cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Die Inhibition von Kühlkreisläufen

Die Auswahl eines Kuhlwasserinhibitors richtet sich nach der Art des Kuhlsystems und der darin verwendeten Werkstoffe sowie nach den spezifischen Beanspruchungen, so z. B. – extrem hohe oder niedrige Stromungsgeschwindigkeiten des Kuhlmediums, – hohe Warmebelastung der zu Kuhlenden Metallwand, – Reibungsvorgange, wobei der Inhibitor zusatzlich eine Schmierfunktion ausuben mus, – Vibrationen, die zu Kavitationserscheinungen oder zur Werkstoffermudung fuhren Konnen, – Wechselwirkungen des Inhibitors mit anderen elektrochemischen Schutzverfahren (z. B. lokaler kathodischer Schutz von hochbeanspruchten Zonen des Kuhlsystems). In zahlreichen Fallen ist es zudem notwendig, die Wirksamkeit der Inhibierung durch den Zusatz von weiteren Wirkstoffen zu unterstutzen (Dispergiermittel, Hartestabilisatoren, Gemische von Inhibitoren mit selektiver Schutzwirkung). The inhibition of cooling systems The choice of an efficient corrosion inhibitor has to take in account the type of the cooling system, the materials used as well as the specific operating conditions, for instance – very low or very high velocities of the cooling water – heat transfer – the inhibitor may be asked to have some lubricating properties – vibrations, that can cause cavitation or fatigue corrosion – interaction between the corrosion inhibitor and other electrochemical systems of corrosion protection (cathodic protection). In numerous applications it is necessary to improve the inhibition by an addition of other effective substances (like dispersants, hardness stabilizers, mixture of inhibitors with selective protection properties).
Grain Sizes of Ejected Comet Dust. Condensed Dust Analogs, Interplanetary Dust Particles and Meteors

Dust ejected from comet nuclei includes up to millimeter-sized highly porous and collapsed aggregates plus small pebbles with mass/size distributions and compositions defined by the hypothesis of hierarchical dust accretion based on collected interplanetary dust particles and meteor properties.
The epidemiology of teen suicide: An examination of risk factors.

The information presented here is on the incidence of suicide in the United States and in other countries where reporting procedures are reliable. The problem of underreporting is discussed and put into perspective. Secular trends in suicide incidence are presented, and it is shown how these have varied a great deal for different age groups. Age, ethnic, and cultural differences in incidence are demonstrated, and explanatory theories for these differences are put forward. The phenomenon of cluster suicide is described, and possible explanations for this are discussed. The limitations of death certificate data and the advantages (and limitations) of the psychological autopsy method are presented. Results from previous psychological autopsy studies on epidemiologically sound samples are summarized. Results (preliminary) from a current psychological autopsy study on consecutive adolescent suicides in the New York Metropolitan area are presented. Family history data and diagnostic profiles of completed suicides are emphasized.
Real-time implementation of lateral flow estimation using spatial quadrature

The first real-time implementation of lateral flow estimation using spatial quadrature is described and results of its application in flow-phantom experiments presented. Spatial quadrature (SQ) is a recently-introduced technique for two- or three-dimensional flow velocity estimation. In its most basic form, this technique interrogates the region of interest with a pair of point spread functions which have weightings in the lateral dimension with a quadrature relationship. These weightings produce a modulation in the echoes from scatterers moving laterally through a resolution volume. This modulation can be decoded to quantify the lateral velocity component. In this SQ implementation, summed radio-frequency echo data was captured in an M-mode scan geometry using 2:1 parallel processing in spatial quadrature with a 7.5 MHz linear array and a conventional ultrasound scanner. The target for these experiments was a phantom vessel composed of an 8 mm latex tube in a water tank. Using a computer-controlled calibrated flow pump, blood-mimicking fluid was circulated through this vessel at constant volume flow rates of 5-25 ml/s, corresponding to peak flow velocities in the range of 10-45 cm/s. Laminar flow was established in the vessel through the use of a long, straight in-flow tube leading into the vessel. Lateral velocity estimates were subsequently processed off-line to produce velocity profiles over range. These velocity profiles show the parabolic shape characteristic of laminar flow. Volume flow rates were estimated from these profiles using a parabolic curve fit. At optimum pulse repetition frequencies, these SQ-based estimates agreed with the known volume flow to /spl les/5.1% for all flow rates tested.
Electron-ion energy partition when a charged particle slows in a plasma: results.

