cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Particle-induced synthesis of collagenase by synovial fibroblasts: An immunocytochemical study

The response of synoviocytes to wear particles has been implicated in several orthopaedic pathologies, including the synovitis associated with the failure of synthetic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) replacements. To study the interactions of particles with synovial fibroblasts at the level of the individual cell, we employed immunocytochemistry, with use of antiserum, to lapine interstitial collagenase. Cultures of the HIG-82 lapine synovial cell line showed only weak immunofluorescence under resting conditions. Incubation with phorbol myristate acetate or autocrine factors known as cell-activating factors (CAFs) induced marked changes in morphology and intense immunofluorescence. This technique then was used to study the effects of standard particles of latex and of particles generated from two prosthetic ACL materials, Dacron and carbon. Internalized particles of latex, Dacron, and carbon all induced collagenase. Particles of latex that were too large for endocytosis failed to induce collagenase, whereas particles of carbon and, in particular, Dacron that remained extracellular, still provoked considerable synthesis of collagenase. Thus, both the size and the physical properties of these materials influence their ability to activate synoviocytes. Certain cells that appeared by visual inspection to contain no particles nevertheless produced collagenase when in co-culture with cells that did contain particles. This is consistent with earlier biochemical data showing that phagocytosis, in addition to inducing collagenase, also provokes the release of CAFs, which then activate additional cells in the culture. More rarely, cells were identified which, although containing particles, did not stain positively for collagenase. Since carbon and Dacron are the major components of certain prosthetic ligament replacements, the cellular responses to their wear particles and to debris generated from other prosthetic materials merit further close attention.
Posterior Chest Wall Pulsation in Congenital Complete Absence of the Left Pericardium

We report an asymptomatic 77-year-old man with congenital complete absence of the left pericardium. There was marked posterior rotation of the heart; apical impulse was palpable medial to the left scapula.
Differences in the synthesis of total and poly(A)+RNA in the Kennebec potato and its dihaploid

RNA synthesis as measured by the incorporation of tritiated uridine into trichloroacetic acid insoluble material was studied in the leaf protoplasts of cv. Kennebec and its parthenogenically derived dihaploid. Protoplasts of cv. Kennebec incorporated tritiated uridine at a greater rate and accumulated more than twice the amount of radioactive materials than did the dihaploid over a 6-h incubation period. Poly(A)+RNA, isolated from the total RNA of the tetraploid and of the dihaploid, by oligo(dT)-cellulose column chromatography, was present in amounts of 11.3 and 5.2 % respectively. The tetraploid synthesized 4.8 times the amount of poly(A)+RNA that was synthesized by the dihaploid.
Continent Gastric Tube: New Techniques and Long-Term Followup

ABSTRACTPurpose: The successful use of stomach for bladder augmentation and substitution is well documented. Gastric tissue has been used more recently to create continent catheterizable tubes. We describe 2 new techniques of gastric tube construction, and report our long-term followup of catheterizable gastric tubes in children and adults undergoing complex urinary tract reconstruction.Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review of 6 male and 4 female patients 5 to 43 years old was done. Primary diagnoses included bladder exstrophy, cloacal exstrophy, rhabdomyosarcoma and neurogenic bladder. Five patients underwent gastrocystoplasty with simultaneous creation of a continent gastric tube from the anterior gastric flap. In 2 patients who had undergone previous gastrocystoplasty a continent gastric tube was created from an anterior flap raised from the existing gastric bladder. Isolated gastric tubes were constructed in 3 patients.Results: Followup ranged from 2 to 9 years (median 3.5). All patients...
Methane emissions inventory verification in southern California

Abstract Methane (CH4) and carbon monoxide (CO) mixing ratios were measured at an air quality monitoring station near the Mt. Wilson (MW) Observatory in southern California starting in the spring of 2007. Diurnal variation and mixing ratio correlation (R2 = 0.81) were observed. The correlation results observed agree with previous aircraft measurements collected over the greater Los Angeles (LA) metropolitan area. The consistent agreement between CH4 and CO indicates these gases are well-mixed before reaching the sampling site and the emission source contributions of both compounds are reasonably constant. Since CH4 and CO are considered non-reactive on the time scale of dispersion within the LA urban area and their emission sources are likely to be similarly distributed (e.g., associated with human activities) they are subject to similar scales of atmospheric transport and dilution. This behavior allows the relationship of CH4 and CO to be applied for estimation of CH4 emissions using well-documented CO emissions. Applying this relationship a “top–down” CH4 inventory was calculated for LA County based on the measurements observed at MW and compared with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) “bottom–up” CH4 emissions inventory based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommended methodologies. The “top–down” CH4 emissions inventory is approximately one-third greater than CARB's “bottom–up” inventory for LA County. Considering the uncertainties in both methodologies, the different CH4 emissions inventory approaches are in good agreement, although some under and/or uninventoried CH4 sources may exist.
Controlled dissociation of rabbit reticulocyte ribosomes and its effect on hemoglobin synthesis.

