cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward Technology Integration in Mathematics Education: A Technology-Integration Course Planning Assignment

This article describes a technology integration course planning assignment that was developed to enhance preservice teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK). This assignment required preservice teachers work with peers to integrate various technological tools (e.g., graphing calculators, webbased mathematics applets, etc) in a secondary level mathematics course (e.g., Algebra 2). A description of the context and the course in which this assignment is given is provided and lessons learned from several years of implementation are discussed.
Interpolation operators associated with sub-frame sets

Interpolation operators associated with wavelets sets introduced by Dai and Larson play an important role in their operator algebraic approach to wavelet theory. These operators are also related to the von Neumann subalgebras in the local commutant space, which provides the parametrizations of wavelets. It is a particularly interesting question of how to construct operators which are in the local commutant but not in the commutant. Motivated by some questions about interpolation family and C*-algebras in the local commutant, we investigate the interpolation partial isometry operators induced by sub-frame sets. In particular we introduce the 2π-congruence domain of the associated mapping between two sub-frame sets and use it to characterize these partial isometries in the local commutant. As an application, we obtain that if two wavelet sets have the same 2π-congruence domain, then one is a multiresolution analysis (MRA) wavelet set which implies that the other is also an MRA wavelet set.
Ascorbic Acid Transport by 3T6 Fibroblasts: Regulation by and purification of human serum complement factor

Abstract It was earlier reported (Padh, H., and Aleo, J. J. (1987) Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 185, 153-157) that the activation of serum complement by endotoxin or immunocomplexes inhibited ascorbate transport in 3T6 fibroblasts. We show here that the inhibitor of 3T6 fibroblasts. We show here that the inhibitor of ascorbate transport increased the Km for ascorbate without affecting the Vmax, indicating that the inhibitor reduces the affinity of the ascorbate transporter for ascorbate without affecting the process of translocation. Inhibition by serum and endotoxin was reversible, and the generated inhibitor was no longer heat-labile (at 56 degrees C for 30 min) suggesting that the inhibitor of ascorbate transport is likely to be a small protein molecule. Utilization of complement components suggested that C3 was consumed during formation of the inhibitor of ascorbate transport while C5 and factor B were not consumed. These data along with other results indicate that the inhibitor is generated at C3 step of complement activation. The inhibitor was purified from inulin activated human serum and it had an apparent molecular mass of around 9000 daltons. The inhibitory effect of the purified factor was abolished by antiserum to C3a suggesting that the 9000-dalton factor could be related to this fragment of complement protein. These data raise the possibility that tissue supply of ascorbate may be compromised during infection or autoimmune processes when serum complement is activated.
TV Editorials and Elections: A Study in the Role of Implicitness, Intertextuality and Censorship in Lebanon

According to Article 68 of election law no. 25/2008, the Lebanese media must ensure that standards of fairness, balance and impartiality among candidates are guaranteed. The challenge for national television stations in the months leading up to election day on 7 June 2009 was to comply with the law not just in their ‘factual’ news reports but mostly in the popular editorial opening segment of their newscast which, by definition, is subjective. This leads to the question: how did the TV stations manage this contradiction inherent in the structure and nature of their evening news bulletin when covering parliamentary elections in 2009? To what extent could they actually be impartial in a hybrid genre (TV news editorial) that, by definition, also required them to express confessional/party-specific views on a major, divisive national event? Based on the literature of critical discourse analysis, I argue in this paper that for the most part they did this discursively, by relying heavily on a number of linguistic strategies, specifically implicitness/ambiguity and intertextuality. By doing so, they sought to mask their bias for or against candidates and parliamentary alliances and avoid possible penalties by the recently established electoral monitoring body (the SCEC).
A Nil-Nilpotent Type of Theorem

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a nil-nilpotent type of theorem. The theorem proved in the chapter is related to a conjecture made about the analogous situation in Noetherian rings. The full conjecture is open. If true, it would be a generalization of a result of Levitzki. The chapter discusses several corollaries and conjectures. If the conjectures are correct, no left-right adjectives would be needed, and would have a succinct statement: In an artinian ring if a subring is radical over a one-sided ideal then a power of the subring falls in this one-sided ideal. For the special cases of the conjecture, in which A is a one-sided ideal, the result is easy.
Thermal ecophysiology of Laurencia pacifica and Laurencia nidifica (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) from tropical and warm-temperate regions

Laurencia is a globally distributed genus with about 80 species (order Ceramiales) that inhabit tropical, subtropical, and warm-temperate regions of both sides of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific oceans. This study investigated how two species of Laurencia distributed in different thermal environments (California and Hawaii) varied in their photosynthetic responses to temperature. The thermal ecophysiology of both species was investigated at different temporal scales (short-term responses and seasonal acclimatization) using oxygen evolution and pulse-amplitude-modulated (PAM) fluorometry. Our results indicated that seasonal acclimatization of both species of Laurencia influenced the short-term photosynthetic response at both locations. Greater seasonal differences in the photosynthetic performance were observed for L. pacifica Kylin, which reflects the ability of this species to acclimatize to local environmental conditions characterized by short-term fluctuations and a broader annual temperature range. Photosynthetic performance of L. nidifica J. Agardh was consistent with the less variable local environment (no short-term fluctuations and a narrower temperature range). These results suggest that acclimatization to temperature variability in the environment can influence the degree of flexibility of physiological responses of species in this genus.
Differential effects of glucocorticoid on expression of surfactant proteins in a human lung adenocarcinoma cell line

