cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dental Workers, Musculoskeletal CumulativeTrauma, and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Who is at Risk? A Pilot Study.

A pilot study was conducted at a dental clinic to identify (a) the prevalence of musculoskeletal cumulative trauma disorders (MCTD), (b) associated symptoms (with special attention paid to carpal tunnel syndrome [CTS]), and (c) practitioners at risk. Videotapes, two questionnaires, a medical record review, and interviews were used. Forty-five dental workers participated and were classified into three categories: (a) dentists, (b) dental assistants and special assistants (DA/SA), and (c) dental hygienists and dental assistant-expanded function (DH/DAEF). Categorical data were analyzed using the chi- square statistic and risk ratios. The Fisher exact probability test was used for categorical data with a small cell. One or more symptoms associated with CTS were noted by 75.6% of the dental workers, 11% reported diagnosed CTS, and 53% reported back and shoulder pain. Both psychosocial factors and job demands appear to be associated with MCTD. All three categories of dental workers reported MCTD symptoms, and ...
Considerations for repair or replacement of AC motors

The decision to repair or replace a given AC induction motor needs to be done before the motor fails. Waiting until the time of failure usually results in hurried financial decisions for the business but, pre-planning will save many dollars and eliminate a lot of stress. A part of pre-planning is predictive maintenance. A program of periodic measurements of megger readings, polarization index values and vibration analysis can forewarn of an impending failure. This will permit the change or repair a given motor before it shuts the production down. The author describes how there are many factors that must enter into the decision to repair or replace an electric motor. Downtime, in most cases, is the greatest cost; relative cost, size, availability and expected life are the other major considerations for this decision.
Fluorescence Microscopy: A Concise Guide to Current Imaging Methods

The field of fluorescence microscopy is rapidly growing and offers ever more imaging capabilities for biologists. Over the past decade, many new technologies and techniques have been developed that allow for combinations of deeper, faster, and higher resolution imaging. These have included the commercialization of many super-resolution and light sheet fluorescence microscopy techniques. For the non-expert, it can be difficult to match the best imaging techniques to biological questions. Picking the most appropriate imaging modality requires a basic understanding of the underlying physics governing each of them, as well as information comparing potentially competing imaging properties in the context of the sample to be imaged. To address these issues, we provide here concise descriptions of a wide range of commercially available imaging techniques from wide-field to super-resolution microscopy, and provide a tabular guide to aid in comparisons among them. In this manner we provide a concise guide to understanding and matching the correct imaging modality to meet research needs. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Remarks on differential stability of nonlinear systems

Following up on earlier work (1993) the author discusses a generalization of the framework to encompass systems with inputs and outputs taking values on differential manifolds with no underlying linear structure. In this case, external disturbances are thought of as taking values in the group of diffeomorphism of these manifolds. The author deals with the special case where the input/output manifolds are Lie groups. The stability of a feedback interconnection relates to a geometric decomposition of the input-output manifold by the graphs of plant and controller. >
Pebbling Graphs of Fixed Diameter

Given a configuration of indistinguishable pebbles on the vertices of a connected graph G on n vertices, a pebbling move is defined as the removal of two pebbles from some vertex, and the placement of one pebble on an adjacent vertex. The m-pebbling number of a graph G, πmG, is the smallest integer k such that for each vertex v and each configuration of k pebbles on G there is a sequence of pebbling moves that places at least m pebbles on v. When m=1, it is simply called the pebbling number of a graph. We prove that if G is a graph of diameter d and k,mi¾?1 are integers, then πmGi¾?fkn+2k+dm+2k2d-1-fkdomkG, where domkG denotes the size of the smallest distance k dominating set, that is the smallest subset of vertices such that every vertex is at most distance k from the set, and, fk=2k-1/k. This generalizes the work of Chan and Godbole Discrete Math 208 2008, 15-23 who proved this formula for k=m=1. As a corollary, we prove that πmGi¾?fi¾?d/2i¾?n+Om+nlnn. Furthermore, we prove that if d is odd, then πmGi¾?fi¾?d/2i¾?n+Om, which in the case of m=1 answers for odd d, up to a constant additive factor, a question of Bukh J Graph Theory 52 2006, 353-357 about the best possible bound on the pebbling number of a graph with respect to its diameter.
Program of Care for Young Women With Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Pilot

Iron deficiency anemia is the most widespread nutritional deficiency in the United States; it affects 3.3 million women and is associated with preterm births, low birth weight babies, and cognitive delays in infant and child development. Many young women are rarely screened for iron deficiency anemia, but plasma donors are routinely screened, affording an excellent opportunity to target an at-risk population seldom seen by primary health care providers. Many of these donors are economically disadvantaged young adults. The purpose of this program was to improve the knowledge, diets, and subsequently the hematocrits of young women who cannot give plasma due to low hematocrits. An educational intervention was piloted. The results were an improvement in hematocrit levels and dietary consumption of iron, but no gain in dietary knowledge. This unique, cost-effective health promotion program targets young women before they become pregnant to address the problem of diets low in iron.
Dynamic recovery and fatigue in some brittle crystals

