference in the inner emotional lives of women and men.
Statistical thermodynamics of swollen polymer networks

To obtain an expression for the entropy S of a polymer network at volume V, the assumption is made that a volume V0 can be defined a which the distribution of end-to-end distances is the same as in a solution of freely dispersed chains and is Gaussian, and that the distribution of end-to-end distances at the volume V is likewise Gaussian. Although these assumptions are the same as those made by Flory, the formula obtained differs from Flory's. The results is where n is the number of solvent molecules, ϕ the volume fraction of polymer, G the number of chains (i. e., chain portions between crosslinks), and Ω the factor by which the structural pattern of the network reduces the number of accessible configurations. The customary assumption is made that Ω is volume independent. The consequences of the result obtained for S are discussed. Flory's method was to calculated the “entropy of crosslinking” by considering the probability that in a polymer solution certain segments are found in each other's vicinity. The error in the calculation lies in the assumption that the probability for two arbitrary segments to be in each other's vicinity is independent of whether other pairs of segments are or not. If this error is avoided, Flory's result becomes identical with the one derived in the present article. Arguments are given to show that the distribution of end-to-end distances assumed by Guth and James is erroneous. A consideration of the equilibrium between the network and a polymer solution proves that their formula must be rejected also on experimental grounds.
Immediate repair of the oroantral communication: a preventive dental procedure

Two cases are described in which oroantral communications were found and repaired during the extraction of molar teeth. The surgical technique is described.
Racism and Sexism as Functional Substitutes in the Labor Market

The returns from the 1970 U.S. census are used to examine whether racial and sexual discrimination tend to vary together or whether they are functional substitutes for one another in the labor mark...
Constrained energy problems with applications to orthogonal polynomials of a discrete variable

Given a positive measure Σ with gs > 1, we write Μe ℳΣ if Μ is a probability measure and Σ—Μ is a positive measure. Under some general assumptions on the constraining measure Σ and a weight functionw, we prove existence and uniqueness of a measure λΣ w that minimizes the weighted logarithmic energy over the class ℳΣ. We also obtain a characterization theorem, a saturation result and a balayage representation for the measure λΣ w As applications of our results, we determine the (normalized) limiting zero distribution for ray sequences of a class of orthogonal polynomials of a discrete variable. Explicit results are given for the class of Krawtchouk polynomials.
Comprehensive Analyses of Nuclear Safety System Codes

Many nuclear system codes have been developed for the main purpose of analyzing reactor performance of a nuclear power plant system during steady state and transient conditions. These codes generally include power plant component models for pumps, pipes, steam generators, pressurizers and other components. The parallel development of these nuclear system codes has been supported by government laboratories, universities, private entities and other organizations throughout the world. This has resulted not only in multiple codes, but multiple versions of the same code with different capabilities. The development paths of each code version have been driven by specific needs. The challenge for the user is to select a code that performs well for the desired analysis problem. Therefore, this work compares different aspects of various nuclear system codes. Firstly, it compares the governing equations for mass, momentum and energy in the evaluated system codes. Secondly, it compares all the codes’ closure models. Closure models are used in system codes to model thermal and mechanical non-equilibrium as well as the coupling of the phases. Thirdly, it compares the Separate Effect Tests (SET) and Integral Effect Tests (IET) employed for the verification and validation (V&V) during the development of each system code. These comparisons cover several thermal and hydraulic models, such as heat transfer coefficients for various flow regimes, two phase pressure correlations, two phase friction correlations, drag coefficients and interfacial models between the fields. Fourthly, major assumptions about the governing and closure equations in these codes are compared and discussed. Fifthly, numerical approach of every code is benchmarked with each other since numerical approach not only affects the speed of the system codes but also the accuracy of the results. Sixthly, the limitations of the codes are evaluated because these codes are challenged by analyzing not only existing nuclear power plants, but also next generation nuclear power plants. The nuclear industry is developing new, innovative reactor designs, such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) and others. Sub-types of these reactor designs utilize pebbles, prismatic graphite moderators, helical steam generators, innovative fuel types, and many other design features that may not be fully analyzed by current system codes. The results of this work serve as a guide for development of these system codes and indicate areas where models must be improved to adequately address issues with new reactor design and development activities.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Consumer-producer API for named data networking

This paper presents a new network programming interface to NDN communication protocols and architectural modules. This new API is made of (1) a consumer context which associates a name prefix with consumer-specific data fetch parameters controlling Interest transmission and Data packet processing, and (2) a producer context which associates a name prefix with producer-specific data transfer parameters controlling Interests demultiplexing and Data packet production. Both API contexts are extensible to new functionalities once they are identified.
Short-period climatic fluctuations: effects on diatom biomass.

