cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anatomical and Functional Outcomes of Relaxing Parafoveal Nasal Retinotomy for Refractory Macular Hole Repair

Purpose:This work aimed to assess postoperative outcomes associated with relaxing parafoveal nasal retinotomy for refractory macular hole repair.Methods:This was a retrospective interventional stud...
Achieving Value in Spine Surgery: 10 Major Cost Contributors.

Study Design:Narrative Review.Objectives:The increasing cost of healthcare overall and for spine surgery, coupled with the growing burden of spine-related disease and rising demand have necessitate...
Comparison of Patiromer to Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate in Acute Hyperkalemia

Background: Patiromer and sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS) are cation-exchangers approved for the treatment of chronic hyperkalemia. Data regarding their efficacy acutely is lacking. Despite this...
Preoperative Muscle Strength Is a Predictor of Outcomes After Esophagectomy

Sarcopenia, loss of muscle mass and strength, has been associated with more frequent complications after esophagectomy. This study compared hand-grip strength, muscle mass, and intramuscular adipose tissue as predictors of postoperative outcomes and mortality after esophagectomy. Minimally invasive esophagectomy was performed on 175 patients with esophageal cancer. Skeletal muscle index and skeletal muscle density were derived from preoperative CTs. Hand-grip strength was measured using dynamometer. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed. Preoperative hand-grip strength was normal in 91 (52%), intermediate in 43 (25%), and weak in 41 (23%) patients. Hand-grip strength was significantly correlated with both skeletal muscle index and skeletal muscle density. Postoperative pneumonia occurred in 8/41 (20%) patients with weak strength compared to 4/91 (4%) with normal strength (p = 0.006; Cochran-Armitage Test). Prolonged postoperative ventilation occurred in 11/41 (27%) patients with weak strength compared to 11/91 (12%) with normal strength (p = 0.036). Median length of stay was 9 days in patients with weak strength compared to 7 days for those with normal strength (p = 0.005; Kruskal–Wallis Test). Discharge to non-home location occurred in 15/41 (37%) with weak strength compared to 8/91 (9%) with normal strength (p < 0.001). Postoperative mortality at 90 days was 4/41 (10%) with weak strength compared with no mortalities (0/91) in the normal strength group (p = 0.004). Mortality at 1 year was 18/39 (46%) in patients with weak strength compared to 6/81 (7%) with normal strength, among 158 patients with 1-year follow-up (p < 0.001). Preoperative hand-grip strength was found to be a powerful predictor of postoperative pneumonia, length of stay, discharge to non-home location, and mortality after esophagectomy.
Precursores de la teologia de la liberacion en republica dominicana (1965-1973)

Los eventos del 24 de abril de 1965 tomaron por sorpresa a los principales actores de la vida social y politica dominicana, incluyendo a los mismos organizadores del golpe. Pero a medida que se perfilaron las intenciones del grupo militar que organizo el golpe contra Donald Reid Cabral, los distintos grupos politicos y los representantes de las instituciones comenzaron a tomar posiciones en favor o en contra del grupo rebelde. Cuando la radio tomada por los rebeldes dio a conocer que el objetivo del golpe no era reemplazar a Reid Cabral por una junta militar, sino el retorno de Juan Bosch como presidente constitucional, y el restablecimniento de la Constitucion de 1963, las ideologias existentes desde el golpe de 1963 aceleraron ahora la toma de posiciones frente a un nuevo contragolpe. Cuando finalmente la participacion del pueblo en favor de los militares constitucionalistas comenzo a indicar que el golpe militar se habia convertido en revolucion popular, las posiciones ideologicas cristalizaron en forma mas o menos definitiva en favor o en contra del evento revolucionario. La percepcio6n de que los eventos del 24 de abril pudieran Ilevar a una ievolucion social polarizo y dividio rapidamente a la sociedad dominicana. Pero esa polarizacion y division no se dio en terminos de demarcaciones tradicionales, sino en terminos de nuevos delineamientos ideologicos que habian influido en las organizaciones e instituciones desde la muerte de Trujillo. Esas divisiones afectaron al establecimiento militar, a los partidos politicos, a los medios intelectuales, a la prensa y a la misma Iglesia. En este ensayo, me propongo analizar la reaccion de la Iglesia frente al conato revolucionario de 1965 y la forma como el evento revolucionario impacto al vida institucional de la Iglesia en los anfos subsiguientes en Repuiblica Dominicana.
Failure of the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate to enhance sister chromatid exchange, mitotic segregation, or expression of mutations in Chinese hamster cells.