Abstract Zinc and magnesium oxide single crystals harden to high stress levels when tested in alternating tension-compression; cadmium does not. A high stress for dynamic recovery is associated with a high stress for glide on the cross slip system. Some features of the dynamic recovery process are discussed. These results re-emphasize the importance of the cross slip models of fatigue crack nucleation.
Five kinds of self‐knowledge

Abstract Self‐knowledge is based on several different forms of information, so distinct that each one essentially establishes a different ‘self. The ecological self is the self as directly perceived with respect to the immediate physical environment; the interpersonal self, also directly perceived, is established by species‐specific signals of emotional rapport and communication; the extended self is based on memory and anticipation; the private self appears when we discover that our conscious experiences are exclusively our own; the conceptual self or ‘self‐concept’ draws its meaning from a network of socially‐based assumptions and theories about human nature in general and ourselves in particular. Although these selves are rarely experienced as distinct (because they are held together by specific forms of stimulus information), they differ in their developmental histories, in the accuracy with which we can know them, in the pathologies to which they are subject, and generally in what they contribute to ...
Interaction of pulsating and spinning waves in condensed phase combustion

We employ a nonlinear stability analysis in the neighborhood of a multiple bifurcation point to describe the interaction of pulsating and spinning modes of condensed phase combustion. Such phenomena occur in the synthesis of refractory materials. In particular, we consider the propagation of combustion waves in a long thermally insulated cylindrical sample and show that steady, planar combustion is stable for a modified activation energy/melting parameter less than a critical value. Above this critical value primary bifurcation states, corresponding to time-periodic pulsating and spinning modes of combustion, emanate from the steadily propagating solution. By varying the sample radius, we split a multiple bifurcation point to obtain bifurcation diagrams which exhibit secondary, tertiary, and quaternary branching to various types of quasi-periodic combustion waves.
Revisiting prediction models in policing: Identifying high-risk offenders

The use of prediction models for classifying offenders has been a common practice by the criminal justice system. Given the recent developments in criminal career research and continuing evidence that a small proportion of chronic offenders are responsible for the majority of crime, there is a continued need to identify high-risk offenders early on in their offending careers. The present study provides support for the accuracy of an innovative prediction instrument that was developed for identifying high-risk offenders in a rural county in a southern state. Offender risk classification was found to be associated with reoffending across different dimensions of assessment and the high-risk offenders had accumulated a greater mean number of arrests upon six-month follow-up when compared to the medium and low-risk offenders. Policy implications and directions for future research incorporating prediction models in policing are also discussed.
Application of a micro-genetic algorithm for gait development on a bio-inspired robotic pectoral fin

Biologically-inspired robotic (biorobotic) platforms have been successfully adapted for engineering use, but it is difficult to extend these platforms' locomotive gaits to meet optimization goals. The gait spaces of biorobotic platforms can be very large, with multiple local optima and intractable numerical models. Further, the time cost of empirical exploration is often prohibitive. Micro-genetic algorithms have been successful in developing inverse kinematics in simulation, optimizing in spaces with numerous local optima, and working quickly to optimize with low numbers of trials, but have not yet been evaluated for online robotic gait development. To address the problem of engineering gait development in a biorobotic space, a micro-genetic algorithm (μGA) is evaluated on a biorobotic pectoral fin platform. The μGA effectively optimizes in the gait space with low time costs, discovering new gaits that optimize thrust force production on the swimming fin. The μGA also reveals parameter tuning strategies for changing propulsive forces. Overall, the μGA framework is shown to be effective at online optimization in a large, complex biorobotic gait space.
Identification of bundle sheath cell fate factors provides new tools for C3-to-C4 engineering

Spatial compartmentation of the photosynthetic process between bundle sheath (BS) cells and mesophyll cells is one of the features that increase the productivity of C4 plants. To introduce C4 photosynthesis into C3 plants therefore calls for the identification of factors that control BS cell fate and promoter sequences that confer gene expression specifically in the BS and mesophyll cells. We recently demonstrated that 3 GRAS family transcription factors, SHORT-ROOT (SHR), SCARECROW (SCR) and SCR-LIKE 23 (SCL 23), are required for BS cell fate specification in Arabidopsis thaliana. Homologs to these genes are present in other plant species, C3 and C4, suggesting a conserved mechanism for BS cell fate specification. Interestingly, initially SCR and SCL23 are expressed uniformly in BS cells, but at later stages of leaf development SCR expression becomes restricted to the BS cells associated with the phloem, whereas SCL23 is preferentially expressed in the BS cells abutting the xylem. Characterization of the...
Use of recorded interactive seminars in orthodontic distance education.

