cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A pH centenary

Abstract The activity coefficients (and therefore the activities) of single ionic species are concepts tentatively introduced by G. N. Lewis, which he could not define thermodynamically because of electroneutrality requirements. Guggenheim subsequently gave their formal, pseudo-thermodynamic definitions, while warning that they were imaginary constructs without physical significance. Consequently, the hydrogen ionic activity, as a purely conceptual but immeasurable quantity, cannot serve as the basis of the pH, the globally accepted experimental measure of acidity. Various aspects of this mismatch are described, based on the original literature sources as well as on experimental data used by their proponents. An especially pernicious but apparently widespread misconception is that the hydrogen ion concentration cannot be determined by thermodynamic means, despite the extensive work of Harned, Robinson and coworkers who showed otherwise. A pathway is indicated to facilitate a smooth return to the original, thermodynamically sound definition of Sorensen in terms of the hydrogen ion concentration We also describe a useful formalism based on the imaginary nature of single ionic activities.
Substance P stimulates luteinizing hormone secretion from anterior pituitary cells in culture.

Substance P (SP) is present in the anterior pituitary gland (AP), and its concentration there is regulated by the hormonal status of the animal. The observation that SP is releasable from hemipituitaries in a K(+)-stimulated, Ca(2+)-dependent manner and the demonstration of SP-binding sites in the AP have led to the suggestion that SP participates in a paracrine or autocrine manner in the regulation of AP function. Contradictory reports of the effects of SP on the secretion of AP hormones, particularly LH, led us to address the question of whether SP can act directly on the AP to effect LH secretion. We found that SP (100 nM) can stimulate LH release (300-400% of control values) in short term cultures of AP cells and that this effect varies as a function of the age and sex of the animal. There was no significant effect of SP on the release of LH from AP cells of male and female prepubertal rats (20-30 days). During the peripubertal period (30-35 days), a sharp increase in the response to SP occurred in bo...
An Intelligence-Aware Process Calculus for Multi-Agent System Modeling

In this paper we propose an agent modeling language named CAML that provides a comprehensive framework for representing all relevant aspects of a multi-agent system: specially, its configuration and the reasoning abilities of its constituent agents. The configuration modeling aspect of the language supports natural grouping and mobility, and the reasoning framework is inspired by an extension of the popular BDI theory of modeling cognitive skills of agents. We present the motivation behind the development of the language, its syntax, and an informal semantics
A leading-edge tunnel-diode discriminator

Abstract A fast and highly stable leading edge pulse discriminator has been designed (50 mV sensitivity; 1.2 nsec slewing; 0.1 mV/°C threshold stability). The circuit is based on a current switch consisting of a tunnel diode and a nonlinear load; operational amplifier stabilization provides temperature stability and independence from variations of transistor parameters without adjustments.
Effects of graded amounts of intragastric calcium on acid secretion, gastrin release, and gastric emptying in normal and duodenal ulcer subjects.

We studied effects of graded concentrations of intragastric calcium on acid secretion, residual gastric volume, and serum gastrin and calcium levels. Intragastric titration was performed with solutions of isotonic mannitol or mannitol plus 2.5, 6, 16, 39, and 97 mM CaCl2 in 10 normal and eight duodenal ulcer subjects. Acid secretion was significantly increased above control values by the two highest CaCl2 concentrations in normal subjects and by the three highest CaCl2 concentrations in ulcer subjects. Highest observed acid output to any concentration of CaCl2 was 55% of peak acid output to pentagastrin in normal subjects and 75% in ulcer subjects. Intragastric calcium also released gastrin; correlation between acid secretion and circulating gastrin was weak (r=0.43,P<0.05). Serum calcium was slightly increased but did not correlate with acid secretion. Residual intragastric volume after both control and CaCl2 solutions was much less in ulcer than in normal subjects; calcium did not alter residual volumes.
Rasch Model and Its Extensions for Analysis of Aphasic Deficits in Syntactic Comprehension

Aphasia is the loss of the ability to produce and/or comprehend language, due to injury to brain areas responsible for these functions. Aphasic patients’ performance on comprehension tests has traditionally been related both to the patient’s individual ability and to the difficulty of the test questions. The natural choice for analysis of these test results is the Rasch model. It assumes that the probability of a patient responding correctly to a question is the inverse-logit function of the difference between the individual patient’s ability and the difficulty of the test question. This study first modeled the way aphasic patients process different sentence types, as well as their ability to accomplish tasks using Rasch models. However, several scientifically important features of the data, such as the correlation of correct responses between two different comprehension tasks, and the association between response patterns in control sentences and response patterns in experimental sentences, were found to...
Construction of nuclear reactors to obtain desired electricity-generating capacity☆

Abstract Schedules for nuclear-reactor development may be determined for any desired electricity-generating capacity. Net-energy ratios for nuclear-energy production from LWRs (light-water-moderated reactors) using high-grade ore are sufficiently favorably to allow construction of reactor scenarios that imply large savings in fossil-fuel resources during predetermined periods of time.
Cleft palate: a genetic and epidemiologic investigation.

