cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biological consequences of fiber fragmentation with pulsed laser lithotripsy

Fiber tip breakage during urinary and biliary laser lithotripsy has been recognized to occur with several laser types. This phenomenon has also been seen with Q-switched Nd:YAG laser lithotripsy. Our aim was to determine the biological consequences of this event in the canine ureter and bile duct. In an excised tissue preparation, urinary and biliary stones were impacted in a canine ureter and common bile duct. Three and four hundred micron quartz laser fibers were placed in direct contact with the stone. Normal saline coaxial irrigation was initiated at 75 xal/min. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was activated at repetition rates from 1O-30 Hz. and pulse energies from 10-30 mJ. The tissue was sectioned and microscopic examination of the fragmentation site was performed. Histological exam revealed the persistence of large numbers of fiber fragments in the lumen and imnbedded in the epithelium at the lithotripsy site. Fragments varied greatly in size and appeared to have angular, sharp edges We conclude that irrigation can not be relied upon to remove the fiber fragments from the lithotripsy sites and that the biological consequences of fiber fragmentation may be greater than previously believed. Glass fragments "blown" into the epitheliumu will often result in glass granulomas, which may eventually cause obstruction of closed lumninal structures. This raises serious concern for the presence of any fiber breakage during laser lithotripsy.
Infrastructural Ecologies: A Macroscopic Framework for Sustainable Public Works

"Infrastructural ecology" is described here as a planning and design framework that promotes beneficial exchanges across the energy, water, waste, and transportation service sectors to reduce collective system costs, improve performance, and reduce environmental and social impacts. Patterned on the workings of natural ecosystems, infrastructural ecology fosters synergies through proactive colocation or otherwise networking of different sector systems. Asset design may also capitalize on adjacent or local land uses, and utilize untapped constructed or natural system resources. Infrastructural facilities may incorporate other commercial, cultural, or even recreational amenities to address community sensitivities while fostering job creation. Ultimately more sustainable, such networked infrastructure facilities are integrated, multipurpose, and synergistic; they reduce carbon intensity and greenhouse gas emissions, assimilate the free work of natural systems, and can enhance the community in which they are situated. Descriptions of several successful case studies around the world exemplify these ideas and reveal important cobenefits that accrue to each project's triple bottom line.
Simulation and Implication Using a Transfer Function Model for Switching Logic

Transfer functions are concise mathematical models representing the input/output behavior of a system and are widely used in many areas of engineering including system theory and signal analysis. We develop a framework for the construction of transfer function models for digital networks and demonstrate their application in simulation and implication. Rather than using a traditional switching theory model, the transfer functions are defined over vector spaces, $\mathbb{H}$ . The derivation of the transfer function is provided and it is applied to logic network simulation and implication.
EPO receptor circuits for primary erythroblast survival

EPO functions primarily as an erythroblast survival factor, and its antiapoptotic actions have been proposed to involve predominantly PI3-kinase and BCL-X pathways. Presently, the nature of EPO-regulated survival genes has been investigated through transcriptome analyses of highly responsive, primary bone marrow erythroblasts. Two proapoptotic factors, Bim and FoxO3a, were rapidly repressed not only via the wild-type EPOR, but also by PY-deficient knocked-in EPOR alleles. In parallel, Pim1 and Pim3 kinases and Irs2 were induced. For this survival gene set, induction failed via a PY-null EPOR-HM allele, but was restored upon reconstitution of a PY343 STAT5–binding site within a related EPOR-H allele. Notably, EPOR-HM supports erythropoiesis at steady state but not during anemia, while EPOR-H exhibits near wild-type EPOR activities. EPOR-H and the wild-type EPOR (but not EPOR-HM) also markedly stimulated the expression of Trb3 pseudokinase, and intracellular serpin, Serpina-3G. For SERPINA-3G and TRB3, ectopic expression in EPO-dependent progenitors furthermore significantly inhibited apoptosis due to cytokine withdrawal. BCL-XL and BCL2 also were studied, but in highly responsive KitposCD71highTer119neg erythroblasts, neither was EPO modulated. EPOR survival circuits therefore include the repression of Bim plus FoxO3a, and EPOR/PY343/STAT5-dependent stimulation of Pim1, Pim3, Irs2 plus Serpina-3G, and Trb3 as new antiapoptotic effectors.
Crime, race, and values

