cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strain Hardening From Elastic-Perfectly Plastic to Perfectly Elastic Indentation Single Asperity Contact

Indentation measurements are a crucial technique for measuring mechanical properties. Although several contact models have been developed to relate force-displacement measurements with the mechanical properties, they all consider simplifying assumptions, such as no strain hardening, which significantly affects the predictions. In this study, the effect of bilinear strain hardening on the contact parameters for indentations is investigated. Simulations show that even 1% strain hardening causes significant changes in the contact parameters and contact profile. Pile-up behavior is observed for elastic-perfectly plastic materials, while for strain hardening values greater than 6%, only sink-in (i.e., no pile-up) is seen. These results are used to derive a new, predictive formulation to account for the bilinear strain hardening from elastic-perfectly plastic to purely elastic materials.
Surface Actuation and Sensing of a Tensegrity Structure Using Robotic Skins

Tensegrity robots comprising solid rods connected by tensile cables are of interest due to their flexible and robust nature, which potentially makes them suitable for uneven and unpredictable environments where traditional robots often struggle. Much progress has been made toward attaining locomotion with tensegrity robots. However, measuring the shape of a dynamic tensegrity without the use of external hardware remains a challenge. Here we show how robotic skins may be attached around the exterior of a tensegrity structure, to both control and measure its shape from its surface. The robotic skins are planar, skin-like membranes with integrated actuators and sensors, which we use to transform a passive tensegrity structure into an active tensegrity robot that performs tasks such as locomotion. In addition, sensors placed on the ends of the tensegrity rods are used to directly measure orientation relative to the ground. The hardware and algorithms presented herein thus provide a platform for surface-driven actuation and intrinsic state estimation of tensegrity structures, which we hope will enable future tensegrity robots to execute precise closed-loop motions in real-world environments.
Gradations of degradation : Ezekiel’s underworld as a temple of doom

Ezekiel’s underworld is characterised by hierarchy and gradation. Insofar as that is also true of sacred spaces in the Bible, Ezekiel’s underworld can also be imagined, heuristically, as a kind of unholy temple. Each of the three primary descriptions of holy space in the Hebrew Bible (the Priestly tabernacle, Solomon’s temple, and Ezekiel’s temple) has three primary graded spaces (inner sanctum, outer sanctum, and court). Ezekiel’s underworld has three primary graded spaces: Sheol, the Pit, and the extremities of the Pit. In each case, the farther one moves in from the entrance, the more unholy the space. Like the tabernacle and temples, Ezekiel’s underworld also has further gradations within the primary space, and these finer gradations of unholiness are marked by factors such as the length of the passage dedicated to a nation and the presence of associates in the nation’s sphere of influence. https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2020/v33n3a8
Surgical Site Infection, Readmission, and Reoperation After Posterior Long Segment Fusion.

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective case series. OBJECTIVE We sought to identify risk factors associated with surgical site infection (SSI) after posterior long segment spinal fusion (PLSF). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Patients who undergo PLSF may be at elevated risk of SSI. Identifying factors associated with SSI in these operations can help risk stratify patients and tailor management. METHODS We analyzed PLSFs-seven or more levels-at our institution from 2000 to 2015. Data on patients' clinical characteristics, procedural factors, and antimicrobial management were collected. Multivariable analysis identified factors independently associated with outcomes of interest. RESULTS In 628 cases, SSI was associated with steroid use (P = 0.024, odds ratio [OR] = 2.54) and using cefazolin (P < 0.001, OR = 4.37) or bacitracin (P = 0.010, OR 3.49) irrigation, as opposed to gentamicin or other irrigation. Gram-positive infections were more likely with staged procedures (P = 0.021, OR 4.91) and bacitracin irrigation (P < 0.001, OR = 17.98), and less likely with vancomycin powder (P = 0.050, OR 0.20). Gram-negative infections were more likely with a history of peripheral arterial disease (P = 0.034, OR = 3.21) or cefazolin irrigation (P < 0.001, OR 25.47). Readmission was more likely after staged procedures (P = 0.003, OR = 3.31), cervical spine surgery (P = 0.023, OR = 2.28), or cefazolin irrigation (P = 0.039, OR = 1.85). Reoperation was more common with more comorbidities (P = 0.022, OR 1.09), staged procedures (P < 0.001, OR = 4.72), cervical surgeries (P = 0.013, OR = 2.36), more participants in the surgery (P = 0.011, OR = 1.06), using cefazolin (P < 0.001, OR = 3.12) or bacitracin (P = 0.009, OR = 3.15) irrigation, and higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate at readmission (P = 0.009, OR = 1.04). Washouts were more likely among patients with more comorbidities (P = 0.013, OR = 1.16), or who used steroids (P = 0.022, OR = 2.92), and less likely after cervical surgery (P = 0.028, OR = 0.24). Instrumentation removal was more common with bacitracin irrigation (p = 0.013, OR = 31.76). CONCLUSION Patient factors, whether a procedure is staged, and choice of antibiotic irrigation affect the risk of SSI and ensuing management required.Level of Evidence: 4.
Priming the Trainee to Interpret Lung SPECT Imaging