The potent tumor promoter 12- O -tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was tested for its ability ( a ) to induce sister chromatid exchange, ( b ) to increase the rate of transition at the adenine phosphoribosyltransferase ( aprt ) locus from the presumptive heterozygous state (+/-) to the homozygous state (-/- or -), and ( c ) to enhance the frequency of mutations expressed after ultraviolet radiation mutagenesis. We have found no significant effect of TPA in any of these experiments. Sister chromatid exchange frequencies in both V79 and Chinese hamster ovary cells remained unchanged by TPA treatment under various conditions, a result inconsistent with the hypothesis that an important effect of TPA might be to increase the rate of chromosomal mitotic recombination (and hence segregation of recessive mutations) in a manner akin to increased chromatid recombination. We have also been unable to obtain evidence for mitotic recombination affecting the aprt locus in Chinese hamster ovary cells for which the rate of change to a high level of resistance to azaadenine was measured. The rate of 8.6 × 10-7 mutation (and/or segregations) per cell generation assessed by fluctuation analysis was not increased by the continuous presence of TPA, 4 µg/ml, in the medium. In the third set of experiments, mutant frequencies in Chinese hamster ovary cells after ultraviolet mutagenesis were measured for the markers ouabain resistance, thioguanine resistance, and azaadenine resistance, under conditions with and without pretreatment with TPA before mutant selection. No convincing enhancement in mutation expression was observed. In summary, these results argue that promotion by TPA does not proceed by a mechanism involving genetic recombination or the altered expression of newly mutated alleles.
Enzyme Kinetics: Transient Phase

Transient kinetic methods allow events occurring at the active site of an enzyme to be observed directly by monitoring reactions on a short time scale and with a sufficiently high concentration of enzyme to witness product formed in a single enzyme turnover. Rapid mixing methods provide unique kinetic information to define the reaction mechanism in terms that can be directly related to structure. Keywords: enzyme intermediates; enzyme kinetics; pre-steady state; transient kinetics; stopped flow; chemical-quench-flow
Principles of Survey Error Analysis and Adjustment

During the planning, field measuring, and adjusting of a survey the question of its accuracy is of critical importance because it affects the survey configuration and the necessary field measuring accuracies, and consequently the cost and execution time of the survey. The first purpose of this article is to present the general principle of error theory and briefly introduce some very useful tools for evaluating the accuracy of a survey. The second purpose is to analyze the necessity and general principles involved in adjusting a survey, and establishing the reliability of the adjusted values obtained. Finally, we present a brief list of references for more complete coverage of the subjects reviewed in this article.
Let-Polymorphism and Eager Type Schemes

This paper presents an algorithm for polymorphic type inference involving the let construct of ML in the context of higher order abstract syntax. It avoids the polymorphic closure operation of the algorithm W of Damas and Milner by using a uniform treatment of type variables at the meta-level. The basic technique of the algorithm facilitates the declarative formulation of type inference as goal-directed proof-search in a logical frameworks setting.
Analysis of electrode reactions with catalytic endoergonic electron transfer

Abstract A numerical analysis of multistep electrode reactions involving catalytic endoergonic electron transfer (CENET) with or without a competitive deactivation of electron carrier was carried out. The result was expressed in the form of approximate formulae applicable to instantaneous and average polarographic currents in the following cases: (there is no deactivation), (various mechanisms of deactivation). A formula for the reaction and a new formula for the reaction ece were suggested. In deriving the formulae a combined analytical-numerical method had been used. It consists of the following: a form of dependence is found analytically by substitution of partial differential equations by ordinary differential ones, the values of constants are found by means of a computer by comparison with the result of an exact numerical solution.
The Corporate Philosopher

Philosophy for organizations not only entails a modular application of counseling, facilitation, and consulting techniques; it also has potentially far-reaching ramifications in terms of realpolitik in the 21 st century. To recapitulate the overarching thesis of this chapter: from the ancient to the early modern world, philosophers and their writings were the tutors of choice to monarchs, crown princes, and popes, and therefore, exerted seminal influence on those who governed the political (and hence, at that time, every other) estate of man. As Aristotle conceived it, politics was the noblest art and it persisted until the very successes of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution renormalized it, for both good and ill. Homo politicus remained the same in substance, but he metamorphosed too often from a statesman to a politician, on an average from a ruler to a lawyer, in the main from an aristocrat to a bureaucrat, and, at worst, from an autocrat to a sociopath.
Henri IV of France: His Reign and Age – By Vincent J. Pitts

Writings about Henri IV—Henry of Navaree—at once involve a tricky decision: at what length should one deal with his early years, and his struggle to the throne? Some writers spend nearly half their...
The impact of cell wall carbohydrate composition on the chitosan flocculation of Chlorella

