cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Limiting the deformation of a spacecraft's hull through the application of piezoelectric materials

A spacecraft's hull has an upper limit on the amount of deformation it can withstand due to accelerating forces, a limitation often defined by the hull's composite material's Young's Modulus. This upper limit on the tensile and compressive forces that deform the material beyond its breaking point can be elevated with a modified Young's Modulus through the application of a piezoelectric material. When a section of the hull composed of the piezoelectric material holding a baseline electric charge undergoes deformation due to an external force, a voltage differential is created with the surrounding sections that is directly proportional to the degree of deformation. A new equilibrium for the hull's deformation is created through a back-current, a process that counteracts the initial deformation and therefore voltage differential with an equal and opposite change in voltage. This entire process is controlled by circuitry that both detects the hull's voltage differential and regulates current to and from the hull to counteract its deformation. This paper designs the hull's new architecture and provides the mathematical formulism to calculate its modified Young's Modulus and the resulting critical acceleration it can undergo.
Multihulls: A Technique for Spatial Representation and Processing with Variable Shape Fidelity, Applied to Gazetteers

Spatial processing is increasingly prevalent in the modern computing milieu. In particular, geographic information retrieval and location-based services such as GoogleEarth and MapQuest depend on spatial operations in conjunction with gazetteers to georeference geographic features. However, many gazetteers contain only point locations or simple bounding rectangles, which make for erratic and sometimes poor georeferencing. Convex hulls can provide better georeferencing results at modest computational cost, but their shape fidelity is still erratic. Full GIS capabilities are actually overfit for many geospatial and georeferencing purposes, because of the limited accuracy of the underlying data. The financial and technical demands of GIS also exclude it from many markets. Described here is a new technique, multihulls, based on the iterative refinement of convex hulls. Multihulls achieve arbitrary shape fidelity at a small increment in computational cost, consistent with the data, outside a GIS, making them attractive for many geospatial and georeferencing applications, especially gazetteers.
Polyphosphoinositide Micelles and Polyphosphoinositide-Containing Vesicles Dissociate Endogenous Gelsolin-Actin Complexes and Promote Actin Assembly From the Fast-Growing End of Actin Filaments Blocked by Gelsolin

The Ca2+-activated actin-binding protein gelsolin regulates actin filament length by severing preformed filaments and by binding actin monomers, stabilizing nuclei for their assembly into filaments. Gelsolin binds to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), with consequent inhibition of its filament severing activity and dissociation of EGTA-resistant complexes made with rabbit macrophage or human plasma gelsolin and rabbit muscle actin. This study provides evidence for an interaction of gelsolin with phosphatidylinositol monophosphate (PIP) as well as PIP2 and further describes their effects on gelsolin's function. Both phosphoinositides completely dissociate EGTA-insensitive rabbit macrophage cytoplasmic gelsolin-actin complexes and inhibit gelsolin's severing activity. The magnitude of inhibition depends strongly on the physical state of the phosphoinositides, being maximal in preparations that contain small micelles of either purified PIP or PIP2. Aggregation of PIP or PIP2 micelles by divalent cations or insufficient sonication or their incorporation into vesicles containing other phospholipids decreases but does not eliminate the inhibitory properties of the polyphosphoinositides. The presence of gelsolin partly inhibits the divalent cation-induced aggregation of PIP2 micelles. PIP2 in combination with EGTA inactivates gelsolin molecules that block the fast-growing end of actin filaments, thereby accelerating actin polymerization. Regulation of gelsolin by the intracellular messengers Ca2+ and polyphosphoinositides allows for the formation of several different gelsolin-actin intermediates with distinct functional properties that may be involved in changes in the state of cytoplasmic actin following cell stimulation.
Choosing an Ideal Recall-Base for the Evaluation of the Focused Task: Sensitivity Analysis of the XCG Evaluation Measures

The paper investigates the measures of retrieval effectiveness employed in the ad-hoc track of INEX 2006. In particular, it looks at how the evaluation of the Focused task is affected when different methodology is employed in generating the so-called ideal recall-base, which forms the ground-truth of the evaluation. The results show that the choice of methodology can impact on the obtained performance scores and the relative ranking of systems in relation to each other, especially when the effectiveness scores are uniformly low across all systems. Most XCG measures show very similar levels of sensitivity to changes in the ideal recall-base.
Drug induced QT prolongation

