cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular dynamics simulation of the graphene–water interface: comparing water models

In this work, different water models (i.e. SPC/E, TIP3P, TIP4P/2005, TIP5P, SPC/Fw, TIP4P/2005f and SWM4_DP) are implemented to simulate water on neutral, negatively charged and positively charged graphene. In all cases ambient conditions are considered. Structural and dynamical properties for water are calculated to quantify the differences among various water models. The results show that SPC/E, TIP4P/2005, SPC/Fw, TIP4P/2005f and SWM4_DP water models yield a similar structure for interfacial water on graphene, whether it is neutral, negatively charged or positively charged. TIP5P is the model whose predictions for the structure of the interface deviate the most from those of the other models. Although qualitatively the results are for the most part similar, a large quantitative variation is observed among the dynamical properties predicted when various water models are implemented. Although experimental data are not available to discriminate the most/least accurate of the model predictions, our results...
Advanced turboprop aircraft flyover noise annoyance - Comparison of different propeller configurations

A laboratory experiment was conducted to compare the annoyance of flyover noise from advanced turboprop aircraft having different propeller configurations with the annoyance of conventional turboprop and jet aircraft flyover noise. It was found that advanced turboprops with single-rotating propellers were, on average, slightly less annoying than the other aircraft. Fundamental frequency and tone-to-broadband noise ratio affected annoyance response to advanced turboprops but the effects varied with propeller configuration and noise metric. The addition of duration corrections and corrections for tones above 500 Hz to the noise measurement procedures improved prediction ability.
Body-worn sensors capture variability, but not decline, of gait and balance measures in multiple sclerosis over 18 months

Gait and balance deficits are a frequent complaint in MS but poorly captured by stopwatch-timed tests or rating scales. Body-worn accelerometers and gyroscopes are able to detect gait and balance abnormalities in people with MS who have normal walking speeds. Few longitudinal studies exist using this technology to study the evolution of mobility deficits. The purpose of this study was to determine if body-worn sensors detected any decline in gait and balance measures in people with MS over time. Twenty-seven people with MS (13 mildly disabled, Self-Rated Expanded Disability Status Scale 0 - 3.5; 14 moderately disabled, SR-EDSS 4.0 -5.5) who had normal walking speeds and 18 matched control subjects underwent gait and balance testing using body-worn sensors every 6 months for 18 months. While no parameter worsened over time, the moderately disabled MS cohort performed more poorly than the mildly disabled MS cohort who, in turn, were worse than control subjects for both objective and subjective walking and balance measures. Furthermore, the moderately disabled MS cohort demonstrated greater variation in between-visit performance than did the less disabled MS cohort or controls (Bonferroni-corrected p < 0.05). Variability may be a key indicator of worsening gait and balance disability in MS.
Demographic effects on the Trail Making Test in hallucinogen abusers.

Demographic effects on the Trail Making test (TMT), a test often used for screening for cognitive impairment, were reexamined in a sample of hallucinogen abusers in drug abuse treatment programs. A sample was drawn from electronic files of data from the Drug Abuse Treatment outcome Study (DATOS). The DATOS was a naturalistic, prospective cohort study that collected data from 1991-1993 in 96 programs in 11 cities in the United States. The number of hallucinogen abusers scores available for analysis were 128. Data were analyzed to determine the effects of sex. ethnicity, age and education variables on the two parts of the TMT in this large treatment sample of hallucinogen abusers. The variable of ethnicity was statistically significant for both parts A and B of the TMT and just at the edge of significance for age for part A. R-Square values for overall models were moderate (A-.30. B-.29) suggesting that demographic effects on the TMT account for a minority of overall variance in terms of hallucinogen abuser...
The influence of fuel composition and flame temperature on the formation of thermal and fuel NOx in residual oil flames

A 900 kw model package boiler and a 20 kw laboratory tunnel furnace were used to study fuel and thermal NO x formation during heavy oil combustion. Package boiler results indicated that atomizer design, spray/flow field interactions, and fuel composition were significant, dependent parameters. These effects were then investigated in detail in the laboratory furnace. One distillate and nine heavy oils were studied. Fuel NO x , isolated with an argon/oxygen/carbon dioxide oxidant, was found to be a major source of NO x emissions. Fuel NO x formation increased approximately linearily with increasing nitrogen content from 0.05 to 0.79 wt. percent nitrogen. Fuel nitrogen oxidation was insensitive to temperature changes (over the theoretical temperature range of 2100 to 2500°K) except for one oil which exhibited a sudden increase at the highest temperature. Fuel NO x was insensitive to drop size, but thermal NO x increased with decreased mean droplet size. Percentage conversion of bound nitrogen decreased with increasing nitrogen content except for one oil containing substantial refractory nitrogen. Doping studies indicated that fuel sulfur can enhance fuel NO x formation and that nitrogen and hydrocarbon volatility are not first order parameters with a rapid mix burner under fuel-lean conditions.
An instrumentation system to measure near-bottom conditions on the continental shelf

Abstract In recent years significant interest has emerged regarding bottom currents and sediment dispersal over continental shelves and shallow marine waters. Although many papers have been written on sediment dispersal mechanisms, they include relatively few long-term observations of bottom currents and/or sediment transport. Lack of observational data is related to the hostile nature of the environment, and the difficulty associated with placing and retrieving instruments on the floor of the continental shelf during some seasons and environmental conditions. This paper describes an instrumentation system designed for use on the floor of the continental shelf. It can remain submerged for periods of one month continuously recording water speed and direction 1 m from the sea bed, differential pressure, and bed nature by means of half-hourly photographs. Four of these systems are presently in use in arrays across the continental shelf of Washington.
Force feeding on the response of japanese quail to oxygen toxicity.