Synthesis of pulmonary surfactant-associated glycoproteins of Mr 28,000-36,000 (SP-A) and Mr 42,000-46,000 (proSP-B) has been identified in a continuous cell line derived from a human lung adenocarcinoma. SP-A was detected by immunoblot analysis, ELISA assay and by [35S]methionine labelling of the cells. SP-A was secreted into the media as an endoglycosidase F sensitive glycoprotein which co-migrated with the isoforms of SP-A identified in human lavage fluid by 2D-IEF-SDS-PAGE. Hybridization of cellular RNA with SP-A-specific cDNA identified an abundant 2.2 kb mRNA species, identical to that observed in human lung. SP-A RNA and protein content were markedly inhibited by dexamethasone in a dose-dependent fashion. Under identical culture conditions, synthesis of a distinct surfactant protein, SP-B, was markedly stimulated by the glucocorticoid. The SP-B precursor was secreted into the media as heterogeneous Mr 42,000-46,000 protein, pI 4.6-5.1, and was sensitive to endoglycosidase F. Synthesis of proSP-B was enhanced by the glucocorticoid in a dose-dependent fashion and was associated with increased SP-B mRNA of 2.0 kb detected by Northern blot analysis. The cell line secreted proSP-B as Mr 42,000-46,000 glycosylated protein and did not process the precursor to the Mr 7000-8000 surfactant peptide. In summary, a human adenocarcinoma cell line has been identified which synthesizes and secretes two surfactant-associated proteins, SP-A and proSP-B. Glucocorticoid enhanced SP-B but inhibited SP-A expression in this cell line. The identification of a continuous cell line secreting surfactant proteins may be useful in the study of synthesis and secretion of these important proteins and for production of the proteins for clinical uses.
Some applications of two-dimensional ionophoresis.

Abstract A convenient method of two-dimensional paper ionophoresis is described which has been used for the separation of amino acids on a quantitative basis. It has also been shown that peptides can be digested on paper with carboxypeptidase B; this method, combined with two-dimensional ionophoresis, has been used to identify the C-terminal peptide obtained from a tryptic digest of the γ chain of human fetal hemoglobin.
Human Resource Development and the Resource-Based Model of Core Competencies: Methods for Diagnosis and Assessment

The resource-based theory of organizational performance emphasizes the sustained competitive advantages gained from production capabilities that are rare and hard to imitate. Under certain conditio...
GlyphSea: Visualizing Vector Fields

Understanding vector fields is important in many science and engineering domains. Often glyphs are used to represent vector data as arrows, cones, ellipsoids, and other geometric shapes. When implemented using traditional 3D graphics, these glyphs have drawbacks of being view dependent, orientation ambiguous, and requiring specific geometric resolution. We propose a straightforward new method of procedural dipole texturing of glyph shapes, which overcomes these drawbacks and can enhance existing methods. We demonstrate our method with an interactive application (GlyphSea), which incorporates additional features such as screen space ambient occlusion, glyph displacement, lattices, halos and other contextual visual cues. We also discuss the results and informal feedback from scientists on insights gained by exploring time varying vector datasets in astrophysics and seismology.
Water Utility Security: Multiple Hazards and Multiple Barriers

In recent years, the United States has learned much from natural disasters about risk to infrastructure systems, and now it faces new threats from malevolent attacks and other human-caused sources. The paper provides a comprehensive report on the experience base with water utility disasters and offers guidance for risk management and analysis. It is based on an American Water Works Association Research Foundation project that included a background study, industry interviews, and a workshop. Methods for risk analysis are in limited use by utilities because of a lack of data and lack of training and priority within utilities. Theories have advanced, but they need to be validated and developed further. Other infrastructure systems have characteristics that are similar to water supply, and water utility experience with risk can strengthen them. Risk management in utilities is more complex and far-reaching than current methods handle. For natural hazards, a great deal is known about threats, but less is known ...
Nitric Oxide and Salmonella Pathogenesis

