cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An analysis of scattering and emission from sea ice

Abstract Scattering and emission models for multilayered inhomogeneous media are developed based on the matrix doubling method. They are made applicable to media closely packed with scatterers by using the complete scattered field expression in the derivation of the scattering phase function. These models are applied to sets of multifrequency, multiangle, multipolarization, active and passive measurements from simulated sea ice prepared under laboratory conditions and from field experiments on sea ice where ground truths were gathered. It is found that identical surface and ice parameters in agreement with ground truth information may be used to predict both emission and scattering. Such a combined approach can give an indication as to the consistency between active and passive data levels and angular trends. Furthermore, it is found that for thin lossy ice above a water surface, scattering and emission from water could be significant.
Surface optomechanics: Calculation of love surface acoustic waves on microresonators

We calculate optomechanically excited Love waves on the surface of a silica whispering-gallery microresonator surrounded by air and pollutants. We show a method for sensing and distinguishing type or concentration of pollutant via frequency shift.
Ecology: Drought and dead trees

Drought has emerged as a major threat to the world's forests. A study shows that tree mortality in Canada's boreal forests has increased by nearly 5% per year — much higher than expected — owing to water stress from regional warming.
Recovery of vocal fold mocosa from laser incision

Summary Six cats underwent CO 2 laser incisions of the vocal fold mucosa in a manner as analogous as possible to this procedure as performed in humans. The cats were killed at 1, 2, and 3 weeks postoperatively, and mucosa were removed from their vocal folds. Examination of nervous tissue in the vocal fold mucosa revealed evidence of degenerative processes and a reduction of the overall amount of neural tissue in all three animals. Implications of the findings for recovery of the vocal folds from laser procedures are discussed, as are possible implications of the observations for phonatory function.
Investigating variability of fatigue indicator parameters of two-phase nickel-based superalloy microstructures

Abstract Variability of fatigue properties of Nickel-based superalloys induced by microstructure feature uncertainties is investigated. The microstructure at one material point is described by its grain size and orientation features, as well as the volume fraction of the γ ′ phase. Principal component analysis (PCA) is introduced to reduce the dimensionality of the microstructure feature space. PCA and kernel PCA (KPCA) techniques are presented and compared. Reduced representations of input features are mapped to uniform or standard Gaussian distributions through polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) so that the sampling of new microstructure realizations becomes feasible. A crystal plasticity constitutive model is adopted to evaluate fatigue properties of two-phase superalloy microstructures under cyclic loading. The fatigue properties are measured by strain-based fatigue indicator parameters (FIP). Adaptive sparse grid collocation (ASGC) and Monte Carlo (MC) methods are used to establish the relation between microstructure feature uncertainties and the variability of macroscopic properties. Convergence with increasing dimensionality of the reduced surrogate stochastic space is studied. Distributions of FIPs and the convex hulls describing the envelope of these parameters in the presence of microstructure uncertainties are shown.
Evaluation of psychosocial measures for understanding weight-related behaviors in pregnant women

The greatest weight gain for U.S. women occurs during the childbearing years of 25 to 34, and many obese women attribute their adult weight gain to childbearing. Few studies have examined psychosocial influences on women‘s behaviors during pregnancy, in part because of the lack of valid and reliable measures of psychosocial constructs relevant to pregnant women. Based on existing theory and an in-depth interview study, the psychosocial constructs of locus of control, self-efficacy, body image, feelings about motherhood, and career orientation were identified. Scales for each construct were constructed by drawing items from existing validated scales and writing items based on the in-depth interviews; their content validity assessed using factor analysis with oblique rotation and their reliability using Cronbach‘s alpha. Construct validity was assessed by examining the associations between scale scores and preexisting conditions of participants. Data for evaluating the scales came from a study of 622 pregnant women in a rural health care system who completed questionnaires and whose medical records were audited. Cronbach‘s alpha of the scales ranged from 0.73 to 0.89. Scale scores were strongly associated with lifestyle behaviors, body weight, and demographic characteristics of the participants. The analysis provides evidence of the validity of measures of psychosocial factors related to health behaviors of pregnant women. These measures should be useful in studying weight-related behaviors in pregnant women.
Microiontophoretic release of norepinephrine from micropipettes

Abstract Microiontophoretic release of norepinephrine from micropipettes was measured in brain slices and Ringer's solution by radioassay. Transport number (the ratio of drug released to charge passed) was reasonably constant, in Ringer's solution, for a given pipette but varied widely between different pipettes. This variability was unrelated to pipette geometry, or electrical parameters. In the same pipette, the transport number for drug release into brain slices was considerably less than that for ejection into Ringer's solution. Finally, there were a number of conditions under which drug release was minimal despite apparently normal charge passage.
Electromagnetic Casimir forces in elliptic cylinder geometries

