cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applying Improved Optical Recognition with Machine Learning on Sorting Cu Impurities in Steel Scrap

Cu impurities in scrap, originating from motors and wires, limit the efficiency of recycling steel scrap, especially for shredded automobile scrap, due to the occurrence of surface hot shortness during hot working resulting from high Cu content. Considering the distinct difference of color between metal Cu and Fe and the potential differences between shapes of shreds depending on Cu content, optical recognition was explored as a method for detecting and separating Cu-rich shreds. In order to optimize detection and minimize effects of surface inhomogeneity, etc., convolutional neural networks (CNNs) were adopted to improve the optical recognition of shredded scrap obtained from industrial sources. The results show that the proposed neural network achieves significantly better recognition on Cu impurities and results in a reduction of Cu content. An optimized accuracy of 90.6% could be obtained for recognizing Cu impurities through applied CNNs architecture with dataset of cropped photographs. This results in an overall reduction of Cu impurities from 0.272 to 0.087 wt% in steel scrap, if the identified Cu-rich parts were removed.
Tragic Glory? Human Excellence in Pierre Manent and St Augustine

In his monumental study of the history of Western forms of government, Metamorphoses of the City: On the Western Dynamic (2013), Pierre Manent offers his response to the question of modernity’s cap...
“Always Know Where the Gun Is”: Service Providers Perceptions of Firearm Access, Violence, and Safety Planning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Given the heightened risk for fatality and known non-fatal harm firearms pose in abusive situations, it is critical to consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on firearm-related abuse and safety planning-particularly considering the surge in firearm sales in 2020. This study documented the impact of the pandemic on firearm access and violence, advice and safety planning surrounding firearms, and firearm-related abuse tactics through the perspective of victim service providers across the US participants included victim service professionals from both rural (n = 93) and urban/suburban (i.e., non-rural; n = 78) areas who worked with victims of gender-based violence (i.e., intimate partner abuse and dating violence, child abuse, elder abuse, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking victims). Results revealed that nearly half of participants reported that abusers threatening to shoot victims or others became more frequent since the start of the pandemic, while nearly 30% reported that homicide involving firearms became more frequent during the pandemic. Further, nearly 40% of participants indicated an increase in firearm sales during pandemic-with higher sales in non-rural versus rural areas. Common themes related to safety planning with firearms included advising the victim to contact the system for help, assessing the location of firearms and/or remove the firearms, and leaving the abuser. The results stress the importance for safety planning around firearms when victims are isolated with an abuser at home and potential impact of abuser firearm access on public safety.
Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders Misdiagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis: Can Current Diagnostic Guidelines Separate the Two Diseases? (1934)

Objective: To revisit MS diagnosis in an era of antibody testing availability for NMOSD. Background: It is unclear if the McDonald criteria for MS can sufficiently establish the diagnosis of MS when history, symptoms, and radiological findings overlap with NMOSD. This is particularly relevant given the commercial availability of highly specific, serum-based antibody testing for NMOSD. Current guidelines for either disease may not adequately separate these two inflammatory disorders. Design/Methods: Retrospective data analyses from 2009–2016 were done based on preliminary data extracted from Truven Health Analytics (THA) database derived from ICD 9/10 codes for patients who had a diagnosis of MS followed by a later diagnosis of NMOSD. A retrospective, individual patient-based data search was then done at our medical center based on either AQP4 or MOG Ab positive status. Only cases that had unequivocal clinical/radiological findings suggestive of MS were included. Results: MS was diagnosed in 319,994 individuals in the THA claims database between 2009–2016. Of these, 2,001 had diagnosis of NMOSD. A retrospective data search revealed 54 cases had serum testing for AQP4 or MOG Ab. 4 of 54 were positive. All four cases had clinical and radiological features of MS based on McDonald criteria, but serum antibody testing revealed NMOSD. Conclusions: Our findings question whether guidelines help delineate the two diseases based on current recommendations. The results from our small study could have significant implications; symptoms, clinical presentation, and classic radiological findings alone might not suffice to diagnose MS. Since no single test can conclusively establish a diagnosis of MS, perhaps NMOSD may have to be excluded first despite typical radiological findings pointing to MS. The question of repeat NMOSD testing in ‘poorly responsive’ MS patients to standard disease-modifying therapies (DMD) ought to be investigated further since NMOSD patients who are deemed to have MS will likely fail disease-modifying drugs. Disclosure: Dr. Alkhasova has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sutton has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pettigrew has nothing to disclose. Dr. Guduru has nothing to disclose. Dr. Avasarala has nothing to disclose.
Asymptomatic Carotid Disease and Cognitive Impairment: What Is the Evidence?