Abstract The carbohydrate composition of the algal cell wall was investigated for its role in cell flocculation. Cultures of Chlorella variabilis NC64A, which were found to have different levels of neutral sugar, uronic acid and amino sugar in the cell wall when cultured in different nitrogen sources and concentrations, were subjected to flocculation with chitosan at dosages of 0–69.6 mg/l and pH values of 5.5, 7 and 8.5. In addition, flocculations of another three strains of Chlorella , which have different levels of cell wall components, were tested. Flocculation improved for all strains at pH 8.5 suggesting that inter molecular forces such as hydrogen bonding might be more important than charge neutralization in the flocculation of Chlorella . Total carbohydrate content in the cell wall was the most significant factor positively affecting the flocculation efficiency of C. variabilis NC64A cells with different cell wall compositions and the other Chlorella strains. The results presented in this study suggest that chitosan flocculation can be improved by optimizing the cell culture conditions to achieve higher cell wall polysaccharide content or selecting an algal strain with higher cell wall polysaccharide content.
A numerical solution for a two-stage production and inventory system with random demand arrivals

This paper is about the study of a production lot sizing problem consisting of customers, one retailer, and one manufacturer. Demand from customers arrives randomly at a retailer one unit at a time. The retailer replenishes inventory from the manufacturer upon receiving a customer's order after its inventory depleted to zero. The manufacturer's production rate is assumed to be a finite constant. A production cycle starts when the manufacturer's inventory falls to or below zero and stops when its on-hand inventory reaches its optimal level. During the uptime in a production cycle, inventory is being built while randomly arriving orders from retailer are being fulfilled. The order arrival times from customers are independently and identically distributed, hence the inventory processes at both the manufacturer and the retailer become a renewal process that is difficult to solve analytically for a general distribution of order arrival time. Therefore, a numerical approach is used in developing a search procedure to obtain the optimal solution to the problem. Employing such a numerical approach, we also investigate how optimal solutions in different cases will change over the spectrum of some key parameters of the problem.
Astronomy and the limits of vision

Celestial visibility is the study of the limits of observability of objects in the sky, with application to deducing the truth about historical events or to the derivation of astronomical information of modern utility. This study is based on what is seen by ordinary humans, either in their everyday lives or at times of historical events. The results of such studies have more relevance to non-scientists than does any other area of astronomy. Celestial visibility is a young discipline in the sense that the number of interesting applications with simple solutions outnumber the solved problems; it is a broad interdisciplinary field that involves work with astronomy, meteorology, optics, physics, physiology, history, and archeology. Each of these disciplines contribute specialized mathematical formulations which quantify the many processes that affect light as it leaves a source, traverses the atmosphere, and is detected by the human eye. These formulas can then be combined as appropriate to create mathematical models for the visibility of the source under the conditions of interest. These model results can then be applied a wide variety of problems arising in history, astronomy, archeology, meteorological optics, and archeoastronomy. This review also presents a dozen suggestions for observing projects, many of which can be directly taken for individual study, for classroom projects, or for professional research.
Thin wing corrections for phase-change heat-transfer data.

Since no methods are available for determining the magnitude of the errors incurred when the semiinfinite slab assumption is violated, a computer program was developed to calculate the heat-transfer coefficients to both sides of a finite, one-dimensional slab subject to the boundary conditions ascribed to the phase-change coating technique. The results have been correlated in the form of correction factors to the semiinfinite slab solutions in terms of parameters normally used with the technique.
A comparison of layering and stream replication video multicast schemes

The heterogeneity of the Internet's transmission resources and end sys tem capability makes it difficult to agree on acceptable traffic characteristics among the multiple receivers of a multicast video stream. Three basic approaches have been proposed to deal with this problem: 1) multicasting of replicated video streams at different rates, 2) multicasting the video encoded in cumulative layers, and 3) multicasting the video encoded in non-cumulative layers. Even though there is a common belief that the layering approach is better than the replicated stream approach, there has been no studies that compare these schemes. This paper is devoted to such a systematic comparison. Our starting point is an observation (substantiated by results in the literature) that a bandwidth penalty is incurred by encoding a video stream in layers. We argue that a fair comparison of these schemes needs to take into account this penalty as well as the specifics of the encoding used in each scheme, protocol complexity, and the topological placement of the video source and the receivers relative to each other. Our results show that the believed superiority of layered multicast transmission relative to stream replication is not as clear cut as is widely believed and that there are indeed scenarios where replication is the preferred approach.
Live performance interaction for humans and machines in the early twenty-first century: one composer's aesthetics for composition and performance practice