The state of aggregation of ribosomes can be ascertained by analytical ultra-centrifugation. The extent of aggregation of ribosomes, including those from rabbit reticulocytes, depends on the Mg 2+ concentration and ionic strength of the medium. In the usual incubation medium in which rabbit reticulocyte ribosomes incorporate amino acids into hemoglobin, the ribosomes exist predominantly as 70 s particles. In solutions without Mg 2+ , or with low Mg 2+ concentrations, one 70 s ribosome reversibly dissociates into one 50 s and one 30 s particle. Various methods are available for the removal of Mg 2+ from reticulocyte ribosomes in order to achieve dissociation, among them pyrophosphorolysis. By varying the relative concentration of ribosomes and pyrophosphate, any desired extent of dissociation into subunits is feasible. Ribosomes were tested for their protein synthetic capacity after reversible dissociation. It was observed that once ribosomes had been completely dissociated into subunits they lost the capacity to incorporate amino acids into protein and none of the usual supernatant factors was capable of restoring this property. The experiments present evidence that in the usual preparation of reticulocyte ribosomes two classes of particles are actively participating in protein synthesis; a small portion—about 5%—of the ribosomes is 10 times more active, and more resistant to dissociation, than the remaining 95% of the ribosomal population.
School Board Members, Secondary School Principals Look at Reform

This writer looks in detail at the extent to which school board mem bers and secondary school principals agree and/or disagree with some con troversial reform proposals. It is imperative that these two important groups be heard as reform efforts continue.
A comparative genomics screen identifies a Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 sodM-like gene strongly expressed within host plant nodules.

We have used the genomic data in the Integrated Microbial Genomes system of the Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute to make predictions about rhizobial open reading frames that play a role in nodulation of host plants. The genomic data was screened by searching for ORFs conserved in α-proteobacterial rhizobia, but not conserved in closely-related non-nitrogen-fixing α-proteobacteria. Using this approach, we identified many genes known to be involved in nodulation or nitrogen fixation, as well as several new candidate genes. We knocked out selected new genes and assayed for the presence of nodulation phenotypes and/or nodule-specific expression. One of these genes, SMc00911, is strongly expressed by bacterial cells within host plant nodules, but is expressed minimally by free-living bacterial cells. A strain carrying an insertion mutation in SMc00911 is not defective in the symbiosis with host plants, but in contrast to expectations, this mutant strain is able to out-compete the S. meliloti 1021 wild type strain for nodule occupancy in co-inoculation experiments. The SMc00911 ORF is predicted to encode a “SodM-like” (superoxide dismutase-like) protein containing a rhodanese sulfurtransferase domain at the N-terminus and a chromate-resistance superfamily domain at the C-terminus. Several other ORFs (SMb20360, SMc01562, SMc01266, SMc03964, and the SMc01424-22 operon) identified in the screen are expressed at a moderate level by bacteria within nodules, but not by free-living bacteria. Based on the analysis of ORFs identified in this study, we conclude that this comparative genomics approach can identify rhizobial genes involved in the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with host plants, although none of the newly identified genes were found to be essential for this process.
A sulphur isotope study of the Broken Hill deposit, New South Wales, Australia

Sulphur isotopic compositions of sulphides within garnet-rich rocks and high-grade ore from the Broken Hill deposit, New South Wales, Australia, have been determined and show a range of values of −3.3 to +6.7 per mil. Thermochemical considerations, including the spread of values of δ34S, suggest that the deposit was derived from a mixed source of sulphur in which seawater, reduced by inorganic processes, mixed with magmatic sulphur or that sulphate from contemporaneous seawater was reduced biogenically at low temperatures. Thermochemical considerations also suggest that pyrrhotite formed by desulphidation of pyrite so that the original Fe-S-O assemblage was pyrite ± magnetite.
Interfacial Dislocations and Deformation Twinning in Fully Lamellar TiAl

Abstract Deformation twinning, which takes place abnormally within lamellar TiAl subjected to creep deformation at strain rates as low as 10−7 s−1, has been found to be intimately related to the motion, pileup and dissociation of interfacial (Shockley partial) dislocations. Since the interfacial (Shockley partial) dislocations are energetically unfavorable to undergo cross-slip or climb, under normal conditions, they can only move conservatively along interfaces. Consequently, the pileup configuration once generated cannot be easily dissipated and thus remains in place even at elevated temperatures. The dislocation pileup eventually leads to the emission of deformation twins from the interfaces into γ lamellae when a local stress concentration due to the dislocation pileup becomes sufficiently large. Deformation twinning of {111}〈11 2 〉 and {11 2 }〈111〉 types (both generate Σ3 twin boundaries) has been observed. Both types of twinning can be rationalized by dislocation mechanisms involving the core dissociation of interfacial dislocations: 1/6[ 1 2 1 ](111)→1/6[011](100)+1/6[ 1 1 2 ] 1 11 and 1/6[1 2 1](111)→1/2[0 1 0](001)+1/6[111](11 2 ), and the emission of 1/6〈 1 1 2 〉 and 1/6〈111〉 twinning dislocations into γ lamellae to form the ( 1 11)[ 1 1 2 ]- and (11 2 )[111]-type twins, respectively. The critical shear stress for the {111}〈11 2 〉-type twinning is evaluated using the Peach–Koehler formula based upon the pileup configuration of interfacial dislocations.
Genetic studies of human DNA repair proteins using yeast as a model system.