Nitric oxide (NO) and its congeners contribute to the innate immune response to Salmonella. This enteric pathogen is exposed to reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in the environment and at different anatomical locations during its infectious cycle in vertebrate hosts. Chemical generation of RNS enhances the gastric barrier to enteropathogenic bacteria, while products of the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI1) type III secretion system and Salmonella-associated molecular patterns stimulate transcription of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) by cells of the mononuclear phagocytic cell lineage. The resulting NO, or products that arise from its interactions with oxygen (O2) or iron and low-molecular weight thiols, are preferentially bacteriostatic against Salmonella, while reaction of NO and superoxide (O2-) generates the bactericidal compound peroxynitrite (ONOO-). The anti-Salmonella activity of RNS emanates from the modification of redox active thiols and metal prosthetic groups of key molecular targets of the electron transport chain, central metabolic enzymes, transcription factors, and DNA and DNA-associated proteins. In turn, Salmonella display a plethora of defenses that modulate the delivery of iNOS-containing vesicles to phagosomes, scavenge and detoxify RNS, and repair biomolecules damaged by these toxic species. Traditionally, RNS have been recognized as important mediators of host defense against Salmonella. However, exciting new findings indicate that Salmonella can exploit the RNS produced during the infection to foster virulence. More knowledge of the primary RNS produced in response to Salmonella infection, the bacterial processes affected by these toxic species, and the adaptive bacterial responses that protect Salmonella from nitrosative and oxidative stress associated with NO will increase our understanding of Salmonella pathogenesis. This information may, in turn, assist in the development of novel therapeutics against this common enteropathoge
Isolating the negative stiffness region of a buckled Si/SiO2 membrane

Negative stiffness can provide a method of altering the stiffness of a device without changing its geometry. The silicon/ silicon dioxide (Si/SiO 2 ) membrane presented in this research utilizes buckling resulting from compressive residual stress. A transversely actuated buckled membrane displays properties similar to a linear regressive spring, which include a positive and negative stiffness region. Cantilever beams were used to restrict the outward displacement of the membrane and force it to actuate only in its negative stiffness region. Analytical equations were utilized to estimate the amount of outward deflection by the membrane and to estimate the amount of reduced deflection required for the device to display only negative stiffness characteristics. Devices were tested using a force sensor actuated by a piezo controller. Interferometric imaging confirmed the cantilevers ability to reduce the buckling displacement in the membrane up to 30%.
Prenatal diagnosis of thrombocytopenia absent radius syndrome using ultrasound and fetoscopy

The prenatal diagnosis of thrombocytopenia absent radius syndrome in both dizygotic twins utilizing ultrasound, radiography and fetoscopy is described.
TH‐C‐I‐611‐07: Quantum Efficiency of An MCP Detector: Monte Carlo Calculation

Purpose: To calculate quantum efficiency (QE) of the microchannel plate (MCP) detector at different x‐ray tube voltages using Monte Carlo method.Method and Materials:Monte Carlo calculation of the QE was performed using GEANT4. The MCPs with channel diameters of 2–25 μm and lead contents of 50%, 38%, 20%, 8% and 0% were considered. QE calculations were performed using GEANT4 for monochromatic photons at 200 energy points in the 0–200 keV range with 1 keV steps. QE of MCP was calculated for 35, 45, 90, and 120 kVp photon beams from tungsten target x‐ray tube, passed through corresponding soft tissue equivalent filters. QE for polychromatic photon beams were calculated by weighting the monochromatic QE with the photon energy distribution of the filtered x‐ray spectra. Results: The QE for 35 kVp beam was 83% and 86% for MCPs with 2 μm channel diameter and 50% lead content, and 5 μm channel MCP with no lead in the material, respectively. Efficiency was decreased to 51% at 35 kVp for MCP with 50% lead content and 5 μm channel diameter. The efficiencies for 45 kVp photon beams were 68% and 76% for MCPs with 50% lead and no lead, respectively, and 5 μm channel diameter. QE was increased at 45 kVp to 91% for 2 μm channel MCP with 50% lead. The QE of the 90 kVp and 120 kVp beams were in the 81–92% ranges except the lead free MCP, for which it was decreased to 20–30%. Conclusion:Monte Carlo calculations of the quantum efficiency of the edge on MCP detector shown that the smaller the MCP channel diameter, the higher the QE. Commercially available MCPs with 5–6 μm channel diameters can provide sufficiently high quantum efficiency for medical x‐ray imaging applications.
Prognostic factors for patients with hodgkin disease in first relapse

BACKGROUND: This study aims to identify factors that predict outcome after salvage therapy for patients with Hodgkin disease (HD) in first relapse. METHODS: Between 1969 and 1985, 627 patients with Pathologic Stage IA-IIIB HD were treated at the Joint Center for Radiation Therapy. With a median follow-up time for survivors of 135 months, 138 patients (22%) have experienced relapse. One hundred twenty-seven of these were retreated with curative intent and form the basis of this report. RESULTS: The complete response (CR) rate after retreatment was 79%. The 10-year actuarial freedom from second relapse (FSR) was 53%, and the 10-year survival rate from the time of first relapse was 57%. For patients experiencing relapse after initial radiation therapy (RT) alone (n = 110), the 10-year FSR and overall survival rates were 58% and 62%, respectively. Histologic type was the single most important prognostic factor for second CR rate, FSR, and survival. Patients with nodular sclerosis or lymphocyte predominant (NS/LP) histologic type had a 91% second CR rate, 67% 10-year FSR rate, and 75% 10-year survival rate, compared with 66%, 44%, and 43%, respectively, for patients with mixed cellularity or lymphocyte depleted (MC/LD) histologic type. For patients who experienced relapse after initial combined modality therapy (CMT; n = 17), the 10-year FSR and overall survival rates were 13% and 24%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that patients who experience relapse after RT alone can be effectively salvaged with combination chemotherapy. The implications of these results for clinical decision making are discussed.
Hospital units as social contexts: Effects on maternal behavior