S ometimes understanding causes does not help in finding solutions. There is no doubt that black rage at white racism brought scores of blacks onto the streets of Los Angeles in after four police officers were acquitted of illegally beating a black man, Rodney King. Some may conclude that if we are to improve the police, reduce the anger, and prevent more riots, we must end racism. Such a conclusion, while not entirely wrong, is misleading and, worse, futile. In 1965, when riots erupted in the Watts section of Los Angeles, racism by any measure was greater than it is today. Then, most whites knew no blacks and, whether they knew them or not, would speak of them in often contemptuous stereotypical terms. It was almost inconceivable that whites would vote for black candidates or take jobs in places with many black workers. Blacks bold enough to move into white neighborhoods were often met with organized resistance. Racial disturbances almost invariably consisted of whites assaulting blacks. Today, there is far more contact between the races. Every survey of opinion has shown a sharp decline in racist sentiments among whites. Though it may be objected that these polls only measure what people believe others expect them to say, it is remarkable that these expectations now govern what we say and even what we do. But if racist thinking has declined, why are relations between the races so badg. Why has Los Angeles, like many other cities, become more segregated residentially today than it was in 19659. Why do so many whites who cannot be called racists in any fair meaning of the word so often treat blacks warily or react to their proposals with neglect or unease? Whites are afraid of young black males--and of young Latino males. It is not racism that keeps whites from exploring black neighborhoods, it is fear. It is not racism that makes whites uneasy about blacks moving into their neighborhoods, it is fear. It is not racism that leads white parents to pull their children out of schools with many black students, it is fear. Fear of crime, of drugs, of gangs, of violence. Fear is not confined to whites. Many black women fear black men as well, and their fear is doubly corrosive because they have fewer avenues of escape and less reason to think the police will help them than do white women.
Derivation of ionospheric layer parameters from elevation angles of arrival of HP radio waves

Abstract A method is outlined for the derivation of ionospheric layer profile consisting of a series of quasi-linear segments from elevation angles of arrival of HF signals from transmitters at known ranges. An application of the method is illustrated.
The significance of meconium in midtrimester genetic amniocentesis

Since the advent in recent years of midtrimester amniocentesis for genetic testing, there has been an increasing number of reports of occasional instances of meconium-stained amniotic fluid of uncertain prognostic significance. Previous reports have suggested a fetal mortality of 30%. With larger series now available for study, more accurate information on the incidence of this occurrence and its significance is presented. The present series consists of 4709 consecutive amniocenteses performed from 1978 to 1983, at two genetic testing centers in Portland, Oregon. Meconium-stained amniotic fluid was found in 79 cases, for an incidence of 1.67%. Contrary to previously published reports, the fetal mortality was 5.06%. Thus the finding of meconium-stained amniotic fluid during midtrimester genetic amniocentesis may not carry the ominous prognosis that originally might have been predicted.
Drying equation for high moisture materials

An empirical equation, of simple form, is presented to describe the dynamic process of drying high initial moisture content materials (100% db and above). It is tested with drying environments. A comparison is made with a frequently used drying equation. The equation is not universally applicable, but is presented to fill a need for analytical description of drying data for materials dried from a high initial moisture content.
No freedom but in harness

7:1:1 7:1 Making the two words work together in the policy world requires a substantial amount of bargaining, adjudication, and compromise, especially where interests conflict and cash is limited. Academic f reedom thus mirrors civil rights and responsibilities. It is a concept, a phrase, a slogan that changes meaning over t ime to meet the internal needs of university life and the external needs of social existence. 8 Having arrived at this point, the real story of academic f reedom can b e g i n b u t only by empirical analysis and historical research of sanctions and constraints on the conduct of scholars and the course of scholarship. The rest is speculation.
DNA confinement drives uncoating of the HIV Virus

The enzyme reverse transcriptase converts single-stranded RNA molecules into double-stranded DNA molecules inside mature HIV viral capsids. We present a model for the uncoating of the HIV virus where the capsid uncoating process is driven by the confinement force exerted on the capsid wall porduced to the double-stranded DNA generated by reverse transcriptase.
Changes of enzymic activities in human diploid cell line WI-38 at various passages

Abstract Three groups of enzymes, namely, phosphatases, dehydrogenases and transaminases have been studied in the development of human diploid cells, WI-38, from passage 20 to passage 52. There was a general decrease in the activities of these three groups of enzymes after passage 42 and some increases of enzymic activities in the 31–42 passage range. The total cellular proteins were generally constant from the 20th to the 48th passage and increased after passage 48. However, an increase of protein in a specific cellular fraction at certain passages was observed. From pH and inhibitor studies on WI-38 diploid cells, malate dehydrogenase showed a shift to a high pH optimum at later passages, while acid phosphatase has shown no change to inhibitors from early to later passages. However, sodium tartrate showed an increased inhibitory effect on the soluble Zn 2+ -activated acid phosphatase as passages progressed. Decreased inhibitory effect by cysteine and cyanide on alkaline phosphatase has been observed in the later passages.
Hopping transport in a-Ge and a-Si

Abstract An unreasonably large pre-exponential factor for conductivity is an old problem with interpretations of hopping transport data on a-Si and a-Ge. It is shown that an appropriate concave density of states eliminates this problem, and explains some other experimental features. Results of a percolation theory for exponential densities of states are presented. Comparison with experiments on high-density Si and Ge gives Bohr radii of 6 and 13 A and values for N(E F) of 7 × 1020 and 2 × 1018 eV−1 cm−3, respectively.
Untangling the Effects of Shared Book Reading: Multiple Factors and Their Associations with Preschool Literacy Outcomes.