The scattering theory approach makes it possible to carry out exact calculations of Casimir energies in any geometry for which the scattering $T$-matrix and a partial wave expansion of the free Green's function are available. We implement this program for the case of a perfectly conducting elliptic cylinder, thereby completing the set of geometries where electromagnetic scattering is separable. Particular emphasis is placed on the case of zero radius, where the elliptic cylinder reduces to a strip.
Distributed Visual Processing for a Home Visual Sensor Network

We address issues dealing with distributed visual processing for a personal service robot in the Intelligent Home environment. We propose an efficient and reliable framework to organize and coordinate the vision sensor nodes: fixed cameras mounted on walls, and camera(s) on the mobile robot. We also propose key visual functionalities necessary for the robot to perform its activities. They include people detection and identification, action recognition, gesture recognition, and self-localization. We propose solutions to the different vision tasks, and present our implementation within this framework, validated with experimental results.
Photoionization of highly vibrationally excited ground electronic state azulene near the ionization threshold

Abstract Highly vibrationally excited ground electronic state azulene, S 0 *, was formed at N 2 laser excitation of S 2 at 337.1 nm followed by internal conversion, and photoionized by a time-delayed pulsed dye laser. Ion currents were measured with a parallel plate ion chamber. Photoionization cross sections were estimated by using rate equations to describe ion production rates. The cross sections are 3×10 −22 cm 2 for photoionization by 30303 cm −1 photons, and 6×10 −21 cm 2 by 31153 cm −1 photons.
Smoke dissipation by solid particles and charged water spray in enclosed spaces

Abstract This research investigated the effectiveness of various particles in clearing smoke in enclosed spaces. Metal oxide nanostructured particles, conventional particles (i.e., calcium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate), or water (electrostatically charged or uncharged) were sprayed into an enclosed experimental chamber filled with combustion smoke. Improvement in visible light transmission through the chamber served as a measure of the effectiveness of the material in clearing smoke. Results showed that the negatively charged water spray was most effective in clearing smoke and improving visibility in the chamber. The smoke treated with charged water spray dissipated approximately 15 times faster than the untreated smoke. Also, compared with the solid particulate materials, the charged water spray resulted in a 3–12-fold increase in the speed of smoke dissipation.
A 90 nm Bulk CMOS Radiation Hardened by Design Cache Memory

A RHBD high performance cache fabricated on 90 nm bulk CMOS is presented. Test silicon cache data arrays can read and write at 1.02 GHz. Irradiation to 2 Mrad(Si) negligibly impacts standby current. The cache is write-through, and relies on error checking to allow cache invalidation when single event upsets or potential single event transients are detected. The write-through cache architectural state will then naturally be reloaded by the ensuing microprocessor operations. Single cycle invalidation is supported. Single event error ion beam test results are presented, as is a description of measured single event effects in array and peripheral circuits and their mitigation by the design.
Predictability of retentive values of dental cements.

Abstract Four types of permanent cements were used to determine whether the laboratory tests of compressive and tensile strength were predictive of their retentive abilities when retaining cast gold crowns to natural teeth. The standard laboratory test for film thickness also was compared to the degree of nonseating of these cast restorations. The laboratory tests of compressive and tensile strength are not predictive of retentive ability when considering cements which have differing potentials for reacting with or on the tooth surface. The calculated film thicknesses on the axial walls of the cemented restorations in this study were of the same order of magnitude as those values in the laboratory tests. However, the degree and variance of nonseating of the clinical crowns were considerably greater.
Role of Pentoxifylline and Vitamin E in Attenuation of Radiation-Induced Fibrosis

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the use of pentoxifylline and vitamin E as monotherapy and in combination for the treatment of radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF).DATA SOURCES:Literature retrieval was performed through MEDLINE (1966–March 2004) using the terms vitamin E, α-tocopherol, pentoxifylline, radiation-induced fibrosis, and radiation injury.DATA SYNTHESIS:Few treatments exist for managing RIF of soft tissues. Due to its antioxidant properties, vitamin E may reduce the oxidative damage induced by radiation. The precise mechanism of action for pentoxifylline in management of RIF remains unclear. Uncontrolled studies evaluating vitamin E or pentoxifylline as monotherapy in RIF have shown modest improvement in clinical regression of fibrosis. However, controlled data are needed to verify these benefits. Studies involving pentoxifylline plus vitamin E demonstrated regression in RIF. The combination was more effective than placebo and may be superior to monotherapy with either agent. Adverse effects were rarely repo...
Deposition of Bronze Microwires on Ultrananocrystalline Diamond (UNCD) Electrodes