Technology influences all art, and therefore all music, including composition, performance and listening. It always has, and it always will. For example, technical developments in materials, mechanics and manufacturing were important factors that permitted the piano to supersede the harpsichord as the primary concert Western keyboard instrument by about 1800. And with each new technical development new performance issues have been introduced. Piano performance technique is quite different from harpsichord technique, and composers responded to these differences with new music ideas and gestures. The multiple relationships between technology and composer and performer are dynamic and of paramount importance to each party. And a true consideration of any aspect of music requires that all three areas be examined. This has always been a part of music, and so these relationships are inherently important within computer music. The difference is that electronic technology has caused a fundamental change for all aspects of music, a difference that is as pivotal in the history of Western music as was the shift from oral to written preservation of music over a thousand years ago, and then also the accessibility provided by printed music five hundred years ago. In computer music, all parties are always acutely aware of the presence and influence of machine technology in both the visual and audible realms.
Assembly of translocation-competent proteoliposomes from detergent-solubilized rough microsomes

Canine pancreas rough microsomes were solubilized in a high salt buffer containing sodium cholate, a detergent extract prepared by high speed centrifugation, and vesicles were reconstituted from the extract by a detergent dialysis procedure. The reconstituted vesicles, lacking resident lumenal proteins, translocated in vitro-synthesized preprolactin in a cotranslational, SRP-dependent manner. The translocated precursor was processed to mature prolactin and protected from digestion by exogenous protease. Vesicles were also reconstituted from detergent extracts depleted of glycoproteins by chromatography on concanavalin-Sepharose. The depleted vesicles, containing a full complement of SRP receptor but deficient in the glycoprotein subunit of signal peptidase, the ribophorins, and other glycoprotein components, were functional in the targeting and binding of nascent preprolactin but exhibited a greatly diminished capacity for translocation.
Comparison between phenomenological bag and nonrelativistic potential models of hadrons

Similarities and differences are pointed out between phenomenological bag models and nonrelativistic potential model of quarks in hadrons.
A Global Climate Model (GENESIS) with a Land-Surface Transfer Scheme (LSX). Part II: CO2 Sensitivity

Abstract The sensitivity of the equilibrium climate to doubled atmospheric CO2 is investigated using the GENESIS global climate model version 1.02. The atmospheric general circulation model is a heavily modified version of the NCAR CCM1 and is coupled to a multicanopy land-surface model (LSX); multilayer models of soil, snow, and sea ice; and a slab ocean mixed layer. Features that are relatively new in CO2 sensitivity studies include explicit subgrid convective plumes, PBL mixing, a diurnal cycle, a complex land-surface model, sea ice dynamics and semi-Lagrangian transport of water vapor. The global annual surface-air warming in the model is 2.1°C, with global precipitation increasing by 3.3%. Over most land areas, most of the changes in precipitation are insignificant at the 5% level compared to interannual variability. Decreases in soil moisture in summer are not as large as in most previous models and only occur poleward of ∼55°N in Siberia, northern Canada, and Alaska. Sea ice area in September reced...
Capsaicin and potassium evoked substance P release from the nucleus tractus solitarius and spinal trigeminal nucleus in vitro

Abstract The nucleus tractus solitarius and the spinal trigeminal nucleus receive peripheral sensory input from substance P containing afferent nerves. This study demonstrates that in vitro depolarization of these nuclei in tissue slices evokes a calcium-dependent efflux of substance P immunoreactivity. Capsaicin (33μM) also elicits substance P release from the nucleus tractus solitarius and spinal trigeminal nucleus but not from the hypothalamus. The occurrence of potassium-stimulated SP release from the two medullary nuclei fulfills one of the criteria for neurotransmitter status. The capsaicin data support the contention that this agent elicits release of substance P from nuclear regions receiving peripheral afferent information in substance P nerves independent of the particular sensory modality served but is ineffective in nonsensory areas.
Interaction between thermal phonons and dislocations in LiF

Thermal conductivity measurements on deformed LiF crystals from 0.04 to 0.8 K have indicated a strong polarization- and frequency-dependent dynamic scattering of thermal phonons by mobile dislocations. Heat-pulse experiments at 3.6 K have verified both the strength and polarization dependence of the scattering mechanism. The scattering of thermal phonons by sessile dislocations was too weak to be detected.
A New Thermoelastic Model for Analysis of Shape Memory Alloy Hybrid Composites

A constitutive model and a finite element formulation are developed for predicting the thermomechanical response of SMA hybrid composite structures subjected to combined thermal and mechanical load...
Massless, Euclidean Quantum Electrodynamics on the 5-Dimensional Unit Hypersphere

We show that the Feynman rules for vacuum-polarization calculations and the equations of motion in massless, Euclidean quantum electrodynamics can be transcribed, by means of a stereographic mapping, to the surface of the 5-dimensional unit hypersphere. The resulting formalism is closely related to the Feynman rules, which we also develop, for mass-less electrodynamics in the conformally covariant O(5, 1) language. The hyperspherical formulation has a number of apparent advantages over conventional Feynman rules in Euclidean space: It is manifestly infrared-finite, and it may permit the development of approximation methods based on a semiclassical approximation for angular momenta on the hypersphere. The finite-electron-mass, Minkowski-space generalization of our results gives a simple formulation of electrodynamics in (4, 1) de Sitter space.
Vision-based parking assistance system for leaving perpendicular and angle parking lots