Abstract Evidence strongly suggests that shared book reading at home and in preschool is important for young children's development of the foundational skills required for the eventual mastery of decoding and comprehension. Yet the nuances of how learning from book reading might vary across these contexts and with children's skills are not well understood. One hundred and thirty children participating in a longitudinal investigation of literacy development were videotaped reading a storybook with a parent. Children were also videotaped in their 33 preschool classrooms during the instructional book-reading portion of the day. Readings were coded for adult and child contextualized and decontextualized language relating to both decoding and meaning-making skills, and relations between this talk and emergent literacy outcomes were analyzed. Results demonstrate that parents and teachers overwhelmingly focus their book-related talk on meaning-related rather than code-related information, and that the relations between outcomes and talk depend in part on children's initial levels of vocabulary skills. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
Voices: Bakhtin's heteroglossia and polyphony, and the performance of narrative literature

(1986). Voices: Bakhtin's heteroglossia and polyphony, and the performance of narrative literature. Literature in Performance: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 1-12.
Resolving the Buried Starburst in Arp 299

We present new 37.7 ?m far-infrared imaging of the infrared luminous (LIR ~ 5.16 ? 1011 L?) interacting galaxy Arp 299 (= IC 694 + NGC 3690). We show that the 38 ?m flux, like the 60 and 100 ?m emission, traces the luminosity of star forming galaxies but at considerably higher spatial resolution. Our data establish that the major star formation activity of the galaxy originates from a point source in its eastern component, IC 694, which is inconspicuous in the optical, becoming visible only at the near- and mid-infrared. We find that IC 694 is 2 times more luminous than NGC 3690, contributing to more than 46% of the total energy output of the system at this wavelength. The spectral energy distribution of the different components of the system clearly shows that IC 694 has 6 times the infrared luminosity of M82, and it is the primary source responsible for the bolometric luminosity of Arp 299.
The importance of environmental quality and catch potential to fishing site selection by freshwater anglers in Mississippi

Abstract We measured the importance of 24 fishing site attributes to Mississippi freshwater anglers. Factor analysis identified four multiattribute factors as important in the selection of fishing location: CLEAN ENVIRONMENT, CATCH, COST AND HARVEST, and AMENITIES AND SAFETY. In general, the importance of site selection factors differed little among anglers grouped by preferred type of fish, preferred fishing location (lakes and reservoirs, rivers and streams, ponds, or reservoir tailwaters), usual manner of fishing (engine-powered boat, nonpowered boat, or shore), or change in fishing frequency. COST AND HARVEST was more important to anglers with high harvest orientations. We found low correlations between site selection factor importance scores and angler age, fishing frequency, fishing expenditures, or fishing motivation factors. We suggest that the general lack of differences in site selection factors among angler groups indicates that management strategies to improve fishing site attributes should be...
Making Solar Cells a Reality in Every Home: Opportunities and Challenges for Photovoltaic Device Design

Globally, the cumulative installed photovoltaic (PV) capacity has topped the 100-gigawatt (GW) milestone and is expected to reach 200 GW by the year 2015. More than 90% of the installed PV capacity employs bulk-silicon solar cells. Engineering problems that include thermal and optical challenges have not permitted the large-scale commercialization of concentration PV systems, lack of functional reliability-and the concomitant lack of economic bankability-being a major barrier. For increasing the efficiency of single-junction cells beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit, several approaches based on concepts such as multiple exciton generation, carrier multiplication, hot-carrier extraction, etc., have been proposed; however, these do not seem to be commercially viable. Since both bulk-silicon and thin-film (amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride, and copper indium gallium selenide) solar cells remain as the only two commercially viable options for terrestrial PV applications, a multi-terminal multi-junction architecture appears promising for inexpensive PV electricity generation with efficiency exceeding the currently feasible 25%. The architecture exploits the present commercial silicon solar cells along with abundant and ultra-low-cost materials such as Cu2O. With the availability of well-controlled manufacturing processes at the sub 2-nm length scale, it will become possible to manufacture ultra-high efficiency and ultra-low cost PV electricity generation modules based on silicon.
Determination of the Orientation of 6-Mercaptopurine Adsorbed on a Silver Electrode by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and Normal Mode Calculations

6-Mercaptopurine, 6MP, is a sulfur analogue of adenine which is commonly used as an antitumor agent. The coordination chemistry of 6MP with metals is of interest because the drug contains a number of electronically versatile binding sites. In this study the interaction between 6MP and a silver electrode surface was investigated using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). High-quality solution Raman spectra of 6MP along with surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectra of 6MP adsorbed on a roughened silver electrode surface are presented. Urey−Bradley force field and semiempirical calculations with the PM3 method were used to generate vibrational frequencies for 6MP based on a specific set of possible molecular interaction sites. An error analysis of the calculated frequencies and the experimentally determined SERS frequencies allowed for the identification of the experimental data which most closely matched the calculated SERS data. It was concluded that 6MP attaches head-on through the N1 atom when th...
A PMR method of assigning the absolute configurations of platinum(IV) propylenediamine coordination complexes