1146 Objectives: From the beginning, a radiology trainee is expected to help the clinical day run smoothly by advising referring clinicians, patients, technologists, and others regarding a wide variety of issues within the multiple modalities of radiology, including nuclear medicine. The best way for a resident to tackle this monumental task is to develop habits that allow the task to be more efficient and to be flexible as technology changes the imaging platform. At our institution, residents rotate between multiple hospitals with varying imaging capabilities and protocols, making the development of good work habits early on important. In current clinical practice, lung scintigraphy (VQ) remains frequently used to evaluate acute and chronic pulmonary embolism (PE). SPECT VQ has fundamentally changed the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of lung scintigraphy with a growing evidence-based foundation of superiority over planar VQ. This project presents a rationale for a structured priming educational material that will aid the radiology resident in gaining good habits for interpreting lung scintigraphy as the use of SPECT VQ increases. A review of basic planar and SPECT VQ tenets with test cases was developed and provided to residents in addition to existing materials, including online lectures. When cases are sent, educational objectives are established with the resident formulating their differential with discussion. Cases are then reviewed during the trainee’s nuclear medicine rotation to test basic understanding with instruction of guidelines currently used in clinical practice. The strategic case review is administered to first-year residents as well as upper-level residents to provide a more comprehensive understanding at all levels. Every year, approximately 70 radiology and nuclear medicine residents at our institution are introduced to SPECT VQ using priming methodology. Overall, the cases discriminate effectively between NM1, R1, and advanced residents. Upon rotation at institutions with SPECT VQ imaging, residents demonstrate better understanding. The goal of this project was to assess the current state of lung SPECT priming with the utilization of cases with group discussion. Validation of an initial introduction of cases serves as an assessment of basic image-interpretation skills, which leads to improvements. The results offer a specific methodology to develop interpretation skills with validation evidence for residents. More generally, results demonstrate the efficacy of a structured approach to prime development in radiology education.
Is Medicaid expansion associated with increases in palliative treatments for metastatic cancer

Background: Medicaid expansion following the 2010 Affordable Care Act has an unknown impact on palliative treatments. Materials & methods: This registry-based study of individuals with metastatic cancer from 2010 to 2016 identified men and women with metastatic cancer in expansion and non-expansion states who received palliative treatments. A mixed effects logistic regression compared trends in expansion and non-expansion states and generated risk-adjusted probabilities or receiving palliative treatments each year. Results: Despite lower baseline use of palliative treatments, the rate of change was more rapid in expansion states (odds ratio [OR]: 1.02; 95% CI: 1.01-1.03; p < 0.001). The adjusted probability of receiving palliative treatments rose from 21.3 to 26.0% in non-expansion states, and from 19.7 to 26.9% in expansion states. Conclusion: Use of palliative treatments among metastatic cancer patients increased from 2010 to 2016 with a significantly greater increase in Medicaid expansion states, even when adjusting for demographic differences between states.
Field Anesthetic Techniques for Camelids

Administration of anesthetic agents to camelids is a source of anxiety for many veterinarians and owners. Llama and alpaca physiology is not a mainstream topic in most veterinary schools and, therefore, veterinarians do not feel comfortable in the administration of drugs routinely used in other livestock species. Although specific drug dosages differ between camelids and other livestock and even among llamas and alpacas, all other aspects of the "warm-blooded mammal" apply. The minimum data base before using an anesthetic is rectal temperature, heart rate and rhythm, respiratory rate and character, and general demeanor of the patient. If general anesthesia is planned, packed cell volume (PCV) and total protein (TP) should be determined. If the patient is geriatric (older than 10 years for llamas and alpacas), then more exhaustive diagnostic tests may be warranted (e.g. serum biochemistry). An accurate body weight will increase the safety of the procedure, but an estimation of body weight may be obtained by evaluating the body condition score.
The α-arrestin ARRDC3 is an Emerging Multifunctional Adaptor Protein in Cancer

Significance: Adaptor proteins control the spatial and temporal dynamics of cellular signaling. Dysregulation of adaptor protein function can cause aberrant cell signaling and promote cancer. The a...
Modeling the transition from liquid to dense products in shocked benzene with the Gibbs formulation