Force feeding effect on response of Japanese quail to oxygen toxicity, discussing body weight, digestive processes and mortality rates
The Quantitative Analysis of Boron Oxide in Borosilicate Glasses by Infrared Spectroscopy

Classical multivariate least-squares methods have been applied to the quantitative analysis of boron oxide in bulk borosilicate glasses using transmission infrared spectroscopy. However, molecular interactions in the glass result in deviations from Beer's law and cause the analytical B-O overtone band at ~2680 cm−1 to shift to higher energy with increased boron concentration. Therefore, in order to account for the molecular interactions and achieve higher quantitative accuracy, one must use a nonlinear model relating absorbance and concentration. It has been found that if a quadratic correction term is added to the Beer's-law equation, the observed 15 to 25 cm−1 shift in frequency of the B-O overtone band can be modeled to within the spectral noise. With the use of a model quadratic in boron oxide concentration, the least-squares analysis of boron in glass was determined with an average relative error of 3.3% for glasses with boron oxide concentrations ranging from 0.88 to 2.58%. This compares favorably with the 3% accuracy claimed for ion chromatography exclusion used for calibration. The methods described in this paper are general, and a variety of nonlinear models can be applied whenever Beer's-law deviations are present.
Exploring cellular adhesion and differentiation in a micro-/nano-hybrid polymer scaffold

Polymer scaffolds play an important role in three dimensional (3-D) cell culture and tissue engineering. To best mimic the archiecture of natural extracellular matrix (ECM), a nano-fibrous and micro-porous combined (NFMP) scaffold was fabricated by combining phase separation and particulate leaching techniques. The NFMP scaffold possesses architectural features at two levels, including the micro-scale pores and nano-scale fibers. To evaluate the advantages of micro/nano combination, control scaffolds with only micro-pores or nano-fibers were fabricated. Cell grown in NFMP and control scaffolds were characterized with respect to morphology, proliferation rate, diffentiation and adhesion. The NFMP scaffold combined the advantages of micro- and nano-scale structures. The NFMP scaffold nano-fibers promoted neural differentiation and induced "3-D matrix adhesion", while the NFMP scaffold micro-pores facilitated cell infiltration. This study represents a systematic comparison of cellular activities on micro-only, nano-only and micro/nano combined scaffolds, and demonstrates the unique advantages of the later.
Successful transcatheter cryoablation in infants with drug-resistant supraventricular tachycardia: a case series.

Drug-resistant supraventricular tachycardia can cause hemodynamic instability, especially in infants. There are no case-series reports of transcatheter cryoablation treatment for infants with drug-resistant supraventricular tachycardia. Our purpose is to report our experience with transcatheter cryoablation in three infants with drug-resistant supraventricular tachycardia. We reviewed clinical and electrophysiologic data from infants who underwent cryothermal ablation for drug-resistant supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) at our institution. Three patients (age 10–42 days) underwent transcatheter cryothermal ablation over a 1-year period. None had arrhythmia suppression on medical management, and all had hemodynamic instability from persistent SVT episodes. Cryothermal mapping (−30 C) localized the suspected foci. All foci were adjacent to the AV node. Cryoablation lesions were delivered at and around mapped foci. In one patient, cryothermal energy application eliminated the SVT but resulted in transient right bundle branch block that resolved later. Two patients had hemodynamically insignificant episodes of SVT in the immediate post-ablation period that resolved with standard antiarrhythmic treatment. One died of sepsis but remained SVT free for 10 days after the procedure without antiarrhythmic medications. Neither of the two surviving patients had SVT recurrence at 6-month follow-up off medications. In our series, transcatheter cryoablation was an effective treatment for drug-resistant SVT in infants. We encountered some early nonsustained post-procedure SVT; however, such episodes did not predict procedural failure.
Trace Level Pesticide Detections in Arkansas Surface Waters

A pesticide survey of surface water was conducted in 1989, 1990, and 1991 in Lawrence, Mississippi, Phillips, and Jefferson counties in Arkansas to assess nonpoint source water pollution. During these 3 years, 59−62 lake and river/stream sites were sampled eight times and screened for 17 pesticides commonly used in Arkansas. Pesticides were extracted by solid-phase extraction (SPE) disks. Extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography−electron capture detection (ECD) and high-performance liquid chromatography−UV detection (LCUV). Detections were confirmed by gas chromatography−mass spectroscopy (MS) or co-chromatography. The 256 detections during the survey represented 14 pesticides. Metolachlor (25% of total detections), atrazine (22%), norflurazon (16%), and cyanazine (14%) were the most commonly detected compounds. A total of 5% of the total detections was above health advisories. Spring and summer samples provided 73% of the total pesticide detections. Rivers and streams were responsible for 62% of the ...
Transfer RNA Mutation and the Malleability of the Genetic Code