An examination of kindred histories of 561 Danish probands who have non-syndromic CP has indicated that neither a multifactorial-threshold model nor a single major locus model is completely compatible with the data. This suggests etiologic heterogeneity for CP, which was tested with kindred data. As recommended by Smith (1976), an attempt to define partially this heterogeneity within the CP phenotype was undertaken by grouping and comparing the kindred data. It is both reasonable and heuristic to propose that CP, as defined in this investigation, is composed of three groups: (1) Syndromic CP; (2) Familial CP, which appears to have an autosomal dominant component to its etiology, and (3) Non-familial CP which, by demonstrating an increasing frequency of CP and a maternal age effect, appears to be related to environmental factors which may cause CP or other malformations.
Youth self-efficacy domains as predictors of change in routine community mental health services

AbstractObjective: This study examined how youth self-efficacy in four domains—Social, Academic Diligence, Academic Proficiency, and Behavioral Regulation—was associated with youth symptoms and psychotherapy outcomes. Method: Participants were 104 youth (aged 12–17, mean age 14.6) and their parents/guardians. Youth completed a measure of perceived self-efficacy and the Youth Outcome Questionnaire–Self-Report (YOQ-SR) regularly over the course of treatment; parents/guardians also completed the Youth Outcome Questionnaire. Results: Although none of the self-efficacy domains significantly predicted changes in parent reports of symptoms, individual growth curve models indicated that increases in three of the four self-efficacy domains (Social, Academic Diligence, and Behavioral Regulation) over the course of treatment were associated with concurrent improvements in youth-reported symptoms. Conclusions: Results suggest that youth self-efficacy warrants further study in relation to change processes in youth men...
Cellular mechanosensing: getting to the nucleus of it all.

Cells respond to mechanical forces by activating specific genes and signaling pathways that allow the cells to adapt to their physical environment. Examples include muscle growth in response to exercise, bone remodeling based on their mechanical load, or endothelial cells aligning under fluid shear stress. While the involved downstream signaling pathways and mechanoresponsive genes are generally well characterized, many of the molecular mechanisms of the initiating ‘mechanosensing’ remain still elusive. In this review, we discuss recent findings and accumulating evidence suggesting that the cell nucleus plays a crucial role in cellular mechanotransduction, including processing incoming mechanoresponsive signals and even directly responding to mechanical forces. Consequently, mutations in the involved proteins or changes in nuclear envelope composition can directly impact mechanotransduction signaling and contribute to the development and progression of a variety of human diseases, including muscular dystrophy, cancer, and the focus of this review, dilated cardiomyopathy. Improved insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying nuclear mechanotransduction, brought in part by the emergence of new technologies to study intracellular mechanics at high spatial and temporal resolution, will not only result in a better understanding of cellular mechanosensing in normal cells but may also lead to the development of novel therapies in the many diseases linked to defects in nuclear envelope proteins.
Erratum: “Comparing Chandra and SIRTF Observations for Obscured Starbursts and Active Galactic Nuclei at High Redshift” (ApJ, 600, 106 [2004])

Fig. 2.—(a) Rest-frame ISOCAM/CVF 5–16.3 m spectrum of Arp 220. (b) As in (a) but for M82. (c)–(d) As in (a) but for the various regions of NGC 4038/39 and Arp 299, respectively. Those regions are marked in Fig. 1. Note that in (c) and (d) the spectra have been normalized to unity at 14 m. The scale factors by which each spectrum must be multiplied in order to retrieve the exact flux density detected are: NGC 4038 = 0.138, NGC 4039 = 0.060, knot A = 0.116, NGC 4038/39 = 2.153, IC 694 = 1.536, NGC 3690 = 2.099, and Arp 299 = 4.340.
Adsorption of molecular nitrogen on clean and modified Ru(001) surfaces: The role of σ bonding

A detailed study of the adsorption of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ on clean and chemically modified Ru(001) surfaces suggests that the mechanism of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ adsorption is qualitatively different from that of the isoelectronic CO molecule. A multitude of experimental techniques performed on ruthenium preadsorbed with well-characterized coverages of electron donors (potassium) and acceptors (oxygen) have produced the following principal findings: (1) On all surfaces studied, ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ adsorption produces a negative work-function change which results principally from a transfer of charge from the ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ molecule to the surface. (2) The charge transferred per ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ admolecule is reduced in the presence of potassium, increased in the presence of oxygen. (3) ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ interacts repulsively with potassium adatoms, attractively with oxygen adatoms. (4) The observation that potassium precoverages as low as ${\mathrm{CTHETA}}_{\mathrm{K}g0.08}$ completely suppress the adsorption of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ at 85 K enables us to determine a minimum K-${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ interaction distance of 4.25 A\r{}. (5) The ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ adsorption bond is weakened in the presence of potassium, strengthened in the presence of oxygen. (6) N---N bond strengthening (weakening) as observed in the vibrational spectrum is always accompanied by ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ adsorption bond strengthening (weakening). These experimental results indicate that the adsorption bond of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ is formed principally through \ensuremath{\sigma} donation in contrast to that of CO which is widely believed to be mediated via synergistic charge donation from the CO 5\ensuremath{\sigma} orbital to the metal and ``back-donation'' from the metal d band to the CO 2\ensuremath{\pi} orbital. This mechanism contradicts most theoretical models of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ adsorption, which predict similar bonding mechanisms for these two diatomic molecules.
Reconciling the rift: Improving clinical psychology graduate training in the twenty‐first century