Introduction: Our objective was evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of 3 methods of instructor interaction during distance learning with prerecorded seminars in orthodontic residencies and continuing education. Methods: After residents at 3 schools (Sydney, Australia; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; and Manchester, United Kingdom) viewed a recorded interactive seminar, they discussed its content with the seminar leader at a distance via video conferencing, audio-only interaction by telephone, and Internet chat with Net Meeting software (Microsoft, Bellevue, Wash). The residents then completed evaluations containing both closed- and open-ended questions. In addition, attendees at the Iranian Orthodontic Congress also viewed a recorded seminar, had questions answered via an interpreter in a video conference, and completed summary evaluations. Results: Video conferencing received the highest ratings and was never cited as the least favorite method of interaction. Telephone interaction was a close second in mean scores, and Internet chat was a distant third. All residents stated that they would like to be taught through distance education again. However, the Iranian orthodontists were less enthusiastic. Conclusions: Distance learning based on observation of recorded seminars and follow-up interaction is an acceptable method of instruction that can allow residents and practicing orthodontists access to various materials and experts, and perhaps help to ease the strains of current faculty shortages. More data are needed to determine whether video conferencing is worth the additional cost and complexity over audio-only interaction.
Depth Profiling of Polymer Surfaces with FT-IR Spectroscopy

INTRODUCTION The composition and structure at the surface of polymeric materials can vary with depth as a result of surface treatments, surface-specific processing variables, or thermodynamic forces active at the surface. For example, low molecular weight oils are applied to the surface of polymers for lubrication purposes. The distribution or depth gradient of the oil in the polymer depends on a variety of interacting factors, such as diffusion, solubility, temperature, chemical or physical interaction, porosity, etc. In the coatings and lamination industries, gradients can occur as a result of the direct deposition of Material A on the surface of Material B. When A does not mix with B, as is often desirable, the integrity of the surface is of importance. The thickness of the layer(s) and the sharpness of the interface(s) can be critical to the intended application of the material. Polymer surfaces are often treated to obtain specific surface properties. An example of this is in the corona poling of such...
Palliative care in inflammatory bowel disease: An evidence‐based approach

The management of the patient with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is challenging for both the physician and the patient. IBD imposes both a physical and emotional burden on patients' lives. Palliative care is important for IBD patients because it focuses on improving quality of life. While palliative care does not change the natural history of the disease, it provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms. This article focuses on various aspects of care for IBD patients including pain control, management of oral and skin ulcerations, stomal problems in IBD patients, control of nausea and vomiting, management of chronic diarrhea and pruritus ani, evaluation of anemia, treatment of steroid-related bone disease, and treatment of psychological problems associated with IBD. Each of these areas is reviewed using an evidence-based approach. Evidence in category A refers to evidence from clinical trials that are randomized and well controlled. Category B Evidence refers to evidence from cohort or case-controlled studies. Category C is evidence from case reports or flawed clinical trials. Evidence from category D is limited to the clinical experience of the authors. Evidence labelled as category E refers to situations where there is insufficient evidence available to form an opinion. Algorithms for management of pain and nausea in IBD patients are presented.
EXTINCTION AND REIGNITION IN COUNTERFLOW SPRAY DIFFUSION FLAMES INTERACTING WITH LAMINAR VORTICES

The interaction of laminar vortices with a methanol spray counterflow diffusion flame was studied experimentally with vortices generated from either the fuel side or the oxidizer side. The overall stoichiometry was such that the flame resided on the fuel side of the gas-stagnation plane. Local extinction and subsequent reignition were investigated as the circulation of the vortex was varied. It was found that extinction required vortices of larger circulation if generated from the oxidizer side. The effect was attributed to stretching and possibly, partial dissipation of the vortex, as it approached the stagnation plane before interacting with the flame. The robustness of the spray flame to vortex-induced extinction was compared with that of a similar gaseous flame. The spray flame was found to be comparatively weaker. Of the two potential culprits for such a difference, namely, the energetic handicap of spray flames due to the latent heat of vaporization of the liquid fuel and droplet inertia, the former was found to be the dominant factor. After extinction occurred, a hole was created in the diffusion flame, confining the combustion process to an annular region. The flame was then able to propagate back toward the centerline, re-establishing itself as a flat diffusion flame. The time interval for this reignition process was investigated as a function of the vortex circulation. It was found that, if the vortex approached the flame from the fuel side, the reignition time was much shorter than when the vortex was injected from the oxidizer side, and decreased for increasing values of the vortex circulation. In contrast, the reignition time increased with the circulation, if the vortex approached the flame from the oxidizer side. Only in the latter case, droplet inertia played a role in the reignition process.
Discontinuities in the NMC Winter 500-mb and 700-mb Geopotential Height Data

Abstract Characteristics of the discontinuities in the National Meteorological Center (NMC) gridded winter 500-mb and 700-mb geopotential height fields were examined for the northeast Pacific, North America, and the northwest Atlantic. It was found that for the same 700-mb heights, the 500-mb heights during 1958–92 were mostly lower than those during 1948–57. The difference was especially significant for an area running across the study area between 25° and 45°N. In some regions, the areas with significant discontinuities extended to 60°N or even farther north. In these regions, the 500-mb heights seemed to be more sensitive to changes in observation time and analysis procedures than the 700-mb heights. It was also found that for the same surface temperatures across the United States, both 500- and 700-mb geopotential heights over the eastern United States were lower during 1958–92 than during the earlier period. Further investigation revealed several breaks during a 25-year period from 1952 to 1976. Alth...
MACROS: Case Study of Knowledge Sharing System Development within New York State Government Agencies

