cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Piezoelectric damping of flexible structures using novel electrode shape design

The so called `adaptive' or `smart structures' are a new generation of structures in which the principles of control engineering are used to make a structure to adapt to a set of required geometric or dynamic constraints. Examples of `adaptive' or `smart structures' are abundant in `organic and biological systems' in nature. One of the problems in shape adaptation of flexible structures is active damping in which the objective is to suppress undesirable disturbances in the way of convergence to a desired shape. Principally, this task is achieved through the application of modal forces which are opposing unstable or undesirable motion of the structure. In this paper active damping of a beam as an example of flexible structures is studied. The purpose is to stabilize significant modes of motion with a piezoelectric actuator- sensor. Using a one dimensional partial differential equation model, a variational method is used to find a dissipative energy function. A criteria for the design of the shape of the piezoelectric material or electrode, which can accomplish damping of significant modes, is derived. Unlike previous efforts, which could find electrode shape for dissipativity of one mode, it is proven that the suggested shape guarantees the dissipativity of energy function for all modes of the system.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Anisotropy Characterization of I-125 Seed with Attached Encapsulated Cobalt Chloride Complex Contrast Agent Markers for MRI-Based Prostate Brachytherapy

We have developed a novel MRI marker for prostate brachytherapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes in anisotropy when cobalt chloride complex contrast agent encapsulated contrast agent markers (C4-ECAM) were placed adjacent to an iodine-125 (I-125) titanium seed, and to verify that the C4-ECAMs were visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after radiation exposure. Two C4-ECAMs were verified to be MRI visible in a phantom before radiation exposure. The C4-ECAMs were then attached to each end of a 12.7-U (10-mCi) I-125 titanium seed in a polymer tube. Anisotropy was measured and analyzed with the seed alone and with attached C4-ECAMs by suspending thermoluminescent dosimeters in a water phantom in 2 circles surrounding the radioactive source with radius of 1 or 2 cm. A T1-weighted MRI evaluation of C4-ECAMs was then performed after exposure to the amount of radiation typically delivered during 1 month of prostate brachytherapy. Measured values of the anisotropy function F(r, θ) for the I-125 seed with and without the C4-ECAMs were mutually statistically indistinguishable (standard error of the mean <4.2%) and agreed well with published TG-43 values for the bare seed. As expected, the anisotropy function ϕ(an)(r) for the 2 datasets (with and without C4-ECAMs) derived from the measured F(r, θ) did not exhibit statistically measurable difference. Both datasets showed agreement with the published TG-43 ϕ(an)(r) for the bare seed. The C4-ECAMs were well visualized by MRI after 1 month of radiation exposure. There were no changes in anisotropy when the C4-ECAMs were placed next to an I-125 radioactive seed, and the C4-ECAMs were visualized after radiation exposure.
Is the Complication Rate of Radical Cystectomy Predictive of the Complication Rate of Other Urological Procedures

Purpose: While there is a large body of evidence supporting the procedure volume-outcome relationship for surgical therapy for bladder cancer, to our knowledge it is not known whether expertise with this surgery can predict better quality of care for other urological procedures. We hypothesized that the hospital volume of radical cystectomy is an important predictor of complications of other urological procedures.Material and Methods: We explored data from the Health Care Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample. All patients who underwent any common urological procedure as the primary procedure were selected for analysis. Any complication was the outcome variable of interest, whereas radical cystectomy hospital volume was the independent variable of interest. Logistic regression models were fitted using the generalized estimating equations method to adjust for the effects of clustering of similar outcomes within hospitals. The covariates were patient age, gender, procedure type, comorbidities and ...
On the capacity region of the discrete additive multiple-access arbitrarily varying channel

The discrete additive multiple-access arbitrarily varying channel (AVC) with two senders and one receiver is considered. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for its deterministic-code average-probability-of-error capacity region under a state constraint to have a nonempty interior. In the case that no state constraint is present, the capacity region is characterized exactly. In the case of the noiseless mod-2 adder AVC using state constraint function l(s)=s and subject to a state constraint L less than or equal to 0.13616917, the capacity region is shown to be a 45-degree triangle whose legs have length 1-h(L), where h denotes the binary entropy function. >
The kinetic shell model of coronal heating and acceleration by ion cyclotron waves: 3. The proton halo and dispersive waves