We propose that evolutionary reassignment of codons is facilitated by a translationally ambiguous intermediate. For example, recently discovered tRNA mutations that allow relatively efficient simultaneous cognate and near-cognate coding (sharing 2 contiguous nt) in vivo may speed reassignment of the near-cognate codon. As predicted by this notion, characterized codon reassignments are strikingly non-random, and half can be immediately explained by unusual tRNA activities already demonstrated. In addition, sequences of reassigned tRNAs contain sequences that promote ambiguity. tRNA structural change may provide a transitional pathway that allows rapid selection of a new specificity, rather than slow mutation toward a new codon-amino acid association.
Freeway Traffic flow rate measurement: Investigation into impact of measurement time interval

Traffic flow rate, the equivalent hourly rate of vehicles passing a point during a given time interval, is a fundamental measure of traffic status that plays a critical role in many aspects of transportation engineering. The time interval used in measuring the flow rate, defined as the measurement interval, is influential in the characteristics of flow rate measures. The Highway Capacity Manual recommends that transportation engineers use a minimum of 15-min measurement intervals in order to ensure "stable" traffic flow rates. In addition, numerous researchers have commented about the lack of stability of flow rates resulting from short measurement intervals. However, there is not a quantitative understanding of the impacts of short (less than 15 min) measurement intervals on traffic flow rate. This paper presents results of a study that used nearly 30,000 flow rate measurements collected at multiple freeway locations to quantify the impact of measurement interval. It was found that stable freeway flow rates may be calculated using measurement intervals as short as 10 min, and statistically significant improvements in stability can be seen by adding 2 min to a measurement interval.
A PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE EUTERPEINAE (PALMAE; ARECOIDEAE; ARECEAE) BASED ON MORPHOLOGY AND ANATOMY

The Euterpeinae contains six neotropical genera. There has been continual disagreement on generic and subgeneric boundaries in the subtribe.Euterpe andPrestoea, andJessenia andOenocarpus, have been repeatedly united and separated. A phylogenetic analysis based on 54 morphological and anatomical characters gave one tree of 127 steps.Euterpe is separate fromPrestoea, butJessenia andOenocarpus are best treated as one genus. Subgeneric relationships ofEuterpe andOenocarpus are also analyzed and discussed.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Cases of Severe Head Injury

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an invaluable tool in the evaluation of intracranial and spinal disorders. However, because of various technical limitations, the use of MRI in head-injured patients has yet to be fully explored. With its precise anatomical sensitivity, MRI may be useful in severely head-injured patients in whom computed tomographic (CT) scans fail to demonstrate an anatomical substrate for the degree of coma. In this regard, a prospective study in severely head-injured patients was undertaken. Twenty-four patients with Glasgow coma scores of 7 or less who had minimal or no CT abnormalities and normal intracranial pressures underwent MRI as soon as their medical conditions allowed. In all 24, MRI demonstrated lesions that were not evident on repeated CT scans--suspected white matter shear injuries or contusions in 10, brain stem injuries in 5, diffuse white matter injury in 5, and subdural hematoma in 4. None of the 19 patients with the most widespread MRI abnormalities or the presence of brain stem injuries made any significant neurological recovery. Various prognostic indicators of the outcome of acute posttraumatic coma are continuously being developed. In this group of patients, the MRI scan is the most sensitive measure. Significant MRI abnormalities with normal CT scans and intracranial pressures were universally associated with vegetative outcome in this series. As we gain experience imaging neurotrauma, MRI may form the basis for a better in vivo understanding of the substrate for and natural history of traumatically induced coma.
Development and Evaluation of a Proactive Bed Bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Suppression Program for Low-Income Multi-Unit Housing Facilities

In 2012, a proactive bed bug ( Cimex lectularius L.) suppression program was implemented in a 121-unit low-income housing facility in Harrisonburg, VA. The program consisted of common minimally toxic and inexpensive integrated bed bug management methods including a novel strategy for applying a perimeter barrier of diatomaceous earth in apartment units. The program was evaluated over the course of 1 yr, after which, mean treatment time, amount of product used, and application cost were calculated for each unit. In 2013, both the number of initial infestations and the costs associated with bed bug treatments were reduced. The apartment residents' perceptions of the bed bug suppression program were assessed using face-to-face surveys, in which many expressed relief that proactive bed bug management measures had been put in place.
Fast synchronization on shared-memory multiprocessors: An architectural approach