Backing-out maneuvers in perpendicular or angle parking lots are one of the most dangerous maneuvers, specially in cases where side parked cars block the driver view of the potential traffic flow. In this paper a new vision-based Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) is proposed to automatically warn the driver in such scenarios. A monocular gray-scale camera is installed at the back-right side of the vehicle. A Finite State Machine (FSM) defined according to three CAN-Bus variables and a manual signal provided by the user is used to handle the activation/deactivation of the detection module. The proposed oncoming traffic detection module computes spatiotemporal images from a set of pre-defined scan-lines which are related to the position of the road. A novel spatio-temporal motion descriptor is proposed (STHOL) accounting the number of lines, their orientation and length of the spatio-temporal images. A Bayesian framework is used to trigger the warning signal using multivariate normal density functions. Experiments are conducted on image data captured from a vehicle parked at different locations of an urban environment, including different lighting conditions. We demonstrate that the proposed approach provides robust results maintaining processing rates close to real-time.
Prostacyclin Synthase Active Sites: IDENTIFICATION BY MOLECULAR MODELING-GUIDED SITE-DIRECTED MUTAGENESIS

Prostacyclin synthase (PGIS), a cytochrome P450 enzyme, catalyzes the biosynthesis of a physiologically important molecule, prostacyclin. In this study we have used a molecular modeling-guided site-directed mutagenesis to predict the active sites in substrate binding pocket and heme environment of PGIS. A three-dimensional model of PGIS was constructed using P450BM-3 crystal structure as the template. Our results indicate that residues Ile67, Val76, Leu384, Pro355, Glu360, and Asp364, which were suggested to be located at one side of lining of the substrate binding pocket, are essential for catalytic activity. This region containing β1-1, β1-2, β1-3, and β1-4 strands is predicted well by the model. At the heme region, Cys441 was confirmed to be the proximal axial ligand of heme iron. The conserved Phe and Arg in P450BM-3 were substituted by Leu112 and Asp439, respectively in PGIS. Alteration of Leu112 to Phe retained the activity, indicating that Leu112 is a functional substitution for Phe. In contrast, mutant Asp439→ Ala exhibited a slight increase in activity. This result implies a difference in the heme region between P450BM-3 and PGIS. Our results also indicate that stability of PGIS expression is not affected by heme site or active site mutations.
Zero-Bias Noise as a Measure of Free-Carrier Energy Relaxation in Photoconductors

We have illuminated a liquid-helium cooled, Hg-doped, Ge photoconductor with 10.6-\ensuremath{\mu}m radiation at power levels varying by a factor of 2000. The noise temperature was constant at 35\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K over this range, in spite of a resistance inversely proportional to power. This temperature has been used to infer a value of 0.135 for the ratio of free-carrier energy-loss time to recombination time.
The US Food and Drug Administration investigational device exemptions (IDE) and clinical investigation of cardiovascular devices: information for the investigator.

Abstract The conduct of a clinical investigation of a medical device to determine the safety and effectiveness of the device is covered by the investigational device exemptions (IDE) regulation. The purpose of IDE regulation is "to encourage, to the extent consistent with the protection of public health and safety and with ethical standards, the discovery and development of useful devices intended for human use, and to that end to maintain optimum freedom for scientific investigators in their pursuit of this purpose" (Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act). Conducting a clinical investigation may require an approved IDE application. The US Food and Drug Administration encourages early interaction with the agency through the pre–IDE process during the development of a device or technology and during the preparation of an IDE application. This facilitates approval of the IDE application and progression into the clinical investigation. This paper reviews the terminology and applicability of the IDE regulation and the type of study that requires an IDE application to the Food and Drug Administration. The pre–IDE process and the development of an IDE application for a significant risk study of a cardiovascular device are discussed. (J Vasc Surg 1999;29:566-74.)
Quantification of the spreading effect of auroral proton precipitation

[1] A three-dimensional Monte Carlo model has been developed to study the transverse beam spreading effect of incident energetic auroral protons during their precipitation in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Energetic protons with an isotropic angular distribution are injected at 700 km altitude. Two types of incident energy spectra, a monoenergetic and a Maxwellian distribution, are considered. Interaction of fast particles with a three-species atmosphere (O, N2, and O2) is included through charge exchange, electron stripping, ionization, excitation, and elastic scattering collisions. A uniform geomagnetic field is assumed in the model. The spreading effect is simulated for both a fine proton beam and a proton arc of longitudinal and latitudinal extent. It is found that the main dispersion region for a fine proton beam is located in the altitude range of around 250–450 km, where the first few charge exchange collisions play a significant role. In the spreading study for a proton arc, we compare the numerical results with previous studies and give a convincing explanation by analyzing atmospheric scale heights and cross-section data. For the purpose of the model validity check, we make a comparison of the Monte Carlo simulation with observations and the results from other models.
Applying informetric characteristics of databases to IR system file design, Part II: simulation comparisons