The kinetic shell model seeks to test the collisionless kinetic response of coronal hole protons to the quasi-linear resonant cyclotron dissipation of outwardly directed, parallel propagating ion cyclotron waves, which is often invoked as the mechanism responsible for generating the fast solar wind. In this model, we make the approximation that the resonant cyclotron interaction proceeds much faster than any other process affecting the protons, so that the resonant portions of the distribution are maintained in a state of marginal stability with respect to this interaction. Under this approximation, the resonant protons are organized on nested shells of constant density in velocity space, defined by the condition that the proton energy is conserved in the rest frame moving with the phase speed of the resonant wave. These shells then evolve on the slower nonresonant timescale, responding to the shell-averaged forces of gravity, charge-separation electric field, mirror force, and an inertial force due to the fact that the waves are propagating in the accelerating plasma frame. Since these kinetic shell distributions are held in a marginally stable state, they cannot exchange any more energy with the waves than that taken to maintain that state. Thus their evolution corresponds to the effect of the maximum possible dissipation of outward propagating waves. Our earlier work was simplified in two major respects: we considered only dispersionless waves and we assumed that all the antisunward protons were resonantly interacting with self-generated inward propagating waves. In this paper, we first present an improved treatment of the antisunward protons which yields more plausible speeds and temperatures than obtained previously. We then incorporate the effects of ion cyclotron dispersion into the model. Dispersion creates resonant shells which are broader in υ∥ [than than our previous dispersionless distributions. We find that the nonresonant forces acting on these dispersive shell distributions invariably produce only weak acceleration and result in perpendicular cooling rather than the heating that is generally required for fast solar wind speeds. These effects are attributed to the weaker inertial force on the sunward dispersive shells and are essentially independent of the behavior of the antisunward particles. Since these results correspond to the maximum possible dissipation by this mechanism, we conclude that the heating of coronal hole protons and the generation of the fast solar wind are not caused by the collisionless dissipation of parallel propagating ion cyclotron waves.
Effects of gravitational confinement on bosonic asymmetric dark matter in stars

Considering the existence of old neutron stars puts strong limits on the dark matter-nucleon cross section for bosonic asymmetric dark matter. Key to these bounds is formation of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of the asymmetric dark matter particles. We consider the effects of the host neutron star's gravitational field on the BEC transition. We find this substantially shifts the transition temperature and so strengthens the bounds on cross section. In particular, for the well-motivated mass range of 5--15 GeV, we improve previous bounds by an order of magnitude.
Critical point theorems for indefinite functionals

A variational principle of a minimax nature is developed and used to prove the existence of critical points for certain variational problems which are indefinite. The proofs are carried out directly in an infinite dimensional Hilbert space. Special cases of these problems previously had been tractable only by an elaborate finite dimensional approximation procedure. The main applications given here are to Hamiltonian systems of ordinary differential equations where the existence of time periodic solutions is established for several classes of Hamiltonians.
β-adrenergic receptor-mediated release of norepinephrine in the human forearm

Because of difficulties in separating the systemic from local effect, the role of presynaptic beta 2-adrenergic receptors in facilitating the neural release of norepinephrine has not been defined previously in humans in vivo. To determine whether stimulation of presynaptic beta-receptors alters local release of norepinephrine, we examined the effects on norepinephrine kinetics of 60 and 400 ng/min intra-arterial isoproterenol in seven healthy male volunteers. Isoproterenol, 60 ng/min, increased forearm norepinephrine spill-over sixfold from a baseline spillover of 0.45 +/- 0.08 to 2.89 +/- 0.69 ng/min (p < 0.01), whereas 400 ng/min isoproterenol increased forearm norepinephrine spillover to 13.25 +/- 2.49 ng/min (p < 0.005), a 29-fold increase above baseline. Coinfusion of 20 to 40 micrograms/min propranolol with 400 ng/min isoproterenol in four subjects significantly attenuated the isoproterenol-induced increase in local norepinephrine spillover to 2.09 +/- 0.92 ng/min (p < 0.05 versus 400 ng/min isoproterenol). This study shows that presynaptic beta-adrenergic receptors facilitate local release of norepinephrine in vivo in humans.
Probing Defect Sites on the CeO2 Surface with Dioxygen

In situ Raman spectroscopy of adsorbed dioxygen was used to characterize electron defects on the surface of nanocrystalline cerium oxide that was partially reduced with H2 and CO. Via 16O/18O isotope substitution, the bands in the range of 1135−1127 and 877−831 cm-1 were assigned to the O−O stretching vibration of dioxygen species bound to one- and two-electron defects on the CeO2 surface to form superoxide (O2-) and peroxide (O22-) species, respectively. A band at 357 cm-1 was attributed to the cerium−oxygen vibration of the adsorbed superoxides, O2-, whereas the bands at 538 and 340 cm-1 were assigned to the asymmetric and symmetric cerium−oxygen vibrations of the surface peroxides, O22-, respectively. The dynamics of the defect annihilation that results from surface reoxidation by adsorbed dioxygen species during temperature-programmed experiments allowed peroxide species adsorbed on isolated and aggregated two-electron defects to be distinguished. A general approach to investigate the reactivity of di...
Molecular mapping of a new public HLA class I epitope shared by all HLA-B and HLA-C antigens and defined by a monoclonal antibody.