The drug-induced QT prolongation predisposes to development of torsades de pointes (TdP) ventricular tachycardia and sudden death. The association between specific drug and development of TdP is difficult to document, therefore, QT prolongation is considered as a surrogate marker of the proarrhythmia risk. Most of the drugs prolong QT interval usually by blocking the potassium IKr current or altering trafficking of proteins forming the channel. Improved understanding of ion channel structure and kinetics and its role in repolarization has tremendous impact on understanding of the mechanisms of drug-induced QT prolongation and TdP. Proarrhythmia caused by a QT-prolonging drug occurs infrequently, and usually multiple factors need to operate to precipitate such an event including a combination of two or more drugs affecting the same pathway, hypokalemia, and possibly genetic predisposition. ECG provides unique opportunity to ensure safety of administered therapy. QT measurement is the most routine approach to a drug safety monitoring, however, there are many challenges related to methodology of measurements, accuracy of measurements, or optimal heart rate correction. Since drugs affecting repolarization not only prolong QT but also they alter T wave morphology, novel computerized methods quantifying these changes are being developed to assist physicians and drug manufacturers in monitoring safety of the drugs. The response of a patient to a drug is very individual and therefore an individualized system of drug administration and monitoring needs to be developed, which takes into account baseline QTc duration and its changes after a drug was introduced. (Cardiol J 2007; 14: 523-533).
Sources of Secondary Task Interference with Driving: Executive Processes or Verbal and Visuo-spatial Rehearsal Processes?

We investigated the effects of secondary working memory tasks that loaded either visuo-spatial working memory or verbal working memory (phonological loop) and which required either rehearsal or executive processes involving stimulus manipulation. The effects of the secondary tasks on driver look-out behavior and driving performance were assessed. Preliminary studies were conducted to select tasks that resulted in similar levels of accuracy and perceived difficulty across modalities (visuo-spatial, verbal, rehearse, and manipulate). Piloting and the preliminary studies were also used to evaluate different visual tasks and to select a visual task that could not be encoded verbally. Results of the study reveal that driving performance is significantly impaired while performing a secondary manipulation task than performing a rehearsal task of equivalent difficulty. The study finds that visuo-spatial and verbal secondary tasks produce the same level of interference with overall driving performance. Language: en
A model of ethylene and acetylene adsorption on the (111) surfaces of platinum and nickel

Abstract Despite the application of a variety of surface sensitive techniques to the adsorption of simple hydrocarbons on well characterized metallic surfaces, no consistent picture has appeared. We review briefly the published spectroscopic results of ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) which probe, respectively, the electronic and vibrational structure of the surface-molecular complex, and we consider appropriate free molecular analogues, not only in their ground state but also in their first excited states. A simplified approach to determine the chemisorption geometry from UPS level shifts and EELS is presented. The technique allows an isolation of distortion induced shifts from the total relaxation shift, and we find that the true relaxation shift is rather constant, approximately 2.1 eV for the cases considered. These shifts can then be used to estimate the distance of the molecule to the surface. We concentrate primarily on four systems, C 2 H 2 and C 2 H 4 on Ni(111) and Pt(111), adsorbed at low temperature (below the onset of dissociation). Depending on the metal, the hydrocarbon can adsorb in a di-σ arrangement or with a distortion resembling the lowest energy configuration of the first excited state of the free molecule. We also consider briefly C 2 H 4 on Ag and Cu in which no distortion occurs. The distortions that resemble the first excited states might occur as a consequence of donation of bonding (backbonding) electrons from (to) the normally filled π (empty π ∗ ) to (from) the empty (filled) d-band states of the metal. The net effect on the hydrocarbon to partially empty the π level and fill the π ∗ level, is analogous to a low excitation of the free molecule, π → π ∗ . For C 2 H 4 (planar in the ground state), the lowest excitation is the triplet T-state (3–4 eV) of minimal energy for a 90° twisted configuration with a lengthened C-C bond. Acetylene is a linear molecule in the ground state, but cis- or trans-bent for the triplet excitations, ~ a (5.2 eV) or ~ b (6.0 eV), respectively. Chemisorbed geometries derived from these configurations seem possible for C 2 H 4 on Ni(111) and C 2 H 2 on Pt(111), while interchanging the adsorbates and substrates gives di-σ bonding, (sp 3 hybridization), as proposed previously in the literature. For C 2 H 4 on Ni(111), two of the hydrogens are twisted into the surface which leads to a softening of the CH vibrational frequency. For the four systems considered, the data are consistent with the C-C bond essentially parallel to the surface, but tilted orientations are not ruled out. While the models are clearly oversimplified, they suggest an interesting point of departure for likely chemisorption geometries. Also, some intriguing correspondences to the (presumed) location of the normally empty π ∗ level and the d-band are noted.
Hydrogen tunneling or hopping : how can we know?