Understanding the roles of human DNA repair proteins in genetic pathways is a formidable challenge to many researchers. Genetic studies in mammalian systems have been limited due to the lack of readily available tools including defined mutant genetic cell lines, regulatory expression systems, and appropriate selectable markers. To circumvent these difficulties, model genetic systems in lower eukaryotes have become an attractive choice for the study of functionally conserved DNA repair proteins and pathways. We have developed a model yeast system to study the poorly defined genetic functions of the Werner syndrome helicase-nuclease (WRN) in nucleic acid metabolism. Cellular phenotypes associated with defined genetic mutant backgrounds can be investigated to clarify the cellular and molecular functions of WRN through its catalytic activities and protein interactions. The human WRN gene and associated variants, cloned into DNA plasmids for expression in yeast, can be placed under the control of a regulatory plasmid element. The expression construct can then be transformed into the appropriate yeast mutant background, and genetic function assayed by a variety of methodologies. Using this approach, we determined that WRN, like its related RecQ family members BLM and Sgs1, operates in a Top3-dependent pathway that is likely to be important for genomic stability. This is described in our recent publication [1] at www.impactaging.com. Detailed methods of specific assays for genetic complementation studies in yeast are provided in this paper.
Studies by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) of Antiplatelet Antibody and Transient Neonatal Thrombocytopenic Purpura*

: Autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ATP) is an antibody-mediated autoimmune disease of platelets. Transplacental passage of the antibody during pregnancy can result in transient neonatal thrombocytopenia, but it is not known why some infants of antibody-positive, thrombocytopenic mothers are not affected. We have developed a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure circulating antiplatelet antibody and have used this technique to investigate the influence of maternal titers on the occurrence of neonatal thrombocytopenia. The assay is sensitive over a range of 12.5 to 800 ng of immunoglobulin G (IgG) per microtiter well and closely correlates with the complement lysis inhibition assay (CLIA) for antiplatelet antibody (correlation coefficient = 0.726). In many instances, the level of circulating antiplatelet antibody in maternal and cord bloods reflected the degree of maternal and neonatal thrombocytopenia, but several important exceptions were observed. We suggest that levels of antiplatelet antibody in the maternal blood and cord blood are not always predictive of the degree of neonatal thrombocytopenia.
Ion heating in a dusty plasma due to the dust/ion acoustic instability

The drift of plasma ions relative to charged grains in a dusty plasma can give rise to a dust/ion acoustic instability. We investigate the linear properties of the instability by numerically solving an appropriate linear dispersion equation and examine the nonlinear behavior through one-dimensional electrostatic particle simulations, in which the plasma and dust ions are treated as discrete particles and the electrons are modeled as a Boltzmann fluid. The instability saturates by trapping some of the plasma ions. The instability is slightly weaker when the dust particles have a range of sizes, and corresponding range of charges and masses. It is argued that due to dust particles that comprise planetary rings, this process can contribute to ion heating and diffusion observed in the inner magnetosphere of Saturn.
Dynamic Characteristics of a Constrained String Translating Across an Elastic Foundation

The free and forced linear response of a constrained string translating across an elastic foundation is examined. The transfer function method is used. For the general problem, three subsystems are identified. The sub-systems are coupled by physical constraints imposed at the subsystem interfaces. Free vibration analysis shows that eigenvalue loci exhibit veering characteristics and vibration modes are localized. These phenomena are due to the coupling of the subsystems. A third order perturbation solution is also derived to examine the local characteristics of regions of curve veering
An Interactive Multimedia Training Simulator for Responding to Bomb Threats

This paper describes an interactive multimedia simulator for bomb threat training that was de veloped in Authorware 4.0. The objective of this project is to improve the nation's capability to respond to bomb threats. The simulator provides realistic training on receiving and responding to a variety of bomb threats that might not other wise be possible due to time, cost, or operational constraints. The use of the simulator was found to be statistically significantly more effective than both classroom training alone and class room training with a practical exercise. Qualita tive feedback indicates that the simulator makes learning about bomb threats more interesting and effective. The development of this project was funded under a grant from the Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Office of Science and Technology.
Stiffness and Damping Coefficients for the Five-Pad Tilting-Pad Bearing