Synchronization is a crucial operation in many parallel applications. Conventional synchronization mechanisms are failing to keep up with the increasing demand for efficient synchronization operations as systems grow larger and network latency increases. The contributions of this paper are threefold. First, we revisit some representative synchronization algorithms in light of recent architecture innovations and provide an example of how the simplifying assumptions made by typical analytical models of synchronization mechanisms can lead to significant performance estimate errors. Second, we present an architectural innovation called active memory that enables very fast atomic operations in a shared-memory multiprocessor. Third, we use execution-driven simulation to quantitatively compare the performance of a variety of synchronization mechanisms based on both existing hardware techniques and active memory operations. To the best of our knowledge, synchronization based on active memory outforms all existing spinlock and non-hardwired barrier implementations by a large margin.
Spectrophotometric determination of aromatic primary amines and nitrite by flow injection analysis

Aromatic primary amines are determined by injection into dilute hydrochloric acid carrier which merges sequentially with 4-N-methylaminophenol and dichromate. The purple-red color formed by oxidative coupling of amines with 4-N-methylaminophenol is measured at 530 nm. In contrast to the manual procedure, the flow-injection procedure avoided errors arising from the instability of the coupling intermediate, oxidation of the amine, and too great an excess of the oxidant. The method improves the selectivity for certain amines in the presence of those which are sterically hindered or have an electron-deficient aromatic nucleus. Nitrite is determined by diazotization of sulfanilamide and quantifying the residual sulfanilamide by oxidative coupling. The sample thourghout for the assay of amines (0.05–20 μg ml−1 NH2-N) and nitrite (1–10 μg ml−1 NO2--N) was 120 h−1. A system for the consecutive determination of aromatic primary amines and nitrite is decribed.
Iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism during topical steroid therapy: Assessment of systemic effects by metabolic criteria

Systemic absorption of topically applied glucocorticoids in quantities sufficient to replace endogenous production is not uncommon. However, iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome resulting from the use of topical corticosteroids is very rare. Thus the possibility that systemic absorption may cause hyperglucocorticism has been deemphasized and examined only sporadically. We have studied changes in carbohydrate metabolism induced by topical glucocorticoids in a psoriatic patient who had developed Cushing's syndrome from topical desoximetasone (Topicort). The results indicated that (1) fasting hyperglycemia and increased insulin-glucose ratios could be induced within 24 hours of administration of topical glucocorticoids, (2) insulin resistance accompanied abnormal carbohydrate tolerance, and (3) fluctuations in circulating leukocytes paralleled the changes in carbohydrate metabolism. The findings suggest that metabolic indexes of glucocorticoid action may provide useful parameters for assessing systemic absorption of topical glucocorticoids. Our report demonstrates the feasibility of using the insulin-glucose relationship as one such index to assess the risk of treatment of extensive chronic skin disease with potent topical glucocorticoids.
Overlap matrices and total imbedding distributions

Abstract The concept of genus distribution of graphs is generalized to include nonorientable imbeddings. Explicit computations of the total imbedding distributions for several interesting graph classes are given. These computations are an illustration of the power of a theorem by Mohar that relates topological types of imbedding surfaces to ranks of the corresponding overlap matrices.
Do Motion Controllers Make Action Video Games Less Sedentary? A Randomized Experiment

Sports- and fitness-themed video games using motion controllers have been found to produce physical activity. It is possible that motion controllers may also enhance energy expenditure when applied to more sedentary games such as action games. Young adults (N = 100) were randomized to play three games using either motion-based or traditional controllers. No main effect was found for controller or game pair (P g .12). An interaction was found such that in one pair, motion control (mean [SD] 0.96 [0.20] kcal ⋅ kg-1 ⋅ hr-1) produced 0.10 kcal ⋅ kg-1 ⋅ hr-1 (95% confidence interval 0.03 to 0.17) greater energy expenditure than traditional control (0.86 [0.17] kcal ⋅ kg-1 ⋅ hr-1, P = .048). All games were sedentary. As currently implemented, motion control is unlikely to produce moderate intensity physical activity in action games. However, some games produce small but significant increases in energy expenditure, which may benefit health by decreasing sedentary behavior.
Transgastric endoscopic peritoneoscopy does not require decontamination of the stomach in humans

Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is a rapidly evolving field that provides endoscopic access to the peritoneum via a natural orifice. One important requirement of this technique is the need to minimize the risk of clinically significant peritoneal contamination. We report the bacterial load and contamination of the peritoneal cavity in ten patients who underwent diagnostic transgastric endoscopic peritoneoscopy. Patients participating in this trial were scheduled to undergo diagnostic laparoscopy for evaluation of presumed pancreatic cancer. Findings at diagnostic laparoscopy were compared with those of diagnostic transgastric endoscopic peritoneoscopy, using an orally placed gastroscope, blinding the endoscopist to the laparoscopic findings. We performed no gastric decontamination. Diagnostic findings, operative times, and clinical course were recorded. Gastroscope and peritoneal fluid aspirates were obtained prior to and after the gastrotomy. Each sample was sent for bacterial colony counts, culture, and identification of species. Ten patients, with an average age of 63.7 years, have completed the protocol. All patients underwent diagnostic laparoscopy followed by successful transgastric access and diagnostic peritoneoscopy. The average time for laparoscopy was 7.2 min, compared with 18 min for transgastric instrumentation. Bacterial sampling was obtained in all ten patients. The average number of colony-forming units (CFU) in the gastroscope aspirate was 132.1 CFU/ml, peritoneal aspirates prior to creation of a gastrotomy showed 160.4 CFU/ml, and peritoneal sampling after gastrotomy had an average of 642.1 CFU/ml. There was no contamination of the peritoneal cavity with species isolated from the gastroscope aspirate. No infectious complications or leaks were noted at 30-day follow-up. There was no clinically significant contamination of the peritoneal cavity from the gastroscope after transgastric endoscopic instrumentation in humans. Transgastric instrumentation does contaminate the abdominal cavity but, the pathogens do not mount a clinically significant response in terms of either the species or the bacterial load.
Understand and advocate for communities first