Abstract Quantum tunneling processes are often of interest in the consideration of hydrogen transport. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spin-lattice relaxation time T1 provides a particularly convenient signature to distinguish between hopping and tunneling processes. Using as examples, deuterated and normal benzoic acid (BA), and hydrogen glasses of the form R1−x(NH4)xH2AsO4 (RADA-X), typical NMR signatures of hopping/tunneling processes will be discussed. A unified treatment is presented which demonstrates the extraction of potential barrier ‘V’, quantum-well asymmetry ‘A’, and both hopping and tunneling rate constants. Three regions are discussed; (1) a ‘high’-temperature (HT) hopping region, (2) a ‘low-temperature’ (LT) incoherent tunneling regime, and finally (3) at very low temperature, a region where T1 is essentially temperature-independent. This last region is discussed in terms of coherent quantum tunneling.
Temporal Integration of Sinusoidal Increments in the Absence of Absolute Energy Cues

Classical temporal integration (TI) is often viewed as a frequency-dependent, energy-based detection process. Detection thresholds for brief sinusoidal increments in either a fixed-level or a rando...
On blanket statements about the epistemic effects of religious diversity

Religious diversity poses a challenge to the view that exclusive religious beliefs can be justified and warranted. Equally upright and thoughtful people who appear to possess similarly well-grounded and coherent systems of belief, come up with irreconcilable religious views. The content of religious beliefs also seems unduly dependent upon culture, and no one religion has been shown to be more transformative than the others. Philosophers have recently made at least three kinds of claims about the effects of diversity on exclusive religious beliefs, and five kinds of claims about the proper effect of diversity on exclusivists themselves. Since there are numerous factors that can influence the epistemic impact of religious diversity on exclusive beliefs, each kind of blanket pronouncement made about the epistemic effects of religious diversity is inadequate.
Efficient quadrature-free high-order spectral volume method on unstructured grids

An efficient implementation of the high-order spectral volume (SV) method is presented for multi-dimensional conservation laws on unstructured grids. In the SV method, each simplex cell is called a spectral volume (SV), and the SV is further subdivided into polygonal (2D), or polyhedral (3D) control volumes (CVs) to support high-order data reconstructions. In the traditional implementation, Gauss quadrature formulas are used to approximate the flux integrals on all faces. In the new approach, a nodal set is selected and used to reconstruct a high-order polynomial approximation for the flux vector, and then the flux integrals on the internal faces are computed analytically, without the need for Gauss quadrature formulas. This gives a significant advantage over the traditional SV method in efficiency and ease of implementation. For SV interfaces, a quadrature-free approach is compared with the Gauss quadrature approach to further evaluate the accuracy and efficiency. A simplified treatment of curved boundaries is also presented that avoids the need to store a separate reconstruction for each boundary cell. Fundamental properties of the new SV implementation are studied and high-order accuracy is demonstrated for linear and non-linear advection equations, and the Euler equations. Several well known inviscid flow test cases are utilized to show the effectiveness of the simplified curved boundary representation.
Efficiency of spermatogonial dedifferentiation during aging.

Background: Adult stem cells are critical for tissue homeostasis; therefore, the mechanisms utilized to maintain an adequate stem cell pool are important for the survival of an individual. In Drosophila, one mechanism utilized to replace lost germline stem cells (GSCs) is dedifferentiation of early progenitor cells. However, the average number of male GSCs decreases with age, suggesting that stem cell replacement may become compromised in older flies. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using a temperature sensitive allelic combination of Stat92E to control dedifferentiation, we found that germline dedifferentiation is remarkably efficient in older males; somatic cells are also effectively replaced. Surprisingly, although the number of somatic cyst cells also declines with age, the proliferation rate of early somatic cells, including cyst stem cells (CySCs) increases. Conclusions: These data indicate that defects in spermatogonial dedifferentiation are not likely to contribute significantly to an aging-related decline in GSCs. In addition, our findings highlight differences in the ways GSCs and CySCs age. Strategies to initiate or enhance the ability of endogenous, differentiating progenitor cells to replace lost stem cells could provide a powerful and novel strategy for maintaining tissue homeostasis and an alternative to tissue replacement therapy in older individuals.
L-type Ca2+ channels, Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release, and BKCa channels in airway stretch-induced contraction

Resistance arteries constrict in response to mechanical stress. This response is myogenic in nature, and reliant on membrane depolarization, activation of L-type Ca(2+) channels, Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+)-release and large conductance Ca(2+)-dependent K(+) channels (BK(Ca)). Airway smooth muscle is also affected by mechanical stress: a deep inspiration produces a bronchodilation in healthy individuals, but bronchoconstriction in moderate to severe asthmatics. In this study, our objective was to investigate the regulation of this airway stretch-activated contractile response (R(stretch)), and explore its similarities to the vascular myogenic response. Using a pharmacological approach in intact bovine bronchial segments cannulated horizontally in an organ bath, we showed the ability of carbachol (2-carbamoyloxyethyl-trimethyl-azanium), KCl, neurokinin-A, and U46619 (9,11-dideoxy-9α,11α-methanoepoxy-prosta-5Z, 13E-dien-1-oic acid) to generate R(stretch) in a concentration-dependent manner. R(stretch) was significantly reduced by nifedipine, ryanodine, and iberiotoxin, suggesting that it possesses characteristics similar to those of the vascular smooth muscle myogenic response, such as a role for membrane depolarization, L-type Ca(2+) channel, ryanodine receptors and BK(Ca) channel activation. This study demonstrates a novel role for the L-type Ca(2+) channel in airway smooth muscle and provides new insights into possible mechanisms regulating the deep inspiration-induced bronchoconstriction seen in asthmatics.
An unusual cause of severe persistent neutropenia in a child with nephrotic syndrome.