As technology advances, ever smaller wires are needed for devices, for applications in electronics, medicine, and clean energy. Many of these applications will require the precise control of not only wire shapes and diameters, but alloy compositions as well. The recently developed technique of Electroplate-and-Lift (E&L) Lithography developed by our group has demonstrated the capability of quickly and easily producing patterned micro- and nanowires of a large variety of electrodeposited materials. Here we report the first E&L- based synthesis of microwires with controlled alloy compositions, in the model system of bronze. Wires of several different compositions, ranging from 100% copper to 100% tin, were deposited on patterned ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD)TM templates, by varying the relative concentrations of copper and tin salts in the plating solution. All wires were deposited at 55oC, −1.0 V vs. the saturated calomel electrode (SCE). Wire morphology and elemental composition was observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). For some alloy compositions, wires were interrupted at irregular intervals by nodules. All alloy wires were highly enriched in copper relative to the solution composition.
Noise in biology

Noise permeates biology on all levels, from the most basic molecular, sub-cellular processes to the dynamics of tissues, organs, organisms and populations. The functional roles of noise in biological processes can vary greatly. Along with standard, entropy-increasing effects of producing random mutations, diversifying phenotypes in isogenic populations, limiting information capacity of signaling relays, it occasionally plays more surprising constructive roles by accelerating the pace of evolution, providing selective advantage in dynamic environments, enhancing intracellular transport of biomolecules and increasing information capacity of signaling pathways. This short review covers the recent progress in understanding mechanisms and effects of fluctuations in biological systems of different scales and the basic approaches to their mathematical modeling.
Resonance prediction of deep sediment valleys through an eigenvalue method

SUMMARY 2-D resonance of different orders for a sediment valley embedded in a half-space is studied for anti-plane and plane-strain models. It is found that the resonant frequencies are properties of the valley while the incident wavefield only affects the excitation of different modes. The dimensionless resonant frequencies are found to be independent of impedance contrast between the half-space and the valley. Based on this property, an eigenvalue method is proposed to determine resonant frequencies of the valley. Resonant frequencies and mode shapes are obtained by solving an eigenvalue problem. The method is valid for valleys of arbitrary shape. The eigenvalue problem is solved numerically based on an indirect boundary integral method. The corresponding eigenfrequencies are identified as the resonant frequencies of the valley for all incident waves. The eigenvalue method results are verified by a spectral-search method. The’ method is found to be numerically much more efficient than the spectral-search method.
Spread spectrum communications: myths and realities

Spread spectrum communication techniques date back to the early fifties. Since the earliest applications, system improvements have been more evolutionary than revolutionary. Like most improvements in electronic systems, these are due primarily to the availability of ever higher speed integrated circuit components, which translate in this case to wider spread spectra. In three decades the achievable spreading factor has grown by about three orders of magnitude’ to the point that we are now limited more by bandwidth allocations than by technology limitations. Before we xamine the quantitative effects of spreading, let us catalog briefly the multiple purposes of spread spectrum communications. First, we note that spreading here refers to expansion of the bandwidth well beyond what is required to transmit digital data. Thus, a system transmitting data at a rate ( R ) of 100 Mbits/s using approximately 100 MHz of bandwidth (W) is not spread at all, while a system transmitting at 100 bits/s spread over a spectrum of about 100 MHz has a factor W/R = 106, or 60 dB of so-calledprocessing gain.
Career development with transgender college students: implications for career and employment counselors

The number of transgender college students continues to increase every year. These students face unique challenges that many college and university career centers are not prepared to handle. This article describes some of the challenges facing trans-gender students and college career centers. A professional development design is proposed to assist career professionals who work with transgender clients in college career centers and community mental health agencies. Implications for career and employment counselors are also provided.
Some problems for representations of brain organization based on activation in functional imaging

Functional brain imaging has overshadowed traditional lesion studies in becoming the dominant approach to the study of brain-behavior relationships. The proponents of functional imaging studies frequently argue that this approach provides an advantage over lesion studies by observing normal brain activity in vivo without the disruptive effects of brain damage. However, the enthusiastic onslaught of brain images, frequently presented as veridical representations of mental function, has sometimes overwhelmed some basic facts about brain organization repeatedly observed over more than a century. In particular, the lateralization of speech and language to the left cerebral hemisphere in over 90% of the right-handed population does not appear to have been taken as a serious constraint in the interpretation of imaging results in studies of these functions. This paper reviews a number of areas in which standard activation assumptions yield results that are at odds with clinical experience. The activation approach will be contrasted with a performance-based analysis of functional image data, which, at least in the case of speech production, yields results in better agreement with lesion data. Functional imaging represents enormous opportunities for understanding brain-behavior relationships, but at the present level of understanding of what is being represented in such images, it is premature to adhere to a single approach based on the strong but questionable assumptions inherent in most activation studies.
Origin and petrophysics of dolostone pore space