The development of cognitive dysfunction and dementia is a complex, multifactorial process. One of the contributors to various types of cognitive dysfunction is carotid atherosclerosis which can frequently be seen in asymptomatic individuals. There are a number of different manifestations of asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis including arterial stiffness, carotid intima-media thickening, flow-limiting stenosis, and complex atherosclerotic plaque. Each of these forms of atherosclerosis may contribute to cerebral parenchymal damage, contributing to cognitive dysfunction. In this review article, we will discuss each of these forms of carotid atherosclerosis, present the potential mechanistic underpinnings behind an association, and then review the scientific evidence supporting potential associations to cognitive dysfunction and dementia.
Cooperation and the Evolution of Social Living: Moving Beyond the Constraints and Implications of Misleading Dogma: Introduction Part II

The chapters in this section offer fascinating insights into the social behavior and social organization of various primates. They emphasize the importance of long-term fieldwork on identified individuals for learning about the evolution and ecology of social behavior. As such, these essays are extremely valuable not only because they review current information but also because they go beyond mere paradigm and often lazy-thinking about the factors that influence group-living in free-ranging animals. To wit, and in the spirit of the other chapters in this forward-looking and very important book, the authors show that cooperation even among non-kin is very important in structuring the social organization of different species living in different environments. They emphasize that cooperation has not merely evolved to reduce aggression or as a reaction to competition but serves a significant, perhaps a leading role, in the evolution of social behavior and social organization. To simply put it, cooperation is normal behavior.
Comparative Vertebrate Muscle Physiology

Although all vertebrate skeletal twitch fibres share the same basic structure and operate by the same contractile mechanism, they are called upon to perform a host of different functions ranging from slow speed locomotion to high speed sound production. There are a number of important qualitative modifications (protein isoforms with different kinetic rates) as well as quantitative modifications (different densities of important structures) which permit this wide range of activities and form the comparative aspects of muscle physiology. Keywords: muscle; mechanics; locomotion; sound production
WAS CAPTAIN BLACK REALLY RED

It is night. Over ominous electronic chords the camera tracks up a dark city alley. Footsteps echo. We are looking through the eyes of an unknown assailant. A bottle falls, a cat screeches, the cam...
Comment on "Anomalous Temperature Dependence of the X-Ray Diffuse Scattering Intensity of Cu3Au"

The fine structure of the equilibrium diffuse x-ray scattering of a Cu{sub 3}Au(110) crystal reveals an unexpected temperature dependence of the fourfold peak splitting associated with Fermi surface imaging. The separation of the split diffuse maxima increases with temperature corresponding to a proliferation of correlated microdomains in a real space picture. As current alloy theories based on the calculation of the configurational energy do not cover such a temperature dependent microstructure, the results of this study outline the importance of the entropy contribution to the alloy free energy. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Optimal radiometric calibration for camera-display communication

We present a novel method for communicating between a moving camera and an electronic display by embedding and recovering hidden, dynamic information within an image. A small intensity pattern is added to alternate frames of a time-varying display. A handheld camera pointed at the display can receive not only the display image, but also an underlying message. Differencing the camera-captured alternate frames leaves the small intensity pattern, but results in errors due to photometric effects that depend on camera pose. Detecting and robustly decoding the message requires careful photometric modeling for message recovery. The key innovation of our approach is an algorithm that performs simultaneous radiometric calibration and message recovery in one convex optimization problem. By modeling the photometry of the system using a camera-display transfer function (CDTF), we derive an optimal online radiometric calibration (OORC) for robust computational messaging as demonstrated with nine different commercial cameras and displays. The online radiometric calibration algorithms described in this paper significantly reduces message recovery errors, especially for low intensity messages and oblique camera angles.
USE OF BILIRUBIN STANDARDS.

A stable stock solution of bilirubin in chloroform may be used to standardize quantitative determination of bilirubin in serum as "azobilirubin." The molar absorptivity of azobilirubin (560 mµ, 1 cm.) is 70,300 ±280 (mean ± 1 S.D.) when determined from chloroform-methanol standards treated with a modified van den Bergh reagent in the Malloy and Evelyn procedure for total bilirubin. The absorptivity of azobilirubin prepared from bilirubin in serum standards is essentially the same. The molar absorptivity of bilirubin in serum (460 mµ, 1 cm.) is 49,100 ±690 (mean± 1 S.D.). Manufacturers of standard bilirubin should use the molar constants as criteria of quality. Two of three preparations differed by 6.8 and 8.5% from the molar absorptivity found in standards made by the authors. Reconstituted commercial standards are stable for 3 days when stored at 5°.
Avoiding overfitting caused by noise using a uniform training mode

In the continuous function approximations using multilayer feedforward neural networks, there is the problem of overfitting if the training data are corrupted by noise. This paper presents a practical approach to conduct the learning of the neural networks to be uniform for each sample with an individual error tolerated by the noise level of the training data, rather than conventionally considering total error of all the training samples. The experimental results using the joint inversion of seismic and well data in geophysical exploration as illustrating examples show that the uniform training mode can effectively avoid overfitting phenomenon. In addition, as by-pass products, it can greatly reduce the training computation and has potential for recognizing and removing the outliers from the training data.
Time Perception during Retrospective and Prospective Paradigms with a Distraction