This paper concerns plasmas in which the electrons and ions may have different temperatures. This is a case that must be examined because nuclear fusion processes, such as those that appear in ICF capsules, have ions whose temperature runs away from the electron temperature. A fast charged particle traversing a plasma---such as the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ particle created in deuterium-tritium fusion---loses its energy to both the electrons and the ions in the plasma. In this paper, we present and discuss the results for the energy partition, the fractions ${E}_{e}/{E}_{0}$ and ${E}_{\mathrm{I}}/{E}_{0}$ of the initial energy ${E}_{0}$ of this projectile particle that are deposited into the electrons and ions when it has slowed to its minimum energy distribution. The calculations, performed in the following paper [Brown, Preston, and Singleton Jr., Phys. Rev. E 86, 016407 (2012)], use a well-defined Fokker-Planck equation for the phase-space distribution of the charged projectiles in a weakly to moderately coupled plasma. The Fokker-Planck equation holds to first subleading order in the dimensionless plasma coupling constant, which translates to computing to order $n\mathrm{ln}n$ (leading) and $n$ (subleading) in the plasma density $n$. We present an examination of the energy partition for the general case, in which the temperatures of the ions and electrons in the background plasma are not equal. The energy partitions for a background plasma in thermal equilibrium have been previously computed, but the order $n$ terms have not been calculated, only estimated. Our Fokker-Planck formulation provides an unambiguous, precise definition of the energy fractions.
A Robotic Sensor Network for monitoring carp in Minnesota lakes

Robotic Sensor Networks (RSNs) find increasing use in environmental monitoring as RSNs can collect data from obscure, hard-to-reach places over long periods of time. This work reports progress in building a network of small, light-weight robotic rafts which will be used to monitor common carp tagged with radio transmitters across Minnesota lakes. We describe the design and architecture of the robotic raft, and demonstrate the robustness of our waypoint navigation algorithm through field tests conducted in various lakes. We also present results from experiments aimed towards localizing tagged fish.
Double eigenvalues for the uniform Timoshenko beam

In this paper, a necessary and sufficient condition is given for determining if a uniform Timoshenko beam with free ends has an eigenvalue for which there exist two linearly independent eigenfunctions. Such eigenvalues are called double. Two examples are given of beams with double eigenvalues. The first example gives a physically realistic set of beam parameters which give rise to a beam with a double eigenvalue. The second example shows that there exist choices for beam parameters which give rise to beams with two double eigenvalues.
Self-quantized wavelet subtrees: wavelet-based theory of fractal image compression

We describe a novel adaptive wavelet-based compression scheme for images which takes advantage of image redundancy across scales. As with standard wavelet transform coders, our compressed image representation consists of a set of quantized wavelet coefficients and quantized wavelet subtrees. Instead of having a fixed subtree codebook, however, we construct a codebook from the image being compressed. Subtrees are quantized to contracted isometries of coarser scale subtrees. This codebook drawn from the image is effective for quantizing locally smooth regions and locally straight edges. We prove that this self- quantization enables us to recover the fine scale wavelet coefficients of an image given its coarse scale coefficients. We show that this self-quantization algorithm is equivalent to a fractal image compression scheme when the wavelet basis is the Haar basis. The wavelet framework greatly simplifies the analysis of fractal compression schemes and places fractal compression in the context of existing wavelet subtree coding schemes. We obtain a simple convergence proof which strengthens existing fractal compression results, we describe a new reconstruction algorithm which requires O(N) operations for an N pixel image, and we derive an improved means of estimating the error incurred in decoding fractal compressed images. We show the effect of self-quantization for a test image.
Effects of oxidation and reduction on the spectral properties of the egg capsules of Raja erinacea Mitchill

Abstract At oviposition, egg capsules of Raja erinacea Mitchill were a deep greenish-brown. The dorsal wall was translucent while the ventral wall appeared transparent. Spectral analysis of capsulai material was performed by placing capsular specimens in microcuvettes in a scanning spectrophotometer and measuring absorbance at wavelengths in the visible spectrum between 350 and 900 nm. The capsule wall completely absorbed light between 350- and 460-nm wavelengths. At higher wavelengths, absorbance decreased while the amount of transmitted light increased. The dorsal wall absorbed more light > 460 nm than did the ventral wall because the dorsal wall was thicker and contained higher catechol concentrations. Reduction of capsule specimens with NaBH4 decreased absorbance of light but did not alter the wall thickness or catechol concentration. Reduced specimens appeared transparent light green. Oxidation of capsule with FeCl3 effectively increased absorbance of light > 460 nm so that little light of any wavelength passed through the specimen. In reflected light, FeCl3-treated specimens appeared dark brownish-black, mimicking the natural darkening of capsules which occurs during incubation. These results indicate that R. erinacea egg capsules remain chemically reactive following oviposition. Capsules possess inherent redox potential at oviposition and contain catechols which can be oxidized to quinones forming dark pigments. These observations suggest that catechol oxidation plays a role in the change in color and transparency of R. erinacea egg capsules during incubation.
Editorial on two chronic low back pain studies: A major change in surgical management of disc disease?