Abstract The common claim that dolomitization creates 12% porosity is based on the mole-for-mole replacement equation. However, in the past 50 years, data have been collected demonstrating that dolomitization does not create porosity. Instead, dolostones inherit the porosity and fabric of the precursor limestone, and porosity is reduced by overdolomitization. The porosity of the precursor limestone depends on the diagenetic history up to the time of dolomitization. Data show that: (1) carbonates are born with high porosity and lose porosity gradually over a long period; and (2) mud-dominated fabrics compact more readily than grain-dominated fabrics. The problem of estimating the time of dolomitization is minimized by confining observations to young limestones and associated dolostones. Limited data from Holocene dolomitic sediments suggest no change in porosity with dolomitization. Study of Plio-Pleistocene carbonates in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, demonstrates that precursor limestones are more porous than dolostones. Limestones average 25% porosity, whereas dolostones average 11% porosity. Data from the Neogene of the Great Bahama Bank show that dolostones and adjacent limestones both have 40% porosity. Porosity studies of the Jurassic Arab D Formation show that dolostones and associated grain-dominated limestones have similar porosity ranges and that the decrease in porosity with increasing dolomitization results from compaction of the mud-dominated fabrics. These data suggest that porosity in dolostone is not created by a mole-for-mole replacement mechanism. Instead, dolostone porosity is: (1) inherited from the precursor limestone; and (2) occluded by the process of overdolomitization. Palaeozoic dolostones, however, are commonly more porous than juxtaposed limestones. The explanation for this observation is that limestones lose porosity through compaction and cementation, whereas dolostones resist compaction and retain much of their porosity. Permeability studies have demonstrated that dolomitization of grain-dominated limestones usually does not change porosity-permeability relationships. Instead, precursor limestone fabric controls pore-size distribution. The dolomite crystal size of a muddominated dolostone may, however, be larger than the carbonate mud size, improving the porosity-permeability relationship substantially. Hence, there is a predictable relationship between interparticle (grains or crystals) porosity, permeability, precursor grain size and dolomite crystal size.
On the scale and performance of cooperative Web proxy caching

While algorithms for cooperative proxy caching have been widely studied, little is understood about cooperative-caching performance in the large-scale World Wide Web environment. This paper uses both trace-based analysis and analytic modelling to show the potential advantages and drawbacks of inter-proxy cooperation. With our traces, we evaluate quantitatively the performance-improvement potential of cooperation between 200 small-organization proxies within a university environment, and between two large-organization proxies handling 23,000 and 60,000 clients, respectively. With our model, we extend beyond these populations to project cooperative caching behavior in regions with millions of clients. Overall, we demonstrate that cooperative caching has performance benefits only within limited population bounds. We also use our model to examine the implications of future trends in Web-access behavior and traffic.
Family Intervention for the Rehabilitation of Schizophrenia: Toward Protection and Coping

Recent family aftercare intervention programs for schizophrenia have been reported by groups of investigators led by Falloon, Goldstein, Hogarty and Anderson, and Leff. Despite varied methods of intervention with families, all of these programs, when combined with neuroleptic medication, have demonstrated very significant decreases in relapse rates; some have also demonstrated improvements in social and role functioning. These programs share a number of common features: Family interventions are concrete and practical rather than analytical and interpretive; education about schizophrenia is delivered in a straightforward manner; and family members are treated with respect and helped to develop coping strategies. These demonstration programs are all related to vulnerability-stress-coping-competence model of schizophrenia. It is argued that future research programs should aim at gaining a better understanding of the crucial family mediating mechanisms which protect the individual from episodes of schizophrenia.
The role of psoralen photochemotherapy (PUVA) in the treatment of severe atopic eczema in adolescents.

SUMMARY Fifteen adolescent children with severe, persistent atopic eczema were treated with oral psoralen photochemotherapy (PUVA). This resulted in initial clearance of eczema in 14 of the 15 children, nine of whom achieved a remission. Apart from its effectiveness, a major benefit of this therapeutic approach was that it was associated with resumption of normal growth in children who were previously growing poorly, either as a direct result of severe eczema or its treatment. Nevertheless, against the considerable advantages of PUVA for this group of patients have to be balanced the possible hazards, because relatively high exposures are required in some individuals, both initially to induce clearance and subsequently to maintain it.
Adiponectin normalizes LPS-stimulated TNF-α production by rat Kupffer cells after chronic ethanol feeding

Chronic ethanol feeding sensitizes Kupffer cells to activation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), leading to increased production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Adiponectin treatment protects mice f...
Malaria Prevention in Zambia A Practical Application of the Diffusion of Innovations Model

Transcultural nursing educators can be change agents for health issues in other cultures. Yet unfamiliar disease processes and the foreign environment provide challenges that must be overcome to achieve a lasting, effective, and positive change. Rogers's Diffusion of Innovations Model can be used to plan and implement community-focused interventions into the cultures of developing nations, specifically malaria prevention in Zambia. Transcultural nurse educators could use concepts from the model to effect change in other cultures or communities.
Evaluating drug effects in the post-Vioxx world: there must be a better way.