Time duration estimates can play an intricate part of one’s daily life. This study examined the time duration judgments in two paradigms, when participants were aware they were being timed (prospec...
Production and separation of carrier-free 7Be

A high-purity carrier-free (7)Be was efficiently isolated following proton bombardment of a lithium hydroxide-aluminum target. The separation of beryllium from lithium and aluminum was achieved through a hydrochloric acid elution system utilizing cation exchange chromatography. The beryllium recovery, +99%, was assessed through gamma spectroscopy while the chemical purity was established by mass spectrometry. The decontamination factors of beryllium from lithium and aluminum were determined to be 6900 and 300, respectively.
Hormonal regulation of gene expression

The involvement of plant hormones in the regulation of gene expression is well-recognized. Current research using molecular approaches has resulted in the isolation and characterization of a number of hormone-responsive genes and cDNAs. These genes are proving to be valuable molecular probes to study the mode of action of plant hormones. This review will briefly describe some recent molecular data from selected hormone-responsive plant systems. Results of these studies indicate potential complexity in the regulation of these genes. These results and future challenges are discussed.
Amiodarone and mortality among elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction with atrial fibrillation.

Abstract Background Amiodarone has been shown to be safe in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who are at risk for sudden cardiac death. However, there is limited data concerning the safety of amiodarone in patients who experience AMI complicated by atrial fibrillation. Methods To determine the safety of amiodarone therapy, we conducted a retrospective analysis of elderly patients hospitalized with AMI who experienced atrial fibrillation and had survived to hospital discharge (n = 17,597). Amiodarone prescribed at discharge was evaluated for its association with short-term and long-term mortality in crude and adjusted analyses employing propensity score methods. Results Of the 17,597 patients, 550 patients (3.1%) were prescribed amiodarone, 2317 patients (13.2%) were prescribed other antiarrhythmic agents (excluded from analysis), and 14,730 (83.7%) were prescribed no antiarrhythmic medication at discharge. Thirty-day mortality rates were similar for patients prescribed amiodarone and those not prescribed amiodarone (6.8% amiodarone vs 5.4% no amiodarone, P =.21), but mortality at 1 year was higher among patients prescribed amiodarone (35.6% vs 31.6%, P =.001). However, amiodarone was not associated with mortality at 30 days (odds ratio 0.80, 95% CI 0.53-1.20) or at long-term follow-up (mean duration 612 days, hazard ratio 1.04, 95% CI 0.92-1.18) after multivariable modeling. Conclusions Amiodarone was not independently associated with short-term or long-term mortality in elderly patients discharged after a hospitalization for AMI complicated by atrial fibrillation. Although our data suggest that amiodarone may be safe to use in this population, randomized controlled trial data are needed to confirm this finding. (Am Heart J 2002;144:1095-101.)
Pollen digestion and nitrogen utilization by Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Abstract 1. 1. The apparent digestibility (AD) of pollen by Apis mellifera is 89% by gravimetric analysis and 77% as determined by ue of Cr 2 O 3 , an internal marker placed in the diet. 2. 2. The average weight of nitrogen consumed per individual over a 28-day period was 3.07 mg, of which 0.60 mg is defecated in the form of 86.2% undigested food and 13.8% uric acid. 3. 3. The coefficient of apparent digestibility of nitrogen (CADN) of pollen is 83% by gravimetric analysis, and 72% by use of the Cr 2 O 3 marker technique. 4. 4. A. mellifera efficiently digests and utilizes both the food substance and nitrogen of pollen, the natural diet of the species.
The use of a myocardial electrode inserted percutaneously for control of complete atrioventricular block by an artificial pacemaker.

SUMMARY 1. A procedure to introduce percutaneously a myocardial electrode into the ventricular wall was developed. 2. Animal experimentation, with creation of complete and permanent atrioventricular block by placing stitches in the atrioventricular node and bundle through a right atriotomy under direct vision with the use of a pump-oxygenator, has shown the efficiency and the safety of this technique. 3. A technique for the percuntaneous insertion of the myocardial electrode in the humans is described. This method permits the effective control of complete heart block by use of the artificial pacemaker without the necessity of opening the chest to place an electrode. 4. The indications of the method are chiefly the control of complete heart block with very slow rates or episodes of ventricular standstill occurring for the first time in the postoperative course after the chest has been closed or in medical patients with the Stokes-Adams syndrome due to cardiac disease or drug therapy. The efficacy, safety, and easy applicability of this technique permits its use for emergency resuscitations. 5. The superiority of internal pacemaker stimulation over use of external electrodes or drug therapy (Isuprel) has been emphasized. 6. A lightweight transistor pacemaker has been developed which permits greater patient mobility and safety than the more cumbersome units available earlier.
Cultural Identities and Perceptions of Health Among Health Care Providers and Older American Indians