Stiffness and damping coefficients are presented for the 5-pad tilt-pad bearing for various preloads, offsets, length to diameter ratios and pad loadings (on and between pad). Finite elements and the pad assembly method are used to calculate these coefficients and the effects of the unloaded pads are included. Design curves suitable for tilt-pad bearings in widespread industrial use are presented. Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASLE/ASME Lubrication Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, October 3–5, 1977
Acute popliteal artery occlusion after arthroscopic posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Arthroscopic posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction may carry certain risks of complications, including injury to the neurovascular structures in the popliteal region. Acute occlusion of the popliteal artery, a limb-threatening complication, was reported after total knee arthroplasty. We report a case of acute popliteal artery occlusion after arthroscopic posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The possible causes included underlying artherosclerosis, the use of pneumatic tourniquet, surgical manipulation, and arterial spasm. Early diagnosis and prompt surgical treatment are the keys to success in the treatment of this limb-threatening complication. Spontaneous resolution of the thrombus such as is reported in this case is exceptional.
Collapse calculations in stars of mass less than 15 M

Abstract The results of an extensive series of collapse calculations in the cores of massive stars and in one case for an accreting white dwarf, are presented. The nuclear equation of state is crucial in determining whether the shock wave will eject matter. General relativistic effects are also of great importance. In the case of the white dwarf, the shock wave does not eject any matter and the neutron star is born “quietly”.
Thomas Reid on Common Sense and Morals

Reid's philosophy of the moral faculty must be interpreted in the context of his philosophical theory concerning the human faculties and their connection with truth. One purpose of this paper is to offer an account of the development of our moral concepts that accords with a proposal of Esther Kroeker (Kroeker 2010) and also my own (Lehrer 2010). Another is to explain how Reid combines an account of the objectivity of moral judgments with the denial of the existence of moral properties, the affirmation of a necessary connection of the moral judgments with sentiment and the accommodation of moral disagreement.
LISTENING TO LISTENERS: Five Years Later

This article describes one of the first large qualitative studies of people who listen to sermons (“Listening to Listeners”), summarizes the major publications that have come from that study, reflects on the effects of the study in the larger preaching community, meditates on criticism of the study, and reports on efforts to bring listeners and preachers into dialogue about preaching.
The Effect of Simple Hypothermic Preservation with Trolox and Ascorbate on Lipid Peroxidation in Dog Kidneys

Abstract Dog kidneys were preserved by simple hypothermic storage in UW-lactobionate organ preservation solution for 48 h and analyzed for evidence of lipid peroxidation. The antioxidant function of the UW solution was evident in stored kidney tissues which had significant reductions in conjugated dienes, lipid peroxides, and Schiff base content compared to fresh controls without vascular flushing. Aerobic incubation of kidney cortex homogenates at 37°C for 60 min resulted in increases in conjugated dienes, lipid peroxides, and Schiff bases in UW-stored kidneys. Schiff base production was markedly higher in UW-stored kidneys during warm incubation than in controls. Addition of Trolox (200 μ M ) to UW solution resulted in significant reductions in Schiff base production during warm aerobic incubation after preservation. In contrast, adding ascorbate (1 m M ) to UW solution potentiated oxidative stress during aerobic incubation, with significant increases in conjugated dienes, lipid peroxides, and Schiff bases which were only partially reversed by further addition of Trolox. Increased oxidative stress was correlated with decreased respiratory function (decreased uncoupled respiration rates and sensitivity to oligomycin inhibition) in aerobically incubated homogenates. This study showed that although the UW solution does have an antioxidant function during hypothermic preservation there remains an increased oxidative stress during warm reoxygenation even in optimally harvested kidneys. The antioxidant effect of the UW solution after preservation can be significantly enhanced using the water-soluble vitamin E analogue Trolox. Antioxidant supplementation of UW solution may be advantageous in preserving kidneys with increased oxidative stresses obtained from suboptimal donors in clinical practice.
Plants of the new albany shale. II. Callixylon arnoldii Sp. Nov.