Abstract This paper examines the impact of different styles of nursing in maternity units on maternal behavior. These styles are found to be independent of the units' formal organizational characteristics and to vary depending on specific nursing tasks. The degree to which unit management affords opportunities for individualized patient teaching probably has the greatest impact on maternal behavior. Forty-five mothers, closely matched on ethnicity, age, marital status, socioeconomic status and parity, who delivered in three different hospital units, were observed systematically while feeding their infants. The investigators' observations, supplemented by measures of nurse task conceptions and perceptions of work structure, were used to characterize each unit. Analyses of variance, in which each hospital represented a fixed level of treatment, showed that mothers in the moderately supportive unit were significantly more affectionate and responsive towards their infants, and behaved less passively towards them, than mothers in units where nursing work was highly routinized or where zeal for innovation predominated. The moderately supportive unit also significantly diminished the effects of social class and of prior experience with children on affectionate maternal behavior. The threat to validity posed by self-selection of mothers into hospital units was accounted for by the selection of hospitals owned by one prepaid group plan, each serving socioeconomically similar populations in different catchment areas, and by data from the mothers which showed that plan membership and hospital selection were governed by financial considerations and geographical convenience. The findings provide evidence that the social context of the hospital unit—particularly the opportunity for individualized interaction between nurse and patient—may have an effect on early maternal behavior which is independent of the mother's own characteristics.
Molecular dissection of cis-regulatory modules at the Drosophila bithorax complex reveals critical transcription factor signature motifs

At the Drosophila melanogaster bithorax complex (BX-C) over 330kb of intergenic DNA is responsible for directing the transcription of just three homeotic (Hox) genes during embryonic development. A number of distinct enhancer cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) are responsible for controlling the specific expression patterns of the Hox genes in the BX-C. While it has proven possible to identify orthologs of known BX-C CRMs in different Drosophila species using overall sequence conservation, this approach has not proven sufficiently effective for identifying novel CRMs or defining the key functional sequences within enhancer CRMs. Here we demonstrate that the specific spatial clustering of transcription factor (TF) binding sites is important for BX-C enhancer activity. A bioinformatic search for combinations of putative TF binding sites in the BX-C suggests that simple clustering of binding sites is frequently not indicative of enhancer activity. However, through molecular dissection and evolutionary comparison across the Drosophila genus we discovered that specific TF binding site clustering patterns are an important feature of three known BX-C enhancers. Sub-regions of the defined IAB5 and IAB7b enhancers were both found to contain an evolutionarily conserved signature motif of clustered TF binding sites which is critical for the functional activity of the enhancers. Together, these results indicate that the spatial organization of specific activator and repressor binding sites within BX-C enhancers is of greater importance than overall sequence conservation and is indicative of enhancer functional activity.
Coordinate-free isoparametric elements

Abstract Formulations for general solid elements are presented which do not rely explicitly on an arbitrary global coordinate system, and which are independent of the dimension of the embedding space. Abstract data types corresponding to points, vectors and tensors replace matrix representations, allowing the coordinate-free nature of the derivation to be carried over into the implementation. The formulations are oriented primarily toward applications involving general geometric and material nonlinearities, iterative solution algorithms and element-by-element implementations, but traditional linear applications are considered as well.
Preliminary crystallographic studies of the Fab fragment of an anti-azophenylarsonate antibody.

Single crystals of the Fab fragment of a murine A/J anti-azophenylarsonate monoclonal antibody have been prepared by the vapor diffusion method. Antibody 3A7 uses the same combination of variable region gene segments (VK, JK, VH, JH) as do antizophenylarsonate antibodies bearing a predominant cross-reactive idiotype, but utilizes a different D gene segment. The crystals grow in the presence of β-octylglucoside as tetragonal bipyramids in the space group of either P41212 or P43312 and with unit cell dimensions of a = b = 77·9 A, and c = 146·7 A. They diffract X-rays to better than 2·7 A resolution. Data up to 2·7 A resolution have been collected.
Automated microanalysis of adenosine phosphates, phosphocreatine, creatine, and lactate in muscle.

Abstract An automated enzymatic procedure suitable for determination of ATP, ADP, AMP, phosphocreatine, creatine, and lactate in needle biopsies of human skeletal muscle (ca. 30 mg dry wt) using a fast centrifugal analyzer (Multistat III, Instrumentation Laboratory Inc.) is presented. Coefficients of variation ranged from 0.7 to 4.2% for multiple determinations of ATP, ADP, phosphocreatine, and creatine; from 6 to 24% for lactate; and from 9 to 20% for AMP. The procedure should be usable, with appropriate modification, with other tissues and with other fast centrifugal analyzers. Muscle samples are collected into liquid freon, lyophilized, and extracted with 600 μl of 0.65 m perchloric acid. Neutralized supernatants can be stored for up to 3 years at −80°C with no significant deterioration. The procedure takes much less time than similar manual procedures and gives better reproducibility, particularly for ADP and AMP.
The uptake of a labeled double-stranded polynucleotide by cultured rabbit kidney cells: an electron microscopic study.