Abstract We have developed a continuum modeling approach grounded in classical physical chemistry, based on the following assumptions: That the states in the material can be represented by local stationary averages of the pressure (stress), temperature, and mass fractions and that the mixture has well-defined molecular components, each with a complete equation of state. Phase changes and chemical changes due to reaction are not in (asymptotically, long-time) equilibrium, since those changes are assumed to occur on much longer time scales than those required for stress and temperature equilibration. The Gibbs formulation can be thought of as a generalization of the classical non-equilibrium formulations used in gaseous, multicomponent combustion theory, but expanded to mixtures with simultaneously present concentrations of solids, liquids and gases. We apply this approach to the important case of shocked liquid benzene that undergoes transition via a net endothermic reaction to a dense products phase, at approximately 13.5 GPa. To do this, we model two phases as individual components in a single material governed by a decomposition reaction that is activated by a shock wave. We compare our simulations with the existing database of quasi-static experiments and recent dynamic experiments carried out at Los Alamos National Laboratory that use embedded particle velocity gauges to infer the rate dependence observed in the formation of dense products.
Animation behind the iron curtain: a guide to animated films from Russia and eastern bloc countries during the Cold War era: by Eleanor Cowen, Herts, United Kingdom, John Libbey Publishing, 2020, viii + 215 pp., chronology, bibliography, index, $32.00 (paperback), ISBN 978-0861967452, $31.99 (ebook), ISBN 978-0861969739

The publication of any book on animation is exciting since the subject, as a marginalised medium, has long been understudied. Eleanor Cowen’s volume is an attempt to guide the reader through the ri...
Composite Crew Module (CCM) Permeability Characterization

In January 2007, the NASA Administrator chartered the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) to form an Agency team to design and build a composite crew module in 18 months in order to gain hands-on experience in anticipation that future exploration systems may be made of composite materials. One of the conclusions from this Composite Crew Module Primary Structure assessment was that there was a lack of understanding regarding the ability for composite pressure shells to contain consumable gases, which posed a technical risk relative to the use of a metallic design. After the completion of the Composite Crew Module test program, the test article was used in a new program to assess the overall leakage/permeability and identify specific features associated with high leak rates. This document contains the outcome of the leakage assessment.
Practicum and Internship: Textbook and Resource Guide for Counseling and Psychotherapy

Part I: The Practicum Experience 1. Definitions, Phases, and Standards. 2. Preparation for Practicum. 3. Practicum Content Issues. 4. Practicum Process Issues. 5. Monitoring the Professional Development of Practicum Students. Part II: Ethics and the Law 6. Ethics in Counselor Education. 7. Legal Issues. Part III: The Internship Experience 8. Guidelines for Interns Working with Special Populations and Crisis. 9. Consultation in the Schools and Mental Health Agencies: Models and Methods. Part IV: Internship Preparation and Experience 10. Preparation for Internship. 11. Process and Evaluation in Internship. 12. Final Evaluations. Appendices 1. Alphabetical Listing of DSM-IV-TR Diagnoses and Codes. 2. Numerical Listing of DSM-IV-TR Diagnoses and Codes. 3. Psychiatric Medications. 4. HIPAA Guidelines. 5. Sample Adolescent Informed Consent Form. Index. Forms.
Clinical evaluation of SPECT/CT and its impact in a nuclear medicine department

2128 Objectives To do a literature review of SPECT/CT fused imaging research to determine which patient populations or clinical indications would benefit most from having their study performed on a SPECT/CT scanner. Using those findings determine, based on the patient population at Evanston Hospital, the amount of time that the camera would be utilized at that institution. Methods Data regarding the benefits of SPECT/CT was compiled from published research and pilot studies comparing SPECT imaging alone to fused SPECT/CT imaging. Criteria for patients that would benefit from having their test on the SPECT/CT camera were determined. Evanston Hospital’s Nuclear Medicine Department’s patient population was reviewed for the months of January, April, and June of 2009 to determine the number of patients that would meet the established criteria. Total amount of time required for image acquisition on a SPECT/CT scanner for the selected patient population during the three month duration was then calculated using the Evanston Hospital’s nuclear imaging protocols. Results Based on the research, it was determined that there were five categories of clinical indications that would benefit from having a SPECT/CT fused imaging study over SPECT imaging alone. These categories include: bone imaging, specifically when associated with prosthetic pain, post surgical spinal pain, osteomyelitis, sport related injuries, or foot and ankle abnormalities; cardiac imaging, when breast attenuation is noted in the final report which correlated with patients’ body mass index (BMI); endocrine imaging for parathyroid; all lymphoscintigraphy and all tumor imaging studies. Results showed the overall patient specific population required 338 hours of SPECT/CT imaging time over a three-month span. Our department’s hours of operation during that three month period exceeded 594 hours. Conclusions Based on the results, adaptation to the departments existing protocols and hours of operation are not necessary in order to meet the criteria of when to put patients on the SPECT/CT scanner
Narrowing Precedent in the Supreme Court