Following the comprehensive studies of Callixylon by Arnold (1930, 1931), this widespread Devonian genus became of unusual interest to morphologists because of the conspicuous similarity of its secondary wood to that of certain gymnosperms. Because of the nature of its wood, the possibility that it was a seed plant has been suggested by some workers although no positively determined seeds have beeln discovered in Devonian sediments. Recently, it has been shown to be a pteridophyte which bore the foliage that comprises the well-known genus Archaeopteris (Beek 1960a, 1960b, 1962). One of the most common genera of the New Albany shale, Callixylon is abundant, in the form of large silicified logs, in the Late Devonian Blackiston formation. It is also abundant as small phosphatized axes in the Falling Run member of the Sanderson formation which, according to Haks (1956) and Cross and Hoskins (1951), is of Early Mississippian age. There have been reports of the occurrence of two species, C. newberryi (Arnold 1931) and C. erianum (Beek 1961), in the Blackiston, and two other species, C. brownii (Hoskins and Cross 1951) and a new species (Beek 1961) in the Fallinig Run. Numerous fragments (100 or more) of secondary wood, possibly representing no more than 4 or 5 different plants, were collected at two localities: Boston, Kentucky, and Junction City, Kentucky. No primary tissues are preserved in any specimen. Thin sections were prepared for study of the wood in three planes. Because pitting is not apparent in thin sections, radial surfaces were exposed, also, by splitting specimens along radial planes, and these were studied and photographed by reflected light. The wood consists solely of tracheids and rays (Figs. 1-6). Definite growth layers are not present. The tracheids are radially storied, alnd possess the bluntly tapered ends typical of gymnosperms (Fig. 4). In tranisy-erse configuration the tracheids appear rectangular (Fig. 1), but they may also be pentagonal or hexagonal. Only their tangential width was measured since it was felt that this would more nearly reflect true genetic variation in cell size than the radial width which, in gymnospermic woods, is usually affected to a greater degree by environmental variation. A large standard deviation usually indicates a broad spread of variation in the population. This suggests, for example, that the mean value of the vertical distance between pit groups (Table I) is, in itself, not very significant as a character. Qualitatively, however, the fact that there is a much wider separation of pit groups (Figs. 2, 4) and, consequently, much less pitting per unlit wall area in this species than in any other, is highly significant, and certainly one of the most striking features of this plant. Equally conspicuous is the predominantly uniseriate arrangemiient of the bordered pits. Occasionally there is very limited biseriation (Fig. 2 at b), and very rarely more extensive biseriation (Fig. 4 at b). Although the pits are
Advanced modulation formats for fiber optic communication systems

Choice of modulation format plays a critical role in the design and performance of fiber optic communication systems. We discuss the basic physics of electro-optic phase and amplitude modulation and derive model transfer functions for ideal and non-ideal Mach-Zehnder modulators. We describe the generation and characteristics of the standard nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) modulation format, as well as advanced formats such as return-to-zero (RZ), carrier-suppressed RZ (CSRZ), duobinary, modified duobinary, differential phase-shift keyed (DPSK), and return-to-zero DPSK (RZ-DPSK). Finally, we discuss the relative merits of these formats with respect to a variety of system impairments.
Surface Chemistry of Thin Palladium Films

The properties of Pd monolayers on several transition metal substrates are dramatically different from the surface properties of bulk Pd single crystals. The changes include a large rehybridization of the Pd atoms to a noble metal electronic configuration and a concomitant reduction in CO and H2 chemisorption bond strengths. We present here temperature programmed desorption (TPD) studies of CO, NO, H2, and C2H4 chemisorption on thin epitaxial Pd films on Nb(110). Our resufts confirm for all of these gases a large reduction in the chemisorption bond energy for adsorption on Pd thin ( 5 ML ) have CO TPD spectra that agree qualitatively with previous studies on Pd(111) single crystals, where the CO binding energy is about 30 kcal/mole. These results for Pd/Nb(110) will be discussed with respect to recent work on related systems involving thin Pd films on other transition metal substrates.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis : here today, and here tomorrow

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a highly successful pathogen that parasitizes the macrophages of its host. Its success can be attributed directly to its ability to manipulate the phagosome that it resides in and to prevent the normal maturation of this organelle into an acidic, hydrolytic compartment. As the macrophage is key to clearing the infection, the interplay between the pathogen and its host cell reflects a constant battle for control.
Discrepant Feeling Rules and Unscripted Emotion Work: Women Coping With Termination for Fetal Anomaly

The sociology of emotion is rapidly evolving and has implications for medical settings. Advancing medical technologies create new contexts for decision-making and emotional reaction that are framed by "feeling rules." Feeling rules guide not only behavior, but also how one believes one should feel, thereby causing one to attempt to bring one's authentic feelings into line with perceived feeling rules. Using qualitative data, the theoretical existence of feeling rules in pregnancy and prenatal testing is confirmed. Further examination extends this analysis: at times of technological development feeling rules are often discrepant, leaving patients with unscripted emotion work. Data from a study of women who interrupted anomalous pregnancies indicate that feeling rules are unclear when competing feeling rules are operating during times of societal and technological change. Because much of this occurs below the level of consciousness, medical and psychological services providers need to be aware of potential discrepancies in feeling rules and assist patients in identifying the salient feeling rules. Patients' struggles ease when they can recognize the discrepancies and assess their implications for decision-making and emotional response.
Small-Angle Scattering Investigations of Crystalline Blend Morphologies of Poly (E-Caprolactone) (PCL)/Polycarbonate (PC) Blends