Polyribocytidylate-3H-polyriboinosinate (rC-3H:rI) enters cultured rabbit kidney cells from the surrounding medium within ½ hr after exposure. Grains are found in the cytoplasm, nucleus, and nucleolus. At 2 hr, grains are localized predominantly over the nucleolar regions. Subsequently, the grains in the nucleus become dispersed. A specific receptor site for the initiation of interferon production was not revealed.
Rethinking human health impact assessment

Abstract Most EIA programs around the world require the consideration of human health impacts. Yet relatively few EIA documents adequately address those impacts. This article examines how, why, and to what extent health impacts are analyzed in environmental impact assessments in the U.S. An empirical study of 42 environmental impact statements found that more than half contained no mention of health impacts. In the others, health impacts were analyzed narrowly, if at all, using risk assessment to quantify the carcinogenic potential of a single substance over a single generation. This analytic focus overlooks other significant morbidity and mortality risks, cumulative and intergenerational effects, and broader determinants of health. This article investigates these problems and provides recommendations to improve human health impact assessment, using strategic environmental assessment, qualitative health data, health outcomes in addition to cancer, and a precautionary approach to risk.
Cenozoic extension and tilting recorded in Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks at the Hall molybdenum deposit, northern San Antonio Mountains, Nevada

Structural and paleomagnetic data from the 66 to 70 Ma Hall stock and its environs suggest that extension-related tilting has continued in the northern San Antonio Mountains of Nevada since at least 17–18 Ma. Evidence includes both surface and subsurface mapping and paleomagnetic data. The stock and its related molybdenum deposit, most likely magnetized during a reversed-polarity chron, have been significantly tilted to the east, as have nearby 16 to 29 Ma volcanic rocks. The data do not preclude the possibility of counterclockwise crustal rotations related to dextral motion of the San Andreas and related faults. Similar horizontal tilt axes for the stock (N30°W) and the volcanic rocks (N-N20°W) and similar tilt magnitudes among all units, however, suggest that much or all of the tilting in the district occurred between late Oligocene and latest Miocene time during west-southwest–east-northeast pre–Basin-Range extension. Maximum pre-Oligocene, post-Cretaceous tilt is clearly
Characterization of the flavonol glycosides in Petunia.

Abstract The flavonol glycosides from 17 different Petunia hybrida cultivars and species were characterized. Fourteen different flavonol glucosides were identified. Eight of these glucosides have not previously been reported for Petunia . They are quercetin and kaempferol 3-glucoside, 3,7-diglucoside, 3-caffeoylsophoroside and 3-caffeoylsophoryl-7-glucoside. A tentative flavonol glucoside biosynthetic pathway is proposed.
Withdrawing and Withholding Treatment: Policies in Long-Term Care Facilities

The Task Force on Life and the Law conducted a survey of nursing homes in New York State in 1986 and 1988. The survey examined the existence of policies on decisions about life-sustaining treatment, the process to determine which residents have decision-making capacity, the prevalence of ethics committees or other vehicles to resolve disputes, and policies on advance directives such as living wills and durable powers of attorney. Comparison of responses in 1986 and 1988 shows an increase in the number of facilities that have established explicit policies and institutional vehicles to address the dilemmas associated with decisions to withdraw or withhold life-sustaining treatment.
Static mean-square displacement as an indicator of the crystal-to-amorphous transformation

Abstract Catastrophic amorphization of crystalline alloys supersaturated beyond a critical concentration has been postulated by Fecht, Desre and Johnson [Philos. Mag. B59 (1989) 577]. NbPd is a good candidate system for testing their ideas because of its plunging T 0 line on the Nb-rich side of the phase diagram. Signs of instability in bcc NbPd solutions were looked for by elastic neutron diffraction measurements of atomic mean-square displacements (MSDs) between 12 K and room temperature. Thermally induced MSD values have been estimated from low-temperature heat capacity measurements and subtracted from the total MSD. The remaining static MSD increases rapidly with Pd concentration and is much larger than expected from the size mismatch of Nb and Pd atoms. At 42 at.% Pd, the rms static disorder reaches approximately half the value at which the Lindemann criterion predicts that the lattice should melt. Supersaturation also causes the Debye temperature to decrease, suggesting that an elastic modulus softens. In light of these results, the usefulness of static atomic disorder as a measure of the stability of a crystal against amorphization is discussed.
Primary Design of a Shape Memory Alloy Expandable Insert to Enhance Pedicle Screw Performance