Most graduate programs in clinical psychology adhere to and reportedly are satisfied with the scientist-practitioner model of training. In the present commentary, I take the position that this model must be updated to reconcile the rift that currently exists between the scientists and the practitioners within the field. A return to scientific rigor within the field is espoused, and suggestions of ways to improve both undergraduate and graduate curricula are made.
Isolation of a viral agent causing hematopoietic neoplasia in the soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria

Abstract A virus from neoplastic soft-shell clams, Mya arenaria, has been isolated. Its morphological and physical properties are similar to those of B-type retroviruses. It is enveloped, pleomorphic, averaging 120 nm in size with an eccentric nucleoid. Possible A-type particles have also been observed. The bouyant density of the particle ranged from 1.17 to 1.18 g/cm3 and the ultraviolet absorption 260 280 - nm ratio was 1.23. The virus has been shown to cause a hematopoietic neoplasm in Mya. Purified virus from neoplastic clams was innoculated into nonneoplastic clams. Most of these clams developed tumors within 2 months. Virus isolated from inoculated clams which developed neoplasia was inoculated into nonneoplastic clams. Most of these clams also developed neoplasia thus completing Koch's postulates.
The Influence of Cortisone on Tuberculin Shock in the Guinea Pig

Cortisone acetate affords partial protection from the classical type of tuberculin shock in tuberculous guinea pigs.
The effect of selenium in water and food on Daphnia populations.

Populations ofDaphnia magna exposed to selenium as Na2SeO4 in water over a range of 0–1.0 mg Se/L and fed control algae showed decreased survival, reduced numbers of offspring, and a lower intrinsic growth rate (“r”) in a concentration-response manner.Daphnia fed algae grown in medium containing selenium when exposed to selenium in the water exhibited a reduced response with respect to these variables over the same concentration range. The uptake of75selenium from water was significantly reduced when theDaphnia were fed selenium-laden algae or when DL-selenomethionine was present in the water. The presence of organically bound selenium in the food or water appears to alter the rate of incorporation of inorganic selenium and reduces the toxic effects onDaphnia populations.
The electromagnetic isotope separation program at the oak ridge national laboratory

Abstract The isotope separation program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory prepares and distributes electromagnetically enriched stable isotopes to the worldwide scientific community. Among the topics discussed in the present paper are the methods of enriching isotopes, the limitations that apply to the quantity and final assay of the separation products, and a generalized production flowsheet indicating the capability of the facility. A brief description of each of the production steps, from the selection and preparation of the initial feedstock to the recovery and distribution of the isotropically enriched material, is presented. The future of the facility, the continued supply of the enriched isotopes, and the response of the program to new and changing requirements is emphasized.
Inelastic behavior of sand-lime mortar joint masonry arches

The response of masonry arch bridges to moving wheel loads was simulated in the laboratory by hanging steel weights from the center of gravity of selected voussoirs of four arches. Elastic and plastic deformations occur in the sand-lime mortar joints, where significant plastic behavior occurs under the first few cycles of loading, then an elastic response follows when the magnitude of load and the load cycles increase. The results from the ultimate load testing show that the collapse load depends significantly on the load history of the arch and that a sliding failure can override a four-hinge mechanism. A model of the arch ring using ADINA and the Drucker-Prager material model indicates that plastic accumulations do not occur after the first load cycle; however, it is believed that sliding occurs between the voussoirs and the mortar, producing small inelastic deformations under moving loads.
On the robust shortest path problem