Knowledge sharing among divisions of an organization is an important yet difficult goal for any institution to achieve. This case reports on development of a system that fosters knowledge sharing across divisions and levels of government in a New York State agency. The case will focus on project management aspects, and discuss tools and models used to aid in the development and evolution of this project from an intra-division application to a more pervasive enterprise-wide system. A number of organizational and technological elements provide the impetus for growth, improvement, and success of this system. Overall, the case study provides insights and lessons learned to problems encountered in diverse and sizable organizations, such as large companies and not-for-profit organizations, as well as state and federal governments, where knowledge is distributed and sharing knowledge is critical to organizational performance.
Correlation of radiographic measurements and pulmonary function tests in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Measurements on standard frontal and lateral radiographs that reliably predict the presence or absence of chronic obstructive lung disease would be useful to the clinical radiologist when no other clinical data are available. Therefore, statistical correlations of pulmonary function tests and measurements of chest films were made in 104 men chosen from 1000 cases referred for pulmonary function tests in whom no obvious abnormality was present on the chest film. Two measurements were significantly correlated (p less than 0.001) without requiring correction for body surface area: (1) The height of the arc of the right diaphragm in the lateral projection. When 2.6 cm or less it identifies 67.7% of all patients with abnormal pulmonary function tests and 78.3% of patients with moderately or severely abnormal pulmonary function tests. (2) The height of the right lung in the posteroanterior projection. When this is 29.9 cm or more it will identify 69.8% of all patients with abnormal pulmonary function tests and ...
Critical bandwidth allocation for the delivery of compressed video

The transportation of compressed video data without loss of picture quality requires the network to support large fluctuations in bandwidth requirements. These fluctuations can be smoothed, but straightforward approaches to smoothing can still suffer from excessive buffering requirements, poor buffer utilization and an excessive number of bandwidth changes. This paper introduces critical bandwidth allocation, which reduces the number of bandwidth changes to a very small number, and achieves the maximum effectiveness from clientside buffers. A comparison between critical bandwidth allocation algorithms and other smoothing algorithms is presented, the sensitivity of the algorithm to jitter is examined, and implications for the design of network services are discussed.
Social Work Responds to the Women's Movement

Despite the activism of many individual social workers in the first decade of the second wave of the U.S. women's movement, 1963-73, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the largest and most visible organization representing professional social workers, was slow to respond to the challenge put forth by liberal, radical, and socialist feminists. However, this delay in response was replaced, from 1973 onward, with an explosion of activity on feminist topics in NASW and in the profession's publications, agencies, and schools. Fifteen years later, feminist activity by social work organizations has become institutionalized and widespread in the face of the assault by the Reagan administration.
Thallium poisoning during pregnancy: a case report and comprehensive literature review.

Background: Thallium salts were once used to treat a variety of disorders such as tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, and ringworm of the scalp. Although the clinical manifestations and treatment of patients with thallium poisoning are well characterized, little information is available on the outcome of pregnancy in thallium-poisoned women. A case of thallium poisoning that began during the first trimester of pregnancy and resulted in fetal demise is reported. Methods: An extensive literature search identified reported cases of thallium poisoning during pregnancy from 1903 until the present time. All articles were obtained, translated, and abstracted using a standardized data collection form. References were hand-searched and abstracted to identify additional cases. Results: From a total of 25 cases identified, only 18 met satisfactory criteria for inclusion. Five exposures occurred during the first trimester, 5 during the second trimester, and 8 during the third trimester. Mothers developed cla...
Solubility of enstatite + forsterite in H2O at deep crust/upper mantle conditions: 4 to 15 kbar and 700 to 900°c