BACKGROUND: Differences in provider-patient health perceptions have been associated with poor patient outcomes, but little is known about how patients’ cultural identities may be related to discordant perceptions.
A stimulus sampling model for simultaneous discrimination learning

Abstract A one-element stimulus sampling model is presented, in which it is assumed that the stimulus element is not necessarily sampled on every trial. This model gives a good account of the performance of monkeys on four simultaneous discrimination tasks, and is superior to a comparable linear model and to several models which predict asymptotically perfect learning. It is suggested that the systematic nature of the discrepancies requires modification of the assumption concerning the initial conditioning state of the element.
Computer-simulated stress-optic patterns

A new method for producing theoretical fringe patterns using a small real-time computer interfaced to analog equipment is presented. The method applies equally well to isochromatic, isopachic or interferometric stress patterns of any stress field for which the analytical solution is known.
Locally delivered salicylic acid from a poly(anhydride-ester): Impact on diabetic bone regeneration

Diabetes mellitus (DM) involves metabolic changes that can impair bone repair, including a prolonged inflammatory response. A salicylic acid-based poly(anhydride-ester) (SA-PAE) provides controlled and sustained release of salicylic acid (SA) that locally resolves inflammation. This study investigates the effect of polymer-controlled SA release on bone regeneration in diabetic rats where enhanced inflammation is expected. Fifty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to two groups: diabetic group induced by streptozotocin (STZ) injection or normoglycemic controls injected with citrate buffer alone. Three weeks after hyperglycemia development or vehicle injection, 5mm critical sized defects were created at the rat mandibular angle and treated with SA-PAE/bone graft mixture or bone graft alone. Rats were euthanized 4 and 12weeks after surgery, then bone fill percentage in the defect region was assessed by micro-computed tomography (CT) and histomorphometry. It was observed that bone fill increased significantly at 4 and 12weeks in SA-PAE/bone graft-treated diabetic rats compared to diabetic rats receiving bone graft alone. Accelerated bone formation in normoglycemic rats caused by SA-PAE/bone graft treatment was observed at 4weeks but not at 12weeks. This study shows that treatment with SA-PAE enhances bone regeneration in diabetic rats and accelerates bone regeneration in normoglycemic animals.
Academic Underachievement Among Children With Epilepsy Proportion Exceeding Psychometric Criteria for Learning Disability and Associated Risk Factors

This study assessed rates of learning disabilities (LD) by several psychometric definitions in children with epilepsy and identified risk factors. Participants (N = 173, ages 8-15 years) completed IQ screening, academic achievement testing, and structured interviews. Children with significant head injury, chronic physical conditions, or mental retardation were excluded. Using an IQ-achievement discrepancy definition, 48% exceeded the cutoff for LD in at least one academic area; using low-achievement definitions, 41% to 62% exceeded cutoffs in at least one academic area. Younger children with generalized nonabsence seizures were at increased risk for math LD using the IQ-achievement discrepancy definition; age of seizure onset and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were risk factors for reading and math LD using low-achievement definitions. Writing was the most common domain affected, but neither ADHD nor seizure variables reliably identified children at risk for writing LD. Although children with earlier seizure onset, generalized nonabsence seizures, and comorbid ADHD appear to be at increased risk for some types of LD by some definitions, these findings largely suggest that all children with epilepsy should be considered vulnerable to LD. A diagnosis of epilepsy (even with controlled seizures and less severe seizure types) should provide sufficient cause to screen school-age children for LD and comorbid ADHD.
Geometric Constraints For Interpreting Images Of Common Structural Elements: Orthogonal Trihedral Vertices

A simple analytical procedure is introduced for utilizing a ubiquitous engineering and architural structural subelement to facilitate automatically cuing, monoscopically inferring surface structure and orientation, and resolving stereo correspondences: orthogonal trihedral vertices, or OTVs. OTVs occur in profusion indoors and out. They are identifiable, and are a rich source of information regarding relative surface conformation and orientation. Practical considerations often constrain OTVs to be vertically aligned. General obligue perspective properties of OTVs are examined. The especially important case of nadir-viewing aerial stereophotogrammetry is developed in detail. An object-space vertex labeling convention incorporates vertex type and orientation. A set of image space junction signature rules based upon the object space invariance of OT V edge vanishing points enables unambiguous vertex label assignment for interior and exterior OTVs. An independent application of the labeling scheme to both members of a stereo pair, taken at arbitrarily wide convergence angle, identically labels corresponding juntions. An illustrative example is presented. Algorithmic implementation has not yet been undertaken.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The collection development workstation: a sampling of Web resources

This webliography provides librarians with a list of some of the best Internet resources for collection development.
Social Support Network of Adolescents: Relation to Family Alcohol Abuse