Abstract Using informetric models of IR system database contents and use, a simulation study was undertaken to examine hypothetical system performance. Combinations of informetric characteristics including term distribution and term selection patterns were used to examine how different informetric environments affect retrieval performance and space requirements for a given set of file structures. It was found that several of the six different structures were better suited for the different environments. The chained hashing structure, in most cases, provided the best retrieval performance and most economical space requirements where gradually decreasing Zipfian term distributions were present, regardless of the term selection distribution. However, the proposed modified hashing structure performed better in situations where steep Zipfian term distributions existed. Two variations of the BIM tree (Balanced Implicit Multiway tree) also provided good performance where steep term distributions were encountered and where the term selection relationship favored the retrieval of more frequently occurring terms.
Estimating radiated flux density from wildland fires using the raw output of limited bandpass detectors

We have simulated the radiant emission spectra from wildland fires such as would be observed at a scale encompassing the pre-frontal fuel bed, the flaming front and the zone of post-frontal combustion and cooling. For these simulations, we developed a ‘mixed-pixel’ model where the fire infrared spectrum is estimated as the linear superposition of spectra of many (n ~ 30) greybody emitters of randomly selected areal fraction, emissivity and temperature. Our model neglects contributions from atomic and molecular line emission from combustion gasses. The purpose of these simulations was to allow unambiguous use of limited bandwidth detectors to estimate the total power emitted from a wildland fire. From the simulations we observed a well-defined relationship between ground-leaving radiance (W m–2 sr–1) and limited bandpass sensor-reaching radiance for many different detector spectral responses. Error in the relationship is least when the detector sampled in the mid-wave portion of the infrared spectrum (~3–5 μm) where flaming combustion emits most strongly. We validate our approach to estimating total power using data from experimental burns. The ability to estimate total power from limited bandpass measurements has great utility in the observation of wildland fires from ground-based instruments and aircraft and satellite platforms.
Mechanism of agglutination of red blood cells by oyster hemolymph

Abstract Hemolymph from normal oysters ( Crassostrea virginica ) agglutinates the red blood cells of many vertebrate species. Inhibition tests indicate that the reactive site on human cells is the ABO blood group hapten; chemically different sites serve as points of attachment in other species. The reactive protein molecule requires calcium to agglutinate human cells but does not require calcium to agglutinate cells of nonhuman species. In the absence of calcium, hemagglutinin is heat-labile and is degraded to protein subunits with loss of biological activity. Presumably the intact complex molecule has the proper spatial orientation to attach to specific sites on red cells and to bind them in a lattice formation that results in agglutination.
Effect of initial texture on the recrystallization texture of cold rolled AA 5182 aluminum alloy

Abstract The effect of initial cube and rotated cube (r-cube) textures prior to cold rolling on the recrystallization and recrystallization texture of cold rolled AA 5182 aluminum alloy was investigated in detail. The transformation kinetics of recrystallization texture during isothermal annealing was quantified by the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov (JMAK) equation. The results show that AA 5182 aluminum alloy with different initial cube and r-cube textures exhibits almost the same recrystallization kinetics and recrystallized grain size. The apparent activation energy for recrystallization was estimated from both hardness and texture data to be 230 kJ/mol. The recrystallization texture of AA 5182 aluminum alloy with initial cube and r-cube textures is characterized by the R and cube components. As the annealing temperature increases, the volume fraction of the R component decreases, whereas the volume fraction of the cube component increases. The initial cube and r-cube textures affect the recrystallization texture of AA 5182 aluminum alloy. The AA 5182 aluminum alloy with an initial cube texture exhibits stronger R and Goss components as well as weaker cube and r-cube components than the alloy with an initial r-cube texture after complete recrystallization.
COMPLEX HEPATIC INJURIES

The most significant contribution to the management of hepatic injuries over the past 5 years has been the nonoperative management of blunt injuries in the adult patient. Recent data suggest that as many as 80% of all blunt hepatic injuries may be treated in this fashion, with a success rate exceeding 95%. The fear of missing hollow viscus injuries, as well as the risk of sudden hemorrhage in the observational period, leading to an increase in hepatic-related deaths, seems exaggerated. The intraoperative management of complex hepatic injuries revolves around strict adherence to resuscitation prior to addressing the lesion itself. At times, "damage control" with termination of surgery and "packing" the patient with planned re-exploration are critical, as these maneuvers are often lifesaving. The Pringle maneuver and intrahepatic hemostasis for grades III to IV injuries have resulted in a mortality rate under 10%. Juxtahepatic venous injuries continue to carry an inordinately high mortality rate. Intracaval shunts, when used, should be inserted early in the course of the operation before excess transfusions are given and acidosis and hypothermia develop.
The use of gradient and dual space in line-drawing interpretation