A 5-year-old boy presented with neutropenia 9 weeks following the administration of rituximab for management of his steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome. Extensive investigations failed to identify any underlying cause. In keeping with adult reports, rituximab was thought to be the likely cause for this ‘late-onset’ neutropenia (LOP). He was treated successfully with granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor. Patients treated with rituximab need to be carefully monitored for LOP.
Reduction of noise from a fan stage for a turbofan engine by use of long-chord acoustically treated sister vanes

A set of acoustically-treated long-chord vanes was designed to replace the vanes in an existing fan stage to investigate the noise reduction possibilities of both increased stator chord length and a method of incorporating acoustic damping material. The vanes were tested with both active and inactive acoustic surfaces. Results of the inactive tests show significant broadband noise effects with noise reductions in the middle to high frequencies and an increase at low frequencies. No reduction in blade passage tone was observed, but decreases in the overtones were observed. Results of the tests with the active acoustic treatment show large noise reductions over a wide frequency range.
Random walks on the Sierpinski Gasket

The generating functions for random walks on the Sierpinski gasket are computed. For closed walks, we investigate the dependence of these functions on location and the bare hopping parameter. They are continuous on the infinite gasket but not differentiable.
Computer experience and gender differences in undergraduate mental rotation performance

Abstract Gender differences in mental rotation and computer experiences were investigated. Undergraduates, 27 men and 83 women, completed a brief self-report inventory of computer experiences and were pretested on the Vandenberg Test of Mental Rotation (VTMR). Students then participated in two 30-min sessions, spaced 1 week apart, in which they played a computer game. One half played a game that required mental rotation of geometric figures (‘Blockout’), the other half played a card game that did not involve mental rotation (‘Solitaire’). After the second computer game session, students retook the VTMR. A gender difference favoring men over women was obtained on the pretest VTMR. On the posttest VTMR, women in each group and men who played Blockout outperformed men who played Solitaire. Differences in selfreported computer use and efficacy were associated with differences on the VTMR. Success on Blockout was correlated with success on the VTMR. Computer experiences, including game playing, are a factor in VTMR performance differences among undergraduates.
The Market for Residential Architecture: 19th Century Row Houses in Boston′s South End

Abstract This study explores the market response to a major 19th century American urban architectural form, the row house. The paper presents an hedonic price index for a set of housing characteristics including lot and house size, location amenities within the neighborhood, construction materials, architectural style, and detailed architectural features. The homogeneity in form and layout of the row houses coupled with the variety of architectural styles and detailed features provides an unusual opportunity to test the effect of architecture on market value. The housing characteristics included in the study account for 88% of the price variance across the sampled row houses. The evidence marshalled here suggests that residential architecture matters in the marketplace and that specific architectural features are more highly valued when they differentiate one row house from its immediate neighbors.
Adult living-donor liver transplantation with ABO-incompatible grafts

Background. Liver transplantation using ABO-incompatible grafts is rarely performed because the reported outcome is poorer than with compatible grafts. We report our positive experience with adult-to-adult living-donor liver transplant (LDLT) using ABO-incompatible grafts. Methods. The immunosuppressive protocol consisted of plasmapheresis/intravenous immunoglobulin infusion before LDLT followed by thymoglobulin induction and splenectomy, maintenance with tacrolimus/cyclosporine (FK/CSA), mycophenolate mofetil, and a rapid steroid taper. Plasmapheresis was planned for up to 3 months after LDLT aiming at maintaining the anti-ABO titers level below 1:16. Liver biopsies were routinely stained for humoral rejection with complement 4d (C4d) and for biliary damage with cytokeratin 7. Results. Between January 2003 and September 2004, five patients, mean age 59 years, received an ABO-incompatible LDLT. Patient and graft survival was 80% at mean follow-up of 43 months (range, 34–54) for the four surviving patients. One patient died 4 months after LDLT. Humoral rejection occurred in one patient whereas acute cellular rejection was diagnosed in four patients. Conclusions. ABO-incompatible LDLT can be performed with patient and graft survival similar to compatible LDLT. Minimization of immunosuppression is possible, and chronic biliary damage is not the norm. Better tools than complement 4d staining must be researched to diagnose the features of immunologic damage to the graft. If these results will be confirmed in a greater number of patients, ABO-incompatible LDLT may be proposed when ABO-compatible donors are not available or when the ABO-incompatible donor is the better candidate.
The extended phenotypes of marine symbioses: ecological and evolutionary consequences of intraspecific genetic diversity in coral-algal associations