AbstractWhile there is considerable literature examining the relationship between the social functioning and alcohol abuse of adults, less is known about the social resources of adolescents in relation to their drinking or that of their parents. Various sources of social support were examined among 187 male and female adolescents from alcohol-abusing and nonabusing populations. Adolescent groups were divided into those whose family history was positive for alcohol abuse and those whose family history was negative for alcohol abuse. The data indicate that teens with alcoholic parents were less likely to identify their parents as a source of support than teens from nonabusing families. Alcohol-abusing teens appear to rely on friends more, and parents less, than demographically comparable nonabusing teens. Teens with abusing parents reported less parental support and more sibling support than teens from nonabusing families. The theoretical relevance of these findings as well as the implications for both abus...
The Sedating Antidepressant Trazodone Impairs Sleep-Dependent Cortical Plasticity

Background Recent findings indicate that certain classes of hypnotics that target GABAA receptors impair sleep-dependent brain plasticity. However, the effects of hypnotics acting at monoamine receptors (e.g., the antidepressant trazodone) on this process are unknown. We therefore assessed the effects of commonly-prescribed medications for the treatment of insomnia (trazodone and the non-benzodiazepine GABAA receptor agonists zaleplon and eszopiclone) in a canonical model of sleep-dependent, in vivo synaptic plasticity in the primary visual cortex (V1) known as ocular dominance plasticity. Methodology/Principal Findings After a 6-h baseline period of sleep/wake polysomnographic recording, cats underwent 6 h of continuous waking combined with monocular deprivation (MD) to trigger synaptic remodeling. Cats subsequently received an i.p. injection of either vehicle, trazodone (10 mg/kg), zaleplon (10 mg/kg), or eszopiclone (1–10 mg/kg), and were allowed an 8-h period of post-MD sleep before ocular dominance plasticity was assessed. We found that while zaleplon and eszopiclone had profound effects on sleeping cortical electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, only trazodone (which did not alter EEG activity) significantly impaired sleep-dependent consolidation of ocular dominance plasticity. This was associated with deficits in both the normal depression of V1 neuronal responses to deprived-eye stimulation, and potentiation of responses to non-deprived eye stimulation, which accompany ocular dominance plasticity. Conclusions/Significance Taken together, our data suggest that the monoamine receptors targeted by trazodone play an important role in sleep-dependent consolidation of synaptic plasticity. They also demonstrate that changes in sleep architecture are not necessarily reliable predictors of how hypnotics affect sleep-dependent neural functions.
Certifying examination performance and patient outcomes following acute myocardial infarction.

Objective To establish whether successful certifying examination performances of doctors are associated with their patients’ mortality and length of stay following acute myocardial infarction. Design Risk adjusted mortality and survivors’ length of stay were compared for doctors who had satisfactorily completed training in internal medicine or cardiology and attempted the relevant examination. Specifically, the study investigated the joint effects of hospital location, availability of advanced cardiac care, doctors’ specializations, certifying examination performances, year certification was first attempted and patient volume. Setting and participants Data on all acute myocardial infarctions in Pennsylvania for the calendar year 1993 were collected by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council. These data were combined withphysician information from the database of the American Board of Internal Medicine. Results Holding all variables constant, successful examination performance (i.e. certification in internal medicine or cardiology) was associated with a 19% reduction in mortality. Decreased mortality was also correlated with treatment in hospitals located outwith either rural or urban settings and with management by a cardiologist. Shorter stays were not related to examination performance but were associated with treatment by high volume cardiologists who had recently finished training and who cared for their patients in hospitals located outwith rural or urban settings. Conclusions The results of the study add to the evidence supporting the validity of the certifying examination and lend support to the concept that fund of knowledge is related to quality of practice.
Some retractions and deformation retractions on 2x and C(X)

Abstract Let X be a metric continuum and let 2 x ( C ( X )) denote the hyperspace of closed subsets (subcontinua) of X . Let F 1 ( X )={{ x }| x ϵ X }. It is shown that C ( X ) is a strong deformation retract of 2 x if and only if X is locally connected and that F 1 ( X ) is a strong deformation retract of 2 x if and only if X is an absolute retract. Some conditions under which F 1 ( X ) is a deformation retract of 2 x and some conditions under which F 1 ( X ) is a strong deformation retract of C ( X ) are determined. An example is given of a non-contractible dendroid X with the following properties: (i) C ( X ) is a retract of 2 x ; (ii) C ( X ) is not a deformation retract of 2 x ; (iii) F 1 ( X ) is a retract of 2 x ; (iv) F 1 ( X ) is not a deformation retract of 2 x ; (v) F 1 ( X ) is a strong deformation retract of C ( X ); (vi) every Whitney map for C ( X ) is admissible; and (vii) no Whitney map for 2 x is admissible.
G204D, a mutation that blocks the proton-conducting D-channel of the aa3-type cytochrome c oxidase from Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