Abstract The pmr spectra of the diastereomeric pairs: (+) D and (-) D [Pt(Spn) 3 ](C 2 O 4 ) 2 , (+) D and (-)[Pt(Rpn) 2 (en)]Cl 4 and (+) D and (-) D [Pt(Rpn)(en) 2 ]Cl 4 were studied. The chemical shift of the methyl signal of the coordinated propylenediamine ligand is different in each diastereomeric pair and can be empirically related to the orientation of the carbon-carbon bond axis of propylenediamine with respect to the C 3 or pseudo C 3 rotation axis of the complex ion. Since the orientation of the coordinated propylenediamine ligand in the diastereomeric pair can be determined from the pmr spectrum, it is possible to use the chemical shift to determine the absolute configuration of the Pt IV -propylenediamine complexes.
Alternative Visualization and Analysis of Volumetric Data

(2000). Alternative Visualization and Analysis of Volumetric Data. Computer Aided Surgery: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 135-135.
Faith-Based Mental Health Interventions With African Americans A Review

Faith-based interventions have emerged culturally sensitive way to address mental health issues among African Americans. This systematic review explores the scope and efficacy of faith-based mental health intervention outcomes among African Americans. Extracted data included the study population, setting, study design, intervention, adaptations, outcome measures, data analysis, and results. Methodological quality and sociocultural adaptations were also examined. The literature search identified 627 articles from 9 targeted databases. Five studies met inclusion criteria for this review. All five studies reported improvement in mental health outcomes and most studies sought to increase knowledge of mental health issues. Intervention settings, outcomes of interest, age groups, and attention to sociocultural modifications varied greatly. This review highlights a gap in the literature regarding African Americans and faith-based interventions. We discuss the potential for collaboration between social work profe...
Simultaneous radial, femoral, and aortic arterial pressures during human cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Objective. To examine the validity of interchanging arterial sites and their responses to graded doses of epinephrine during human cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Design. Consecutive case series. Setting. Large, urban Emergency Department. Patients. Adult, normothermic, nonhemor-rhagic cardiac arrest patients. Interventions. While receiving advanced cardiac life support, patients received right atrial (n = 40), aortic (n = 40), radial (n = 40), and femoral (n = 17) artery catheters. Pressures were measured simultaneously at baseline, after 0.01 mg/ kg and 0.2 mg/kg of epinephrine. Measurements and Main Results. The mean aortic compression-phase pressure was 9.3 ± 10 (SD), 8.1 ± 11, and 4.4 ± 9.5 mm Hg higher than radial artery pressure at baseline, after 0.01 mg/ kg, and 0.2 mg/kg of epinephrine, respectively (all statistically significant). When compared with the femoral artery at the same time points, the mean aortic compression-phase pressure was also 3.0 ± 6.8,1.9 ± 8, and 0.6 ± 7.7 mm Hg higher, respectively (none statistically significant). The aortic relaxation-phase pressure was 1.3 ± 3.6, 1.1 ± 3.8, and 1.6 ± 2.5 mm Hg lower than the radial artery at baseline, after 0.01 mg/kg and 0.2 mg/kg of epinephrine, respectively (all statistically significant). When compared with the femoral artery at the same time points, the aortic relaxation-phase pressure was 0.6 ± 2.0,0.3 ± 3.3, and 0.3 ± 2A mm Hg lower, respectively (none statistically significant). Conclusions. Radial artery relaxation-phase pressure, although statistically higher, correlated with aortic relaxation-phase pressure. Femoral artery relaxation-phase pressure was not statistically different from aortic relaxation-phase pressure. Aortic pressure was statistically higher and had a lower correlation with radial artery pressures during compression phase. The aortic to radial artery and aortic to femoral artery compression-phase gradients abated with increasing doses of epinephrine therapy. Caution must be used when substituting compression-phase pressure obtained at radial or femoral artery sites for aortic pressure during human CPR. Coronary artery perfusion pressures obtained with radial and femoral arteries correlate with aortic pressure when measuring the response to vasopressor therapy during CPU when an interpretable waveform exists. (Crit Care Med 1993; 21:878–883)
Large-scale multiple testing under dependence