Culturally responsive parent-school relationships require educators to consider the cultural practices and understandings of families as a necessary condition of greater academic achievement. The e...
Activation parameters for three reactions interconverting isomeric 4- and 6-deuteriobicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-enes.

Classic investigations of thermal equilibrations between 4,4-d2- and 6,6-d2-bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-enes (Doering, W. von E.; Roth, W. R. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 1963, 2, 115−122) and among deuterium-labeled and non-racemic 2-methyl-5-isopropylbicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-enes (Δ3-thujenes) (Doering, W. von E.; Lambert, J. B. Tetrahedron 1963, 19, 1989−1994 and Doering, W. von E.; Schmidt, E. K. G. Tetrahedron 1971, 27, 2005−2030) and bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-enes (Cooke, R. S.; Andrews, U. H. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1974, 96, 2974−2980) identified three different paths leading to distinct degenerate products. The equilibrations take place through [1,3]-carbon shifts with retention,suprafacial and inversion,antarafacial stereochemistry and a two-centered epimerization resulting in enantiomerization of the bicyclic skeleton through a “ring-flip” process. Activation parameters for the rate constants kr, kf, and ki associated with these paths have now been secured: Ea 43.8, 44.3, 44.8 kcal/mol and log A 14.1, 14.2, 14.1, resp...
Expression of Large Amino Acid Transporter LAT1 in Rat Brain Endothelium

The expression of the large amino acid transporter, LAT1, was investigated in brain of adult Long-Evans rats. The LAT1 transcript was readily detected in brain microvessels and choroid plexus by re...
The Development of an Objective Model to Assess Arthroscopic Performance

BACKGROUND Many residency and fellowship programs have cadaver laboratories to teach and practice arthroscopic skills. However, there is currently no validated method of evaluating arthroscopic skill in this setting. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate an objective model for evaluating basic arthroscopic proficiency on a cadaver knee in a bioskills laboratory. METHODS Two measures from the educational literature were adapted for use specifically for arthroscopy: a task-specific checklist and a global rating scale were combined to create the Basic Arthroscopic Knee Skill Scoring System. Fifty-nine residents, three sports medicine fellows, and six sports medicine fellowship-trained attending surgeons were recruited. After completing a demographic survey, including the postgraduate year and number of knee and shoulder arthroscopies performed, each subject performed a diagnostic knee arthroscopy and a partial meniscectomy on a cadaver knee while being assessed by a single evaluator using the Basic Arthroscopic Knee Skill Scoring System. RESULTS There was a strong positive correlation between global rating scale scores and both the postgraduate year (r = 0.93, p < 0.01) and the ranked number of knee arthroscopies performed (r = 0.88, p < 0.01). These scores detected significant differences between postgraduate years 1 and 2, and years 4 and 5 at the p <or= 0.01 level and between years 2 and 3 at the p <or= 0.05 level. Task-specific checklist scores were moderately correlated with both postgraduate year (r = 0.73, p < 0.01) and ranked number of knee arthroscopies performed (r = 0.64, p < 0.01). These scores detected significant differences only between postgraduate year-1 and year-2 residents at the p <or= 0.01 level, indicating that these skills are acquired early in training. CONCLUSION The Basic Arthroscopic Knee Skill Scoring System can capture and differentiate levels of arthroscopic skill and was validated to objectively evaluate basic arthroscopic proficiency in a bioskills laboratory. This model will allow benchmarks of surgical skill to be created for each level of residency training and individual progress to be monitored over time.
Interpersonal consequences of narcissism

This study explored the interpersonal consequences of different levels of narcissism in male and female targets. The Narcissistic Personality Inventory and its four subscales were given to compare interpersonal responses of persons exhibiting extreme, moderate, and low scores on narcissism. Participants read one of four versions of the inventory completed by a fictitious student named “Tom” or “Ann.” Analyses indicated that, while gender of participant or target had no effect, participants expressed significantly less interest in further interaction and greater rejection of a person exhibiting extreme scores on narcissism than one with moderate scores, extreme scores on self-absorption and entitlement, and low narcissism scores.
Robust capacitive pressure sensor array