The drug approval process must determine efficacy validly, detect risks prudently, and do both in a timely and efficient way. Several high-profile medication withdrawals in recent years have refocused attention on the difficulty of the US healthcare system in meeting these goals. Rofecoxib (Vioxx, Merck) was taken off the market in September 2004 after 5 years of use by &20 million people, when its manufacturer reported that the drug doubles the risk of myocardial infarction or stroke. That experience, as well as other instances in which important side effects came to public attention long after a drug’s approval, has prompted discussion about how to repair the nation’s drug evaluation process. Some have proposed changing the degree of statistical certainty required for initial drug approval, with the hope that demanding a probability value of <0.0001 for efficacy (rather than the conventionally required 0.05) would slow down the approval process enough to increase the likelihood that adverse events would be detected. This idea is evaluated and rejected by Roth-Cline in the this issue of Circulation .1 It is true that demanding unprecedentedly stringent tests for efficacy is a poor way to fix the nation’s drug safety problem, but not necessarily for the reasons Roth-Cline advances. A better solution will have to be based on a more comprehensive understanding of how the risks of new drugs are detected, evaluated, and addressed. Article p 2253 The thalidomide tragedy of the early 1960s led to important reforms in the regulatory authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including giving it the power to require that a manufacturer demonstrate efficacy before a new drug can be marketed. We take this expectation for granted today, but it was seen as revolutionary, and bitterly opposed by many, at that time.2 The delayed “discovery” of the …
Toward Carbon-Nanotube-Based Theranostic Agents for Microwave Detection and Treatment of Breast Cancer: Enhanced Dielectric and Heating Response of Tissue-Mimicking Materials

The experimental results reported in this paper suggest that single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have the potential to enhance dielectric contrast between malignant and normal tissue for microwave detection of breast cancer and facilitate selective heating of malignant tissue for microwave hyperthermia treatment of breast cancer. In this study, we constructed tissue-mimicking materials with varying concentrations of SWCNTs and characterized their dielectric properties and heating response. At SWCNT concentrations of less than 0.5% by weight, we observed significant increases in the relative permittivity and effective conductivity. In microwave heating experiments, we observed significantly greater temperature increases in mixtures containing SWCNTs. These temperature increases scaled linearly with the effective conductivity of the mixtures. This work is a first step towards the development of functionalized, tumor-targeting SWCNTs as theranostic (integrated therapeutic and diagnostic) agents for microwave breast cancer detection and treatment.
Molecular Features of Energy Coupling in the F0F1 ATP Synthase

H+ translocation is coupled to ATP synthesis in the F0F1 ATP synthase via a rotary mechanism. Catalytic turnover, site-site cooperativity, and H+ transport obligatorily involve rotation of a set of...
Language, the Brain, and the Question of Dichotomies

In 1981, Bradshaw and Nettleton reminded the large and growing community of scientists and scholars concerned with the study of the human brain that the weight of modern evidence argues against rigid dichotomies in the interpretation of hemispheric functions--particularly the shopworn verbal/nonverbal distinction and in favor of continuities, differences in degree rather than in kind. That they found such a reminder necessary, in view of the data that have for years presented strong and increasing challenge to such schemes, is an unfortunate commentary on an apparently irresistible human urge, to which science is certainly not immune, to erect grand explanatory edifices on limited and often contradictory evidence. Since the early 1960s, we have been bombarded by an amazing and seemingly endless array of dichotomous models purporting to account for certain functional differences between the
Interview: from traditional polymer science to nanomedicine: the interplay between disciplines to drive innovation.

Professor Joseph DeSimone speaks to Hannah Stanwix, Assistant Commissioning Editor Professor Joseph DeSimone attended Ursinus College (PA, USA) where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry. He completed his PhD in Chemistry in 1990 at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA, USA). Professor DeSimone moved to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH; NC, USA) where he was Assistant Professor of Chemistry until 1994. He was appointed Mary Ann Smith Professor of Chemistry at UNC-CH and Professor of Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University (NC, USA) in 1995 and subsequently became William R Kenan Jr Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at UNC-CH in 1999. He is currently the Chancellor’s Eminent Professor of Chemistry at UNC-CH and the William R. Kenan Jr Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at NC State. In 2004, Professor DeSimone founded Liquidia Technologies (NC, USA) which received the first ever equity investment by the Bill and Mel...
Dispersal of barnacle larvae along the central California coast: A modeling study