In two recent publications, the authors’ hypothesis was that Modic type 1 changes seen in patients with chronic low back pain and herniated lumbar discs may be attributed to bacterial infection/inflammation. The first study showed that many herniated discs were infected with Proprionibacterium acnes, a common anaerobic skin organism, also found in sarcoidosis, and possibly, arthritic joints. In the second double-blind randomized study, 162 patients with disc herniation and Modic type 1 changes were treated with 100 days of oral Bioclavid (Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid) vs. placebo; those treated with antibiotics improved in all dimensions (e.g., reduced chronic low back/leg pain, reduced disability). Together, the implications of these studies for spine surgeons and pain practitioners are momentous. If a few weeks of oral antibiotic treatment resolves chronic low back pain, then much currently performed spine surgery (e.g. including internal fixation/fusion), as well as chronic pain management/rehabilitation and psychological strategies may be rendered unnecessary.
Observations on the in vitro Production of Vernalized Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.)

Rooted shoots of sugar beet were vernalized in vitro for three months and then transplanted into the field without acclimatization. All surviving plants bolted two months later.
Women's organizing and intersectional policy-making in comparative perspective: evidence from Guatemala and Germany

Despite worldwide increases in the proportion of women in legislatures, advances in levels of democracy, and rising levels of economic and human development, the preferences and priorities of the most marginalized women are still typically neglected in public policy. We identify a type of substantive representation that we call intersectional policy-making, which addresses the specific sources of disadvantage that deter the social mobility and even fundamental well-being of marginalized subgroups of women. We conduct a cross-national paired comparison of Guatemala and Germany as contrasting cases with unexpected outcomes. Intersectional policies emerged in Guatemala but were limited and even misguided in Germany. We find that typical explanations for variation in the emergence of policies benefiting women as a larger group do not explain variation in intersectional policies. Instead, we advance the novel argument that civil society organizations composed of marginalized subgroups of women must engage in g...
What are infant siblings teaching us about autism in infancy

International research to understand infant patterns of development in autism spectrum disorders has recently focused on a research paradigm involving prospective longitudinal studies of infant siblings of children with autism. Such designs use a comparison group of infant siblings without any familial risks (the low- risk group) to gather longitudinal information about developmental skills across the first three years of life, followed by clinical diagnosis of ASD at 36 months. This review focuses on five topics: presence of ASD in the infant sibling groups, patterns and characteristics of motor development, patterns and characteristics of social and emotional development, patterns and characteristics of intentional communication, both verbal and nonverbal, and patterns that mark the onset of behaviors pathognomonic for ASD. Symptoms in all these areas typically begin to be detected during the age period of 12 –24 months in infants who will develop autism. Onset of the symptoms occurs at varying ages and in varying patterns, but the pattern of frank loss of skills and marked regression reported from previous retrospective studies in 20–30% of children is seldom reported in these infant sibling prospective studies. Two surprises involve the very early onset of repetitive and unusual sensory behaviors, and the lack of predictive symptoms at age 6 months. Contrary to current views that autism is a disorder that profoundly affects social development from the earliest months of life, the data from these studies presents a picture of autism as a disorder involving symptoms across multiple domains with a gradual onset that changes both ongoing developmental rate and established behavioral patterns across the first two to three years of life.
Chemically modified reticulated vitreous carbon electrode with immobilized enzyme as a detector in flow-injection determination of glucose

Abstract The construction and response of a chemically modified electrode in which glucose oxidase (E.C. 1.1.3.4) is covalently attached to the surface of reticulated vitreous carbon is reported. Hydrogen peroxide produced by the oxidation of glucose is consumed at the electrode suface, which is held at + 0.9 V vs. a saturated calomel reference electrode. The hydrodynamic and electrochemical properties of the reticulated vitreous carbon electrode substrate make the electrode attractive for use in flow systems. The current varies nonlinearly with glucose concentration throughout most of the range examined (10−1−10−4 M). At concentrations of 2.5–10 mM, response is approximately linear with concentration, with a sensitivity of about 400 nA mM−1. Relative standard deviation for five sample at 10 mM−1 is less than 2%.
How reliably can climate change and mitigation policy impacts on electric utilities be assessed

Abstract Numerous mechanisms link climate change and electric utilities. Electricity generation releases radiatively active trace substances (RATS). Significant changes in atmospheric concentration of RATS can lead to a change in regional and global climate regimes. Mitigation action designed to prevent or limit climate change is possible through curbing emissions. Climate change and related mitigation actions impact on electric utilities. Foresight in electric utility planning requires reliable predictions of how the utilities may be affected in the decades ahead. In this paper the impacts of climate change and mitigation policies are noted, and our ability to assess these is reviewed. To this end a suite of models exploring supply and demand questions have been developed. The overall conclusion of the study is that the demand-side uncertainties dominate other unknowns and need to be better characterized and understood.
Reference as Outreach: Meeting Users Where They Are

ABSTRACT Academic libraries have seen a dramatic decline in face-to-face traditional reference desk interactions over the past decade. Due to new initiatives at the University of New Mexico, reference services are flourishing even though traditional desk reference interactions are declining. Incorporating more engaged librarians within the academic and surrounding communities has expanded reference services and created new opportunities for librarians to consult with users in multiple settings. The establishment of a virtual service desk has increased the accessibility and visibility of the library to “meet users where they are” in an electronic environment.
First Report of Pithomyces chartarum Causing a Leaf Blight of Miscanthus × giganteus in Kentucky.