It has previously been shown that a mouse monoclonal antibody, designated 4E, reacts with an epitope common to all HLA-B and -C antigens and those of the HLA-Aw19 cross-reactive group, namely, HLA-A29,-A30, -A31, -A32, -Aw33, and -Aw74. In order to pinpoint the amino acid residues which comprise the public specificity recognized by 4E, an HLA-A29 cDNA clone was isolated and its predicted amino acid sequence compared with those of other clonedHLA class I genes. The isolated HLA-A29 cDNA corresponded to the rarer of the twoA29 variant alleles,A29.1. Two amino acid residues of HLA-A29.1, gln-144 and arg-151, were found in all 24HLA-B andHLA-C alleles examined but were present in only one of 15HLA-A alleles for which sequence data are available. Importantly, this exceptional allele wasHLA-A32, another member of the HLA-Aw19 cross-reactive group. Gln-144 and arg-151 should be capable of jointly contributing to the binding site for 4E, as they are situated in successive alpha-helical subregions and are predicted to be juxtaposed in the three-dimensional HLA molecule. Four other residues in the first or second external domains of HLA-A29.1 (thr-9, leu-62, gln-63, and his-102) were unique among theHLA-A alleles, but none of these was found in corresponding positions ofHLA-B or-C alleles and thus failed to correlate with presence or absence of the 4E determinant. These observations are consistent with the notion that gln-144 and arg-151 define a determinant common to HLA-B, HLA-C, and the HLA-Awl9 cross-reactive group and the binding site of the monoclonal antibody 4E.
The British Moralists and the Internal 'Ought': 1640–1740

1. The British moralists: inventing internalism 2. Culverwell and Locke: classical and modern natural law 3. Hobbes: ethics as 'consequences from the passions of men' 4. Cumberland: obligation naturalised 5. Cudworth: obligation and self-determining moral agency 6. Locke: autonomy and obligation in the revised Essay 7. Shaftesbury: authority and authorship 8. Huteson: moral sentiment and calm desire 9. Butler: conscience as self-authorising 10. Hume: norms and the obligation to be just 11. Concluding reflections.
Model for inclusion of nurse practitioners in an academic department of emergency medicine

Study objectives: This is a descriptive report of a model for inclusion of nurse practitioners in an academic Department of Emergency Medicine. Methods: Since 1996, nurse practitioners have been part of the academic faculty for this Department of Emergency Medicine. The job position includes 20% protected academic time and 80% clinical responsibilities that include staffing a 10-bed observation unit for 18 hours per day and assisting in staffing the minor care and acute care areas of a university hospital emergency d epartment with an annual census of 42,000 patients. The nurse practitioners have clinical privileges through the medical board of the hospital and joint academic appointments in the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing. They participate in the Department of Emergency Medicine's faculty development program and are eligible for academic promotion. Their academic activities include teaching of emergency medicine residents, nurse practitioner students, and community nurse practitioner providers (through Department of Emergency Medicine core lectures, continuing education courses, and preceptorships); participation in nurse practitioner journal club; and clinical research (abstract presentation and manuscript submission). Results: Since 1996, 7 family nurse practitioners and 4 acute care nurse practitioners have been hired as faculty; 14 abstracts have been presented at regional or national meetings; 7 manuscripts have been published. During the 4-year period 2000 to 2003, they have treated 8,914 observation unit patients with a mean length of stay of 15 hours (±10 hours) and a proportion of patients discharged home from the observation unit of 85%. For 2003, they cared for 5,375 minor care patients, and the mean relative value units per hour for the group of nurse practitioners for these patients was 1.65 (±0.35) relative value units per hour. Conclusion: We describe a successful model for integrating nurse practitioners as productive clinical and academic faculty within an academic Department of Emergency Medicine.
Corresponding States Interpretation of Adsorption in Gate-Opening Metal-Organic Framework Cu(dhbc)2(4,4'-bpy)

Abstract The “universal adsorption theory” (UAT) extends the principle of corresponding states for gas compressibility to describe the excess density of an adsorbed phase at comparable reduced conditions. The UAT helps to describe experimental trends and provide predictive capacity for extrapolation from one adsorption isotherm to that of a different adsorbate. Here, we extend the UAT to a flexible metal–organic framework (MOF) as a function of adsorbate, temperature, and pressure. When considered via the UAT, the adsorption capacity and GO pressure of multiple gases to Cu(dhbc) 2 (4,4′-bpy) [H 2 dhbc = 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, bpy = bipyridine] show quantifiable trends over a considerable temperature and pressure range, despite the chemical and structural heterogeneity of the adsorbent. Exceptions include quantum gases (such as H 2 ) and prediction of maximum capacity for large and/or polar adsorbates. A method to derive the heat of gate opening and heat of expansion from experimental trends is also presented, and the parameters can be treated as separable and independent over the temperature and pressure range studied. We demonstrate the relationship between the UAT and the common Dubinin analysis, which was not previously noted.
Recreational boating and its economic impact in Texas