This paper reviews the application of gradient space and dual space in programs that interpret line-drawings and examines whether they can provide a basis for a fully adequate program. Mackworth's program Poly is analyzed at length. Counterexamples show first that the procedure must be generalized from gradient to dual space, and then that constraints in the form of inequalities as well as equations must be handled which necessitates a radical re-design. A proof that Poly itself is valid under perspective as well as orthographic projection although its derivation in terms of gradient space is not, further indicates that gradient (or dual) space is not the important element in Mackworth's approach. Other ways of using dual space by Kanade and Huffman are discussed but they do not convincingly rebut the conclusion that dual space is peripheral to the design of a competent program. Finally the conclusion that the plane equation approach derived from the developments described, while theoretically adequate, is awkward to use because it fails to offer intuitive clarity, is supported by contrasting it with the alternative method of sidedness reasoning.
Temporal properties of human information processing: Tests of discrete versus continuous models

Abstract Cognitive psychologists have characterized the temporal properties of human information processing in terms of discrete and continuous models. Discrete models postulate that component mental processes transmit a finite number of intermittent outputs (quanta) of information over time, whereas continuous models postulate that information is transmitted in a gradual fashion. These postulates may be tested by using an adaptive response-priming procedure and analysis of reaction-time mixture distributions. Three experiments based on this procedure and analysis are reported. The experiments involved varying the temporal interval between the onsets of a prime stimulus and a subsequent test stimulus to which a response had to be made. Reaction time was measured as a function of the duration of the priming interval and the type of prime stimulus. Discrete models predict that manipulations of the priming interval should yield a family of reaction-time mixture distributions formed from a finite number of underlying basis distributions, corresponding to distinct preparatory states. Continuous models make a different prediction. Goodness-of-fit tests between these predictions and the data supported either the discrete or the continuous models, depending on the nature of the stimuli and responses being used. When there were only two alternative responses and the stimulus-response mapping was a compatible one, discrete models with two or three states of preparation fit the results best. For larger response sets with an incompatible stimulus-response mapping, a continuous model fit some of the data better. These results are relevant to the interpretation of reaction-time data in a variety of contexts and to the analysis of speed-accuracy trade-offs in mental processes.
Estimation of protein-ligand binding parameters from continuous ultrafiltration results

A method of analyzing the result of continuous ultrafiltration experiments to obtain protein-ligand binding parameters is presented. This method employs a nonlinear least-squares regression algorithm coupled with a model of protein-ligand binding which alloww the computation of free ligand concentrations, and a second-order Runge-Kutta method to integrate free concentrations with respect to collected ultrafiltrate. The approach is general and effectively removes the constraints on maximum fraction size imposed by other methods.
Thermodynamics and stones

In New England each spring most gardeners are faced with clearing their plots of a multitude of varying sized stones. These same plots were cleared of stones during the spring planting of the previous year. Now the reappearance of surface stones is not without merit, for the phenomenon gives rise to some much needed exercise and the stones make walls of lasting practical and aesthetic value. It has also been suggested that the layer of stones that appear each spring upon the surface of tilled fields protects the soil from erosion by heavy spring rains. It is recommended that these surface stones be crushed and returned to the field. This process allows the use of farm machinery, and it still maintains a protective stone shield [Epstein et al., 1966] Even the most indolent observer should eventually begin to inquire as to the fundamental mechanism behind the phenomemon.
Comparison of “Less Affected Limb” Reaching Kinematics in Individuals with Chronic Stroke and Healthy Age-Matched Controls

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to compare kinematics of the limbs during reaching tasks with trunk restraint in persons with chronic stroke to a control group without impairment. Thirty individuals participated (chronic arm impairment from stroke, n = 15, healthy adults, n = 15). Three-dimensional kinematic analysis of the upper extremities was collected during reaching with trunk restraint (self-selected and fast velocities, ipsilateral and contralateral target locations). Data were analyzed with t-tests (p ≤ .025) and effect sizes. Less affected limb showed significant differences compared to the control group in variables at faster speed conditions with medium-large effect sizes across target locations. The less affected upper extremity adapts differently when reaching with trunk restraint compared to persons without stroke. These findings support the idea that there is not a “nonparetic” limb following a stroke, indicating that bilateral assessments and training should be incorporated into reha...
The Assessment of an L2 Listening Comprehension Construct: A Tentative Model for Test Specification and Development

of comprehension (12), nor general consensus on the best techniques for assessing that construct (8; 16; 17). However, when attempting to develop either traditional and/or more innovative types of tests (e.g., computer-adaptive tests) of L2 listening comprehension, the developers must first examine the nature of a listening comprehension construct and identify the critical aspects of listening comprehension assessment that need to be addressed. In this
Maintaining distributed relationships