Miscanthus × giganteus is a warm-season perennial grass, native to eastern Asia. Brought into the United States as a landscape plant, it is currently being considered as a potential biomass fuel crop. In August 2009, a newly established and a 2-year-old M. × giganteus field research trial near Lexington, KY were found to have 100% incidence of severe leaf blight. Brown, mosaic-like, coalesced necrotic lesions covered leaf blades and sheaths on every stand, ultimately killing some leaves and tillers. The disease was more destructive in the newly established trial where 4- to 5-month-old M. × giganteus tillers were killed. No fruiting bodies were found immediately on diseased leaves. However, surface-disinfested diseased leaf tissue produced a sooty black mass of conidia after 1 week following incubation in a petri dish moisture chamber at 25°C in the dark. Single conidia isolations were made on half-strength potato dextrose agar (HSPDA) amended with 25 mg/liter of rifamycin and incubated at 25°C. Morpholog...
Robust regularized image restoration

Many image processing applications involve long-tailed noise processes, which introduce outliers in the gray-level distribution of the image. The performance of conventional restoration algorithms is highly degraded by such noise processes. A novel restoration approach is introduced, which combines the properties of regularized and robust estimation schemes. Most prominent regularized approaches attempt to compensate for the ill-posedness of the pseudo-inverse solution. Regularization is achieved by constraining the least squares solution in terms of a smoothing criterion. The optimization approach introduced in this paper further modifies the regularized criterion according to the notion of M-estimation. Thus, an influence function is employed in restraining the contribution of large estimate-deviations in the optimization criterion. The modified criterion provides nonlinear estimates, which do not suffer from artifacts due to the presence of long-tailed noise. The computation of the robust regularized estimate is based on the simple structure of a steepest-descent iterative procedure. One of the most important factors associated with the concept of regularization is the regularization parameter. Adaptive schemes concerning the selection of this parameter at every iteration step are introduced. The convergence properties of the robust and the adaptive algorithms introduced are extensively studied. The capabilities of the robust regularized algorithms are demonstrated through restoration examples.
The computer in the radiologist's office.

Today, the radiologist is able to equip his or her office with a powerful personal computer system equivalent to the large mainframe computers of just a few years ago. If funds permit, purchase of a 486 equivalent system with 200-300 Mbytes of hard-disk storage, 16 Mbytes of random access memory (RAM), a high-resolution color video card and monitor, and a laser printer is recommended. The practical uses for such a system are almost limitless and include word processing, spreadsheet and data-base management, telecommunications, multimedia presentations, business applications, teleradiology, resident and medical student education, and research applications. No matter how much one becomes involved in computer applications, it is essential to establish good habits for backing up critical data files and programs. Becoming familiar with computer technology is not easy at first. Finding a good computer buddy, taking simple night school courses, and reading computer articles and magazines are good ways to get sta...
The Arc Spectra of Iodine, Bromine, and Chlorine in the Schumann Region

The arc spectra of Cl, Br, and I have been investigated in the region between 2050 and 1230 A. U. Wave-length tables are given. 1396.5 and 1633.6 A. U. are the wave-lengths of the lines of longest wave-length of Cl and Br, respectively, and correspond to the previously known 2062.1 line of I. Doublet differences of 881, 3685, 7600 wave number units are found between lines of Cl, Br, and I spectra respectively and are thought to be the separations of the two levels of normal doublet $p$ states of the atoms. The probable resonance lines are of wave-lengths 1379.6, 1540.8 and 1782.9 A. U. corresponding to radiating potentials of 8.95, 8.01, and 6.92 volts. No band spectrum of HCl appeared in the region investigated although the excitation was probably favorable for its production.
Process control and color management implementation

ICC color management technology can be adopted in a number of workflows. Unfortunately, not all color-management systems, as implemented, achieve equal success in real world. There are a number of factors that limit color management performance. This paper reviews factors such as end user's expectations and color management limitations. However, the objective of this paper is to discuss device limitations and how to use statistics and process control methodology to assess and reduce these variations. Test targets, color measurement, and press sheet sampling are utilized to assess spatial uniformity as well as temporal consistency of hard copy output devices. By comparing temporal variation of the process against specifications, process capability indices, CP and CpK, are used to analyze run-to-run color repeatability. To enhance color management performance, a demerit system, based on amplitude responses, was used to determine the best press sheet for printer profiling application. Color management performance ultimately depends on our ability to minimize and control spatial, temporal, and run-to-run variations.
Remarks on “Floating Bodies Subject to Capillary Attractions”