Abstract Ten reversed brackets of aqueous silica concentration in equilibrium with enstatite (Mg2Si2O6) and forsterite (Mg2SiO4) were determined at 700 to 900°C and 4.35 to 14 kbar. Silica solubilities were measured by a weight loss-weight gain method and by approaching equilibrium from higher and lower silica concentrations. Both single-crystal and fine-grained synthetic enstatite and forsterite starting material were used, as well as low-Fe natural minerals. Results for all three kinds of starting material were concordant. Silica concentrations buffered by enstatite + forsterite at 10 kbar increase from 0.16 moles/kg H2O (m) at 700°C to 0.50 m at 900°C, but show only small variation with pressure in the range 7 to 14 kbar. The ratio XSQ/XSFE, where XSQ is the mole fraction of aqueous SiO2 (S) in equilibrium with quartz (Q) from Manning (1994) , and XSFE is the corresponding mole fraction in equilibrium with forsterite (F) and enstatite (E) at the same P and T, from 1 to 15 kbar and 700 to 900°C is described by X S Q X S FE =2.61−0.000930T+0.0236P+ 290P T where P is in kbar and T in Kelvins. All of our measured silica solubilities are significantly lower than predicted with the conventional assumption of unit activity of silica for concentrations from zero to quartz saturation. Aqueous silica therefore exhibits negative, composition-dependent departures from ideality, in agreement with the deduction of Zhang and Frantz (2000) based on measurements at higher temperatures. Zhang and Frantz (2000) suggested that the formation of solute silica dimers accounts for the lowered activity. The equilibrium constant, K, for the proposed dimer formation reaction, 2H4SiO4 = H6Si2O7 + H2O, is K = XdimersaH2O/Xmonomers2, where the activities (a) of solute species are equated with their mole fractions, and aH20 ≈ 1 at the low SiO2 concentrations considered. Our solubility data at 700°C and 10 kbar give logK = 2.2, which predicts that solute silica in equilibrium with quartz at these conditions is about 40% polymerized, assuming dimers are the only polymer species. This estimate is in good agreement with Raman spectroscopic results of Zotov and Keppler (2002) . However, if higher polymers, including rings and chains, are also present, the estimates of K based on either the solubility measurements or the spectroscopic observations would be substantially smaller. Our solubility measurements show that the activity of aqueous silica is substantially less than the molar concentration at deep crust/upper mantle PT conditions.
Multiconfigurational wavefunction optimization using the unitary group method

We have successfully used graphical unitary group methods to implement efficiently both multiconfigurational self-consistent field and configuration interaction ab initio quantum chemical computer programs. We indicate how these group theoretic methods improve efficiency and we demonstrate their utility on the ground and excited states of a model problem for which a full-configuration interaction calculation can be performed.
The Impregnable Japanese Market: Fact or Fiction?

Japanese trade barriers purportedly contribute to the escalating US trade deficit with Japan. But Japan’s trade barriers are no more restrictive than those found in the US. Many US firms have used traditional and innovative marketing strategies successfully in the Japanese market. The marketing strategies that have led to that success are outlined.
The occulation of β Scorpii by Jupiter. IV. Diurnal temperature variations and the methane mixing ratio in the Jovian upper atmosphere

Abstract The nightime cooling of the Jovian atmosphere near the occulation level of 10 14 cm −3 is calculated using the models of Strobel (1973) and Strobel and Smith (1973) . The amount of cooling is found to depend on χ, the methane mixing ratio; μ the mean molecular weight; and the sunrise temperature. Using the range of sunrise (emersion) temperatures observed by Veverka et al . (1974) , the overnight cooling is calculated to be 1.5–5.5°K, if reasonable assumptions are made for χ and μ. The argument may be reversed to show that the agreement in measured sunrise and sunset temperatures obtained by other observers of the β Sco occulation implies that χ cannot be significantly greater than the generally accepted value of 7 ×10 −4 .
Enhanced Birkhoff-von Neumann decomposition algorithm for input queued switches

The enhanced Birkhoff-von Neumann (1953) decomposition (EBVND) algorithm, a new class of scheduling arbitrators for input queued (IQ) crossbar switches that is based on the Birkhoff-von Neumann decomposition algorithm, is introduced. Theoretical analysis shows that the performance of EBVND is better than the Birkhoff-von Neumann decomposition algorithm in terms of throughput and cell delay, and can also provide rate and cell delay guarantees. Also, the weighted rate filling algorithm (WRFA), a new algorithm that can be used to construct doubly stochastic matrices from doubly substochastic matrices with less complexity and better fairness, is proposed. The wavefront Birkhoff-von Neumann decomposition (WFBVND) algorithm and its simplified version WFBVND with logN iterations (WFBVND-logN), the special cases of EBVND, are also introduced and evaluated. Simulations show that the WFBVND and WFBVND-logN algorithms have much lower average cell delay as compared to the Birkhoff-von Neumann decomposition algorithm.
Axonal Dystrophy in the Gracile Nucleus in Congenital Biliary Atresia and Cystic Fibrosis (Mucoviscidosis): Beneficial Effect of Vitamin E Therapy

In 63 patients with malabsorption syndromes, 16 with congenital biliary atresia (BA) and 47 with cystic fibrosis (CF), axonal dystrophy in the gracile nucleus (ADG) was studied. of the 16 patients with BA, ADG of considerable severity was observed in all 10 over one year of age. of the 47 patients with CF, it was observed in 32, 61, and 80% of the cases in the first, second, and third decades, respectively. Evidence is presented that there has been a substantial decrease in the incidence of ADG in CF patients in recent years and that the decreased incidence is attributable to vitamin E (Aquasol E) therapy. The beneficial effect of vitamin E supplementation in CF patients is proffered as strong evidence that ADG in BA and CF is related to vitamin E deficiency. The present study indicates that BA and CF patients require vitamin E supplementation to maintain a normal integrity of axons related to the gracile and perhaps other sensory nuclei. Critical neurological evaluation for possible dysfunction of the sensory nuclei in these patients with malabsorption syndromes is advised.
Acylation of CD44 and Its Association with Lipid Rafts Are Required for Receptor and Hyaluronan Endocytosis