Cytochrome c oxidase uses the free energy of oxygen reduction to establish a transmembrane proton gradient. The proton-conducting D-channel in this enzyme is the major input pathway for protons which go to the binuclear center for water formation ("chemical protons") and likely the only input pathway for protons that get translocated across the lipid membrane ("pumped protons"). The D-channel starts at an acidic residue near the protein surface (D132, Rhodobacter sphaeroides numbering) and leads to another acidic residue near the binuclear center. Recent studies have shown that mutants that introduce an additional acidic residue in the channel (N139D) have the remarkable effect of accelerating steady-state oxidase activity but completely eliminating proton pumping. In this work, an aspartic acid was introduced at the position of glycine 204, G204D, which is also within the D-channel, and the effects were examined. In contrast to N139D, the G204D mutation results in a dramatic decrease of the steady-state oxygen reductase activity ( O transition, similar to the D132N mutant. The block of the D-channel in the D132N mutant can be partly bypassed by biochemically removing subunit III from the enzyme, indicating that removal of the subunit reveals an alternate entrance for protons to the channel. However, this is not observed with the G204D mutant. This suggests that the cryptic entrance to the D-channel that is revealed by the removal of subunit III is between the levels of G204 and D132.
Mixed finite element models for free vibrations of thin-walled beams

Simple, mixed finite element models are developed for the free vibration analysis of curved thin-walled beams with arbitrary open cross section. The analytical formulation is based on a Vlasov's type thin-walled beam theory with the effects of flexural-torsional coupling, transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia included. The fundamental unknowns consist of seven internal forces and seven generalized displacements of the beam. The element characteristic arrays are obtained by using a perturbed Lagrangian-mixed variational principle. Only C(sup o) continuity is required for the generalized displacements. The internal forces and the Lagrange multiplier are allowed to be discontinuous at interelement boundaries. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the high accuracy and effectiveness of the elements developed. The standard of comparison is taken to be the solutions obtained by using 2-D plate/shell models for the beams.
Z-contrast imaging of bulk crystal surfaces in scanning reflection electron microscopy

Abstract Following the recent development of high-angle annular dark field Z -contrast imaging in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), a technique for obtaining high-resolution surface lattice images with contrast sensitive to atomic number is investigated theoretically in the geometry of scanning reflection electron microscopy (SREM) with a high-angle annular detector. The contrast in this type of image is determined mainly by the scattering power of each atomic site. As in the STEM case, the resolution in this Z -contrast SREM mode is approximately defined by the size of the electron probe if it is larger than the width of the atomic potential well. Calculations for a Ge/Si interface bulk cross section with and without reconstruction and adsorption are presented, including the contribution from thermal diffuse scattering.
Temporal trends in early clinical outcomes and health care resource utilization for liver transplantation in the United States.

Procedures such as liver transplantation, which entail large costs while benefiting only a small percentage of the population, are being increasingly scrutinized by third-party payors. The purpose of our study was to conduct a longitudinal analysis of the early clinical outcomes and health care resource utilization for liver transplantation in the United States. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was used to conduct a longitudinal analysis of the clinical outcome and resource utilization data for liver transplantation procedures in adult recipients performed in the United States over three time periods (Period I: 1988–1993; Period II: 1994–1998: Period III: 1999–2003). Compared to Period I, adult liver transplant recipients were more likely to be male, older, and non-White in Period III. Recipients were more likely to have at least one major comorbidity preoperatively than in Period I. The in-hospital mortality rate after liver transplantation decreased significantly from Period I to Period III, but the major intraoperative and postoperative complication rates increased over the same time period. Mean length of hospital stay decreased over the 15-year period, but the percentage of patients with a non-routine discharge status increased. Our findings indicate that the rate of postoperative complications and non-routine discharges after liver transplantation is increasing. However, these negative changes in the cost–outcomes relationship for liver transplantation are balanced by improving postoperative survival rates and reductions in the length of hospital stay.
Membrane technology in seawater desalination: History, recent developments and future prospects

RO membrane technologies have achieved great progress in last 50 years. In seawater RO desalination field, energy saving and water quality improvement have always been two major subjects. Today, the energy consumption of RO membrane treatment process is one fifth and the operation cost is less than one tenth, compared to those of 1970’s. However, innovative membranes are still demanded to achieve lower cost, lower energy consumption and lower impact to the global environment such as brine discharge, disposal of chemicals using in pretreatment processes and so on. In order to obtain further excellent performance, Toray has been executing basic research for RO membranes on focusing physical and chemical properties through PALS (Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy) study, TEM (transmission electron microscopy) analysis, etc. Accordingly, many innovative high performance RO membranes have been produced, and TM820R, which has achieved coexistence of high solute removal and high water permeability, has ...
Relation between progressive decreases in regional coronary perfusion and contractile abnormalities.