Using a theorem of E. Gutkin from the theory of billiards, we characterize the contact angles γ for which there exist horizontal cylinders with non-circular section that can float in any orientation at angle γ.
Effect of daily topical ethacrynic acid on aqueous humor dynamics in monkeys

We determined the effect of 1.5% ethacrynic acid (ECA) in ointment on intraocular pressure (IOP) and outflow facility following 5 days of topical treatment in ocular normotensive cynomolgus monkeys. Twelve monkeys received a 1 cm strip of ointment containing ECA in one eye but without ECA in the other once daily for 5 days. On Day 1 and Day 5 IOP was measured immediately before and 1 and 3 h after treatment. Outflow facility (perfusion) was determined 3.5 h after treatment on Day 5. The ECA-vehicle IOP differences averaged -2.8 ± 0.8 (S.E.M) (p < 0.01), -1.7 ± 0.6 (p < 0.02) and -3.7 ± 0.7 mm Hg (p < 0.001), equivalent to IOP reductions of 21 ± 6% (p < 0.01), 13 ± 5% (p < 0.02) and 26 ± 5% (p < 0.002) respectively, at 0, 1 and 3 h respectively after treatment on Day 5. Facility averaged 40 ± 15% higher (p < 0.03) in the ECA-treated compared to the vehicle-treated eyes 4 h after treatment on Day 5.
Developmental changes in the photosensitivity of male turkeys.

Abstract The age at which photosexual responsiveness occurs in juvenile male turkeys was investigated by determining the age at which a postcastration rise in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) was first evident. Birds were subjected to short (6L:18D) and long (16L:8D) photoperiods. In birds exposed to long photoperiod there was no castration-induced LH rise in 2-, 4-, and 6-week-old turkeys, but there was in such birds by 7–8 weeks. No postcastration increase occurred if castrated turkeys were held under 6L:18D. When 10-week-old castrated turkeys were switched from a long to a short photoperiod their serum LH levels fell to that of intact controls. Administration of synthetic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) to 6-week-old turkeys increased serum LH about ninefold above the preinjection values. Hypothalamic LHRH content of 6- and 10-week-old males were similar. Thus, it is proposed that the absence of LH response to castration in these young birds is due to a failure to transduce or transmit the photoperiodic information necessary to activate the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.
Type Inference for Recursively Constrained Types and its Application to OOP

Abstract We define a powerful type inference mechanism with application to object-oriented programming. The types inferred are recursively constrained types, types that come with a system of constraints. These types may be viewed as generalizations of recursive types and F-bounded polymorphic types, the forms of type that are necessary to properly encode object typings. The base language we study, I-Soop, incorporates state and records, the two features critical to encode objects in a non-object-oriented language. Soundness and completeness of the type inference algorithm are established by operational means. Our method for establishing these properties is somewhat novel. We illustrate how the algorithm may be fruitfully applied to infer types of object-oriented programs.
Is "Primordial" Helium Really Extraterrestrial?

Among the isotope systems exploited by mantle geochemists to deduce the chemical evolution of the Earth, those of the rare gases are unique because they record the migration of volatile species from the mantle to the atmosphere. The isotopic composition of helium in mantle-derived rocks is now reasonably well known, and it suggests that this migration has been both more heterogeneous and less extensive than commonly expected. The implications of the helium data are profound, but they seem to conflict with widely held beliefs derived from other geochemical tracers, including the isotopic characteristics of lithophile elements (that is, elements such as Sr, Nd, and Pb found predominantly in Earth's silicate rust). Although the geochemical processes affecting the rare gases and lithophile species must be intimately related, it has proven difficult to reconcile them in any obvious way. On page 170 of this issue, Anderson offers a controversial hypothesis that can simultaneously explain all of these disparate tracers (1). If he is correct, a dramatic reinterpretation of the terrestrial rare gas data and their significance to planetary evolution is required.
Toward a social cognitive basis for the IT professional's person-organization fit research-in-progress

Development and maintenance of the corporate IT skill portfolio through the in-house development of IT talent demands that managers have a strategy for implementing the proper incentives for the IT workforce to pursue the appropriate training and skill acquisition programs. Social-cognitive theory is used as a foundation for proposing a process-oriented model and the development of instrumentation to measure the IT professional's person-organization fitting processes. The instrumentation was successfully pilot tested with respect to the initial estimates of its reliability and validity.
Switching of bovine cytochrome c oxidase subunit VIa isoforms in skeletal muscle during development

Abstract A cDNA encoding the liver isoform of bovine cytochromec oxidase subunit VIa (VIaL) was cloned from bovine liver RNA by reverse transcription and the polymerase chain reaction. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences show high conservation with the corresponding rat and human liver subunits. The sequence similarity between beef heart and beef liver VIa is 60%. Northern analyses of the steady-state levels of the VIa-heart (VIaH) and VIa-liver (VIaL) transcripts showed that adult liver and brain contained only VIaL transcripts, the VIaH transcript predominated in heart with a small amount of VIaL also present, while in adult skeletal muscle VIaH was present exclusively. The VIaL transcript was found in fetal heart and skeletal muscle from 104–215-day-old fetuses, in as much as 25% of the amount of VIaH transcript. The down-regulation of VIaL transcript in skeletal muscle at or close to birth may be correlated with a change in amount or cytochromec oxidase relative to thebc1 complex (complex III) observed spectrally when fetal and adult muscle samples were compared.
A review of the predictive ability of Glasgow Coma Scale scores in head-injured patients.