To investigate the biological and physical mechanisms affecting larval dispersal, we embedded a model of Balanus glandula larval development and behavior into physical circulation fields of waters along the central California coast. Physical circulation fields were generated by a three-dimensional ocean circulation model with a horizontal resolution of 1.5 km and 20 topography-following layers in the vertical. The ocean circulation model was forced by air–sea fluxes derived from a mesoscale atmospheric model and assimilated temperature and salinity data from the Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network II experiment. An ecosystem model that calculated chlorophyll a (a proxy for larval food concentration) was also coupled to the ocean circulation model. The coupled model of larval development, larval behavior, food concentration, and physical circulation was used to run simulations of larval dispersal. Simulation results predicted a greater return of larvae to the nearshore waters with relaxation circulation patterns than with upwelling. More larvae were supplied to the coast north of Monterey Bay than to the south, and larvae that successfully returned to the nearshore waters generally had limited dispersal distances. These modeling results agree with previous observations of B. glandula population dynamics in central California.
An Experimental Study of the Collection of Fog Droplets Using a Mesh Fabric: Possible Application to Cooling Towers

An experimental study is presented of the ability of fine meshes to remove fog drops from an air flow. Specifically, the collection efficiency (CE) was measured for fog drops passing through mesh fabrics. Meshes composed of cotton, nylon, and Teflon were investigated, and the effect of the material as well as mesh porosity was determined. Collection efficiencies ranging from 5% to 50% were obtained. The ultimate goal of this work is to employ such meshes in a parachute configuration above power plant cooling towers, so that condensed fog may be collected and returned to the cooling loop. It is shown that the drop diameters and velocities investigated here are similar to those observed above cooling towers.
Repletion of acute sodium deficit in rats drinking either low or high concentrations of sodium chloride solution

These studies investigate the relationship between expression of sodium appetite and restoration of physiological normalcy after acute sodium depletion in Sprague-Dawley rats. After depletion (treatment with diuretic and 24 h without NaCl), separate groups of rats were allowed to drink either a low (0.03 M) or a high (0.3 M) concentration of NaCl. Intake and urinary output of sodium and selected plasma measures were made at various times up to 48 h. Depleted rats with access to 0.3 M NaCl consumed more Na+ than their deficit in the first hour and were volume expanded as a result of this excessive intake, but they continued to consume NaCl for 6-12 h. Depleted rats given 0.03 M NaCl drank a comparable volume to the 0.3 M group in the first hour and thus only approximately 10% of the solute. The intake of 0.03 M NaCl slowed after 6-12 h, at which time the cumulative intake matched the deficit and the plasma parameters had returned to nondepleted levels. Under these conditions of slow intake, it appears that sodium appetite is more closely matched to need than is the case when highly concentrated sources of sodium are available. Satiation of sodium appetite seems to require the passage of time as well as repletion of body sodium.
Arthrography in the rheumatoid wrist joint. A preliminary report.

Arthrograms were performed on patients with rheumatoid arthritis of the wrist. Fifty cadavera and seven normal patients served as controls. Sixty arthrograms on thirty-eight patients with rheumatoid arthritis were studied. The abnormalities demonstrated consisted of corrugated pattern of the synovial cavity (90 per cent), communication between radiocarpal and inferior radio-ulnar joint (70 per cent), between radiocarpal and mid-carpal joints (70 per cent), and between the wrist joint and the extensor tendon sheaths (21 per cent). One abnormality was suggestive of a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and more than one was considered characteristic of the disease in the wrist joint. The abnormalities were present even before plain roentgenograms showed erosive changes. The findings in the fifteen wrists operated on correlated well with the plain roentgenographic and arthrographic findings. The interosseous ligaments and articular discs were often destroyed as early on six months after the onset of disease. The soft-tissue involvement is an important cause of volar dislocation of the wrist and dorsal subluxation of ulna and tendon rupture. The knowledge gained by arthrography has contributed evidence for early synovectomy of the wrist joint in rheumatoid arthritis.
Respiratory response to activation or disinhibition of the dorsal periaqueductal gray in rats.

The neural substrates mediating autonomic components of the behavioral defense response have been shown to reside in the periaqueductal gray (PAG). The cardiovascular components of the behavioral d...
Study of the common faults of Toshiba TCT-300CT machine

We introduce the common faults of Toshiba TCT 300CT machine and analyze them.We also give the ways to find them as soon as possible in order to recover CT machine for diagnosis.
High-speed digital holography for neutral gas and electron density imaging