Summary. The paper considers the problem of multiple testing under dependence in a compound decision theoretic framework. The observed data are assumed to be generated from an underlying two-state hidden Markov model. We propose oracle and asymptotically optimal datadriven procedures that aim to minimize the false non-discovery rate FNR subject to a constraint on the false discovery rate FDR. It is shown that the performance of a multiple-testing procedure can be substantially improved by adaptively exploiting the dependence structure among hypotheses, and hence conventional FDR procedures that ignore this structural information are inefficient. Both theoretical properties and numerical performances of the procedures proposed are investigated. It is shown that the procedures proposed control FDR at the desired level, enjoy certain optimality properties and are especially powerful in identifying clustered non-null cases. The new procedure is applied to an influenza-like illness surveillance study for detecting the timing of epidemic periods.
The drug-releasing hollow fiber and hollow fiber patch

Abstract Purpose. To develop a new drug delivery system made of hollow fiber fabric. We report preliminary in vitro results of drug-impregnated hollow fiber and hollow fiber fabric. Methods. (1) Impregnation of chemicals into the hollow space: Dacron hollow fiber (T-334W, 1 hole with 15% void, 5.5 Denier per filament, DuPont, USA) was submerged in the liquid solution and placed inside a vacuum chamber (−30 Torr, 5 min). The fiber was examined by microscopy. (2) Hollow fiber model: 4 g of 3.81-cm-long Dacron hollow fiber was impregnated with solutions (150 ml of 5 M NaCl and 40,000 IU/150 ml of low molecular weight heparin (Fragmin, Pfizer, NY, USA)) as mentioned above. They were placed in room air for 48 h to be dried and placed in 200-ml distilled water at 37°C. The cumulative conductivity was measured for 4 weeks. (3) Fabric model: a knitted patch (5 × 30 mm) made of hollow fiber was impregnated with 10,000 IU/3 ml of Fragmin as mentioned above. The cumulative conductivity was measured in 50 ml distilled water for 4 weeks. The concentration of solution and the rate of emission were calculated with calibration curve of each chemical. Results. (1) Under microscopy, fibers filled with liquid looked clear, although un-removed air remaining in the hollows appeared as dark streaks. (2) The cumulative release kinetics were curve-fit as follows: NaCl (mol) = 1.91 Ln( t ) + 13.5 ( R 2 = 0.879); Fragmin (IU) = 825.6 Ln( t ) + 10010 ( R 2 = 0.81), where t is time measured in days. The amount of NaCl or Fragmin released in each time interval decreased over time until day 4 or 5 and is thereafter relatively constant and zero order. The cumulative amount released of NaCl and Fragmin at day 28 was 18.9 mol and 12,174 IU. (3) In patch model, the results were almost the same as the fiber model. The cumulative released Fragmin (IU) = 18.0 Ln( t ) + 57.4 ( R 2 = 0.92) (125 IU at day 28). The emission rate decreased over time until day 4 and is thereafter relatively constant: rate (IU/day) = 18.0/ t . Conclusions. It was confirmed that chemicals were impregnated into hollow space with a vacuum chamber and they were released continuously from the hollow fiber and hollow fiber fabric models for more than 2 weeks. This new drug delivery system would be useful as an artificial patch or a graft in the field of cardiac or vascular surgery.
Thinking things and feeling things: On an alleged discontinuity in folk metaphysics of mind

According to the discontinuity view, people recognize a deep discontinuity between phenomenal and intentional states, such that they refrain from attributing feelings and experiences to entities that do not have the right kind of body, though they may attribute thoughts to entities that lack a biological body, like corporations, robots, and disembodied souls. We examine some of the research that has been used to motivate the discontinuity view. Specifically, we focus on experiments that examine people's aptness judgments for various mental state ascriptions to groups. These studies seem to reveal that people are more inclined to think of groups as having intentionality than as having phenomenology. Combined with the fact that groups obviously lack a single biological body, this has been taken as evidence that people operate according to the relevant discontinuity. However, these studies support discontinuity only on the assumption that the experimental participants are interpreting the relevant group mental state ascriptions in a specific way. We present evidence that people are not interpreting these ascriptions in a way that supports discontinuity. Instead, we argue that people generally interpret group mental state ascriptions distributively, as attributions of mental states to various group members.
Associations of high-risk behaviour and HIV status with HIV knowledge among persons in Tallinn, Estonia.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the associations between the level of HIV knowledge, HIV-related risk behaviours, and HIV status among persons receiving voluntary counselling and testing services in Tallinn, Estonia. Design: A cross-sectional study design was used. Methods: A total of 772 subjects completed a 47-item questionnaire gathering information on demographics, HIV-related risk behaviours, and HIV-related knowledge. Participant’s HIV status was determined by an anonymous rapid test. Only incident HIV cases were included in regression analyses. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) modelling evaluated associations between HIV knowledge and high-risk behaviours while multivariable logistic regression assessed association between HIV status and HIV knowledge. Results: The final ANCOVA model indicates that HIV risk behaviours are significantly associated with HIV knowledge (p = 0.01). Compared to participants with no identified high-risk behaviour, the adjusted mean score of HIV knowledge was...
Liposome Dialysis for Improved Size Distributions