According to 1999 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) caused by motor vehicle accidents, firearms, and falls are recorded as a leading cause of death and lifelong disability for young adults in the United States. Researchers have investigated if correlations exist between variables in the acute stage of injury and outcome measures in TBI patients. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score is one variable that was extensively studied for its ability to predict outcome in TBI patients. However, the use of different designs and methodologies in these studies makes the interpretation of the cumulative findings difficult. Therefore the purpose of this review was to provide a summary of the research findings on the ability of the GCS scores to predict outcome in TBI patients. A search was done on MEDLINE and CINAHL to identify studies that investigated the predictive ability of the GCS score. Studies that used the GCS as a variable in predicting outcome with adult patients who had sustained some type of head injury were included. GCS scores are most accurate at predicting outcome in head-injured patients when they are combined with patient age and pupillary response and when broad outcome categories are used. The motor component of the GCS yields similar prediction rates as the summed GCS score, and better prediction occurs with very high or very low GCS scores. Information about the cumulative research findings on the predictive ability of GCS scores aids nurses in providing support and education to family members during the acute stage of injury, and in coordinating the services of members of the healthcare team, which could result in improved outcomes for both patient and family. Language: en
Nondestructive evaluation of creep damage in power-plant steam generators and piping by magnetic measurements

Magnetic hysteresis measurements have been used to evaluate creep damage in power plant weldments. This method relies on the sensitivity of the magnetic properties of steels, such as coercivity, remanence and hysteresis loss, to microstructural changes occurring during creep. During high temperature creep there is a significant change in microstructure such as the formation of voids, dislocation networks and grain boundary cavities. The evolution of these defects during creep affects the magnetic properties by changing the impedance to magnetic domain wall motion and also by introducing internal demagnetizing fields associated with cavities. The present paper discusses results obtained from on-site inspection of creep damaged Cr-Mo steel welds at two thermal power plants. One of the objectives of this research was to establish whether there were any trends in the magnetic properties as a result of creep damage which could be used later as part of a more comprehensive screening procedure for monitoring the progress of creep damage.
Commissioning and operation of the ATLAS pixel detector

Abstract The ATLAS Pixel Detector is the innermost detector of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. It consists of 1744 silicon sensors equipped with approximately 80 million electronic channels, providing typically three measurement points with high resolution for charged particles emerging from the beam-interaction region, thus allowing the reconstruction of particle tracks and secondary vertices with very high precision. Before the start of LHC operations, the completed Pixel Detector was operated for many months under nominal conditions in the ATLAS experimental hall. This allowed for the optimization of the operating parameters of the system, and to qualify the detector with physics data from cosmic muons. After the commissioning phase was complete, the Pixel Detector was 97.5% operational during the first LHC pp collisions run. Noise occupancy and hit efficiency exceed the design specifications. The alignment is close enough to the ideal to allow good track reconstruction and invariant mass determination. A review of the commissioning and first operational experience with the Pixel Detector will be presented. This will include detector calibration procedures, online data quality monitoring, module timing optimization and the status of the Pixel Detector during the first year of LHC operations.
The Effect of Acculturation on Frailty Among Older Mexican Americans