Abstract As a form of leisure, recreational boating provides society with both non‐monetary and monetary benefits. In many instances, however, little is known quantitatively about these benefits. The primary objective of this paper is to shed some light on the monetary benefits of recreational boating. Recreational boating has recently been shown to have a significant role within state economies. The impact of the recreational boating industry on the Texas State economy is a case in point. The recreational boating industry was found to be an interrelated and productive component of the Texas economy. In 1983, the Texas recreational boating industry provided 10,270 man‐years of employment, had a total output value of over $610 million and paid out almost $184 million in income to Texas households. An application of a state level input‐output model indicated that the direct plus indirect and induced economic impacts of the Texas recreational boating industry in 1983 exceeded $1.7 billion.
Pyosalpinx with traumatic rupture

Abstract 1. 1. A case of ruptured pyosalpinx, probably traumatic, is presented. 2. 2. The importance of early diagnosis is stressed because of the rapid increase in mortality when operation is delayed. 3. 3. Operation is the only treatment.
Synthesis and movement of abscisic Acid in water-stressed cotton leaves.

Synthesis and movement of abscisic acid (ABA) into the apoplast of water-stressed cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) leaves were examined using pressure dehydration techniques. The exudates of leaves dehydrated in a pressure chamber contained ABA. The level of ABA in the exudates was insensitive to the leaf water potential when dehydration occurred over a 3-hour period. When leaves were rapidly dehydrated in the pressure chamber and held at a balance pressure coincident with the point of zero turgor, ABA accumulated in the leaf tissue and then in the apoplast, but only after 2 to 3 hours of zero turgor. Slow dehydration of leaves by equilibration over varying mannitol concentrations resulted in some accumulation of ABA prior to the point of zero turgor, but ABA accumulated in the tissue and apoplast most rapidly after the onset of zero turgor. When intact plants were allowed to dehydrate, stomata of leaves attached to the plant began closing as the leaf water potential decreased to −12 bars. Leaves began accumulating ABA at about −14 bars, but accumulation of ABA in the apoplast did not occur until the leaf water potential reached −16 bars. Although the apoplastic fraction of ABA should represent an “active” pool of ABA readily accessible to the guard cells, the data suggest that there may be stomatal closure prior to accumulation of ABA in the apoplast. A role for the small amounts of apoplastic ABA not dependent upon water stress is proposed for this initial stressinduced stomatal response.
CANDIDEMIA IN A NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT: CLINICAL FEATURES OF 109 CASES AND TIME TREND OVER 15 YEARS (1981-95). ♦ 1320

CANDIDEMIA IN A NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT: CLINICAL FEATURES OF 109 CASES AND TIME TREND OVER 15 YEARS (1981-95). ♦ 1320
RECYCLING ISOELECTRIC FOCUSING AND ISOTACHOPHORESIS

Of all electrophoretic methods, isoelectric focusing offers the highest resolution and is best suited for preparative applications. Over the years, several instruments were developed for this purpose, all operating in free fluids, in the absence of gels or other supporting matrices. In such systems, the avoidance of gravity or electrically driven convections is essential. Successful stratagems for fluid control included rapid recycling or rotation, in combination with either fine porosity screens or narrow gaps between parallel plates. The most successful apparatus so far is the Rotofor, in which fluid is stabilized by combining horizontal rotation with fine porosity screen partitioning. Recycling isotachophoresis offers the potential of separating proteins at high concentration. A new concept of tangential electrophoresis is described. To optimize the use of these devices for protein separation, low molecular weight, biologically acceptable buffers of known composition are essential. The buffering system developed for this purpose comprises a series of binary buffers that cover the pH range in steps of 1 pH unit or less. The pH gradient can be custom-designed and is of remarkable stability in operation.
Contextualizing the effects of childhood sexual abuse on adult self- and social functioning: an attachment theory perspective.

Abstract Objective: This retrospective survey study explored the hypothesis that multiple maltreatment and loss experiences in early childhood would interfere with the formation of secure attachments, creating (1) an increased vulnerability to childhood sexual abuse (CSA), and (2) adult problems in self-and social functioning. Method: Data were collected from 687 undergraduates on an urban, commuter campus. They were analyzed by means of between group (individuals with and without CSA histories) and within group (individuals with CSA histories) path analytic models. Results: The number of maltreatment and loss experiences encountered in early childhood predicted greater CSA frequency in childhood and increased maltreatment in adulthood in the form of more frequent reports of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. Childhood maltreatment and loss experiences also predicted poor adult self-functioning in the form of higher levels of depression and lower levels of self-esteem. Self-blame in response to CSA and maltreatment in adult relationships also predicted poorer adult self-and social functioning for individuals with CSA histories. Conclusions: Findings support both direct and mediational effects of childhood maltreatment and loss experiences on adult self- and social functioning and are consistent with predictions derived from attachment theory.
Public Safety in the Urban–Wildland Interface: Should Fire-Prone Communities Have a Maximum Occupancy?