A technique is described which allows reproducible preparation of liposomes with improved size-frequency distributions. The recent procedure of extrusion of crude liposome dispersions through controlled-pore polycarbonate membranes is used to control the upper limit of liposome diameter. Subsequent dialysis, using the same type of membrane, can remove the majority of liposomes smaller than a predetermined size. The pattern of dialysis of a liposome preparation is a function of the size-frequency distribution (as well as the membrane pore size) and can be used to approximate the distribution and/or used to monitor the reproducibility of liposome preparations.
Orientation of actin filaments during motion in in vitro motility assay

Rhodamine-phalloidin was added to F-actin, and the orientation of transition dipoles of the dye was measured in single actin filaments by polarization of fluorescence. Rhodamine-phalloidin was well immobilized on the surface of actin, indicating that changes in orientation of the dye reported changes in orientation of actin monomers. In stationary filaments the dipoles were inclined at 49.3 degrees with respect to the filament axis. The disorganization of dipoles in stationary filaments was insignificant. When the filaments were made to translate, the average orientation of the dye did not change, but disorganization slightly increased. Disorganization increased significantly when filaments were free in solution. We concluded that, within the accuracy of our measurements (approximately 18%), actin monomers did not undergo major reorientations during motion, but that binding of myosin heads deformed the structure of filaments.
How old is the Universe? Measuring the expansion rate with the Hubble Space Telescope

One of the primary motivations for building the Hubble Space Telescope was to allow an accurate measurement of the age of the Universe. The author describes the Hubble Space Telescope and the Wide Field and Planetary Camera used for this effort. A brief historical summary is given. Early in this century, astronomer Edwin Hubble provided evidence that the Universe was expanding. However, an accurate value for this expansion rate has eluded astronomers for almost seven decades. Unfortunately, the measurement of the expansion rate has turned out to be much more difficult than anticipated by Hubble. The reasons for this difficulty, and the need for an increased resolution over what can be achieved using ground-based telescopes, are outlined. Finally, results from the Hubble Space Telescope are presented. The preliminary results from the Hubble Space Telescope yield an age for the Universe of 8 billion years. This age is younger than the ages measured for the oldest objects in the Galaxy. This paradox and the implications of these results are discussed.
The role of perceived variability in the transition to language

This article will treat attention to variability as a perceptual structure which mediates the transition from sensorimotor activity to language. The guiding idea is that the attentional system is geared to variability from the very beginning of life and that a speaker's language use is coordinated with this system as it emerges.
Spatiotemporal Segmentation of Spaceborne Passive Microwave Data for Change Detection

Highly repetitive global-scale remote sensing systems, such as the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I), provide essential tools for monitoring changes on the Earth's surface. This letter presents a time-series segmentation and classification method to identify surface changes and to estimate the duration (days) for the changes using daily SSM/I observations. The method was developed based on a bottom-up segmentation algorithm for time-series data. The attributes of the linear segments provide the basis for understanding and classifying the surface changes. In the application examples, we calculated the number of surface snowmelt days at various locations on the Antarctic Ice Sheet by classifying the segmented time series of SSM/I brightness temperature observations. It is demonstrated that this novel method is robust to the data noise and efficient for processing large volume of spatially and temporally continuous remote sensing data for environmental monitoring.
Age and Aerobic Power in Women: A Longitudinal Study

Thirty-six women from an original cross-sectional population of 81 were retested after an average time span of 6.1 years to determine the longitudinal effects of aging on aerobic power. Women in their 20s maintained a constant level of VO2max. All other age groups showed a decrease in aerobic power (l. min-1 and ml. kg-1. min-1) similar to that observed in the cross-sectional study. Although the decline in VO2max was similar for both groups, active women increased walk time on the treadmill, while sedentary women decreased in endurance time. Maximal heart rate also decreased with age but the rate of decrease was not constant across time. HRmax remained relatively steady during the middle years and then declined at a faster rate in the 50- and 60-year-old age groups. The results of the present study suggest that cross-sectional studies can provide valid information about the effect of age on response to maximal exercise provided that close attention is paid to the limitations underlying regression therapy. The data also indicate a need to consider alternatives to linear regression analysis of aging effects, since the rate of change of some variables is not constant across age. Language: en
The effects of experimentally induced conductive hearing loss on spectral and temporal aspects of sound transmission through the ear.