Electronic communication works best when it increases interaction and collaboration through a variety of media.
Potential for adverse drug-alcohol interactions among retirement community residents

OBJECTIVES: Medications and alcohol are both used commonly by older people. Thus, the potential for adverse drug-alcohol interactions is very high in this population, but data on actual concurrent use of alcohol and medicines likely to interact with alcohol are lacking. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of alcohol and medication use and the potential for specific adverse drug-alcohol interactions in residents of retirement communities. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using a mailed survey. SETTING: Three retirement communities in suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin. PARTICIPANTS: All 454 independently living residents of the communities were surveyed. Of these, 311 residents (68%) returned completed questionnaires. Mean age of respondents was 83 ± 6 years, 100% were white, 77% were female. MEASUREMENTS: The questionnaire included alcohol use questions adapted from the Khavari questionnaire and the CAGE questionnaire to screen for alcohol abuse. Respondents were asked to list all prescription and nonprescription medications. RESULTS: Thirty-eight percent of the population reported using both alcohol and a high risk medication. Six percent had seven or more drinks per week and took a high risk medication. High risk drugs commonly used by drinkers were antihypertensives in 50%, aspirin in 27%, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs in 20%, medication for congestive heart failure in 18%, antacids or H2 blockers in 16%, sedatives in 11%, narcotics in 5%, and warfarin in 5%. CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent use of alcohol and medications is common in residents of these retirement communities. Many of the drugs taken by regular drinkers have potential for adverse drug-alcohol interactions even at moderate levels of alcohol use. This represents a strong possibility of adverse outcomes and a need for increased awareness on the part of both the public and physicians of the potential for interactions between drugs and alcohol.
Reconnecting with Our Roots American Urban Planning and Public Health in the Twenty-first Century

This article suggests that contemporary efforts to reconnect urban planning and public health can benefit from a critical historical review of the two fields, particularly strategies based on removal and displacement of waste and people, scientific rationality, moral environmentalism, and increased specialization. The article offers a set of reconnection strategies that draw from this review, emphasizing alternative paradigms of precaution and prevention, institution building, and local knowledge. I offer examples of specific practices that embody these ideas, such as health impact assessment, food systems planning, and promoting networks of community health workers, that address both the physical and social determinants of health and might effectively reconnect planning and public health to meet the challenges facing twenty-first-century cities.
Reversal of the physiological effects of monocular deprivation in adult dark-reared cats

Abstract If kittens are dark-reared for 4 months and subsequently monocularly sutured, cells in area 17 become dominated by the experienced eye. We now find that (a) the effect of monocular deprivation in adult dark-reared cats can be reversed by suturing the experienced eye and allowing the cat to use the deprived eye, an effect that has previously been shown only in young kittens. (b) The presence of continuous or nearly continuous visual experience during infancy is required for the critical period to exhaust itself — brief periods of visual experience will not suffice.
Raman Measurements on Thin Polymer Films and Organic Monolayers

Resonant and nonresonant Raman scattering measurements have been obtained from very thin (27 A to 1 μ) films of long chain organic molecules and polymers using multilayered integrated optics. The increased optical field intensity within the film together with an increase in scattering volume enable high signal/noise spectra to be obtained. Investigation of a single cyanine dye monolayer using the Resonance Raman effect has revealed frequency shifts of the quinoline in plane C—C and C—N stretching modes at 1392 and 1366 cm−1 resulting from intermolecular adhesive forces at the film-Corning glass interface. Bandwidth broadening of these modes indicates a distribution of chromophore environments at the glass surface possibly reflecting the heterogeneity of surface binding sites.
Impact of Automation on Process Control Decision-Making

Abstract This paper investigates changes in the process control of a vehicle assembly plant which had been modernized from a principally manual procedure to one that uses programmable automation extensively. Process control is defined as the information flow and decision-making required to perform basic process operations. We investigate the effects of implementing a computer-integrated production system on the amount and types of process control decision-making and on the distribution of process control decision-making between humans and machines. After automation, the emphasis on decisions regarding product quality specifications increased and the emphasis on decisions related to flexibility in handling a variety of product options decreased. Decisions concerning product quality specifications, as well as timing and synchronization of tasks, were usually performed by automated equipment, while decisions relating to the flexibility of the process remained, to a large extent, under manual control. Whereas humans made nearly 75% of the decisions required to assemble and weld a vehicle body in the principally manual system, humans made fewer than 10% of similar decisions in the automated system.