An instrument was developed using digital holographic reconstruction of the wavefront from a CO2 laser imaged on a high-speed commercial IR camera. An acousto-optic modulator is used to generate 1–25 μs pulses from a continuous-wave CO2 laser, both to limit the average power at the detector and also to freeze motion from sub-interframe time scales. Extensive effort was made to characterize and eliminate noise from vibrations and second-surface reflections. Mismatch of the reference and object beam curvature initially contributed substantially to vibrational noise, but was mitigated through careful positioning of identical imaging lenses. Vibrational mode amplitudes were successfully reduced to ≲1 nm for frequencies ≳50 Hz, and the inter-frame noise across the 128 × 128 pixel window which is typically used is ≲2.5 nm. To demonstrate the capabilities of the system, a piezo-electric valve and a reducing-expanding nozzle were used to generate a super-sonic gas jet which was imaged with high spatial resolution (better than 0.8 lp/mm) at high speed. Abel inversions were performed on the phase images to produce 2-D images of localized gas density. This system could also be used for high spatial and temporal resolution measurements of plasma electron density or surface deformations.
Prolonged esophageal acid exposures induce synaptic downscaling of cortical membrane AMPA receptor subunits in rats.

Background We recently reported the involvement of AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) receptor subunit upregulation and phosphorylation in the rostral cingulate cortex (rCC) as the underlying mechanism of acute esophageal acid-induced cortical sensitization. Based on these findings, we proposed to investigate whether prolonged esophageal acid exposures in rats exhibit homeostatic synaptic scaling through downregulation of AMPA receptor expression in rCC neurons. We intended to study further whether this compensatory mechanism is impaired when rats are pre-exposed to repeated esophageal acid exposures neonatally during neuronal development. Methods Two different esophageal acid exposure protocols in rats were used. Since AMPA receptor trafficking and channel conductance depend on CaMKIIα-mediated phosphorylation of AMPA receptor subunits, we examined the effect of esophageal acid on CaMKIIα activation and AMPA receptor expression in synaptoneurosomes and membrane preparations from rCCs. Key Results In cortical membrane preparations, GluA1 and pGluA1Ser831 expression were significantly downregulated following prolonged acid exposures in adult rats; this was accompanied by the significant downregulation of cortical membrane pCaMKIIα expression. No change in GluA1 and pGluA1Ser831 expression was observed in rCC membrane preparations in rats pre-exposed to acid neonatally followed by adult rechallenge. Conclusions & Inferences This study along with our previous findings suggests that synaptic AMPA receptor subunits expression and phosphorylation may be involved bidirectionally in both esophageal acid-induced neuronal sensitization and acid-dependent homeostatic plasticity in cortical neurons. The impairment of homeostatic compensatory mechanism as observed following early-in-life acid exposure could be the underlying mechanism of heightening cortical sensitization and esophageal hypersensitivity in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Close-Packed Spherical Morphology in an ABA Triblock Copolymer Aligned with Large-Amplitude Oscillatory Shear

A microphase-separated poly(styrene-b-(lauryl-co-stearyl acrylate)-b-styrene) (SAS) triblock copolymer exhibiting a disordered spherical microstructure with randomly oriented grains was aligned through the application of large-amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) at a temperature below the order–disorder transition temperature of the triblock copolymer, yet above the glass transition temperature of the polystyrene spherical domains. The thermoplastic elastomeric behavior of the SAS triblock copolymer provided a convenient means to observe the aligned morphology. Following application of LAOS, the specimen was quenched to room temperature (below the glass transition temperature of polystyrene), and small-angle X-ray scattering data were obtained in the three principal shear directions: shear gradient, velocity, and vorticity directions. The analysis revealed that the SAS triblock copolymer formed coexisting face-centered cubic and hexagonally close-packed spherical microstructures. The presence of a close-pa...
Room temperature negative differential resistance in terahertz quantum cascade laser structures

The mechanisms that limit the temperature performance of GaAs/Al0.15GaAs-based terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz-QCLs) have been identified as thermally activated LO-phonon scattering and leakage of charge carriers into the continuum. Consequently, the combination of highly diagonal optical transition and higher barriers should significantly reduce the adverse effects of both mechanisms and lead to improved temperature performance. Here, we study the temperature performance of highly diagonal THz-QCLs with high barriers. Our analysis uncovers an additional leakage channel which is the thermal excitation of carriers into bounded higher energy levels, rather than the escape into the continuum. Based on this understanding, we have designed a structure with an increased intersubband spacing between the upper lasing level and excited states in a highly diagonal THz-QCL, which exhibits negative differential resistance even at room temperature. This result is a strong evidence for the effective suppression of the aforementioned leakage channel.
Surface structure of coherently strained ceria ultrathin films