Shape Memory Alloys, such as Nickel Titanium, undergo a phase transformation in their crystalline structure when transformed from Austenite into Martensite. This inherent phase transformation is the basis for the unique properties of shape memory and superelasticity. Shape memory is attributed to the recovery of large mechanically induced deformations upon raising the temperature upto a specific level (Af). The superelasticity is the ability of the material, at a temperature above Austenite start Af, to recover mechanical deformations upon unloading. Thanks to superelasticity, shape memory effect, high damping capacity, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility, NiTi SMA alloys gain researchers attention for implementation in biomedical fields for the past 40 years [1].Copyright © 2009 by ASME
An assessment of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) in persons with down syndrome

Down syndrome (DS), the most common genetically defined cause of intellectual disability, is the phenotypic consequence of a supernumerary chromosome 21. Persons with DS commonly display deficits in visuomotor integration, motor coordination, and balance. Despite the key roles of the optokinetic and vestibular systems in these submodalities of motor function, a systematic investigation of the optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) in persons with DS had lacked in the literature. Accordingly, this study generated quantitative data on oculomotor function in persons with DS under optokinetic and sinusoidal smooth pursuit stimulation. Thirty-two participants with DS (14–36 years old, equally divided by gender) and 32 chronological age- and gender-matched typically developing controls were recruited from the community. Eye movements were recorded by binocular video oculography and an LCD projector produced visual stimulation. Assessments of the gain and frequency of slow phase of OKN beats and number and mean amplitude of intruding saccades during smooth pursuit were performed. Individuals with DS displayed angular velocity-dependent reduction in OKN gain and number of produced nystagmus beats compared to controls. The gain of the smooth pursuit was not significantly different between participants with DS and control participants. However, the number and mean amplitude of intruding saccades during smooth pursuit were increased in participants with DS compared to control participants. These findings may have implications to the understanding of the neurological basis of the motor dysfunction that affects performance in many practical tasks persons with DS encounter in their everyday lives.
Elevated Homocysteine Levels Result in Carbonyl Formation on RyR2 and Enhanced Sensitivity of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum to Activation by Calcium

Elevated levels in blood serum of homocysteine (>10µmol/L) is strongly correlated with the incidence of heart failure (HF) in humans. We demonstrate that the cyclic thioester, homocysteine thiolactone (HTL), a metabolic product of homocysteine, at a concentration of 100 nM, results in the formation of carbonyls on the ryanodine receptor from sheep cardiac muscle (RyR2), and an enhancement of Ca2+ dependent activation of ryanodine binding from 129.7 ± 3.4 nM to 102.0 ± 2.7 nM. While both improper Ca2+ handling and elevated homocysteine levels have been considered bio-markers in HF, a direct connection between the two has not previously been made. We propose that HTL reacts with lysine residues on RyR2, generating an Ne-homocysteine-protein, which results in carbonyl formation and an enhancement in the Ca2+ sensitivity of RyR2. This is a new molecular mechanism linking elevated levels of Homocysteine, post-translational modification of RyR2, improper Ca2+ handling and heart failure. This work was supported by NIH 1 R41 HL105063-01 to J. Abramson and R. Strongin.
A multilevel method for structural synthesis

A multilevel method for structural synthesis based on finite element modeling at both the system and the substructure level is set forth. At the system level, the design is described using basis vectors generated via substructure design modification. Whenever possible, substructure constraints are satisfied via local material redistribution. At both the system level and the substructure level, design modification is carried out by solving a sequence of approximate problems. The method generates upper bound approximations for the optimum design and it has potential for substantial gains in computational efficiency, because the uncoupled substructure design modification problems can be processed in parallel.
Analysis of Elevation Changes Detected from Multi-Temporal LiDAR Surveys in Forested Landslide Terrain in Western Oregon

We examined elevation changes detected from two successive sets of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data in the northern Coast Range of Oregon. The first set of LiDAR data was acquired during leaf-on conditions and the second set during leaf-off conditions. We were able to successfully identify and map active landslides using a differential digital elevation model (DEM) created from the two LiDAR data sets, but this required the use of thresholds (0.50 and 0.75 m) to remove noise from the differential elevation data, visual pattern recognition of landslide-induced elevation changes, and supplemental QuickBird satellite imagery. After mapping, we field-verified 88 percent of the landslides that we had mapped with high confidence, but we could not detect active landslides with elevation changes of less than 0.50 m. Volumetric calculations showed that a total of about 18,100 m3 of material was missing from landslide areas, probably as a result of systematic negative elevation errors in the differential DEM and as a result of removal of material by erosion and transport. We also examined the accuracies of 285 leaf-off LiDAR elevations at four landslide sites using Global Positioning System and total station surveys. A comparison of LiDAR and survey data indicated an overall root mean square error of 0.50 m, a maximum error of 2.21 m, and a systematic error of 0.09 m. LiDAR ground-point densities were lowest in areas with young conifer forests and deciduous vegetation, which resulted in extensive interpolations of elevations in the leaf-on, bare-earth DEM. For optimal use of multi-temporal LiDAR data in forested areas, we recommend that all data sets be flown during leaf-off seasons.
Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of hepatoblastomas.