Residential development in fire-prone wildlands is a growing problem for land-use and emergency planners. In many areas housing is increasing without commensurate improvement in the primary road network. This compromises public safety, as minimum evacuation times are climbing in tandem with vegetation and structural fuels. Current evacuation codes for fire-prone communities require a minimum number of exits regardless of the number of households. This is not as sophisticated as building egress codes which link the maximum occupancy in an enclosed space with the required number, capacity, and arrangement of exits. This paper applies concepts from building codes to fire-prone areas to highlight limitations in existing community egress systems. Preliminary recommendations for improved community evacuation codes are also presented.
Particle emission from solids under 14 MeV neutron impact

Abstract The recent studies of particle emission from cold-rolled niobium under 14 MeV neutron impact were extended to annealed polycrystalline niobium surfaces with various surface finishes. The type and amount of material released and deposited on a substrate surface were determined independently by four analytical techniques. Again, two types of deposits were discovered, - one in the form of large chunks, the other a more even layer covering the surface. The chunk deposites are not uniformly distributed over the collector area but are clustered along certain streaks or appear in certain patches. The direction of the streaks appears to be parallel to the direction of cold-rolling of the niobium sample and is not related to any microstructure of the collector surface. The number of deposited chunks decreases by about a factor of 25 if one irradiates an annealed polycrystalline biobium surface with a microfinish of ≅0.5 μ M instead of a cold-rolled niobium surface with a microfinish of only ≈ 5 μ m .
Auditory and visual attention assessed with PET.

Brain mechanisms involved in the maintenance of attention to auditory and visual stimuli at different spatial locations were assessed using positron emission tomography with [15O]water to measure regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) changes in 13 normal volunteers. Simultaneous auditory [dichotically presented consonant-vowel-consonants (CVCs)] and visual stimuli (vertically oriented, CVCs presented to the left and right of fixation) were presented on every trial. In different conditions subjects attended for targets in a specified stimulus channel (left or right ears or left or right visual fields) while maintaining fixation on a central x. Attending left or right for auditory stimuli increased rCBF in primary auditory cortex in Heschl's gyrus and in temporal lobe auditory association cortices in both hemispheres. Attending left or right for visual stimuli did not change rCBF in primary visual cortex, and only attention to the right significantly increased rCBF in contralateral occipital cortex. Visual attention caused significant rCBF changes in a widespread network that included frontal, parietal, and temporal cortical regions as well as the cerebellum, whereas rCBF changes due to auditory attention were largely localized in the temporal lobes. The results suggest that spatially directed attention is mediated by different mechanisms in the auditory and visual modalities.
Transport function of the naturally occurring pathogenic polycystin-2 mutant, R742X

Abstract Most patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) harbor mutations truncating polycystin-1 (PC1) or polycystin-2 (PC2), products of the PKD1 and PKD2 genes, respectively. A third member of the polycystin family, polycystin-L (PCL), was recently shown to function as a Ca2+-modulated nonselective cation channel. More recently, PC2 was also shown to be a nonselective cation channel with comparable properties to PCL, though the membrane targeting of PC2 likely varies with cell types. Here we show that PC2 expressed heterologously in Xenopus oocytes is targeted to intracellular compartments. By contrast, a truncated form of mouse PC2 corresponding to a naturally occurring human mutation R742X is targeted predominantly to the plasma membrane where it mediates K+, Na+, and Ca2+ currents. Unlike PCL, the truncated form does not display Ca2+-activated transport activities, possibly due to loss of an EF-hand at the C-terminus. We propose that PC2 forms ion channels utilizing structural components which are preserved in the R742X form of the protein. Implications for epithelial cell signaling are discussed.
Polarity in adenovirus recombination

Abstract The distributions of the crossovers necessary to generate ts + genomes have been examined in a collection of clonally unrelated ts + recombinants from a set of ts×ts adenovirus crosses. In a cross between two parents that are grossly heterologous between map units 80.2 and 91.5, the distribution of crossovers was significantly skewed toward the left-hand end of the genome, with a declining frequency proceeding rightward. This gradient of recombination was modified by the removal of the right-hand heterology and by the presence of another region of heterology between map units 3.67 and 10.11. In a cross where the ts markers were flanked by both heterologies, no gradient was observed and ts + recombinants were characterized by a higher rate of supernumerary crossovers. In a cross designed so that one is marker was internal to two heterologies, crossovers were found disproportionately between the second is marker and the nearby heterology. In addition, ts + recombinants formed by crossing over internal to the heterologies again were accompanied by a high frequency of supernumerary crossovers. Finally, ts + recombinant frequencies in crosses identical except for the presence of either one or two flanking heterologies were markedly lower in the latter case. These data, taken together, suggest that a major pathway of adenovirus recombination initiates at, or near, the molecular termini and is perhaps driven by the displaced single strands produced during DNA replication. Internal initiation, on the other hand, may employ these single strands to form genetic “patches.”
Pachytene synaptonemal complexes and meiotic achiasmatic chromosomes