Cerium oxide, or ceria, is an important material for solid oxide fuel cells and water splitting devices. Although the ceria surface is active in catalytic and electrochemical reactions, how its catalytic properties are affected by the surface structure under operating conditions is far from understood. We investigate the structure of the coherently strained $\mathrm{Ce}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ ultrathin films on yttria-stabilized zirconia (001) single crystals by specular synchrotron x-ray diffraction (XRD) under oxidizing conditions as a first step to study the surface structure in situ. An excellent agreement between the experiment data and the model is achieved by using a ``stacks and islands'' model that has a two-component roughness. One component is due to the tiny clusters of nanometer scale in lateral dimensions on each terrace, while the other component is due to slightly different $\mathrm{Ce}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ thickness that span over hundreds of nanometers on neighboring terraces. We attribute the nonuniform thickness to step depairing during the thin film deposition that is supported by the surface morphology results on the microscopic level. Importantly, our model also shows that the polarity of the ceria surface is removed by a half monolayer surface coverage of oxygen. The successful resolution of the ceria surface structure using in situ specular synchrotron XRD paves the way to study the structural evolution of ceria as a fuel cell electrode under catalytically relevant temperatures and gas pressures.
Historical Perspectives on the Management of Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Retinal Detachment: Personal Reminiscences

We were challenged and delighted when Dr. Sharon Solomon, guest editor of this Retina Supplement, invited us to reminisce about caring for patients with common retinal disorders before there was access to the diagnostic and therapeutic tools that are readily available today. We agreed to confine our remarks to 3 common, but serious, conditions: age-related macular degeneration (Dr. Fine), diabetic retinopathy (Dr. Goldberg), and retinal detachment (Dr. Tasman). Each of us completed our ophthalmology training about half a century ago. At that time, a patient who received any 1 of the 3 diagnoses was at considerable risk of severe and irreversible loss of vision. Most readers today will have little if any experience in evaluating and treating such patients without access to a plethora of diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, including intravenous fluorescein angiography, laser photocoagulation, optical coherence tomography, ophthalmic ultrasound, angioinhibitory drugs, vitrectomy, intraocular gases, and many others. We are both pleased and privileged that each of us has practiced our profession long enough to enjoy what the enormous technological developments of the past half century, as described in this article, have meant for our patients.
Democratic peace versus contractualism

If contractualism causes both democracy and peace, the correlation between democracy and peace is spurious. But the definition of contractualism is sufficiently unclear as to create doubts that it has such an impact. In addition, if democracy has an impact on contractualism, then, even with an otherwise perfectly specified model, controlling for contractualism will bias estimates of the effect of democracy on peace. International trade involves contracting behavior between strangers in different states. In addition, unlike contracting behavior within states, trade involves interactions in the same arena where interstate conflict needs to be deterred. Contractualist states have existed in significant numbers only recently. This limits contractualism’s ability to compete with democracy as a predictor of peace. Mousseau’s previous findings have been extraordinarily fragile. Finally, observational data should be complemented by multiple streams of evidence. Some experimental data support democratic peace theo...
Imaging With Synthesized 2D Mammography: Differences, Advantages, and Pitfalls Compared With Digital Mammography

OBJECTIVE. Synthesized 2D (s2D) mammography is rapidly replacing digital mammography in breast imaging with digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) to reduce radiation dose and maintain screening outcomes. We illustrate variations in the appearance of s2D and digital mammograms to aid in implementation of this technology. CONCLUSION. Despite subjective differences in the appearance of s2D and digital mammograms, early outcomes of screening using s2D mammography and DBT are not inferior to those achieved with digital mammography and DBT. Understanding these variations may aid in implementing this technique and improving patient outcomes.
Studying Patient Safety in Health Care Organizations: Accentuate the Qualitative

Article-at-a-Glance Background The study of patient safety can benefit from greater methodological diversity to improve scientific knowledge and to increase the effectiveness and tailoring of strategies aimed at improving it. Methodological Diversity to Better Capture Causal Mechanisms and Processes Additional methods for studying patient safety and errors to reflect the complexity of what goes on within health care organizations should be made routine. Interviews, focus groups, and observation—the predominant methods used in qualitative research—are infrequently used in health services research, generally and specifically in the study of errors and patient safety. However, they offer several advantages over quantitative designs. They often are less expensive and quicker to implement; they may not need a lot of advance work; and they can be used to study retrospectively a particular failure event, outcome, or situation. Action Steps Organizations can use an action agenda to better implement and promote the use of qualitative methods. Implementing these action steps can help achieve the attributes—trust, honesty, communication, participation, and efficiency—necessary to facilitate the qualitative approach in health care work settings. Summary and Conclusion Qualitative approaches should be used in studying patient safety as a complement to (not a substitute for) quantitative approaches. They can be implemented more easily in organizations through structural and cultural adjustments that provide a more supportive foundation for this work.
REAL-TIME MULTIPROGRAMMING IN PROJECT MERCURY

Project Mercury requires a real-time computer system capable of handling a variety of asynchronous inputs and outputs while mathematical computations and logical operations are being performed. The problems posed are solved in two ways: by equipment which generates automatic traps and by a programming technique which relies on these traps and permits the simultaneous execution of numerous programs with varying degrees of interdependence. We call this technique “multiprogramming.”