To determine the quantitative relation between partial coronary obstruction and its resultant effects on local contraction, the left anterior descending coronary artery was partially obstructed (while the decrease in both distal pressure and flow were observed) and local tension and length weremeasured in 10 open chest dogs. A pressure gradient index ([AO-COR] /AO) across the obstruction was derived, where AO = mean aortic pressure and COR = mean distal coronary pressure, and was correlated with change in flow (controlflow = 95.3 ± 3.8 ml/100 g). Contractile function of ischemic and nonischemic zones was measured using both Walton-Brodie strain and mercury-in-Silastic segment length gauges. Small pressure gradients (index 0.27 ± 0.03 [mean ± standard error of the mean]) and decreases in distal flow (to 74.2 ± 1.6 ml/100 g) caused no change in tension or length. Further reduction in distal pressure (gradient index 0.52 ± 0.04) and flow (to 50.0 ± 0.8 ml/100 g) produced a decrease in tension to 87.3 ± 3.6 percent of control level (P < 0.005) and an increase in length to 129.1 ± 4.6 percent (P < 0.01). The upstroke of the tension curve during the ejection phase persisted despite the decrease in total tension. Additional reduction of pressure (gradient index 0.71 ± 0.03) and flow (27.7 ± 1.3 ml/100 g) caused a marked decrease in tension to 55.5 ± 11.9 percent of control level (P < 0.01) and an increase in length to 182.0 ± 14.1 percent (P < 0.001). The tension curve demonstrated loss of ejection tension with a negative slope inscribed during the ejection phase. Total occlusion resulted in no additional decrease in distal pressure and, although flow decreased to 5.0 ± 1.2 ml/100 g, no further change in tension (56.8 ± 9.3 percent) or length (183.3 ± 8.9 percent) occurred. Thus, an acute reduction in coronary pressure and flow of 50 percent or more results in regional contraction abnormalities that are further accentuated as the pressure and flow are reduced by 75 percent or more. Maximal abnormalities produced by total occlusion are similar to those produced by a reduction in flow of 75 percent or more.
Task-Specific Self-Evaluation as a Measure of Achievement Motivation.

The validity of an internalized self-reinforcement paradigm as a model of achievement motivation was investigated with a sample of 230 ninth grade black pupils of an inner-city public school located in a midwestern metropolitan area. If achievement behavior is controlled and sustained by covert internal evaluations of performance, then students who more frequently report positive self-evaluations during some specific school-like task may be predicted to: a.) have higher grade point averages than students who less frequently report self-evaluations of task performance; b.) have lower rates of absence from school than students who less frequently report positive self-evaluations of task performance; c.) have greater levels of expected task performance than students who less frequently report positive self-evaluations of performance; d.) have greater expectations that they will be able to positively evaluate themselves for task performance than students who less frequently report positive self-evaluations; e...
A model system for determining blastocyst binding mechanics

A model system for determining binding mechanics between the blastocyst and uterine endometrium is discussed. We developed 3-dimensional trophospheres as a substitute for blastocysts. Trophospheres detach from sialyl Lewis X under approximately 0.25 dynes of shear force.
Chronic implantation of multiple macroelectrodes. A technique for mapping auditory neocortex in unanesthetized cats

Abstract A method is described for chronic implantation of electrodes which insures the contact between electrode tips and cortical surface during and after the period of dural regeneration. Results are presented that show similar tonotopic localization of the positive component of the evoked response in anesthetized and non-anesthetized cats.
One-dimensional defect-mediated diffusion of Si adatoms on the Si(111)-(5 x 2)-Au surface.

Using scanning tunneling microscopy, we determine that the one-dimensional diffusion of Si adatoms along the $\mathrm{Si}(111)\mathrm{\text{\ensuremath{-}}}(5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2)\mathrm{\text{\ensuremath{-}}}\mathrm{Au}$ surface reconstruction occurs by a defect-mediated mechanism. Distinctive diffusion statistics, especially correlations between sequential adatom displacements, imply that the displacements are triggered by an interaction with a defect that is localized to the adatom. The defect is intrinsic and thermally activated. The measured diffusion statistics are modeled accurately by a Monte Carlo simulation. The measured adatom diffusion activation barrier is $1.24\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.08\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$.
Effects of cation stoichiometry on the dielectric properties of CaCu3Ti4O12

Abstract Compositions based on CaCu3+xTi4+yO12 (x = +0.06, 0, −0.06; y = +0.08, 0, −0.08) with varying cation stoichiometry were prepared via the conventional solid state synthesis methods. No significant changes in the perovskite crystal structure were observed via diffraction compared to stoichiometric CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO). However, a CuO phase was detected on the surface of all compositions and the presence of Cu2O was observed in the inner region of the sample for both Cu- and Ti-excessive CCTO. From the results of dielectric measurements, Cu- and Ti-deficient CCTO showed a higher dielectric constant than undoped CCTO. Due to the presence of Cu2O, both Cu- and Ti-excessive CCTO yielded low values of the dielectric constant. Using impedance spectroscopy, the improvement in dielectric constants and low tan δ values in the Cu- and Ti-deficient CCTO compositions can be traced to the lower grain resistivities compared to stoichiometric CCTO.
Policy Reform Dilemmas in Promoting Employment of Persons With Severe Mental Illnesses