Abstract The shortest path problem is of great importance to the real world in such areas as transportation, network design, telecommunication, etc. The deterministic version of the problem is easily solved. However, in the real world, uncertainty is frequently encountered and must be dealt with. For instance, in a transportation network, the path that has the least travel time when no traffic is present might be prone to accidents and traffic jams, and thus it may lead to a drastic increase in travel time during rush hours. In situations with significant uncertainty, the deterministic approach can be far from sufficient. New and appropriate criteria and models to handle uncertainties along with efficient solution techniques are in need. In this paper, we take a minimax approach to measure the performance under uncertainties. Under our measure, one path is superior to all others only if its worst case performance is better than that of the others. The complexity of the defined models, exact and heuristic solution methods are explored and presented. Analysis is done to examine the performance of the heuristic method. The shortest path (SP) problem in a network with nonnegative arc lengths can be solved easily by Dijkstra's labeling algorithm in polynomial time. In the case of significant uncertainty of the arc lengths, a robustness approach is more appropriate. In this paper, we study the SP problem under arc length uncertainties. A scenario approach is adopted to characterize uncertainties. Two robustness criteria are specified: the absolute robust criterion and the robust deviation criterion. We show that under both criteria the robust SP problem is NP-complete even for the much more restricted layered networks of width 2, and with only 2 scenarios. A pseudo-polynomial algorithm is devised to solve the robust SP problem in general networks under bounded number of scenarios. Also presented is a more efficient algorithm for layered networks. However, in the case of unlimited number of scenarios, we show that the robust SP problem is strongly NP-hard. A simple heuristic for finding a good robust shortest path is provided, and the worst case performance is analyzed.
Posterior Leaflet Motion in Mitral Stenosis

The echocardiographic features of mitral valvular motion in a patient with classic rheumatic mitral stenosis are presented. Two unusual features were noted, and the importance of careful echocardiographic scanning of the mitral valve is emphasized. The theories for the classic echocardiographic abnormalities of mitral stenosis are briefly considered in light of the findings in this case.
Role of nutrition planning in the treatment for obesity.

More than 50 years of research and thousands of studies have been conducted on diets for obesity. The general conclusion is that diets may produce weight loss, but because they do not cure obesity, weight regain is common. Genetic factors have been blamed for this resistance to diet therapy. However, it is clear that the reason diets do not work is that they are not continued. Because even the fattest person on earth can starve to death, the genetic predisposition to obesity can be modified by the environment. The challenge is to develop a nutrition program that obese persons can follow for the long term to maintain body weight at a desirable level. This article examines the characteristics of the four energy-containing nutrients from which all diets are composed, the options for assembling an eating plan for weight loss and maintenance, practical aspects of a nutrition treatment program for obesity, and the role of nutrition planning in a comprehensive program for weight management.
Double helix quantum computer

A new, “double helix” quantum computer architecture is proposed wherein the qubits are stored in two, dual physical worlds corresponding to the target versus the control qubit roles of controlled-not and other universal quantum gates.
Contribution of A1 Subunit Residue Q316 in Thrombin-Activated Factor VIII to A2 Subunit Dissociation†

Blood coagulation factor VIII (fVIII) is activated by thrombin to form an A1/A2/A3-C1-C2 heterotrimer, which functions as a cofactor for factor IXa during intrinsic pathway factor X activation. Human thrombin-activated fVIII (fVIIIa) decays rapidly because of first-order dissociation of the A2 subunit, which may function to regulate the coagulation mechanism. The three fVIII A domains each consist of two cupredoxin-like subdomains. Substitution of the COOH-terminal A1 subdomain of porcine fVIIIa, which decays more slowly than human fVIIIa, reduces the dissociation rate constant for fVIIIa decay. Examination of a human fVIII A1-A2-A3 homology model [Pemberton, S., et al. (1997) Blood 89, 2413-2421) revealed a possible interaction between Q316 in the FG helix of the COOH-terminal A1 subdomain and M539 in the FG helix of the NH2-terminal A2 subdomain, which are sites where human and porcine fVIII differ. Decays of purified recombinant human and porcine fVIIIa and the human fVIIIa mutants Q316H, M539L and Q316H/M539L were compared at 23 and 37 degrees C. The decay rates of the Q316H and Q316H/M539L mutants, but not the M539L mutant, were significantly slower than human fVIIIa. These results indicate that the FG helix of the COOH-terminal A1 cupredoxin-like subdomain of fVIII may be under selective pressure by the requirements of hemostatic balance.
On the muscles of expression in the geladaTheropithecus gelada (Rüppell) (primates, Cercopithecidae)

Musculature innervated by the N. facialis inTheropithecus gelada (Ruppell) is patterned on broad lines in agreement with related genera of catarrhine monkeys, but presents some specializations and divergences in detail. Noteworthy is the extension to the labial margins superficially of the combined levator labii superioris and zygomaticus in the upper and the pars mandibularis of trachelo-platysma in the lower lip. A specialization of the medial fibres of levator labii superioris forms a sling-like structure within the upper lip and serves to implement the “lip-flip” gesture characteristic of the genus. Its antagonist is the orbicularis oris. Special features of all other facialis muscles are considered.
Methodology of Selective Exposure Research: Introduction to the Special Issue

I have a clear memory from my early adolescence of watching, for the first time, a movie broadcast on cable television in its complete, unedited form and uninterrupted by advertising. It was the la...
On-Orbit Identification of Inertia Properties of Spacecraft using Robotics Technology