Abstract Much of the cost of commercial micromachined pressure sensors lies in the package that houses the device itself. If a robust material is used for the substrate of the sensors as well as the packaging material, i.e. fabricating the sensor on the package itself, cost savings for the overall system may accrue. In this work, stainless steel has been studied as a potential robust substrate for micromachined devices. Lamination process techniques combined with traditional micromachining processes have been investigated as suitable fabrication technologies. To illustrate these principles, capacitive pressure sensor arrays have been designed, fabricated, and characterized. Each array uses a stainless steel substrate, a laminated film as a suspended movable plate, and a fixed, surface micromachined back electrode of electroplated nickel. Three candidate diaphragm materials: Kapton polyimide film; stainless steel; and titanium, have been considered. Sensitivities of devices fabricated using these technologies range from 9.03–294.75 ppm/kPa. An important attribute of this design is that only the steel substrate and the pressure sensor inlet is exposed to the environment; i.e. the sensor is self packaged.
SAA distributed processing

Discussed are motivations for distributed versus centralized data processing, the relative advantages of each, and the trade-offs involved as they relate to Systems Application Architecture (SAA). Presented is a taxonomy of the various approaches to designing applications to operate in a distributed manner. SAA support for these modes is described. The management of an enterprise-wide network of systems is discussed.
An interpretation of acute changes in plasma45Ca following parathyroid hormone administration to thyroparathyroidectomized rats

Acute changes in plasma calcium and45Ca were studied in young adult male thyroparathyroidectomized (TPTX) rats injected with moderate doses of parathyroid hormone (PTH). For plasma calcium changes, comparison was made between rats fasted or fed prior to PTH injection. For plasma45Ca changes, the effect of the time of administration of the radionuclide was also studied; this included rats injected with PTH 1 h after radionuclide (“1 h45Ca”), 18 h later (“18 h45Ca”) and more than 6 days later (“6 day45Ca”). The results can be summarized as follows: (1) Plasma calcium changes were greater when PTH was injected into “fed” rather than into “fasted” rats. (2) PTH always produced a relative increase (compared to controls tested concurrently) in plasma45Ca concentrations. This increase was the same in the “1 h45Ca” and the “18 h45Ca” groups. (3) Plasma45Ca rose at least temporarily following PTH injection in the “18 h45Ca” group. (4) The45Ca rise following PTH was always greater in “fed” than in “fasted” groups. (5) Plasma45Ca specific activities (S.A.) tended to rise in the “6 day45Ca” group and to fall in the “18 h45Ca” group, following PTH injection. However, the45Ca S.A. was always higher in fed than fasted groups. (6) In a few experiments in which32P was injected with45Ca, specific activity changes in plasma45Ca following PTH injection werenot accompanied by similar changes in32P specific activity.
Using Haptic Communications with the Leg to Maintain Exercise Intensity

The haptic sense provides continuous information during physical human-machine interaction. Humans can respond very quickly and effectively to such feedback, such as a driver making rapid steering adjustments when his vehicle hits a pothole. It may be possible for designers to take advantage of this interaction by providing users with well- designed haptic communications to assist in manual control tasks. In this paper, we describe an experiment conducted to test this idea. Subjects were instructed to step on a modified stair climber at a consistent workout pace while simultaneously completing a mental distraction task. They were provided with one of five different haptic communications to assist in maintaining their workout intensity level. Results show that haptic communications helped subjects step as much as 1.7% faster with as much as 3.95% more power output than without the haptic communications, although none of the communications beneficially affected velocity or power standard deviations. Four of the five communications had no significant impact on mental task performance.
Optimal estimation in stream quality modeling

Abstract Various numerical experiments are carried out to illustrate and compare the invariant imbedding filter and the Kalman filter as applied to the estimation of stream quality.
Reducing variability in patient care: Renewed focus for the pediatric cardiac surgeon in the twenty first century

Abstract The quest for the reduction of variability in the care of pediatric cardiac surgical patients began in the late twentieth century with the use of clinical pathways as a method of cost reduction, driven by pressures from managed care. In the early twenty first century, the emphasis has changed. It is now recognized that variability reduction is a quality issue—necessary to attain the outcomes demanded by an informed public. The development of heart centers built around a dedicated staff of health care providers concentrating on congenital heart disease is one way to attain the goal of reducing variability wherever possible, while providing excellence of care tailored to the individual patient. It is unclear what the resultant effect on cost will be. Implications for cost accounting and the impact on the academic model are discussed.
Effect of Steroids and ‘Triton X-100’ on Glucose-Filled Phospholipid/cholesterol Structures

Effect of Steroids and ‘Triton X-100’ on Glucose-Filled Phospholipid/cholesterol Structures
Extended Near Wall Hindered Diffusion Theory for Nanoparticles Under Short and Long Range Interactions