Microsporocytes sometimes undergo an achiasmatic meiosis when placed into culture early in the season at a time after premeiotic “S” but prior to leptonema. Trillium meiocytes were examined by light and electron microscopy to analyze the frequency of cells in various stages of meiotic prophase and the occurrence of the synaptonemal complex at different times of culture. On the basis of the results, a hypothesis is proposed that suggests there is a tripartite sensitive period that occurs between “S” phase and leptonema. Where the cells are in this sensitive period at the time of transplantation into culture determines whether the cells do not enter meiotic prophase, enter but produce achiasmatic division figures, or enter and develop normally.
Higher-order shear and normal deformable theory for functionally graded incompressible linear elastic plates

We use the principle of virtual work to derive a higher-order shear and normal deformable theory for a plate comprised of a linear elastic incompressible anisotropic material. The theory does not use a shear correction factor and employs three components of displacement and the hydrostatic pressure as independent variables. For a Kth order plate theory, a set of 4ðK þ 1Þ coupled equations need to be solved for the ðK þ 1Þ pressures and the 3ðK þ 1Þ displacements defined on the reference surface of the plate. Equations for free vibrations of a plate are derived, and equations for the determination of frequencies and the corresponding mode shapes of a simply supported rectangular plate are given. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
New approaches to the treatment of vascular lesions

Background and Objective The pulsed dye laser was developed based on the concept of selective photothermolysis. By using a wavelength of light well absorbed by the target and pulse duration short enough to spatially confine thermal injury, specific vascular injury could be produced. Study Design/Materials and Methods Although the pulsed dye laser revolutionized the treatment of port wine stains (PWS) and a variety of other vascular lesions, the ideal thermal relaxation time for the vessels in PWS is actually 1–10 ms, not 450 μs of the original pulsed dye laser machines. These original theoretical calculations recently have been proven correct in a study that used both an animal vessel model and in human PWS. Results Longer wavelengths of light, within the visible spectrum, penetrate more deeply into the skin and are more suitable for deeper vessels, whereas longer pulse durations are required for larger caliber vessels. Conclusion A variety of lasers recently have been developed for the treatment of vascular lesions which incorporate these concepts into their design, including pulsed dye lasers at 1.5 ms, a filtered flash-lamp pulsed light source with pulse durations of 1–20 ms, several 532-nm pulsed lasers with pulse durations of 1 ms to as high as 100 ms, long pulsed alexandrite lasers at 755 nm with pulse durations up to 20 ms, pulsed diode lasers in the 800 to 900 nm range, and long pulsed 1064 Nd:YAG sources. Lasers Surg. Med. 26:158–163, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A comparative throughput analysis of Scalable Coherent Interface and Myrinet

It has become increasingly popular to construct large parallel computers by connecting many inexpensive nodes built with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) parts. These clusters can be built at a much lower cost than traditional supercomputers of comparable performance. A key decision that will greatly affect the overall performance of the cluster is the method used to connect the nodes together. Choosing the best interconnect and topology is not at all trivial since performance and cost will change as the system size is scaled. This paper presents throughput models used for the analysis and comparison of performance in two leading system area networks (SAN), Myrinet and Scalable Coherent Interface (SCI). First, analytical models for throughput are developed by determining the theoretical bandwidth of all internal buses and links that are part of the interconnect architecture. Then, experiments are conducted to measure the actual bandwidth available at each of these components, and the models are calibrated so they accurately represent the experimental results. Finally, the models are used to compare the maximum throughput of Myrinet and SCI systems with respect to system size and overall dollar cost.
Self-reported coping strategies in families of patients in early stages of psychotic disorder: an exploratory study.

Aim: Coping by families of patients with schizophrenia include ‘approach’ strategies considered to be adaptive (e.g. reinterpretation) and potentially maladaptive ‘avoidant’ strategies (denial/disengagement, use of alcohol and drugs). Little is known about coping strategies used by families of individuals with incipient or emergent psychosis. Methods: Self-reported coping styles were assessed in family members of 11 ultra high risk and 12 recent-onset psychosis patients, using a modified version of Carver's Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced questionnaire. Results: Families reported moderate use of ‘approach’ coping (e.g. planning, seeking social support, positive reinterpretation, acceptance and turning to religion) and rare use of ‘avoidant’ coping strategies (denial/disengagement and use of alcohol and drugs). Conclusions: The greater endorsement of ‘approach’ coping by these families is consistent with findings for families of first episode psychosis patients, and it is in contrast to more prevalent ‘avoidant’ coping by families of patients with more chronic psychotic illness. Early intervention could plausibly help families maintain the use of potentially more adaptive ‘approach’ coping strategies over time.
Self-Esteem, Reflected Appraisals, and Self-Views Examining Criminal and Worker Identities