Reef-building corals owe much of their success to a symbiosis with dinoflagellate microalgae in the genus Symbiodinium. In this association, the performance of each organism is tied to that of its partner, and together the partners form a holobiont that can be subject to selection. Climate change affects coral reefs, which are declining globally as a result. Yet the extent to which coral holobionts will be able to acclimate or evolve to handle climate change and other stressors remains unclear. Selection acts on individuals and evidence from terrestrial systems demonstrates that intraspecific genetic diversity plays a significant role in symbiosis ecology and evolution. However, we have a limited understanding of the effects of such diversity in corals. As molecular methods have advanced, so too has our recognition of the taxonomic and functional diversity of holobiont partners. Resolving the major components of the holobiont to the level of the individual will help us assess the importance of intraspecific diversity and partner interactions in coral-algal symbioses. Here, we hypothesize that unique combinations of coral and algal individuals yield functional diversity that affects not only the ecology and evolution of the coral holobiont, but associated communities as well. Our synthesis is derived from reviewing existing evidence and presenting novel data. By incorporating the effects of holobiont extended phenotypes into predictive models, we may refine our understanding of the evolutionary trajectory of corals and reef communities responding to climate change.
Advanced Thermodynamics Applications Using Mathcad

Mathcad thermodynamic property function sets have been developed for many engineering fluids. In past publications, which introduced the property function sets, examples were provided that demonstrated the usefulness of the functions in solving typical homework problems for either an Introduction to Thermodynamics or an Applied Thermodynamics course. The capabilities of Mathcad allow for much more complicated analyses than are typically discussed in undergraduate engineering thermodynamics courses. Specifically, Mathcad’s abilities 1) to perform calculations on multi-dimensional arrays, 2) to optimize functions using modified Newton-Raphson techniques, 3) to read text-file data sets, and 4) solve systems of non-linear equations, enables the analysis of very complex thermodynamic problems. Examples are provided to demonstrate the very robust capabilities of Mathcad using previously developed thermodynamic property function sets. The examples discussed include the optimization of a steam power cycle using two feedwater heaters, the analysis of gas turbine data acquired from a small turbojet apparatus, and the analysis of evaporator flooding on the performance of an industrial refigeration system. The analyses and figures produced in Mathcad demonstrate its effectiveness for complex thermodynamic calculations and for providing insight into the performance of complex thermodynamic systems.© 2009 ASME
Determination and extension of the limits to static cold storage using subnormothermic machine perfusion.

Background/AimsStatic cold storage (SCS) of the liver for transplantation is limited by time. Continuation of metabolic activity leads to depletion of energy stores and loss of cellular function, w...
School Counseling Site Supervisor Training: An Exploratory Study

This study explored the supervision training needs of site supervisors of master's program school counseling interns via the construct of self-efficacy. Using the Site Supervisor Self-Efficacy Survey developed for this study, the authors surveyed school counseling site supervisors in the states of Oregon and Washington (N = 147) regarding their hours of supervision training and their supervisor self-efficacy. Results indicated that 54% of school counseling site supervisors had little or no counseling supervision training. Supervisor self-efficacy appeared to be relatively strong, consistently so for school counseling site supervisors with over 40 hours of supervision training. A partial correlation indicated a slightly positive relationship between the hours of supervision training received and perceived self-efficacy regarding supervision. Implications regarding school counseling site supervisor training and future research are offered.
Engineering design of macromodules

Macromodules are intended for assembly into a wide variety of computer structures with as few restrains on the designers' choice of the geometry of the machine as it is practical to require. The goal of geometric flexibility makes the problem of reliably interconnecting the modules to communicate date more difficult than usual. The ad-hoc repair of transmission failures is precluded because such problems would simple relocate as the system structure is altered by its users, and the detection and repair of the faults would be necessary after each alteration. Thus, as a practical consideration, hardware designs which do not eliminate such failures limit the system flexibility. Consequently, a substantial proportion of the engineering effort has focused on the data communication problem. Because the power distribution system interconnects the modules, it represents a set of pathways over which undesired signals may propagate.
Orbital Soft-Tissue Trauma