An analysis of the weekly averages of diatom biomass measured near the coast of Southern California (32°509N, 117°109W) during the period from 1928 through 1939 indicates that three major blooms account for 85 percent of each year9s diatom biomass. The average duration of a single bloom is 5.5 weeks. The diatom blooms coincide with upwelling, but their individual characteristics depend on the detailed features of the circulation patterns of the water masses. That is, if upwelling takes place after a large influx of subtropical or even tropical water because of the slackening California Current, the resulting diatom blooms are smaller by several orders of magnitude than those observed when the flow of the current is strong. This influx of subtropical water into the region is reflected in positive anomalies of temperature, salinity, and sea level.
Radiation and resistance of tubers to rot

Sprout-inhibiting doses of ionizing radiation do not increase resistance to infection of wounds by bacteria.
Precision energy measurements of high energy gamma rays occuring in the decays of 46Sc, 82Br, 99Mo and 110Agm

Abstract Curved-crystal spectrometers have been utilized to determine the energies of 21 gamma rays following the decays of 46 Sc (T 1 2 = 83.9 d ), 82 Br (T 1 2 = 35.4 h ), 99 Mo (T 1 2 = 66.6 h ) and 110 Ag m (T 1 2 = 25.3 d . Seventeen of these gamma ray have energies in the range between 550 keV and 1121 keV and thus provide a number of calibration standards which supplement the earlier standards published by Raeside and others.
Postreplication repair defects in mutants of Drosophila melanogaster.

Mutants of Drosophila melanogaster which are defective in DNA synthesis have been identified among mutagen-sensitive stocks through analysis of both organ and cell cultures. A new procedure employing larval brain ganglia allows poorly fertile or sterile mutants to be analyzed for the first time. Parallel studies were performed in both tissues to establish the sensitivity of the new assay relative to that of the proven cell-culture assay. Damage was induced in the DNA of cultured cells with UV irradiation and in that of ganglial cells with the carcinogen N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene. Cultures were then pulse-labeled with 3H-thymidine, incubated in the absence of thymidine, and the newly synthesized DNA was analyzed by alkaline sucrose gradient centrifugation. The molecular weight of labeled DNA from mutant cells was compared with that from control cells to assess the effect of the mutant on DNA synthesis. Among 16 mutant stocks that were scanned in either or both tissues, seven show reductions in DNA synthesis using an undamaged template. Mutants at five different genetic loci [mus(2)205, mus(3)304, mus(3)308, mus(3)310 and mus(3)311] possess a reduced capacity to synthesize DNA on a UV-damaged template in primary cell cultures. Four of these five defects can also be detected in carcinogen-treated organ cultures. Two additional defects in postreplication repair were observed with the brainganglia assay in strains that cannot be assayed in cell culture [mus(1)108, mus(2)206].
The Effect of External Shell Treatments on Salmonella Penetration of Chicken Eggs

Abstract The penetration patterns of salmonella organisms, pathogenic for poultry, through the outer egg structures can be markedly altered through external shell treatments before surface contamination. The influences of chemical disinfectants added to exposure cultures and applied to the shell after exposure were also evaluated using a new technique for detecting bacterial penetration through each of the outer egg structures. The shell surfaces of fresh eggs were exposed to formaldehyde fumigation, EDTA, hydrochloric acid, formalin solution, cetyl pyridinium chloride, and ethanol before salmonella contamination. Some treatments had a decided influence on established egg penetration patterns of salmonella organisms. Others had little or no effect. When disinfectant solutions in recommended concentrations were added to bacterial suspensions to which eggs were exposed, salmonella penetration was completely prevented. Using disinfectants to wash eggs after exposure to salmonella organisms, followed by 1½ hours’ incubation, did no t significantly alter the penetration pattern. This finding indicated that organisms that have penetrated under the shell were not reached.
Plasma GABA: A possible indicator of altered GABA function in psychiatric illness

Abstract A variety of lines of experimental evidence has suggested altered activity of GABAergic neurons in a number of neuropsychiatric illnesses. We report here a review and extension of our findings regarding the measurement of GABA levels in the plasma of psychiatric patients and controls. It appears that plasma GABA levels may be useful in distinguishing individuals suffering from primary affective illness and alcoholics from controls.