An extension of the near wall hindered diffusion theory of Brenner [1] is considered for spherical nano-particles undergoing Brownian motion under the influence of hydrodynamic drag and electrostatic interactions. Brenner’s theory is based on hydrodynamic interactions between a levitating particle and the wall and does not consider short range interactions (like electrostatic force and van der Waals force). Recent experiments by Banerjee & Kihm [2] (henceforth referred to as BK05), with nano-particles of radii ≤ 500 nm show substantial discrepancy between the experimental and theoretical values of normal reduction coefficient (ratio of near wall normal diffusivity to bulk diffusivity). However, the experimentally measured lateral reduction coefficient (ratio of tangential diffusivity of the wall to bulk diffusivity) show good agreement with theory. It is conjectured that the absence of short range interactions become critical for particle radii ≤ 500 nm in the (sub-micron) near wall region. The current work extends Brenner’s analytical theory (henceforth referred to as B61) considering various short and long range interactions. An analytical expression is derived for hindered diffusivity of a particle normal to the wall under the influence of hydrodynamic drag and electrostatic interaction with a constant surface charge density. The theory is validated with experiments of BK05 and shows a better agreement with measured values of diffusion coefficients for particles of radii 50 and 100 nm. The dependence of electrolyte concentrations on electrostatic potential energy for spheres has also been studied. Increase in ionic strength of electrolyte concentration confirms the reduction of electrostatic potential energy for different sphere sizes. Electrostatic interaction has a significant contribution in overall potential energy of the sphere in sub-micron near wall region when wall and sphere surface charge potentials are increased.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
The lateral flux of biogenic particles from the eastern North American continental margin to the North Atlantic Ocean

Abstract Sediment trap samples from two field programs on the continental margin of the northeast coast of the United States, which constituted the Shelf Edge Exchange Program (SEEP), were analyzed for phytoplankton taxonomic composition and the fluxes of organic carbon, nitrogen and opaline silica. The traps, with a rotating carousel collection system, were located on taut-wire moorings between 150 and 2700 m below the surface and extended from the 500 m isobath on the upper continental shelf to the 2750 m isobath at the edge of the abyssal plain of the western North Atlantic Ocean. The temporal and spatial distributions of phytoplankton in the azide-poisoned trap samples revealed a general increase of intact cells with depth, which is consistent with lateral transport from the margins to the ocean interior. Taxonomic analysis of the phytoplankton indicated that >90% of the intact cells (containing identifiable intracellular structures) consisted of diatoms. The distribution of the species further supports the lateral transport origin of the particles, and indicates that the particulate materials are delivered to the ocean interior primarily in pulses of rapidly sinking aggregates. However, quantitative analysis suggests that intact phytoplankton contribute only 0.8 ± 0.7% and (mean and S.D.) and 0.9 ± 0.7% of the total particulate carbon and nitrogen fluxes, respectively. Using silica-to-carbon ratios to budget the remaining trap organic carbon fluxes, it would appear that between 17 and 100% of the sedimenting particles were originally diatomaceous, but that the organic carbon became solubilized and/or oxidized in the water column during descent. A simple two-dimensional model was developed to quantify the contribution of the flux of particulate organic carbon to the interior of the North Atlantic Ocean. The results suggest that north of Cape Hatteras, the mean lateral flux of particulate organic carbon sinking through the upper 500 m of the water column into the western edge of the basin is 4.8 × 10 12 g C y −1 , which is about 6% of the primary production on the shelf. This flux represents the lateral export of carbon from the continental margin to the interior of the North Atlantic Ocean. Based on estimates of vertical export production for the basin of about 4.2 × 10 14 g C y −1 , we estimate that the export of carbon from the western margin, north of Cape Hatteras, represents about 1% of the new production of the entire basin. This export is a significant source of energy which fuels the high benthic respiration on the continental slope.
Catastrophic neurologic syndrome with dramatic ECG changes

Cerebrogenic ECG abnormalities, especially prominent T wave inversions and prolongation of the QT(U) interval, are well-described. Brady- and tachyarrhythmias, including polymorphic VT, have been also described in the setting of neurologic injury. We report an unusual case of a 22-year-old man who presented with idiopathic acute encephalopathy. His hospital course was complicated by persistent fevers, along with refractory seizures treated with propofol. Serial ECG findings included marked ventricular repolarization prolongation with bursts of torsade de pointes, diffuse ST elevations simulating extensive myocardial ischemia or infarction, as well as a Brugada-like pattern. To our knowledge, this case is the first reported with the combination of such findings in a patient with a catastrophic neurologic syndrome.
Thoughts on the Concept of Stress

The concept of contact stress was introduced by Cauchy in 1823. It is a special case of what, in Sect. 4, I call a contactor for a surface interaction. Another special case is heat flux, introduced by Fourier in the beginning of the 19th century. In the past 60 years or so, a lot of work has been done to investigate the conditions needed to prove the existence of contactors, but there are still open questions. More recently, a concept of stress has been considered that describes interactions at a distance. For force-interactions, I call this kind of stress a reaching stress and give a precise mathematical definition in Sects. 5 and 6. Perhaps contact stresses can be derived as limit cases of reaching stresses.
Torus maps and the problem of a one-dimensional optical resonator with a quasiperiodically moving wall