In the clinical assessment of orbital trauma, visual acuity and extraocular muscle motility are critical for rapid evaluation of injury severity. However, assessment of these parameters may be limited by edema and concomitant injuries. Imaging may further delineate the trauma pattern and extent of injury. This review focuses on orbital soft-tissue injuries that can exist with or without orbital fracture. Imaging techniques and soft-tissue injuries, including those involving the anterior chamber, iris and ciliary body, lens, globe, posterior segment, and optic nerve, are reviewed, in addition to intraocular foreign bodies and cavernous-carotid fistulas.
Characterization of TRIM5α trimerization and its contribution to human immunodeficiency virus capsid binding

The coiled-coil domain of the tripartite motif (TRIM) family protein TRIM5α is required for trimerization and function as an antiretroviral restriction factor. Unlike the coiled-coil regions of other related TRIM proteins, the coiled coil of TRIM5α is not sufficient for multimerization. The linker region between the coiled-coil and B30.2 domains is necessary for efficient TRIM5α trimerization. Most of the hydrophilic residues predicted to be located on the surface-exposed face of the coiled coil can be altered without compromising TRIM5α antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1). However, changes that disrupt TRIM5α trimerization proportionately affect the ability of TRIM5α to bind HIV-1 capsid complexes. Therefore, TRIM5α trimerization makes a major contribution to its avidity for the retroviral capsid, and to the ability to restrict virus infection.
Computing with uncertainty

The role of and interaction between statistical, fuzzy, and neural-like models for certain problems associated with the three main areas of pattern recognition system design are discussed. Some questions concerning fuzzy sets are answered, and the design of fuzzy pattern recognition systems is reviewed. Pattern recognition, statistical pattern recognition and fuzzy pattern recognition systems are described. The use of computational neural-like networks in fuzzy pattern recognition is also discussed. >
Theory of hexagonal and stripe phases in monolayers.

Abstract Epifluorescence microscopy can be used to visualize the shapes of solid lipid domains in two-phase regions of monolayers at the air—water interface. The shapes of certain lipid domains result from a competition between a one-dimensional line tension and long-range intermolecular electrostatic repulsion. Under specified conditions, a finite two-dimensional domain with one shape can undergo a sharp transition to a second shape, as the area of the domain is changed. Two-dimensional infinite arrays of domains can also have transitions involving changes in the shapes and patterns of domains, such as the stripe to hexagonal phase transition [Andelman, D., Brochard, F. & Joanny, J. F. (1987) J. Chem. Phys. 86, 3673-3681]. The present paper treats the hexagonal and stripe phases with the same approximations and methods of calculation as used previously for the isolated, finite domains. It is shown that one effect of electrostatic repulsion between domains is to cause these domains to increase in size as they approach one another on monolayer compression. It is also shown that there can be two distinct conditions where the hexagonal and stripe phases coexist.
Collaborative Centralized Reminder/Recall Notification to Increase Immunization Rates Among Young Children: A Comparative Effectiveness Trial

Importance Reminder/recall notifications used by primary care practices increase the rates of childhood immunizations, but fewer than 20% of primary care practitioners nationally deliver such reminders. A reminder/recall notification conducted centrally by health departments in collaboration with primary care practices may reduce practice burden, reach children without a primary care practitioner, and decrease the cost of reminders/recalls. Objective To assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of collaborative centralized (CC) vs practice-based (PB) reminder/recall approaches using the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS). Design, Setting, and Participants We performed a randomized pragmatic trial from September 7, 2012, through March 17, 2013, including 18 235 children aged 19 to 35 months in 15 Colorado counties. Interventions In CC counties, children who needed at least 1 immunization were sent as many as 4 reminders/recalls by mail or autodialed telephone calls by the CIIS. Primary care practices in these counties were given the option of endorsing the reminder/recall notification by adding the practice name to the message. In PB counties, primary care practices were invited to web-based reminder/recall training and offered financial support for sending notifications. Main Outcomes and Measures Documentation of any new immunization within 6 months constituted the primary outcome; achieving up-to-date (UTD) immunization status was secondary. We assessed the cost and cost-effectiveness of each approach and used a generalized linear mixed-effects model to assess the effect of the intervention on outcomes. Results In PB counties, 24 of 308 primary care practices (7.8%) attended reminder/recall training and 2 primary care practices (0.6%) endorsed reminder/recall notifications. Within CC counties, 129 of 229 practices (56.3%) endorsed the reminder/recall letter. Documentation rates for at least 1 immunization were 26.9% for CC vs 21.7% for PB counties ( P P P Conclusions and Relevance A CC reminder/recall notification was more effective and more cost-effective than a PB system, although the effect size was modest. Endorsement by practices may further increase the effectiveness of CC reminder/recall. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01557621
An efficient method for smoothing indicator-dilution and other unimodal curves