Recent evaluations by the U.S. General Accounting Office and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of reemployment efforts of the federal-state vocational rehabilitation program found that services offered by state vocational rehabilitation agencies do not produce long-term earnings for clients with emotional or physical disabilities. This paper examines reasons for these poor outcomes and the implications of recent policy reform recommendations. Congress must decide whether to take action at the federal level to upgrade programs affecting persons with severe mental illnesses or to continue to rely on state decision making. The federal-state program largely wastes an estimated $490 million annually on time-limited services to consumers with mental illnesses. Rechanneled into a variety of innovative and more appropriate integrated services models, the money could buy stable annual vocational rehabilitation funding for 62,000 to 90,000 consumers with severe mental illnesses. Larger macrosystem problems...
Accretion Efficiency during Planetary Collisions

We present the results of smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations of collisions between two 0.10 M⊕ differentiated planetary embryos with impact dynamics that are thought to be common to the late stage of terrestrial planet formation. At low impact velocities (vimp/vesc < 1.5) and for direct collisions, the impacts are largely accretionary. Inelastic bouncing between embryos with varying degrees of erosion, followed by escape to infinity, is also a common outcome. For dynamical environments typical of most late-stage accretion models, we estimate that more than half of all collisions between like-sized planetary embryos do not result in accumulation into a larger embryo.
A VARI-based relative greenness from MODIS data for computing the Fire Potential Index

The Fire Potential Index (FPI) relies on relative greenness (RG) estimates from remote sensing data. The Normalized Difference Vegetation index (NDVI), derived from NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery is currently used to calculate RG operationally. Here we evaluated an alternate measure of RG using the Visible Atmospheric Resistant Index (VARI) derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) data. VARI was chosen because it has previously been shown to have the strongest relationship with Live Fuel Moisture (LFM) out of a wide selection of MODIS-derived indices in southern California shrublands. To compare MODIS-based NDVI-FPI and VARI-FPI, RG was calculated from a 6-year time series of MODIS composites and validated against in-situ observations of LFM as a surrogate for vegetation greenness. RG from both indices was then compared in terms of its performance for computing the FPI using historical wildfire data. Computed RG values were regressed against ground-sampled LFM at 14 sites within Los Angeles County. The results indicate the VARI-based RG consistently shows a stronger relationship with observed LFM than NDVI-based RG. With an average R2 of 0.727 compared to a value of only 0.622 for NDVI-RG, VARI-RG showed stronger relationships at 13 out of 14 sites. Based on these results, daily FPI maps were computed for the years 2001 through 2005 using both NDVI-RG and VARI-RG. These were then validated against 12,490 fire detections from the MODIS active fire product using logistic regression. Deviance of the logistic regression model was 408.8 for NDVI-FPI and 176.2 for VARI-FPI. The c-index was found to be 0.69 and 0.78, respectively. The results show that VARI-FP outperforms NDVI-FPI in distinguishing between fire and no-fire events for historical wildfire data in southern California for the given time period.
The Bikini Area and Bikini Line as a Location for Anterior Subcutaneous Pelvic Fixation: An Anatomic and Clinical Investigation

Anterior external fixation for pelvic fractures has been the standard for acute stabilization but definitive treatment often leads to pin tract infection, is uncomfortable, and limits patient mobility. We recently developed a subcutaneous anterior pelvic fixator which addresses these issues (INFIX). The objective of this study is to introduce the Bikini Area and Bikini Line as the subcutaneous anatomical location where this apparatus is placed. A study was preformed on eight cadaveric specimens to define the location of the subcutaneous device with respect to anatomic structures. We examined 23 people of various body mass indexes to examine the anterior pelvic anatomy. This was followed by implantation on 42 individuals in whom we reviewed CT scans to assess the location of the implant. We asked these same 42 individuals whether they could sit, stand, and lie on their sides and if they had any discomfort. We measured the dimensions of 26 retrieved rods to approximate the curve of the Bikini Line. Finally in 14 individuals we performed vascular ultrasound to assess the flow in the iliac and femoral vessels with the implant in place in the sitting and standing position. Neurovascular structures are not affected by placing the INFIX device at the Bikini Line, patients are comfortable, mobile and complications are minimized by this procedure. A rod placed on the Bikini Line which connects screws inserted into the anterior inferior iliac spine on each side does not interfere with sitting, standing, or the neurovascular structures.