An increasingly prevalent syndrome in geriatric populations, frailty, is a largely ignored, but relevant public health issue. Frailty in older adults is characterized by increased weakness, unintentional weight loss, slow movement, a lack of energy, and low levels of physical activity (Fried et al, 2004). With current nationwide attempts to lessen the population's burden on the healthcare system and to decrease costs, prolonged (and costly) periods of disability and/or frailty can seriously pressure a weakened healthcare system (The Board of Trustees, 2009). In addition, with increasing numbers of older ethnic adults, particularly the rapidly growing Mexican descent population, there is no research currently available on the prevalence of or impact of frailty among minority groups on the US health care system. In order to further advance the study of compression of morbidity (Fries 2005) with regard to the frailty syndrome, longitudinal research is necessary to determine potential precursors to prefrail or frail states. There have been several studies that have examined modifiable characteristics with respect to frailty. For example, Ostir and colleagues (2004) discovered that increased positive affect was associated with decreased risk of frailty in older Mexican Americans (Ostir et al, 2004). In addition, Gill and colleagues (2006), in a study of transitions between different frailty conditions, suggested that there are “ample” opportunities for prevention of transitioning into a frail state. An additional variable that is potentially modifiable that some evidence suggests is health protective is acculturation (Abraido-Lanza et al, 2006). Recently, in an attempt to untangle the relationship of acculturation to health status, Gonzalez and colleagues (2009) suggested that the negative connection between increased acculturation and worse health found in younger Mexican Americans may not remain negative later in life. The reasoning behind this assertion was that increased acculturation may bring with it a greater ability to navigate the health care system, accumulate assets (both knowledge-based and physical), and adapt to personal health needs (Gonzalez et al, 2009). This has already been shown in a study from the Asset and Health Dynamics of the Oldest Old (AHEAD) where acculturation, as measured by length of time in the United States, mediated the negative association between immigration and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) as well as health care insurance (Lum et al, 2009). Because difficulties in IADL precede or be preceded by frailty, it is logical to suggest that acculturation may also be positively associated to frailty in older adults. In order to address the effects of acculturation on frailty, we examined the effects of two acculturation measures on the likelihood of becoming pre-frail and frail over a 10-year period among older Mexican Americans residing in the Southwest. Our hypothesis was that increased proficiency in English and increased contact with Anglo Americans would be protective against becoming frail over time.
Postoperative seizures following the resection of convexity meningiomas: are prophylactic anticonvulsants indicated? Clinical article.

Object Seizures in the perioperative period are a well-recognized clinical entity in the setting of brain tumor surgery. At present, the suitability of antiepileptic prophylaxis in patients following brain tumor surgery is unclear, especially in those without prior seizures. Given the paucity of tumor-type and site-specific data, the authors evaluated the incidence of postoperative seizures in patients with convexity meningiomas and no prior seizures. Methods The authors identified 180 patients with no preoperative history of seizures who underwent resection of a convexity meningioma. Some patients received antiepileptic prophylaxis for 7 days postoperatively while others did not, based on the practice patterns of different attendings. The rates of clinically evident seizures in the first 3–4 weeks after surgery were compared. Results Patients who received antiepilepsy drugs (129 patients) did not significantly differ from those who did not (51 patients) in terms of age, sex, WHO tumor grade, extent of re...
Molecular weight and trace metal distributions in fulvic and humic acid fractions of coastal marine sediments

Molecular weight and trace metal distributions of fulvic and humic acid fractions of marine sediments from the Seto Inland Sea were investigated by using a gel filtration technique in combination with atomic absorption and emission spectrometries. A binary molecular weight distribution was found both in the fulvic acid fraction and in the humic acid fraction. The fulvic acid fractions with molecular weights of less than 1.5×103 and of 5×103−104 accounted for 38–57 % and 25–41 % of the total fulvic acids, respectively, and the humic acid fractions with molecular weights of 102−104 and of over 2×105 accounted for 58–73 % and 16–27 % of the total humic acids, respectively. The components with molecular weights of over 1.5×103 contained 54 %, on average, of the Fe, Zn and Cu in the fulvic acid fraction, and the components with molecular weights of over 104 contained 58 %, on average, of these metals in the humic acid fraction.
Development of a multicomponent kinetic assay of the early enzymes in the Campylobacter jejuni N-linked glycosylation pathway.

Abstract The human pathogen Campylobacter jejuni possesses a general N-linked glycosylation system that is known to play a role in pathogenicity; however, a detailed understanding of this role remains elusive. A considerable hindrance to studying bacterial N-glycosylation in vivo is the absence of small molecule inhibitors to reversibly control the process. This report describes a pathway-screening assay that targets the early enzymes of C. jejuni N-glycan biosynthesis that would enable identification of inhibitors to the first four steps in the pathway. The assay includes PglF, PglE, PglD, PglC, and PglA; the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of an undecaprenyl diphosphate-linked disaccharide and monitors the transfer of [ 3 H]GalNAc from the hydrophilic UDP-linked carrier to the lipophilic UndPP-diNAcBac (2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxyglucose). The optimized assay has a Z ′-factor calculated to be 0.77, indicating a robust assay suitable for screening. The diacylglycerol kinase from Streptococcus mutans , which provides a convenient method for phosphorylating undecaprenol, has been included in a modified version of the assay thereby allowing the screen to be conducted with entirely commercially available substrates.
Identification of Novel Exons from Rat-Mouse Comparisons

Exon shuffling, a major mechanism of gene evolution, scrambles existing sequences to create new genes. However, is it possible for an exon to be created from scratch? Here we conduct a survey of rat and mouse genomes and identify 2,302 putative rodent-specific exons absent from the human genome. Analysis of rodent transcripts supporting these exons indicates that over half appear to be alternatively spliced in genes orthologous between rodents and human. This study demonstrates the importance of sequencing genomes from multiple species to accurately document the evolution of gene structure.
FLUORIDERING, POLITIEK EN IRONIE