CD44 is a cell surface receptor for the extracellular matrix macromolecule hyaluronan. In addition, CD44 mediates the endocytosis of hyaluronan leading to its subsequent degradation within lysosomes. Using model systems of COS-7 and Flp-293 cells, we demonstrate that the association of CD44 with lipid rafts is essential for the endocytosis of hyaluronan but not the extracellular binding. Further, we demonstrate that palmitoylation of CD44 on two highly conserved cysteine residues is essential for the association with lipid rafts as determined by density gradient ultracentrifugation. Mutations of either cysteine residues or pretreatment of cells with the palmitic acid analog 2-bromopalmitate, reduced the [3H]palmitic acid incorporation into CD44 and prevented CD44-lipid rafts association. Preventing CD44 palmitoylation had no effect on the binding of hyaluronan but inhibited hyaluronan internalization. The turnover of the CD44 receptor itself was also affected by blocking its association with lipid rafts. Using cycloheximide to prevent de novo protein synthesis, palmitoylation-deficient cysteine mutants underwent slower turnover from cell surface compared with the palmitoylation-intact wild type, as determined by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. These results indicate that palmitoylation of CD44 is a critical driving determinant to CD44 association with lipid rafts and, concomitantly, the rates of hyaluronan endocytosis and CD44 turnover from cell surface.
Neural correlates of refixation saccades and antisaccades in normal and schizophrenia subjects.

Abstract Background: Schizophrenia subjects demonstrate difficulties on tasks requiring saccadic inhibition, despite normal refixation saccade performance. Saccadic inhibition is ostensibly mediated via prefrontal cortex and associated cortical/subcortical circuitry. The current study tests hypotheses about the neural substrates of normal and abnormal saccadic performance among subjects with schizophrenia. Methods: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) data were recorded while 13 normal and 14 schizophrenia subjects were engaged in refixation and antisaccade tasks. Results: Schizophrenia subjects did not demonstrate the increased prefrontal cortex BOLD contrast during antisaccade performance that was apparent in the normal subjects. Schizophrenia subjects did, however, demonstrate normal BOLD contrast associated with refixation saccade performance in the frontal and supplementary eye fields, and posterior parietal cortex. Conclusions: Results from the current study support hypotheses of dysfunctional prefrontal cortex circuitry among schizophrenia subjects. Furthermore, this abnormality existed despite normal BOLD contrast observed during refixation saccade generation in the schizophrenia group.
On the use of Eötvös-type experiments to detect medium-range forces

Abstract I derive the expected reading in an Eotvos-type experiment conducted in the presence of forces of medium range (a range comparable with the scale of topographic features on Earth). The signal is very sensitive to the topographic structure within the force's range from the location of the experiment. Both the sign and the magnitude of the measured torque depend on the local topography. The magnitude of the torque can change by orders of magnitude. The anomalies found recently by Fischbach et al. (in the original data of Eotvos et al.) do not, by themselves, determine the magnitude or the sign of a suspected medium-range force, even if the reported anomaly is due to such a force. By choosing an optimal site for an experiment one can increase its detection sensitivity to about 600 times the sensitivity assumed by Fischbach et al. (This factor is the ratio of the gravitational acceleration to the horizontal centrifugal acceleration at the latitude of the experiment.)
Enhanced polycarbonate toughness. I: Measurement methodology

The J IC values for core-shell-particle-toughened polycarbonate were determined at different temperatures and at 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 phr particle content by six similar methods, using compact tensile specimens. At the 2.5 phr toughener level, the J IC values ranged from 2878 to 61 00 J/m 2 , and at 7.5 phr, they ranged from 6125 to 10,760 J/m 2 , dependent only upon how the same J I -Δα data were interpreted. This indicates that more work will be required before a reliable method of J IC measurement that can be applied to tough polymers is achieved
Increased toxoplasma antibodies in idiopathic inflammatory muscle disease

Antibodies to Toxoplasrna gondii were measured in sera from 69 patients with polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and myositis associated with other connective tissue diseases and compared to 69 age-, race-, and sex matched controls with unrelated diseases. Complement fixation toxoplasma antibodies were significantly more frequent in polymyositis and correlated with high IgM levels. Other distinguishing clinical or laboratory fea tures of these patients were not found. The high tox oplasma antibodies were not associated with generally hyperactive humoral immunity. The serologic data sug gested that inflammatory muscle disease was associated with recent active toxoplasma infection in certain patients. The pathogenetic role of the microorganism remains uncertain.
Cloud Services Measures for Global Use: The Service Measurement Index (SMI)