Abstract We study the problem of the asymptotic behavior of the electromagnetic field in an optical resonator one of whose walls is at rest and the other is moving quasiperiodically (with d ≥2 incommensurate frequencies). We show that this problem can be reduced to a problem about the behavior of the iterates of a map of the d -dimensional torus that preserves a foliation by irrational straight lines. In particular, the Jacobian of this map has ( d −1) eigenvalues equal to 1. We present rigorous and numerical results about several dynamical features of such maps. We also show how these dynamical features translate into properties for the field in the cavity. In particular, we show that when the torus map satisfies a KAM theorem—which happens for a Cantor set of positive measure of parameters—the energy of the electromagnetic field remains bounded. When the torus map is in a resonant region—which happens in open sets of parameters inside the gaps of the previous Cantor set—the energy grows exponentially.
Comparative Studies on Experimental Avian Leptospirosis.

able to demonstrate significant serological reactions in three instances. He also studied the experimental disease in chickens of 6 weeks to 5 months of age. Of 32 birds injected subcutaneously, 2 developed a leptospiremia and 5 birds inoculated orally had specific serum antibodies in titers ranging from 1:800 to 1:3200. Gillespie et al,2 during studies on the occurrence of Leptospira pomona in surface waters, demonstrated serum antibodies in 4 of 12 chickens
Photoelectron angular distributions of carbon—carbon PI electroncs in ethylene, benzene, and their fluorinated derivatives☆

Abstract We have measured the anisotropy parameter β describing the angular distribution of C—C π electrons photoejected by 584 A radiation from benzene, ethylene, and most of their fluorinated derivatives. The results indicate that in going from C 2 H 4 to C 2 F 4 , the value of β at the maximum intensity of the C—C π band decreases from 1.25 ± 0.05 to 0.05 ± 0.04, whereas in going from C 6 H 6 to C 6 F 6 it decreases from 1.23 ± 0.04 to 0.04. The differences in these variations are attributed to the differences in the interactions of the F π electrons with the C—C π electrons in these two series of molecules. If such correlations between these interactions and β values turn out to be generally valid, a determination of β could help elucidate the nature of bonding interactions in other molcules.
Interactive videodisc and compact disc-interactive for ophthalmic basic science and continuing medical education.

Background: The authors designed and implemented a complete curriculum in ophthalmic pathology using IBM- and Macintosh-based interactive videodisc (IVD) technology. They also redesigned a portion of this curriculum for a new television-based platform, compact disc-interactive (CD-1). Methods: The following issues were addressed: curriculum design, instructional design, the assembly of illustrations and the ownership of such materials, the generation of computer-based medical art and animation, and programming. The issue of academic credit for faculty participating in this effort also was considered. Results: The computer-based IVD program provides the following features: (1) rapid access to thousands of high-quality illustrations with the option of superimposing graphic labels and text directly over pictures; (2) the ability to view enlargements of photographs; (3) an online glossary to view definition of terms coupled with high-quality photographs; and (4) a dynamic introduction to pathophysiology using interactive animation sequences. The authors were able to incorporate the same interactive features into the CD-1 version. High-quality medical illustrations can be used effectively on the CD-1 platform. Conclusions: Computer-based multimedia workstations are relatively expensive for personal use but may be useful if the equipment can be shared in a learning center or library. Compared with interactive computer-based solutions, consumer-oriented television-based technology such as CD-1 is a relatively inexpensive vehicle for providing continuing medical education programs intended for use in the individual practitioner's office or home.
Mnemonic structure in free recall: Differential effects on STS and LTS

The effect of mnemonic (associative) structure in free recall was studied. In particular the effect of this variable on long-term store (LTS) as opposed to short-term store (STS) was determined. The effects on STS and LTS were separated by the use of postlist delay tasks. It was found that the effect of associative structure was solely on LTS.
Picosecond fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope for imaging of living glioma cells

In this communication, we report the imaging of living glioma cells using fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) technique. The growing interests in developing novel techniques for diagnosis and minimally invasive therapy of brain tumor have led to microscopic studies of subcellular structures and intracellular processes in glioma cells. Fluorescence microscopy has been used with a number of exogenous molecular probes specific for certain intracellular structures such as mitochondria, peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), and calcium concentration. When probes with overlapping emission spectra being used, separate samples are required to image each probe individually under conventional fluorescence microscopy. We have developed a wide-field FLIM microscope that uses fluorescence lifetime as an additional contrast for resolving multiple markers in the same essay. The FLIM microscope consists of a violet diode laser and a nitrogen-pumped dye laser to provide tunable sub-nanosecond excitation from UV to NIR. The detection system is based on a time-gated ICCD camera with minimum 80 ps gate width. The performance of the system was evaluated using fluorescence dyes with reported lifetime values. Living rat glioma C6 cells were stained with JC-1 and Rhodamine 123. FLIM images were acquired and their lifetimes in living cells were found in good agreements with values measured in solutions by a time-domain fluorescence spectrometer. These results indicate that imaging of glioma cells using FLIM can resolve multiple spectrally-overlapping probes and provide quantitative functional information about the intracellular environment.