This research extends prior work by integrating self-esteem into the identity theory model. I focus on understanding the processes by which self-esteem acts as a moderator of feedback from others about the self. Differences in the moderating effect of self-esteem due to the relationship of the individual to the person who is the source of feedback about the self are also considered. The criminal identity and the worker identity are studied using data collected from an incarcerated population. Results confirm that the relationship between feedback from others about the self and self-views is moderated by self-esteem. Analyses reveal that participants with high self-esteem report self-views that correspond more with feedback from others than participants with low self-esteem. The moderating properties of self-esteem operate differently for different sources of feedback about the self and for different identities, and this finding has implications for identity theory.
Clique: a toolkit for group communication using IP multicast

Widespread availability of IP multicast has renewed interest in structuring distributed applications around a group communication paradigm that exploits network-layer support for multicast applications. In the past, distributed systems that provided group communication supported a restricted group communication model. Such systems are either designed to provide reliable delivery with support for atomicity and causality or to provide simple unreliable, unordered multicast delivery. We believe that the group communication abstraction is useful to many application domains. However, the group communication requirements of an application vary widely from domain to domain. The paper describes a group communication toolkit called Clique that contains the basic building blocks required to provide a flexible group communication paradigm. Clique achieves support for a wide variety of applications by tailoring the underlying multicast mechanism to meet the application's group communications requirements with the least amount of unnecessary overhead. >
Ability-based objections to no-best-world arguments

In the space of possible worlds, there might be a best possible world (a uniquely best world or a world tied for best with some other worlds). Or, instead, for every possible world, there might be a better possible world. Suppose that the latter is true, i.e., that there is no best world. Many have thought that there is then an argument against the existence of God, i.e., the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient and morally perfect being; we will call such arguments no-best-world arguments. In this paper, we discuss ability-based objections to such arguments; an ability-based objection to a no-best world argument claims that the argument fails because one or more of its premises conflict with a plausible principle connecting the applicability of some type of moral evaluation to the agent’s possession of a relevant ability. In particular, we formulate and evaluate an important new ability-based objection to the most promising no-best world argument.
The anatomical distribution of trigeminal neuralgia: a perspective and future directions.

Dear Editor, Thank you for the invitation to present my views on the recent and very interesting clinical study by Bangash (1), wherein the location of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) among afflicted patients is described. It is very important that such clinical studies are conducted to characterize TN, for whilst the disease is relatively rare, it is nevertheless poorly understood, resulting in unsatisfactory treatment and profound suffering for the afflicted individual. Beyond these direct effects, TN, as with all types of chronic pain, is associated with other comorbidities, including depression, anxiety and drug abuse (2), as well as a significant economic burden to the health system and to society. The findings presented by Bangash (1) raise a number of interesting questions that warrant follow-up in additional studies, to aid in interpreting the results. The increased incidence of TN affecting the mandibular division in this patient population is an interesting finding, and Bangash (1) notes some potential reasons for this division being affected in particular. I believe it would also be worthwhile to raise an additional point regarding patient history. If the precipitating injury or stimulus were known, characterization would be worthwhile in order to determine whether there is anatomical overlap. Specifically, a literature is now forming around the idea that the immune system, microglia in particular, can be “primed” by a prior immune challenge, so that ensuing injury or disease (herpes zoster is a pertinent example for TN) can result exaggerated and long-lasting pain (3). Further studies involving a detailed analysis of patient history and the instance of damage to the affected nerve could potentially demonstrate clinical evidence to support these preclinical data. The prevalence of pain affecting the right side of the face is also very fascinating. Whether there is an underlying mechanism that requires exploration, such as immune priming, discussed above, or if it is peculiar to this patient cohort is not clear. The other striking finding by Bangash (1) is that of the gender distribution of TN, which, as noted by the author, is in keeping with previous reports. Sex differences are fast becoming a topic of interest among basic and clinical scientists, and a recent study by Sorge and colleagues (4) has implicated immune mechanisms in this phenomenon. Additional phenotyping in this patient cohort may indeed show similar differences between males and females. Finally, the study by Bangash (1) represents an important move towards mechanism-based diagnoses of chronic pain conditions (5). Anatomical location of the pain is a vital component to TN phenotyping, which will lead to a deeper understanding of the disease mechanisms operating in individual patients. Such an approach is likely to lead to improved treatment outcomes for all patients suffering from TN.
Weld Evaluation on Spherical Pressure Vessels Using Holographic Interferometry

Waist welds on spherical experimental pressure vessels have been evaluated under pressure using holographic interferometry. A coincident viewing and illumination optical configuration coupled with a parabolic mirror was used so that the entire weld region could be examined with a single hologram. Positioning the pressure vessel at the focal point of the parabolic mirror provides a relatively undistorted 360 degree view of the waist weld. Double exposure and real time holography were used to obtain displacement information on the weld region. Results are compared with radiographic and ultrasonic inspections.
Identification of novel CDK9 and Cyclin T1-associated protein complexes (CCAPs) whose siRNA depletion enhances HIV-1 Tat function.