A mathematical function has been developed for approximating unimodal functions, particularly those which are non-Gaussian, skewed, and incomplete. It is useful as an alternative to cubic splines in smoothing noisy experimental data. Particular applications are to indicator-dilution curves and probability density functions of varied form. In its Fortran implementation, SMOEX, it is computationally inexpensive compared to standard cubic spline smoothing routines and requires less storage to preserve the smoothed function for retrieval or interpolation.
Ab initio calculation of impurity effects in copper oxide materials

We describe a method for calculating, within density functional theory, the electronic structure associated with typical defects which substitute for Cu in the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ planes of high-${T}_{c}$ superconducting materials. The focus is primarily on ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8}$, the material on which most scanning tunnel microscopy (STM) measurements of impurity resonances in the superconducting state have been performed. The magnitudes of the effective potentials found for Zn, Ni, and vacancies on the in-plane Cu sites in this host material are remarkably consistent with phenomenological fits of potential scattering models to STM resonance energies. The effective potential ranges are quite short, of order 1 \AA{} with weak long-range tails, in contrast to some current models of extended potentials which attempt to fit STM data. For the case of Zn and Cu vacancies, the effective potentials are strongly repulsive, and states on the impurity site near the Fermi level are simply removed. The local density of states (LDOS) just above the impurity is nevertheless found to be a maximum in the case of Zn and a local minimum in the case of the vacancy, in agreement with experiment. The Zn and Cu vacancy patterns are explained as due to the long-range tails of the effective impurity potential at the sample surface. The case of Ni is richer due to the Ni atom's strong hybridization with states near the Fermi level; in particular, the short-range part of the potential is attractive, and the LDOS is found to vary rapidly with distance from the surface and from the impurity site. We propose that the current controversy surrounding the observed STM patterns can be resolved by properly accounting for the effective impurity potentials and wave functions near the cuprate surface. Other aspects of the impurity states for all three species are discussed.
Heroin Abuse Trends in Los Angeles County Between 1960 and 1975

(1976). Heroin Abuse Trends in Los Angeles County Between 1960 and 1975. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs: Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 291-298.
Adsorption of Copolymer Chains at Liquid-Liquid Interfaces: Effect of Sequence Distribution

Analytic arguments and molecular dynamic simulations are used to determine how the chemical sequence distribution affects the conformation of a single AB copolymer at a liquid-liquid interface. A parameter f which characterizes this sequence distribution is defined and the length scale L * on which the polymer weaves back and forth across the interface is determined. It is found that L * as a function of f has a well-defined minimum, and the two limits are analyzed. Molecular dynamics simulation support the conclusions obtained from the analytical results.
High-grade spondylolisthesis: surgical management in the pediatric and young adult patient

Spondylolisthesis refers to the anterior translation of a vertebra on the subadjacent endplate. The most common type, isthmic spondylolisthesis, is produced by bilateral pars interarticularis defects. This occurs most often in the L5 vertebral body, allowing subluxation of L5 on the sacrum. High-grade slips are almost invariably symptomatic and usually progress in the skeletally immature. In turn, a considerable body of literature is dedicated to operative management of pediatric manifestations. As spinal fixation has evolved over the past decades, however, so too have the accepted surgical guidelines.
Identification of proteins by capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry : Evaluation of an on-line solid-phase extraction device

Capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry has been used successfully for the analysis of complex peptide mixtures. The method is limited by a relatively high concentration limit of detection and by matrix effects. Here we describe on-line coupling of a solid-phase microextraction device to a capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry system. The performance of the integrated instrument was evaluated for the identification of proteins by their amino acid sequence. We report that the concentration limit of detection was improved at least 1000 fold to the low attomole/μl range and that matrix effects were minimized by extensive sample clean-up during solid-phase extraction. We demonstrate that the implementation of a solid-phase extraction device significantly enhances capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry as a method for the identification of low abundance proteins isolated from high-resolution two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels.
Rough-interface scattering without plane waves

The canonical problem in theoretical work on rough surface scattering concerns monochromatic plane waves incident on a single infinite irregular interface in a constant sound speed environment. Scattering amplitudes are calculated, and it is hoped that the differential cross-section per unit area (i.e., the scattering strength) formed from the square of the magnitude of the scattering amplitude will be adequate to describe experiments which use point sources in variable sound speed settings where there are multiple boundaries, e.g., reverberation in the ocean. Ray based reverberation models which allow computation of a local angle of incidence do use the differential cross-section. However, there are many workable wave propagation models for which the scattering strength can only be introduced in an ad hoc manner. In the present paper some variational principles will be examined as starting points for describing rough surface scattering by point sources. Dashen's exact, manifestly reciprocal formula for scattering amplitudes follows from a variational calculation and can be somewhat generalized to a point-source, variable sound-speed setting. In the special case of reverberation with a constant sound-speed with a pulsed source, the small-slope approximation, which follows simply from Dashen's formula, will be shown to have a simple form in both the near and far field.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Macronuclear development in Euplotes woodruffi following conjugation.