Crystalline Morphologies of poly (e-caprolactone) (PCL) and deuterated polycarbonate (PC) blends in both the semicrystalline/amorphous state and semicrystalline/semicrystalline state were probed by small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering (SANS and SAXS). Due to the different contrast between the phases for neutrons and X-rays, SANS exhibited a monotonie drop in intensity with increasing scattering angle while SAXS showed lamellar (peak) scattering. Crystal- and amorphous-phase thickness were determined from the correlation function calculated from SAXS. This correlation function analysis suggested a transition from interlamellar exclusion to interlamellar incorporation of amorphous PCL in the PC lamellae. A two-correlation length model provided an excellent fit for the SANS data over the entire composition range. This Model not only reproduced the shape but also the absolute magnitude of the scattering profiles. The long range correlation length (∼102 A) and the short range correlation length (∼ 10 A) derived from this model were inferred to be associated with the crystalline PC domains and the local clusters found in the amorphous phase, respectively.
Decentralized stabilization of nonlinear interconnected systems using high-gain feedback

The use of local high-gain feedback to stabilize a class of nonlinear interconnected systems is studied. Classes of systems that can be stabilized, for any arbitrary interconnections, using only local high-gain feedback are identified.
PET-CT: accuracy of PET and CT spatial registration of lung lesions

PET-CT scanners offer the unique ability to acquire PET and CT data with rapid full body registration. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of spatial registration between PET and CT data in patients with fluorine-18 fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-avid lung lesions. PET, CT and fused PET-CT images from 244 consecutive clinical patients undergoing whole-body FDG PET-CT imaging (GE Discovery LS, CT attenuation correction, OSEM reconstruction) were evaluated. Inclusion criteria for this analysis were lung lesions clearly defined on both PET and CT, lesion diameter less than 5 cm and clear borders. Patients were allowed to breathe freely during both PET and CT image acquisitions. The spatial coordinates of the visually estimated centers of the lesion were determined independently for PET and CT images and compared. Thirty-six patients (26 females, 10 males) with a total of 48 lesions were included (19 lung cancer patients with 26 lesions, 17 patients with 22 lung metastases). The average lung lesion diameter was 15.6±9 mm. The mean distance between the center of lesions independently determined for both PET and CT was 7.55±4.73 mm. Misregistration tended to be more pronounced in the lower lungs (10.2±6.55 mm) than in the upper lungs (6.67±4.28 mm) (P=0.063). Misregistration also tended to be slightly more pronounced in the left lung (8.33±5.05 mm) than in the right lung (6.25±3.92 mm) (P=0.059). In conclusion, with a dedicated PET-CT scanner and this clinically practical imaging algorithm, registration is usually accurate, but spatial misregistration of primary lung lesions does occur.
Modeling, Analysis, and Improvement of a Multi-product Furniture Assembly Line

Abstract In this paper, a case study of modeling, analysis, and continuous improvement of a multi-product assembly line at a furniture manufacturing plant is introduced. In such system, cabinets with multiple design options are assembled. Analytical models have been developed and recursive procedures have been derived to evaluate line production rate. It is shown that such a method results in high accuracy in performance evaluation. Continuous improvement efforts, such as lot size adjustment and bottleneck analysis, have been carried out to improve the system throughput. Such methods provide quantitative tools for plant engineers and managers to operate and improve the assembly line to achieve high productivity.
Simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain using fibre Bragg gratings and Brillouin scattering

The authors report on the simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain in a single optical fibre. The measurements were made using a combination of a fibre Bragg grating element and a Brillouin scattering interrogation system, operating in different optical wavelength regimes, to determine the two parameters. The system has the potential to provide quasi-distributed determination of strain and temperature along a fibre.
Exact Optimal Confidence Intervals for Hypergeometric Parameters

For a hypergeometric distribution, denoted by Hyper(M,N,n), where N is the population size, M is the number of population units with some attribute, and n is the given sample size, there are two parametric cases: (i) N is unknown and M is given; (ii) M is unknown and N is given. For each case, we first show that the minimum coverage probability of commonly used approximate intervals is much smaller than the nominal level for any n, then we provide exact smallest lower and upper one-sided confidence intervals and an exact admissible two-sided confidence interval, a complete set of solutions, for each parameter. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Structural and chromatographic heterogeneity of normal plasma fibrinogen associated with the presence of three γ-chain types with distinct molecular weights