Prior cytogenetic analyses of hepatoblastomas have shown the most common recurring abnormalities to be trisomy for chromosomes 2 and 20, and a recurrent translocation involving chromosomes 1 and 4 identified in a minority of cases. Four cases have shown double minute chromosomes, which provide cytogenetic evidence for gene amplification, although no particular genes or genetic regions have been shown to be amplified. To further investigate the cytogenetic changes involved in the pathogenesis and progression of hepatoblastoma, this study analyzes 10 tumors by comparative genomic hybridization. Regions of relative gain or loss were found in nine tumors. The most common recurrent abnormalities were gain of the long arm of chromosome 1 (six tumors), gain of chromosomes 2 (seven tumors), 17 (four tumors), and 20 (three tumors), and loss of chromosomes 4 and 11 (two tumors each). Four cases showed restricted regions of high-level gain at 1q32 or 2q24, regions that have previously been reported to be amplified in other tumors, but not in hepatoblastomas. A specific amplified gene has yet to be identified at these loci, although candidate genes have been proposed and may offer targets for future studies. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 27:196–201, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Treatment of rats with antipsychotic drugs: lack of an effect on brain N-acetyl aspartate levels.

Abstract Background: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies of schizophrenia suggest an effect of the disease or of antipsychotic medications on brain N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), a marker of neuronal viability. We studied in the rat the effect of antipsychotic drugs on NAA in several brain regions where NAA reductions have been reported in chronically medicated patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Three groups of nine rats each were treated with haloperidol (6 mg/kg/day), clozapine (70 mg/kg/day) and vehicle for 6 weeks and were sacrificed. Concentrations of NAA were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) from the following brain regions: cortex, striatum, thalamus, hippocampus and cerebellum. Results: Mixed-factorial ANOVA of NAA concentrations revealed no significant effect of drug group [F(2, 24)=0.034; p=0.966] or a group by brain region interaction [F(8, 44)=0.841; p=0.572]. There was a significant main effect of region [F(4, 21)=6.104; p=0.002] with higher NAA in the cortex. Conclusions: These results are consistent with the only other study of the effect of typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs on NAA in the rat brain. The well-documented lower NAA in chronically treated schizophrenia patients is probably not a simple effect of antipsychotic medications.
Electrochemical and opto-electrochemical properties of poly(isothianaphthene)

Abstract Electrochemical and visible-i.r. spectroscopy studies of PITN are reported as a function of dopant concentration. Electrochemical voltage spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry were used to determine the energy of charge injection, 2.6 V versus Li, and to determine the electrochemical potential as a function of dopant concentration of the PITN electrode. In situ measurements of the visible-i.r. absorption spectrum provide complementary information on the changes in electronic structure that occur during doping.
Methanol Droplet Extinction in Carbon-Dioxide-Enriched Environments in Microgravity

Diffusive extinction of methanol droplets with initial diameters between 1.25 mm and 1.72 mm, burning in a quiescent microgravity environment at one atmosphere pressure, was obtained experimentally for varying levels of ambient carbon-dioxide concentrations with a fixed oxygen concentration of 21% and a balance of nitrogen. These experiments serve as precursors to those which are beginning to be performed on the International Space Station and are motivated by the need to understand the effectiveness of carbon-dioxide as a fire suppressant in low-gravity environments. In these experiments, the flame standoff distance, droplet diameter, and flame radiation are measured as functions of time. The results show that the droplet extinction diameter depends on both the initial droplet diameter and the ambient concentration of carbon dioxide. Increasing the initial droplet diameter leads to an increased extinction diameter, while increasing the carbon-dioxide concentration leads to a slight decrease in the extinction diameter. These results are interpreted using a critical Damk hler number for extinction as predicted by an earlier theory, which is extended here to be applicable in the presence of effects of heat conduction along the droplet support fibers and of the volume occupied by the support beads
Reading acuity in albinism: Evaluation with MNREAD charts

Introduction The MNREAD reading acuity (RA) charts use continuous-text reading to measure (1) RA, ie, the smallest size of print that the patient can resolve; (2) maximum reading speed (MRS); and (3) critical print size (CPS), ie, the smallest print that the patient can read with maximum speed. This project used the MNREAD charts to evaluate reading performance in children and adults with albinism to determine the smallest print size recommended to facilitate effortless reading. Methods A total of 63 subjects with albinism were administered the MNREAD test to determine the critical print size for effortless reading. The subjects read continuous, high-contrast text print until they could no longer discern the words. The MRS and CPS were determined with the MNREAD protocol. Presence or absence of nystagmus and strabismus was recorded. Distance visual acuity was measured with ETDRS charts. Results The sample included 25 male and 38 female subjects with a median age of 16 years. Median MRS was 150 words per minute. The mean CPS was 0.84 logMAR, notably larger than the mean RA of 0.53 logMAR. Conclusions The MNREAD acuity charts can be used to determine functional reading ability and critical print size for effortless reading in individuals with albinism. The amount of enlargement in print size can be used in educational and vocational recommendations to facilitate reading.
Exposure to long-lived members of the uranium and thorium decay chains