Abstract 1. 1. Macronuclear development in E. woodruffi following conjugation takes place in two distinct stages. During the first 18 to 20 h the anlagen is spherical and only later assumes “T” shaped structure characteristic of the vegetative cells. 2. 2. DNA synthesis in the spherical anlagen is a slow and continuous process with no evidence for the type localized synthesis that occurs in the “T” shaped anlagen. In the “T” shaped anlagen DNA synthesis is restricted to small regions which resemble the replication bands of the vegetative cells. 3. 3. In the anlagen, multiple rounds of DNA synthesis take place, each round occupying 45 to 90 min. The anlagen appears to undergo 20 to 24 rounds of DNA synthesis before the commencement of the first division. 4. 4. Breakdown products of DNA of the old macronucleus are reutilized in the development of the new macronucleus. 5. 5. RNA synthesis and accumulation of protein label is a continuous process occurring throughout the anlagen and fragments of the old macronucleus at all stages of exconjugant development.
THE EXECUTION OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS BY SEXUAL MINORITY INDIVIDUALS

Sexual minority individuals (specifically bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgendered [BGLT]) have identities and relationships that are socially stigmatized and legally unrecognized. An online survey of 398 BGLT individuals was conducted concerning their execution of 5 legal planning documents: a will, powers of attorney for finances and health care, a living will, and hospital visitation authorization. We found support for the hypothesis that BGLT individuals who are in committed relationships, have disclosed their sexual orientation to immediate family, and have more income are more likely to have executed some or all of these documents. The authors discuss implications for BGLT individuals and same-sex couples, the need for policy changes and therapeutic intervention, and future directions for research in this area. Sexual minority individuals have important chosen relationships, including long-term partners and close friends who function as “family.” Yet, the identities of sexual minority individuals (herein referring specifically to bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgendered identified individuals [BGLT]), and the relationships they form, are socially stigmatized and most often legally unrecognized. Persons who are biologically or legally related to BGLT individuals, their families of origin or “relatives,” may refuse to honor or even acknowledge the individual’s identity or chosen relationships. Under these circumstances, these important relationships may be particularly vulnerable from a legal standpoint in the event of a physical or emotional crisis if relatives challenge the legitimacy of the BGLT individual’s chosen family. Sexual minority individuals can attempt to protect certain aspects of their chosen relationships through the execution of legal documents available to every individual. These documents include a will or living trust, powers of attorney for finances and health care, a living will, and hospital visitation authorization. Individuals can use combinations of these documents to specify their wishes and convey rights to chosen others outside of their legally assumed family. In the absence of marriage (or equivalent) rights, these documents take on particular importance for individuals with same-sex partners. Without these documents, an individual’s family of origin is presumptively given rights as a matter of law or legal determination. Despite the immediate importance of this situation to millions of self-identi
Indoor optical wireless communication by ultraviolet and visible light

Visible light communication in conjunction with solid state lighting has become an emerging area of interest to achieve lighting and wireless communication simultaneously in an indoor environment. It is anticipated to be a low cost supplement to existing wireless communication technologies. Most existing work has primarily focused on a unidirectional downlink using visible light spectra. The appropriate choice of an uplink to achieve bidirectional communication is a big challenge. In this paper, candidate options of the uplink are compared in terms of device performance, light safety, background interference, and path loss. In visible light communication, white light emitting diodes as optical transmitters are also characterized in terms of impulse response and electrical spectrum. A digital preequalization idea to increase their bandwidth is proposed. Performance of the downlink visible light communication system is also experimentally studied in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed design.
Psychiatric consultation for women undergoing rehabilitation for upper-extremity lymphedema following breast cancer treatment

Breast cancer presently affects one in nine women in the United States. Women receiving radiation and surgical resection of axial lymph nodes are at risk for development of lymphedema of the ipsilateral upper extremity. Mental health consultation and intervention can be an important part of rehabilitative efforts aimed at improving both lymphedema itself and the overall psychosocial adjustment of the patient. Such consultation begins with a careful consideration of possible psychiatric diagnosis but must necessarily depart from standard psychiatric considerations to include an assessment of psychosexual and social factors. Additionally, the consultant must gauge the degree of success the patient has had in adjustment to lifestyle changes brought on by lymphedema. This paper discusses the psychological problems posed by lymphedema and offers case examples. These cases illustrate the nature of psychiatric and psychological factors encountered in this population and the interventions that can help improve both compliance with rehabilitative efforts and psychological adjustment.