Background: HIV-1 Tat activates RNA Polymerase II (RNAP II) elongation of the integrated provirus by recruiting a protein kinase known as P-TEFb to TAR RNA at the 5 0 end of nascent viral transcripts. The catalytic core of P-TEFb contains CDK9 and Cyclin T1 (CCNT1). A human endogenous complexome has recently been described – the set of multi-protein complexes in HeLa cell nuclei. We mined this complexome data set and identified 12 distinct multi-protein complexes that contain both CDK9 and CCNT1. We have termed these complexes CCAPs for CDK9/ CCNT1-associated protein complexes. Nine CCAPs are novel, while three were previously identified as Core P-TEFb, the 7SK snRNP, and the Super-Elongation Complex. We have investigated the role of five newly identified CCAPs in Tat function and viral gene expression. Results: We examined five CCAPs that contain: 1) PPP1R10/TOX3/WDR82; 2) TTF2; 3) TPR; 4) WRNIP1; 5) FBXO11/ CUL1/SKP1. SiRNA depletions of protein subunits of the five CCAPs enhanced Tat activation of an integrated HIV-1 LTR-Luciferase reporter in TZM-bl cells. Using plasmid transfection assays in HeLa cells, we also found that siRNA depletions of TTF2, FBXO11, PPP1R10, WDR82, and TOX3 enhanced Tat activation of an HIV-1 LTR-luciferase reporter, but the depletions did not enhance expression of an NF-κB reporter plasmid with the exception of PPP1R10. We found no evidence that depletion of CCAPs perturbed the level of CDK9/CCNT1 in the 7SK snRNP. We also found that the combination of siRNA depletions of both TTF2 and FBXO11 sensitized a latent provirus in Jurkat cells to reactivation by sub-optimal amounts of αCD3/CD28 antibodies. Conclusions: Our results identified five novel CDK9/CCNT1 complexes that are capable of negative regulation of HIV-1 Tat function and viral gene expression. Because siRNA depletions of CCAPs enhance Tat function, it is possible that these complexes reduce the level of CDK9 and CCNT1 available for Tat, similar to the negative regulation of Tat by the 7SK snRNP. Our results highlight the complexity in the biological functions of CDK9 and CCNT1.
Direct imaging of polyethylene crystallites within block copolymer microdomains

Ruthenium tetroxide (RuO4) is a versatile agent for imparting mass density contrast to saturated hydrocarbon polymers. We have successfully employed RuO4 to examine the microdomain and crystallite morphologies of poly(ethylene-block-vinylcyclohexane) semicrystalline–glassy diblock copolymers via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Ultrathin sections cut from blocks stained with RuO4 showed excellent contrast in TEM, revealing the individual polyethylene crystallites that formed within the preexisting block copolymer microdomains. The size and orientation of the crystallites, which previously could only be inferred from scattering data, are readily apparent in the micrographs. Moreover, such imaging directly reveals the lateral extent of the crystallites and the number of crystallites lying within the cross section of each microdomain. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2564–2570, 2000
Proton exchange and base-pair opening kinetics in 5′-d(CGCGAATTCGCG)-3′ and related dodecamers

Abstract We have used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to measure the lifetimes of individual base-pairs in the palindromic DNA oligonucleotide 5'-d(CGCGAATTCGCG)-3' and in three other dodecamers with symmetrical base substitutions in the sites underlined. The resonances of the hydrogen-bonded imino protons in each of the substituted oligomers in the duplex form have been assigned using one dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect (1-D NOE) experiments. The lifetimes have been obtained from the dependence of selective longitudinal relaxation times and linewidths of the imino proton resonances on the concentration of base catalyst (Tris) at 25 degrees C and in the presence of 50 mM NaCl. The lifetimes of the central A.T base-pairs have been found to depend on base sequence. They are greatly increased in the dodecamer 5'-d(CGCAAATTTGCG)-3' which contains an A3T3 tract. The lifetimes of the central A.T base-pairs in 5'-d(CGCGAATTCGCG)-3', 5'-d(CGCTAATTAGCG)-3' and 5'-d(CGCCAATTGGCG)-3' are comparable. In all dodecamers, the lifetime of the A.T base-pair at the 5'-end of the AnTn tract is the shortest. The anomalous opening kinetics of the A.T base-pairs can be correlated to the bending properties of the corresponding sequences.
Assessing Cultural Awareness of Practicing Cardiac Sonographers

Cultural awareness is an emerging issue in the field of sonography. A cross-sectional study of cultural awareness was conducted in the northeastern United States through a professional echocardiogr...
Principle violations revisiting the Dublin Core 1:1 Principle

Although many best practice documents encourage Dublin Core metadata creators to "obey the 1:1 Principle," this recommendation has proven "extremely confusing" in practice. The impact of this confusion is widespread violations of the Principle that inhibit the ability of large-scale metadata aggregations to provide useful services. A preliminary operational definition of the 1:1 Principle that identifies of non-conformant descriptions is explored.