Abstract Human exposure to isotopes of uranium, thorium, radium, lead, polonium and some of their shorter-lived progeny in typical natural radiation background environments is reviewed. The sources and pathways of exposure considered include external irradiation of the whole body from typical levels of the primordial radionuclides in soils, and internal irradiation of various tissues following dietary or inhalation intake. Because the scientific literature in this area is replete with extensive reviews by national, e.g. NCRP and international, e.g. UNSCEAR committees, reliance is placed on their findings.
Increased Orbitofrontal cortex levels of choline in depressed adolescents as detected by in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Abstract Background: The frontal lobe has been implicated in the pathology of depression in adults. Through the use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy, altered brain choline levels have also been linked to the pathophysiology of affective disorders. Methods: To identify possible alterations in orbitofrontal cortex levels of cytosolic choline in adolescents with and without depression, 22 depressed and 43 control adolescents were recruited. Of those recruited, usable proton magnetic resonance spectra were acquired from a voxel in the left anterior medial frontal lobe of 17 depressed (mean age 15.8 ± 1.6) and 28 healthy adolescents (mean age 14.5 ± 1.7). Results: Orbitofrontal cytosolic choline/creatine (Cho/Cr) ratios ( p = .032) and cytosolic choline/ N -acetyl aspartate (Cho/NAA) ratios ( p = .043) were significantly higher in the depressed subjects than in the control subjects. There were no significant differences between depressed and control subjects in gray or white matter content within the voxel. Conclusions: These findings suggest that brain cytosolic choline may be increased in depressed adolescents in comparison with control subjects and independent of a corresponding structural change. These results are consistent with similar, previously reported findings in adults and suggest that depression in adolescents is associated with alterations in orbitofrontal metabolism.
Orca Basin: Depositional processes, geotechnical properties and clay mineralogy of Holocene sediments within an anoxic hypersaline basin, northwest Gulf of Mexico

The central part of Orca Basin, an intraslope basin in the northwest Gulf of Mexico, is anoxic and hypersaline. High-resolution seismic profiles show deformed parallel reflectors along the periphery of the basin, diffractions and indications of slump scars on the slopes, and chaotic reflectors on the basin floor. Calculated sedimentation rates in excess of 1 m1000 years and reflector configurations indicate that mass movement is the primary mechanism for sediment accumulation within the basin. Variations in the sediment properties and constituents indicate that slumping has occurred from within and from outside the brine portion of the basin. Sediment water contents exceeding 100% to depths in excess of 10 m are a result of rapid sediment accumulation, a high percentage of smectite, and a highly compressible sediment microstructure having open arrangement. These conditions suggest original deposition within the brine and subsequent slumping into the deepest part of the basin. Clay mineral variations within the brine are directly related to: (1) pore water enrichments of Na+ and Ca2+ and a depletion of Mg2+ with respect to normal seawater; (2) the underconsolidated nature of the sediments; (3) the time in which the clay minerals are in contact with these conditions; and (4) if deposited by mass movement, the original site of deposition with respect to the location of the brine. Sediments originally deposited outside and subsequently transported into the brine part of the basin by mass movement have properties and clay mineral abundances characteristic of normal continental slope sediments.
A Method to Extract Interface Stress Intensity Factors for Bimaterial Problems using Interlayers

A numerical method is presented here to determine stress intensity factors for interface cracks in plane, isotropic, elastic bimaterial fracture problems. The method relies on considering a companion problem wherein a very thin elastic interlayer with a crack, is artificially inserted between the two material regions of the original bimaterial problem. Modes I and II stress intensity factors are obtained for the companion problem using the modified virtual crack closure method. These stress intensity factors for the companion problem are then converted to the stress intensity factors for the original interface crack problem with the help of a universal relation. This universal relation between the stress intensity factors of the two problems is established by considering an asymptotic problem where the thickness of the interlayer is small compared with all other length scales. Two benchmark problems are considered to demonstrate the effectiveness of the interlayer approach for determining interface stress intensity factors.
Dynamic characteristics of the 40- by 80-/80- by 120-foot wind tunnel drive fan blades

The existing 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel at Ames Research Center is being modified to upgrade and expand the research capabilty of the facility. The modification project includes an enhancement of the wind-tunnel drive power capability by installing large capacity electric motors and new drive fans to attain higher airspeeds in the existing 40- by 80-ft test section. It also involves the constructin of a new tunnel leg which includes a larger 80-- by 120-ft test section. The 40-by 80-ft test section will have a maximum airspeed approaching 300 knots. It was previously limited to about 200 knots. The maximum airspeed of the 80- by 120-ft test section will be about 100 knots. Becaue of the critical nature of the drive fans in the operation of the facility, an extensive effort was undertaken to verify, for each blade-retention system, its structural integrity and its dynamic characteristics.