Conductive hearing loss (CHL) is known to produce hearing deficits, including deficits in sound localization ability. The differences in sound intensities and timing experienced between the two tympanic membranes are important cues to sound localization (ILD and ITD, respectively). Although much is known about the effect of CHL on hearing levels, little investigation has been conducted into the actual impact of CHL on sound location cues. This study investigated effects of CHL induced by earplugs on cochlear microphonic (CM) amplitude and timing and their corresponding effect on the ILD and ITD location cues. Acoustic and CM measurements were made in 5 chinchillas before and after earplug insertion, and again after earplug removal using pure tones (500 Hz to 24 kHz). ILDs in the unoccluded condition demonstrated position and frequency dependence where peak far-lateral ILDs approached 30 dB for high frequencies. Unoccluded ear ITD cues demonstrated positional and frequency dependence with increased ITD cue for both decreasing frequency (±420 μs at 500 Hz, ±310 μs for 1-4 kHz) and increasingly lateral sound source locations. Occlusion of the ear canal with foam plugs resulted in a mild, frequency-dependent conductive hearing loss of 10-38 dB (mean 31 ± 3.9 dB) leading to a concomitant frequency dependent increase in ILDs at all source locations. The effective ITDs increased in a frequency dependent manner with ear occlusion as a direct result of the acoustic properties of the plugging material, the latter confirmed via acoustical measurements using a model ear canal with varying volumes of acoustic foam. Upon ear plugging with acoustic foam, a mild CHL is induced. Furthermore, the CHL induced by acoustic foam results in substantial changes in the magnitudes of both the ITD and ILD cues to sound location.
Cross-linking of the sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase protein.

Abstract Treatment of rabbit sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles with the cross-linking agent, cupric phenanthroline, causes production of high-molecular weight bands on SDS-gel electrophoresis. A plot of log mol wt vs mobility indicates that the main band produced from the ATPase (mol wt = 105) has a mol wt of 4 × 105 and thus suggests formation of a tetramer. Notably, bands corresponding to dimers, trimers, pentamers, etc., are absent. The bands attributable to calsequestrin and calcium binding protein are unchanged by cupric phenanthroline. With extended treatment, the tetramer itself is polymerized (mol wt>106). Partial disruption of the membranes with deoxycholate or Triton X-100 before cross-linking favors tetramer formation; the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, on the other hand, prevents intermolecular cross-linking. Our results suggest that the ATPase is at least partially associated within the membrane as a tetramer.
Array backplate architecture for monolithic microwave integrated circuits

Array backplate technology concepts are being developed for extremely high-frequency (EHF) monolithic-phased arrays. These arrays are mechanically simpler and promise to be reliable and more affordable to manufacture than earlier design approaches. A concept for an array backplate architecture for monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) applications is discussed. This concept for EHF receive and transmit array backplates relies on proven RF distribution structures and features an advanced fabrication technique which dispenses with the necessity of providing individually fabricated RF feedthroughs and a network of wires for the DC and control signal distribution. The backplate is stress-free because the heatsink matches the ceramic. The GaAs MMICs and backplate should operate reliably in extreme environments. The entire backplate is less than 1 inch thick. A commercial style, cofired ceramic process can be used. The multilayers and the interconnects can be done in a batch process. >
Studies of Brain and Cognitive Maturation Through Childhood and Adolescence: A Strategy for Testing Neurodevelopmental Hypotheses

Although neurodevelopmental models of schizophrenia are now widely accepted, there is minimal direct human evidence of dysmaturation in schizophrenia to support this theory. This is especially the case regarding maturational changes during late childhood and adolescence, which immediately precede the typical age of onset of the disorder. By integrating new noninvasive methods of functional magnetic resonance imaging with techniques of developmental cognitive neuroscience, it is now possible to begin systematic research programs to directly test hypotheses of neurodevelopmental abnormalities in schizophrenia. In this article, we describe strategies for characterizing developmental changes taking place during the critical period of adolescence that can elucidate dysmaturation processes in schizophrenia. We emphasize the need for studies characterizing normal development before examining at-risk or clinical populations, and the potential value of using neurobehavioral and neuroimaging approaches to directly characterize the dysmaturation associated with schizophrenia.
Comparison of effective interfacial areas with the actual contact area for gas absorption in an agitated vessel

Gas absorption with a pseudo-first order chemical reaction was carried out in a turbine-agitated vessel for the case of absorption across an unbroken interface. These experiments were carried out in order to determine the effective interfacial area for mass transfer. Carbon dioxide was absorbed in an aqueous carbonate-bicarbonate buffer solution in the presence of an arsenite catalyst. The concentrations of arsenite used ranged from 0.05 to 0.2 mol/l. Effective interfacial areas determined from chemical reaction increased from 48.61 cm2 for an agitator speed of 100 r/min to 109.39 cm2 for an agitator speed of 750 r/min. The actual interfacial area was 179.50 cm2. On a etudie l'absorption de gaz avec une reaction chimique de pseudo-premier ordre, dans un recipient agite par une turbine. L'absorption se faisait au travers d'une interface continue. On a fait ces experiences pour determiner l'aire interfaciale effective de transfert de masse. On a effectue l'absorption de l'anhydride carbonique dans une solution aqueuse tampon contenant un carbonate et un bicarbonate, en presence d'arsenite comme catalyseur. La concentration de l'arsenite a varie entre 0.05 et 0.2 mole/l. L'aire interfaciale effective, determinee a l'aide de la reaction chimique, s'est accrue de 48.61 cm2 pour une vitesse de l'agitateur de 100 t/min, a 109.39 cm2, lorsque la vitesse de l'agitateur atteignait 750 t/min. L'aire interfaciale reelle etait 179.50 cm2.
Guided wave signal transport in curved and tapered plates