Abstract Three different γ chains have been identified in fibrinogen isolated form normal human plasma with apparent molecular weights of 50000 (γ 50 ), 55000 (γ 55 ) and 57500 (γ 57.5 ), as shown by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Plasma fibrinogen was separated by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel into three populations of molecules, each differing in γ-chain composition. The first peak contained 87% of the total fibrinogen and was composed of molecules containing only γ 50 chains; the second peak included 3% of the fibrinogen and contained one γ 50 and one γ 55.5 chain and the third peak had 10% of the total which containedone γ 50 and one γ 57.5 chain, Cross-linked fibrin obtained from fibrinogen with only γ 50 chains contained γγ dimers exclusively of M r 100000, representing a uniform γ 50 γ 50 dimer composition. The γγ dimers from purified fibrinogen of γ 50 γ 55 type had molecular weights of 111000, 105000 and 100000, while dimers from γ 50 γ 57.5 fibrinogen were M r 115000, 108000 and 100000. The relative proportions of γγ dimers from each purified fibrinogen population were consistent with random crosslinking of the γ monomers. The γ-chain identity of the variants was established by their conversion to covalent dimeric species after clotting by thrombin in the presence of Factor XIII, their incorporation of the fluorescent lysine analog dansyl cadaverine, by the staining intensity of monomeric and dimeric forms with the periodic acid-Schiff reagent after electrophoretic separation, and by plasmic degradation of all monomeric and dimeric forms in a pattern that was characteristic for γ chains. Individual γγ dimers were purified by preparative gel electrophoresis, and tyrosine was demonstrated to be the amino-terminal residue of all three γ chain types. We conclude that normal human fibrinogen can be separated into three populations of molecules due to molecular weight heterogeneity of their γ chains.
Quaternary Antarctic Bottom-Water history: Deep-sea benthonic foraminiferal evidence from the southeast Indian Ocean

Abstract Distinct assemblages of Recent deep-sea benthonic foraminifera from the southeast Indian Ocean have been shown to be associated with Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) and Indian Bottom Water (IBW). The AABW assemblage is divided into two groups. One is dominated by Epistominella umbonifera and is associated with AABW having temperatures between −0.2° and 0.4°C. The second group is dominated by Globocassidulina subglobosa and is associated with AABW having temperatures between 0.6° and 0.8°C. The IBW assemblage is marked by the strong dominance of Uvigerina spp. and Epistominella exigua. The faunal-water-mass relationships have been used to infer the history of bottom-water circulation over the last 500,000 yr in this region using faunal data from four Eltanin cores. One core was taken from the Southeast Indian Ridge in association with IBW, and three were taken from the flank of the ridge associated with AABW flowing within a western boundary contour current in the South Australian Basin. Little faunal variation exists in the core beneath IBW (E48-22), indicating that IBW was present on the Southeast Indian Ridge during the last 300,000 yr. A record of the intensity of AABW circulation during the last 500,000 yr is inferred from the benthonic foraminiferal data in the three cores located within the western boundary contour current. Marked oscillations in the relative proportions of AABW and IBW faunal assemblages are found in one core, E48-03. The faunal variations are inferred to have resulted from variation in intensity of AABW circulation between 500,000 and 195,000 yr B.P. In E48-03, the AABW assemblage was present most of the time between 500,000 and 195,000 yr B.P., with low intensity of AABW circulation occurring primarily during the equivalent of stages 8 and 7 (t = 305,000 to 195,000 yr B.P.). The intensity of AABW circulation varied, with a maximum occurring during the equivalent of stage 11 (t = 420,000 yr B.P.). Two additional cores, E45-27 and E45–74, show relatively constant intensity of AABW circulation from 195,000 yr B.P. to the present. The intensity of AABW circulation at the present appears to be intermediate between a maximum during the equivalent of stage 11 (t = 420,000 yr B.P.) and the minimum during the equivalent of stage 8 (t = 275,000 yr B.P.). AABW production has occurred during both glacial and interglacial episodes. Bottom-water productivity has been suggested to play an important role in glacial/interglacial oscillations during the late Quaternary ( Weyl, 1968 ; Newell, 1974 ). In this study, the relationship between bottom-water circulation and climatic fluctuations appears to be more complex than had been previously suggested, since a simple relationship between Quaternary bottom-water circulation and paleoclimatic fluctuations is not shown.
Management of iatrogenic vaginal constriction.

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively assess the outcomes of four approaches to the surgical management of iatrogenic vaginal constriction. METHODS: A prospective study was initiated to evaluate all women who presented to our practice with the complaint of apareunia or dyspareunia secondary to postoperative vaginal constriction. All participants were initially offered and failed a trial of manual dilation. Between 1997 and 2002, 20 women underwent one of four surgical procedures: Z-plasty, vaginal incision of constriction ring, vaginal advancement, or placement of free skin graft. All 20 participants have been followed postoperatively, including assessment of dyspareunia and postoperative vaginal length and caliber. RESULTS: Three patients underwent Z-plasty, eight had incision of vaginal ring or ridge, eight had vaginal advancement, and one underwent placement of a free skin graft. Mean follow-up was 17 months (range, 3-32 months). Subjective cure was defined as resumption of pain-free vaginal intercourse. Objective cure was defined by findings on physical examination. The overall subjective and objective cure rates were 75% and 85%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The appropriate surgical procedure depends on the site and extent of the vaginal constriction, the state of the surrounding tissue, and the overall length and caliber of the vagina.
Ion density and current distributions in a propagating current sheet, determined by microwave reflection technique.