The Cloud Services Measurement Initiative Consortium (CSMIC) was formed to address the need for industry-wide, globally accepted measures for calculating the benefits and risks of cloud-computing services. A global team is developing a standard measurement framework, called the Service Measurement Index (SMI). SMI involves the application of consistent, meaningful measures that are designed to enable comparison of current cloud-based services with non-cloud services or cloud services available from multiple providers. Cloud Services characteristics where measures are being documented and tested include: Accountability, Agility, Assurance, Financials, Performance, Security and Privacy, and Usability. The SMI will address a total of 51 attributes. Given concerns in the literature and popular press about provider capabilities, cost, security and data privacy and data loss, as well as the flexibility that moving to cloud services promises, this paper provides examples of measures for these attributes.
“Fatwa on the Bunny” News Language and the Creation of Meaning About the Middle East

How did fatwa, once an unambiguous, simple term for a ruling on a question of Islamic religious law, come to mean “death sentence” in U.S. news language and popular culture? This article uses conte...
Nonlinear Control Analysis of a Double-Gimbal Variable-Speed Control Moment Gyroscope

A single double-gimbal variable-speed controlmoment gyroscope is considered as amethod for three-dimensional spacecraft attitude control. First, the system’s equations of motion are developed, where gimbal and wheel accelerations are prescribed as control inputs. The resulting necessary motor torques as well as system energy rates are computed for verification. Next, a novel control algorithm is developed from the stability constraint for reference trajectory tracking. In contrast with the control development for single-gimbal variable-speed gyros, a Newton–Raphson scheme is required to solve for the desired double-gimbal variable-speed control moment gyroscope control variables because they appear in cross product and quadratic form, preventing analytical solutions. Analysis of the control theory suggests that the same torque amplification effects exist as in a single-gimbal control moment gyro, but control by a single double-gimbal variable-speed control moment gyroscope device is not robust due to potential configurations that result in control singularities. When these singularities are avoided, a simulation with successful reference trajectory tracking is achieved. Allowing double-gimbal gyros to have variable wheel speeds provides additional torquing capabilities, which is significant if failure modes are considered. As will be shown, a single double-gimbal variable-speed control moment gyroscope device can provide limited threedimensional attitude control.
Inverted spin method for removing RBCs from BM buffy coat products

Background Inverted spin is a method of removing RBCs that historically has been part of blood banking practice. We investigated the feasibility of using this method for RBC depletion of BM buffy coat products in situations where recipient RBC Abs have been identified to donor RBC Ags. Methods The BM buffy coat product was placed in a transfer pack, inverted, centrifuged at 600 g for 10 min, suspended and the RBCs removed slowly into another transfer pack. Nine patients treated between April 1998 and February 2001 received products prepared by our version of the inverted spin procedure. Results We removed a median value of 81.2% of the RBCs, while still recovering a median of 94.3% of the mononuclear cells (median: 0.35 × 10 8 /kg; range: 0.17–0.9 × 10 8 /kg). The median volume of RBCs remaining in the product was 15.0 mL (range: 7.3–21.9 mL). The CD34 + cell dose of the final product ranged from 1.0 × 10 6 /kg to 4.8 × 10 6 cells/kg (median: 1.9 × 10 6 /kg). Granulocyte recovery (defined as ANC count ≥500/μL for a period of 3 consecutive days) ranged from 18–30 days post-infusion of the allograft (median: 24.0 days). One patient died shortly after his transplant from complications of his disease. No patient had any evidence of an acute hemolytic reaction. Discussion Advantages of the inverted spin method include no need for additives (e.g. hydroxyethyl starch, HSA, or O negative RBC), and use of equipment readily available in most processing laboratories.
A Client-Focused Definition of Social Work Practice:

The 1958 working definition of social work practice highlights past and current paradoxes, competing interests, confusions, and mystifications in social work. Outcomes are not mentioned in this def...
PET quantification of pancreatic VMAT 2 binding using (+) and (-) enantiomers of [¹⁸F]FP-DTBZ in baboons.

Abstract Objectives The exact cause(s) of apparent overestimation of β cell mass (BCM) with vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 (VMAT2) PET imaging in type 1 diabetes (T1D) is unknown. The objectives were to estimate in baboons non-displaceable binding of [ 18 F]fluoropropyl (FP)-(+)-dihydrotetrabenazine (DTBZ) with its inactive enantiomer, [ 18 F]FP-(−)-DTBZ, to validate the use of the reference tissue (renal cortex or spleen) in VMAT2 quantification; and also to compare specific pancreatic VMAT2 binding with that of the striatum in the same baboon brains because high specific binding signal for the pancreas would be desirable for its accurate quantification. Methods Baboons ( Papio ursinus ) had multiple dynamic abdominal and brain PET scans each for 2h with (+) and (−) enantiomers on separate occasions. Data were analyzed by compartmental models to estimate non-displaceable ( V ND ) and specific ( V S ) VMAT2 binding in respective organs. Results [ 18 F]FP-DTBZ PET showed excellent target tissue signal and specific VMAT2 binding in the pancreas ( V s =41±11mL/cm 3 ) at nearly 80% that of the striatum. Directly estimated non-displaceable binding in the pancreas ( V ND =12±1mL/cm 3 ) was similar to that of the renal cortex, spleen or cerebellum. Conclusion 18 FFP-DTBZ PET shows excellent specific VMAT2 binding in both the pancreas and striatum in baboons. The renal cortex or spleen as the reference tissue in VMAT2 quantification appears supported. However further studies appear warranted to directly estimate pancreatic non-displaceable binding in humans including T1D patients and also to clarify the cause of the apparent overestimation of BCM in T1D.
An Analysis of Daily Fluctuations in the Hog Economy