Abstract : This technical report describes the results of a 6-month research project conducted by Dr. Ou Ma and one of his graduate students at the New Mexico State University under the AFOSR grant number FA9550-06-1-0284 starting in May 2006. In the project, a methodology of on-orbit identification of spacecraft inertia properties (i.e., the mass, the location of the mass center, and the inertia tensor) using a robotic arm was investigated. The extension of the method to using a solar array (instead of a robot) was also preliminarily investigated. The investigation was done in theory and by simulation only because of the time and funding limitations. The ultimate goal of this research is to enhance the control and operation of spacecraft for more challenging autonomous on-orbit service missions in the future.
Test of heavy-ion gas-foil stripping for improved foil lifetime in Tandem Van de Graaff accelerators

Abstract A heavy-ion stripping arrangement consisting of gas stripping in the high-voltage terminal and foil stripping at the 3 4 V t point has been successfully tested at the Brookhaven Tandem Van de Graaff facility. When injecting a NiO− beam, the foil lifetime at the second stripper was about 30 times longer that observed when a foil stripper at the high-voltage terminal received the same beam current. This effect is attributed to larger beam energy and lower beam density at the second stripper location. Charge-state distributions obtained with this arrangement are shown in terms of an intensity-versus-energy diagram and compared to similar curves for single-foil, dual-foil and single gas stripper.
Experience with nonlinear control and identification strategies

Many common and commercially important industrial processes such as distillation columns, chemical reactions, and pH neutralizations exhibit inherently nonlinear behavior. For these control problems, conventional PID controllers must be conservatively tuned in order to ensure closed-loop stability over the full range of operating conditions. Consequently, there are considerable incentives to develop practical control techniques based on nonlinear process models. This paper provides an overview of applications to the pH neutralization process with emphasis placed on the comparison of alternative modeling and control techniques. The author looks at radial basis function models and adaptive control.
Mutations in extracellular matrix molecules

Genetic studies of humans and mice continue to highlight the nonredundant mechanical role of components in complexes that anchor cells to extracellular matrices. At the same time, recent data provide exciting insights into nonredundant, critical roles of transcription factors in regulating differentiation and function of matrix-producing cells.
FRANCE'S POMPIDOU CENTER: A CASE FOR USER EVALUATION*

This paper is concerned specifically with the attitudinal values held by employee-users toward the interior physical settings of the recently completed Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou in Paris. It identifies the ten major aspects of the interior physical environment which, according to the employees interviewed, have contributed in diminishing human performance and in creating a feeling of antipathy towards the Center. The paper also attempts to analyze the underlying causes which have allowed this antipathy to arise by examining the organizational structure responsible for bringing the Center into existence. It places the responsibility for the present levels of employee dissatisfaction directly on the organizational arrangement. Finally, the paper recommends a thorough post-evaluation study be undertaken to determine the full extent of the dissatisfaction so that remedial action can possibly be initiated.
Stit and the language of agency

Stit, a sentence form first introduced in Belnap and Perloff (1988), encourages a modal approach to agency. Von Wright, Chisholm, Kenny, and Castaneda have all attempted modal treatments of agency, while Davidson has rejected such treatments. After a brief explanation of the syntax and semantics of stit and a restatement of several of the important claims of the earlier paper, I discuss the virtues of stit against the background of proposals made by these philososphers.
Differences in basal and poststimulation glucose homeostasis in nondiabetic first degree relatives of black and white patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Black Americans (blacks) have a higher prevalence and earlier onset of type 2 diabetes than white Americans (whites). To examine metabolic differences in both races, we measured the basal glucose turnover rates (D-]3-3H]glucose technique) and plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels before and after an oral glucose load in 24 glucose-tolerant black and 14 white female relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes. Eight black and 8 white female subjects with no family history of diabetes served as controls. Mean fasting and postglucose plasma glucose levels were not significantly different between the black and white relatives and the control subgroups. Mean fasting plasma insulin and C-peptide levels were slightly greater but not significantly different between the relatives. After oral glucose ingestion, mean incremental integrated plasma insulin areas were significantly (P less than 0.02) greater in the black than the white relatives (70 +/- 14 vs. 29 +/- 6 nM.min). In addition, incremental integrate...
Enzymatic hydrolysis of concentrated diazinon in soil

Organophosphate pesticides applied to agricultural environments at recommended rates are not extremely persistent. However, if spills occur as a result of handling or transportation accidents, the high pesticide level in the contaminated soil will not degrade rapidly (WOLFE et al. 1973). In these instances, the pesticide active ingredient in the soil may be in the range of 1% to 5% and therefore, detoxification and clean up procedures are required. Microbial enzymes may be an effective way to achieve rapid and complete decontamination of high concentrations of pesticides in soil.
Linear Water: Would We be Swimming in it?