Electron and ion density distributions in propagating current sheet in Z pinch discharge in argon obtained by microwave reflection interferometer
Dual-Laser PLIF Imaging Techniques for Shock Tube Studies of Mixing and Combustion

Recent advances in the development of planar laser-induced fluorescence diagnostics for imaging of shock-tube-generated combustion flow fields are described, including measurement strategies for (effectively) instantaneous temperature measurements, or alternatively, multiple species imaging. Both techniques are based on the use of two independent, tunable dye laser sources and two time-gated, intensified CCD cameras. In both cases, the lasers illuminate the same planar region but are sequentially pulsed to temporally separate the respective fluorescence signals, and each camera records signal induced by only one of the lasers. Results from nonreacting and reacting jet-in-cross flow experiments are presented, including temperature measurements of fuel-seeded nitric oxide (NO), and simultaneous species imaging of fuel-seeded NO and the combustion-generated hydroxyl radical (OH). The visualizations are used to provide spatially correlated information on the fuel distribution and the location of reaction zones, and the temperature measurements are used to examine the fuel/freestream mixing.
Twist-boat conformation in graphene oxides

We have investigated the structural, electronic, and vibrational properties of graphene oxide based on first-principles density-functional calculations. A twist-boat conformation is identified as the energetically most favorable nonmetallic configuration for fully oxidized graphene. The calculated Raman G-band blue shift is in very good agreement with experimental observations. Our results provide important insight into structural and electronic characteristics that are useful for further development of graphene-based nanodevices.
Public bus arrival time prediction based on traffic information management system

This paper presents a statistical approach to predict the public bus arrival time based on traffic information management system. It considers a number of factors affecting bus travel time, such as departure time, work day, current bus location, number of links, number of intersections, passenger demand at each stop and traffic status of the urban network, etc. A linear model is given to describe the bus arrival time. The parameters of the model are trained by the historical bus arrival times. A prototype system is built to verify the practicability and efficiency of the approach. The approach has been proved relatively accurate and efficient by experiments.
The spiritual and pastoral dimensions of care in interprofessional contexts

Spiritual issues encompass what is most meaningful and central in human existence. During times of illness, crisis or transition spiritual issues are likely to come to the fore of human awareness for both patients and professionals. All health care professionals need to include the spiritual dimension in assessment and treatment of patients. Professionals in different disciplines have distinct contributions to make in the way they use the lens and language of their training to assess religious and spiritual issues of patients. Therefore, interprofessional dialogue and collaboration is important in understanding each other's perspective on the spiritual dimensions of care. In this article the spiritual dimensions of care are explored. The differences between pastoral, medical and nursing approaches to spiritual care are demonstrated through case examples. Guidelines for assessment of religion and spiritual information useful to health care professionals across interprofessional boundaries are presented.
Low-Gravity Fluid Flows

The behavior of fluids in micro-gravity conditions is examined, with particular regard to applications in the growth of single crystals. The effects of gravity on fluid behavior are reviewed, and the advent of Shuttle flights are noted to offer extended time for experimentation and processing in a null-gravity environment, with accelerations resulting solely from maneuvering rockets. Buoyancy driven flows are considered for the cases stable-, unstable-, and mixed-mode convection. Further discussion is presented on g-jitter, surface-tension gradient, thermoacoustic, and phase-change convection. All the flows are present in both gravity and null gravity conditions, although the effects of buoyancy and g-jitter convection usually overshadow the other effects while in a gravity field. Further work is recommended on critical-state and sedimentation processes in microgravity conditions.
Deception and the Trinity: a rejoinder to Tuggy

Dale Tuggy argues that his divine-deception argument against Social Trinitarianism remains unscathed, in spite of my recent objections. I maintain that his argument is question-begging and exegetically weak, and does not succeed in refuting Social Trinitarianism.
ARC reduction and path preference in stochastic acyclic networks

The paper presents a heuristic for determining the path that maximizes the expected utility of a stochastic acyclic network. The focus is on shortest route problems where a general, nonlinear utility function is used to measure outcomes. For such problems, enumerating all feasible paths is the only way to guarantee that the global optimum has been found. Alternatively, we develop a reduction algorithm based on stochastic dominance to speed up the computations. Monte Carlo simulation is used to evaluate the approach. In all, 70 test problems comprising 20 to 60 nodes are randomly generated and analyzed. The results indicate that the heuristic produces significant computational saving as the size of the network grows, and that the quality of the reduced network solutions are better than those obtained from the original formulation.
Recognition, Attachment, and the Social Bases of Self‐Worth

Recognition theorists have often sought to justify calls for the recognition of identities or cultures on grounds that a culturally egalitarian societal environment is a crucial social basis of a sense of self-worth. In doing so they have often drawn on noncognitivist social‐psychological theorizing. This paper argues that this theorizing does not support the recognition theorist’s position. It is argued that attachment theory together with recent empirical evidence support a more attachmentfocused and Rawlsian vision of self-worth’s social bases according to which secure parent‐child attachment, associational ties, equal basic rights and liberties, and economic and educational opportunities are what really matter.