A recursive model is developed to identify and evaluate the major factors affecting daily fluctuations in hog prices and quantities supplied. Using two years of data, packer price bids for slaughter hogs are found to depend upon lagged wholesale prices, present and lagged quantities of hogs marketed, and the day of the week. Producer's daily marketing responses depend upon lagged price, day of the week, and season of the year. Elasticity of supply is very high, ranging from 8 to 10. Daily ex post forecasts of price and quantity supplied are made for a one year period and indicate that variations in the regression coefficients from month to month, resulting from updating of the model, provide virtually no improvement of the forecasts over using an initial set of coefficients. The developed model predicts daily price fluctuations more accurately than a naive model tested.
The Moon Treaty: prospects for the future

Abstract 1995 marks the 15th anniversary of the United States' debate over ratification of the 1979 Moon Treaty.1 The 1994–1995 season also marks the 10th anniversary of the Moon Treaty's entry into force among the small number of countries that ratified it.2 These two anniversaries are significant both in themselves and because they occur at a time of reexamination regarding the Moon Treaty. This article briefly reviews the history of the agreement, and its prospects over the next few years. It concludes with some suggestions for revisiting the troublesome question of property rights in celestial bodies.
Effects of yohimbine and idazoxan on motor behaviors in male rats.

Abstract Yohimbine, an α 2 adrenergic antagonist, facilitates copulatory behaviors in male rats. This facilitation may reflect nonspecific activation of behavior rather than a more selective activation of copulatory behaviors. The present experiments assessed the effects of yohimbine on locomotor behaviors at a dose (2.0 mg/kg) known to facilitate sexual behaviors. Experiment 1 used a computer pattern-recognition system to classify motor behaviors into specific acts and act groups. Male albino rats were tested in three conspecific conditions: estrous female, anestrous female, or no conspecific. Yohimbine decreased locomotor activity in all three conspecific conditions. Experiment 2 examined the effects of yohimbine (2.0 mg/kg) and amphetamine (1.0 mg/kg) on locomotor behavior in a photocell-equipped activity measurement system. Amphetamine increased and yohimbine decreased locomotor activity. Experiment 3 used the computer pattern-recognition system to compare the effects of yohimbine and idazoxan, another α 2 adrenergic antagonist, on motor behaviors. Yohimbine and idazoxan both decreased activity but produced different patterns of behavioral change. The facilitatory effects of yohimbine on copulatory behaviors at a dose of 2.0 mg/kg are apparently not mediated by nonspecific activation of behavior.
Enumerating Motzkin–Rabin geometries

The main result of this paper is an enumeration of all Motzkin-Rabin geometries on up to 18 points. A Motzkin-Rabin geometry is a two-colored linear space with no monochromatic line. We also study the embeddings of Motzkin-Robin geometries into projective spaces over fields and division rings. We find no Motzkin-Rabin geometries on up to 18 points embeddable in ℂ2 or 2(t)2. We find many examples of Motzkin-Rabin geometries with no proper linear subspaces. We give an example of a proper linear space embeddable in ℙ(ℚ()2). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 15: 179–194, 2007
Linear Array For Efficient Execution Of Partitioned Matrix Algorithms

We propose a class-specific linear array suitable for partitioned execution of matrix algorithms, which achieves high efficiency, exploits pipelining within cells in a simple manner, has off cells communication rate lower than computation rate, and has a small storage per cell (whose size is independent of the size of problems). This array is well suited to use the MMG method, a data-dependency graph-based mapping technique. The MMG method has capabilities to realize fixed-size data and partitioned problems as algorithm-specific arrays, and to map algorithms onto class-specific arrays. The array proposed here uses the mapping capabilities of the method, which combine coalescing and cut-and-pile as partition strategies. Mapping is illustrated using the LU-decomposition algorithm; results obtained from mapping other algorithms are also indicated. Performance estimates of the mappings show that, for example, LU-decomposition of a 2000 by 2000 matrix computed in a linear array with 100-cells, two operation units per cell in a 4-stage pipeline, and 50 [nsec] clock period (i.e., 4000 [Mflops]), achieves 87% efficiency (3480 [Mflops]). This performance is obtained while requiring communication among cells of only 5 [Mwords/sec] and peak external I/O bandwidth for the entire array also of 5 [Mwords/sec]. Moreover, for a problem of this size, the use of cut-and-pile leads to storage requirements of only 8000 words per memory module.