This report records a light-hearted (yet rigorous) study to determine the importance of the bend in the water molecule. We present the answer to what could be a rather open-ended question posed in a computational chemistry course to an advanced undergraduate student with access to a personal computer with one of several quantum chemical programs. We use commonly available computational chemical techniques as well as qualitative molecular orbital theory to probe the hypothetical question: If water were linear, what would be its nature?
Retrograde ascending aortic dissection as an early complication of thoracic endovascular aortic repair

Objective Retrograde ascending aortic dissection (rAAD) is a potential complication of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), yet little data exist regarding its occurrence. This study examines the incidence, etiology, and outcome of this event. Methods A prospective institutional database was used to identify cases of acute rAAD following TEVAR from a cohort of 309 consecutive procedures from March 2005 (date of initial Food and Drug Administration approval) to September 2010. The database was analyzed for the complication of rAAD as well as relevant patient and operative variables. Results The incidence of rAAD was 1.9% (6/309); all cases occurred with proximal landing zone in the ascending aorta and/or arch (zones 0-2). All were identified in the perioperative period (range, 0-6 days) with 33% (2/6) 30-day/in-hospital mortality. Eighty-three percent (5/6) underwent emergent repair; one patient died without repair. rAAD patients were similar to the non-rAAD group (n = 303) across pertinent variables, including age, gender, race, and device size (all P > .1). rAAD incidence by aortic pathology was 1.0% (2/200) for aneurysm, 4.4% (4/91) for dissection, and 0% (0/18) for transection; P = .08. rAAD incidence by device was TAG (Gore) 1.0% (2/205), Talent (Medtronic) 4.7% (2/43), and Zenith TX2 (Cook) 3.6% (2/55). rAAD incidence was observed to be higher among patients with an ascending aortic diameter ≥4.0 cm (4.8% vs 0.9% for ascending diameter P = .047. Incidence was also higher with proximal landing zone in the native ascending aorta (zone 0) 6.9% (2/29) versus 1.4% for all others (4/280); P = .101. For patients with dissection pathology and an ascending aortic diameter ≥4.0 cm, 11% (3/28) suffered rAAD; with the combination of native ascending aorta (zone 0) landing zone measuring ≥4.0 cm, the incidence was 25% (2/8). Definitive diagnosis was by computed tomography angiography (n = 1), intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (n = 3), intraoperative arteriography (n = 1), or postmortem autopsy (n = 1). Conclusions rAAD is a lethal early complication of TEVAR, which may be more common when treating dissection, with devices utilizing proximal bare springs or barbs for fixation, with native zone 0 proximal landing zone and with ascending aortic diameter ≥4 cm. Combinations of these risk factors may be particularly high risk. Intraoperative imaging assessment of the ascending aorta should be conducted following TEVAR to avoid under-recognition. National database reporting of this complication is needed to ensure safety and proper application of emerging TEVAR technology.
Synthetic viruses: a new opportunity to understand and prevent viral disease

Rapid progress in DNA synthesis and sequencing is spearheading the deliberate, large-scale genetic alteration of organisms. These new advances in DNA manipulation have been extended to the level of whole-genome synthesis, as evident from the synthesis of poliovirus, from the resurrection of the extinct 1918 strain of influenza virus and of human endogenous retroviruses and from the restructuring of the phage T7 genome. The largest DNA synthesized so far is the 582,970 base pair genome of Mycoplasma genitalium, although, as yet, this synthetic DNA has not been 'booted' to life. As genome synthesis is independent of a natural template, it allows modification of the structure and function of a virus's genetic information to an extent that was hitherto impossible. The common goal of this new strategy is to further our understanding of an organism's properties, particularly its pathogenic armory if it causes disease in humans, and to make use of this new information to protect from, or treat, human viral disease. Although only a few applications of virus synthesis have been described as yet, key recent findings have been the resurrection of the 1918 influenza virus and the generation of codon- and codon pair–deoptimized polioviruses.
X-ray Summer School on Ultrafast Science Using FELs

The first Ultrafast X-ray Summer School, organized and chaired by Nora Berrah (WMU), was held June 18–22, 2007, at the Stanford University's PULSE Center, located at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). With the advent of 4th generation X-ray light sources, and in particular, the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) under construction at SLAC, it was timely to begin the process of building a competitive community of scientists. It was also primordial to communicate to everyone the excitement many of us have about these new tools and to help raise awareness of the opportunities in ultrafast X-ray research.
Short‐Crack Toughness and Abrasive Machining of Silicon Nitride