Vorigemaand besloot de Amerikaanse stad Portland zijn drinkwater te gaan fluorideren. ‘Beter een halve eeuw te laat dan nooit’, zeggen de voorstanders. ‘Beter nooit’, schreeuwen de tegenstanders.
The facial phenotype of the velo-cardio-facial syndrome

Velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS) is a genetic disorder that is common but often variable in its expression. Several key organ systems are most often affected, including the craniofacial skeleton and soft tissues. Identification of the associated facial features will aid in the improved detection of patients. This review aims to highlight the approaches to facial analysis that are essential to the detection of the facial dysmorphisms in velo-cardio-facial syndrome, many of which may be subtle.
Correlated electron systems: Better than average.

Experiments on single-crystal nanobeams have revealed several new aspects of a phenomenon that has puzzled physicists for decades — the metal–insulator transition in vanadium dioxide.
Susceptibility to Enhanced Chemical Migration from Depression-Focused Preferential Flow, High Plains Aquifer

Aquifer susceptibility to contamination is controlled in part by the inherent hydrogeologic properties of the vadose zone, which includes preferential-flow pathways. The purpose of this study was to investigate the importance of seasonal ponding near leaky irrigation wells as a mechanism for depression-focused preferential flow and enhanced chemical migration through the vadose zone of the High Plains aquifer. Such a mechanism may help explain the widespread presence of agrichemicals in recently recharged groundwater despite estimates of advective chemical transit times through the vadose zone from diffuse recharge that exceed the historical period of agriculture. Using a combination of field observations, vadose zone flow and transport simulations, and probabilistic neural network modeling, we demonstrated that vadose zone transit times near irrigation wells range from 7 to 50 yr, which are one to two orders of magnitude faster than previous estimates based on diffuse recharge. These findings support the concept of fast and slow transport zones and help to explain the previous discordant findings of long vadose zone transit times and the presence of agrichemicals at the water table. Using predictions of aquifer susceptibility from probabilistic neural network models, we delineated approximately 20% of the areal extent of the aquifer to have conditions that may promote advective chemical transit times to the water table of
Subtypes of Language Disorders in School-Age Children With Autism

Cluster analysis of test scores on expressive phonology and comprehension of words and sentences in 7-9-year-old children with preschool diagnosis of Autistic Disorder yielded 4 clusters. Cluster 1 (N = 11): phonology and comprehension both low; Cluster 2 (N = 4): phonology low, near average comprehension; Cluster 3 (N = 40): average phonology, comprehension low to low average; Cluster 4 (N = 7): average or better phonology and comprehension. The clusters support two major types of language disorders in autism driven by impaired expressive phonology, each divisible by comprehension ability. The clusters refute a single language disorder in autism and are consonant with earlier-defined clinical subtypes.
Observation of Rydberg blockade between two atoms

When two single Rydberg atoms—those having electrons in highly excited states—interact, one can be used to control the quantum state of the other. Two independent experiments now demonstrate a ‘Rydberg blockade’, an effect that might make long-range quantum gates between neutral atoms possible. Blockade interactions whereby a single particle prevents the flow or excitation of other particles provide a mechanism for control of quantum states, including entanglement of two or more particles. Blockade has been observed for electrons1,2,3, photons4 and cold atoms5. Furthermore, dipolar interactions between highly excited atoms have been proposed as a mechanism for ‘Rydberg blockade’6,7, which might provide a novel approach to a number of quantum protocols8,9,10,11. Dipolar interactions between Rydberg atoms were observed several decades ago12 and have been studied recently in a many-body regime using cold atoms13,14,15,16,17,18. However, to harness Rydberg blockade for controlled quantum dynamics, it is necessary to achieve strong interactions between single pairs of atoms. Here, we demonstrate that a single Rydberg-excited rubidium atom blocks excitation of a second atom located more than 10 μm away. The observed probability of double excitation is less than 20%, consistent with a theoretical model of the Rydberg interaction augmented by Monte Carlo simulations that account for experimental imperfections.
Multidisciplinary design optimization through use of stochastic mutation algorithm

The computation or prediction of plane wave back scattered field is one of the major design considerations of future aircraft and weapon systems. The task of computing the electromagnetic backscattered field of an airframe structure is by no means a new endeavor. Whereas predicting a minimal backscattered field return under the manipulation of airframe geometry in the context of multidisciplinary design is considered the most prudent approach to obtain the optimal solution and is a new endeavor. The objective of this paper is to develop a mathematical method to couple the backscattered field with the defined aerodynamic performance constraints in the design process of future airframes. This paper will address the coupling of the electromagnetics discipline in a Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) scheme that includes the mathematical optimization of aerodynamics, or Aero discipline, including the coupling effects of aerodynamic performance (maximum value) with backscattered field return (minimum value) of a Zeroth (0 th ) Order Mode wing planform.