A numerical study is presented of the influence of plate curvature and taper on the transport of ultrasound guided wave signals for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and structural health monitoring (SHM) applications. Model formulations for transmission at sharp transitions in plate curvature and thickness taper are summarized. Results are presented showing that transitions in plate curvature and tapered plate thickness have minimal effect on signal transmission efficiency when associated characteristic dimensions are large compared to plate thickness.
Robust by composition: Programs for multi-robot systems

This paper describes how to specify the local reactive behavior of robots via guarded command programs with rates. These programs express concurrency and can be composed easily. Rates allow programs to be interpreted as Markov processes, which we use to define an appropriate notion of robustness and performance. We use composition to “robustify” programs with good performance, i.e. create a robust program with good performance from a program that has good performance but is not robust. We demonstrate this approach on a sub process of a reconfiguration program in a multi-robot system.
A software workbench for estimating the effects of cumulative sound exposure in marine mammals

The U.S. Navy has initiated a multidisciplinary research and development program to study the Effects of Sound on the Marine Environment (ESME). As part of this effort, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is developing a software workbench for estimating the effects of cumulative sound exposure on marine mammals. This paper describes the workbench, and presents some preliminary simulation results. The workbench integrates data sets and computer models contributed by researchers in the areas of oceanography, underwater acoustic propagation, and marine mammal physiology and behavior. Models are incorporated for simulating animal movement, for estimating the received acoustic time series along an animal's track, and for predicting temporary threshold shifts (TTSs) induced by acoustic exposure. TTS predictions are shown to be highly dependent upon both the environmental variables and the movement of the marine mammals
A Design for the Professional Development of Teacher Leaders

Zimpher describes a teacher leader pro gram that has been developed between a state university and a local school dis trict. She outlines the benefits ofteacher leadership programs and creates a schemata for teacher leader program ming. The first schematic level focuses on professional development phases for teachers. The second level provides definition for several domains of knowl edge that are critical to the preparation of teachers for leadership roles includ ing : teacher needs assessment; inter personal and adult development; class room processes and school effective ness ; instructional supervision; and in quiry.
An application of singular integral equation theory to a linearized problem in couette flow

Abstract This paper treats a linearized problem in Couette flow which has been derived from a simple version of the Krook statistical model for intermolecular collisions. The problem is reduced to the solving of Fredholm equations which are shown to converge rapidly for all values of the Knudsen number. The methods are based on singular integral equations and were first developed in neutron transport theory. Cercignani, in applying Case's method to the slip flow problem, has also studied singular equations dual to those of this paper.
Using genetic algorithms for supporting combinatorially complex decisions

Combinatorially complex decisions are usually characterized by their huge size of solution space. For such type of decisions, optimal solutions are usually unattainable, and we can only approximate the optimal solutions. Due to their deterministicity, most of the traditional optimization techniques are limited by their power to discover satisfactory solutions for combinatorially complex decisions. In this paper, we designed a GA-based interactive system for the support of a combinatorially complex decision, namely the FMS batch selection problem. A performance analysis was conducted for different parameter settings for our system.
Library Partnerships and the Community College—Putting It on the Top of My List

(2005). Library Partnerships and the Community College—Putting It on the Top of My List. Community & Junior College Libraries: Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 3-5.
On Codiagnosability and Coobservability With Dynamic Observations

Codiagnosability and coobservability in discrete event systems where observations are dynamic are considered. Instead of having a fixed set of observable events, the observation of an event is dynamic (trace-dependent) in this paper. A procedure is developed to transform the problem of coobservability to the problem of codiagnosability in the context of dynamic observations. This proves that problems of coobservability are transformable to problems of codiagnosability and enables us to leverage the large literature available for codiagnosability to solve problems of coobservability. Furthermore, in the case of dynamic observations, the known polynomial-complexity tests for the property of codiagnosability based on verifier automata with fixed observable event set(s) are no longer directly applicable. A new testing procedure is developed that can handle transition-based dynamic observations and remains of polynomial complexity in the state space of the system. This new testing procedure employs a covering of the state space of the system based on cluster automata, which enhances its computational efficiency. Based on cluster automata, a new type of verifier automaton is built, called the C-VERIFIER, for verification of codiagnosability. As an application of the above mentioned transformation, the C-VERIFIER becomes a unified method for verifying both codiagnosability and coobservability.
Locally homogeneous graphs from groups

A graph is called locally homogeneous if the subgraphs induced at any two points are isomorphic. in this Note we give a method for constructing locally homogeneous graphs from groups. the graphs constructable in this way are exactly the locally homogeneous graphs with a point symmetric universal cover. As an example we characterize the graphs that are locally n-cycles.