Hardness and toughness are often used to analyze the abrasive machining behavior of ceramic materials. However, toughness values of silicon nitride ceramics with microstructures containing elongated grains increase with crack extension. The present study investigates the effect of toughness on the process of abrasive machining to determine which value of toughness should be used in the analysis. The toughness curves (i.e., toughness as a function of crack length) of ten different silicon nitride materials are characterized by an indentation-strength technique and an indentation technique. The forces in surface grinding are measured as a function of the depth of cut. Examination of ground surfaces by scanning electron microscopy indicates that the material-removal processes in grinding follows the formation of short cracks (i.e., microcracks) and grain-scale material dislodgement. An indentation fracture model for material removal in abrasive machining is used to correlate the grinding forces with toughness and hardness of the materials. An agreement is obtained between the experimental results and the indentation model only when the toughness associated with short cracks is used. This study shows the importance of using appropriate toughness values corresponding to the microfracture processes in analyzing abrasive machining results for materials possessing rising toughness curves.
Effects of Oxandrolone on Plasma Triglycerides and Postheparin Lipolytic Activity in Patients With Types III, IV, and V Familial Hyperlipoproteinemia

Abstract Effects of Oxandrolone on plasma lipids, post-heparin lipases, fasting free fatty acids, glucose and insulin were studied in twenty patients with Types III, IV, and V hyperlipoproteinemia. Triglycerides fell significantly in 14 of 20 patients on short term therapy, and in an additional four patients on prolonged therapy. The fall in triglycerides was associated with a qualitative decrease in both chylomicron and prebeta- lipoprotein concentrations on paper lipoprotein electrophoresis. There were concurrent major increases in postheparin lipolytic activity without uniform changes in free fatty acids, glucose or insulin. Marked stimulation of postheparin lipolytic activities and increased peripheral triglyceride hydrolysis may in part account for the triglyceride lowering effect of oxandrolone.
Intelligent resource discovery using ontology-based resource profiles

Successful resource discovery across heterogeneous repositories is highly dependent on the semantic and syntactic homogeneity of the associated resource descriptions in each repository. Ideally, consistent resource descriptions are easily extracted from each repository, expressed using standard syntactic and semantic structures, and managed and accessed within a distributed, flexible, and scalable software framework. In practice however, seldom do all three of these elements exist. To help address this situation, the Object Oriented Data Technology (OODT) project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has developed an extensible, standards-based resource description scheme that provides the necessary description and management facilities for the discovery of resources across heterogeneous repositories. The OODT resource description scheme can be used across scientific domains to describe any resource. It uses a small set of generally accepted, broadly-scoped descriptors while also providing a mechanism for the inclusion of domain-specific descriptors. In addition, the OODT scheme can be used to capture hierarchical, relational and recursive relationships between resources. In this paper we expand on prior work and describe an intelligent resource discovery framework that consists of separate software and data architectures focusing on the standard resource description scheme. We illustrate intelligent resource discovery using a case study that provides efficient search across distributed repositories using common interfaces and a hierarchy of resource descriptions derived from a complex, domain-specific ontology.
Making a case for systems engineering

In late 2007, the Systems Engineering Advancement (SEA) Project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) decided to design a multi-day Systems Engineering Workshop to train systems engineers in the practice of systems engineering. They were determined to avoid the trap of merely giving hours of lectures and presentations that would bore audiences and soon be forgotten. They decided to base the workshop on six detailed ease studies, each approximately 15 pages in length. The topics of the six ease studies were selected to cover a range of types of flight projects - orbiters, landers and rovers, planetary and earth missions, development and operations, spacecraft and instruments, recent past and current. By including this range of projects, they hoped to touch on a broad spectrum of systems engineering situations, issues, and challenges, and to use these to accomplish specific learning objectives. They developed a template for the case studies to ensure that specific areas were addressed in each case study, and to ensure that a ?big picture? view of the mission itself would be presented before getting into the ?meat? of the case, Then questions were designed to ensure that the workshop participants would wrestle with the systems engineering challenges presented, and would understand and absorb the systems engineering skills needed to address them. The workshop also included sessions of ?story-telling? by key Project Systems Engineers and short lecture sessions addressing key topics and concepts. This describes the approach and methodology for designing detailed case studies for use as learning tools for systems engineering training. It describes the planning and development process and the approach for actually utilizing them in a real workshop. It concludes with lessons learned and the results from the recent JPL Systems Engineering Workshop.
Are Immigrants Healthier? The Case of Depression among Filipino Americans.

Immigration has fundamentally changed American society by increasing racial and ethnic diversity. Yet, our knowledge of the relationship between immigrant status and mental health remains limited. This study provides evidence that Filipino American immigrants have significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms than Filipinos born in the United States, net of gender, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, and place of residence. I also examine the mediating effects of individualism, collectivism, ethnic identification, and perceived racial/ethnic discrimination to understand why immigrants are healthier. Furthermore, my results suggest that age at immigration warrants more attention. Immigrating during childhood predicts significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms in adulthood than immigrating after childhood, independent of the duration of residence in the United States. Although this study is specific to Filipino Americans, it has implications for theories about selective migration and the ...
Improvement of SOI MOSFET RF Performance by Implant Optimization

The characteristics of silicon on insulator MOSFETs are modified to enhance the RF performance by varying channel implants. Without adding new masks or fabrication steps to the standard CMOS process, this approach can be easily applied in standard foundry fabrication. The transconductance, output resistance, and breakdown voltage can be increased by eliminating channel and drain extension implants. As a result, the fmax of the modified n-MOSFET with a 150 nm gate length exceeds 120 GHz, showing a 20% improvement over the standard MOSFET for digital circuits on the same wafer.
Edge-based FEM solution of scattering from inhomogeneous and anisotropic objects

This paper presents an application of the edge-based vector finite element method to scattering problems of anisotropic and inhomogeneous objects. Based on conventional FEM functional, a hybrid finite element-surface integral formulation is established by introducing permittivity and permeability tensors. The space domain is divided into interior and exterior regions by an imaginary surface conformal to the scatterer. Edge vector finite elements are used to model the anisotropic and inhomogeneous interior, and a surface integral equation is used to model the unbounded exterior. Compared to other hybrid techniques, the approach here retains the symmetry and sparsity of the FEM matrix and introduces only one type of unknown equivalent current in the moment matrix equation. To validate the theory, typical 2-D numerical results are first presented, which show excellent agreement with exact eigenmode expansion solutions or accurate MoM data. >
Multirate vector quantization of image pyramids

An algorithm given by R.P. Rao (see Proc. IEEE Inter. Telecomm. Symp., Sept. 1990) for multirate vector quantization is used for coding image pyramids. The algorithm, called alphabet- and entropy-constrained vector quantization (AECVQ), operates by optimally choosing sub-codebooks from a large generic codebook. In terms of performance and complexity, AECVQ equals the best single-rate VQ. Excellent results at 1 b/p and below, judged both visually and using a peak-to-peak SNR criterion, have been obtained by coding image pyramids using the AECVQ algorithm. these results demonstrate significant improvements over existing schemes. Although an AECVQ based image coding scheme is considerably complex, it can be implemented in real time using current VLSI technology. >
Optimal hierarchy structures for multi-attribute-criteria decisions

A problem of a hierarchy structure optimization is considered. Hierarchical structures are widely used in the Analytic Hierarchy Process, conjoint analysis, and various other methods of multiple criteria decision making. The problem consists in finding a structure that needs a minimum number of pair comparisons for a given total number of the alternatives. For an optimal hierarchy, the minimum efforts are needed for eliciting data and synthesizing the local preferences across the hierarchy to get the global priorities or utilities. Special estimation techniques are developed and numerical simulations performed. Analytical and numerical results suggest optimal ways of priority evaluations for practical managerial decisions in a complex environment.
In vitro biocompatibility of titanium alloy discs made using direct metal fabrication

Custom orthopedic implants may be generated using free-form fabrication methods (FFF) such as electron beam melting (EBM). EBM FFF may be used to make solid metal implants whose surface is often polished using CNC machining and porous scaffolds that are usually left unpolished. We assessed the in vitro biocompatibility of EBM titanium-6 aluminum-4 vanadium (Ti6Al4V) structures by comparing the cellular response to solid polished, solid unpolished, and porous EBM discs to the cellular response to discs made of commercially produced Ti6Al4V. The discs were seeded with 20,000 human adipose-derived adult stem cells (hASCs) and assessed for cell viability, proliferation, and release of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8). Cell viability was assessed with Live/Dead staining 8 days after seeding. Cell proliferation was assessed using alamarBlue assays at days 0, 1, 2, 3, and 7. The hASCs were alive on all discs after 8 days. Cellular proliferation on porous EBM discs was increased at days 2, 3, and 7 compared to discs made of commercial Ti6Al4V. Cellular proliferation on porous EBM discs was also increased compared to solid polished and unpolished EBM discs. IL-6 and IL-8 releases at day 7 were lower for porous EBM discs than for other discs. Solid polished, unpolished, and porous EBM Ti6Al4V discs exhibited an acceptable biocompatibility profile compared to solid Ti6Al4V discs from a commercial source. EBM FFF may be considered as an option for the fabrication of custom orthopedic implants.
Space for cognition: gesture and second language learning

This paper explores the possibility that L2 learners utilize gesture, like speech, for intrapersonal problem solving. Kita (2000) argued that the “default” organization of information when speaking is analytic but that the use of representational gestures, specifically iconic and abstract deictic gestures, can constitute a spatio-motoric mode of thinking, that is, that we deploy “gesturing for thinking”. Thus, Kita believes that gestures are actional as opposed to representational and form as part of the physical environment in conjunction with the cognitive system. In applying this perspective to second language learning, it is argued in the current study that, because of an inability to fully command discourse in the L2, at times learners utilize this mode of thinking. There is also speculation that the use of gestures in the form of beats in relation to prosodic features, notably intonation and syllable structure, may be a form of enaction, that is, internalizing the L2 through embodied processes.