“Narrowing” occurs when a court declines to apply a precedent even though, in the court’s own view, the precedent is best read to apply. In recent years, the Roberts Court has endured withering criticism for narrowing in areas such as affirmative action, abortion, the exclusionary rule, campaign finance, and standing. This practice — often called “stealth overruling” — is widely condemned as deceptive, as well as contrary to stare decisis. On reflection, however, narrowing is not stealthy, tantamount to overruling, or even uncommon. Instead, narrowing is a distinctive feature of Supreme Court practice that has been accepted and employed by virtually every Justice. Besides promoting traditional stare decisis values like correctness, fidelity, and candor, legitimate narrowing represents the decisional-law analogue to the canon of constitutional avoidance. As a rule, an en banc appellate court, including the Supreme Court, engages in legitimate narrowing when it adopts a reasonable reading of precedent without contradicting background legal principles. Under this rule, most if not all instances of narrowing during the Roberts Court are readily defensible — including frequently overlooked decisions by the Court’s more liberal members. Moreover, prominent cases involving narrowing can be grouped into four categories: experimental narrowing, narrowing rules, narrowing to overrule, and aspirational narrowing. Far from being unusual or unwarranted, narrowing is a mainstay of Supreme Court practice — and a good thing, too.
Heat transfer in liquid helium

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the practical problems faced in the design of cryogenic devices. It illustrates two problems. First, practical problems in cryogenic heat transfer are often in regimes far from those that fundamental research can even contemplate tackling at the present time. Second, the terminology used in practical problems is often baffling to the physicist, and there is a substantial barrier in communication between the pure and applied research communities. To cope with these problems, the chapter makes a rough division of the discussion into problems of low heat transfer, where the methods and language one accustomed to are likely to apply, and high heat transfer, where the real technological problems are likely to be found. This division can help overcome the practical problems of design and can assist in developing a common terminology. The chapter discusses Kapitza resistance. It is noted that when heat flows across the boundary between liquid helium and a solid, a temperature difference appears across the boundary. The phenomenon is referred to as the “acoustic mismatch theory.” The theory derives its name from the assumption that the thermal energy in the solid and the liquid helium is carried by acoustic phonons and that the two media differ in elastic properties, and is thus “mismatched,” in their respective acoustic impedances.
All in a day's work, at home: teleworkers’ management of micro role transitions and the work–home boundary

Based on boundary theory, this study analysed the cues and rituals home-based teleworkers use to facilitate transitions between work and home roles. Qualitative findings revealed that teleworkers primarily engage in strategies aimed at segmenting work from home roles, although some utilise cues to integrate work and home. Teleworkers used time, space, technology and communication as cues to aid role transitions and manage the work‐home boundary. Overall, teleworkers appeared to grapple with the tension between the desire for flexibility and the need for structure, and use cues and rites of passage in order to facilitate this balance. Female teleworkers were more likely to use segmenting cues relative to male teleworkers. Teleworkers with children living in the home were less likely to integrate work and home roles. Extensive teleworkers used space more frequently than less extensive teleworkers, but otherwise, both groups reported similar use of cues.
Emergency Gas—Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Barbiturates and Glutethimide in Serum

A method is presented for the rapid gas chromatographic determination of barbiturates and glutethimide in serum, suitable for use in clinical emergencies. The sample is prepared for gas chromatography by acidification and a single extraction with chloroform. From 70 to 100% of the various barbiturates and glutethimide are analytically recovered, with a coefficient of variation of 8 to 10% for the method. During a 10-month clinical evaluation (87 requested determinations), 34 analyses (39% of the samples submitted) were positive for barbiturates, glutethimide, or both.
Spatial analysis of variations in precipitation intensity in the USA

In this study, we used various spatial analytical methods to examine variations and trends in precipitation intensity in the conterminous USA. We found that three different measures of precipitation intensity were highly correlated; intensity increased in a spatially coherent fashion in the northeastern quarter of the USA and generally decreased in the center portion of the western USA. Evidence is presented that spatial and temporal patterns in the trends of precipitation intensity are related to the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation. Our results are generally in agreement with others who are reporting an upward trend in precipitation intensity during a period when the planet appears to have warmed.
Muscling in on rhabdomyosarcoma

A poorly understood cancer of childhood has just become less mysterious. A new animal model identifies three pathways that underlie the progression to rhabdomyosarcoma (pages 1276–1280).
The development of innate lymphoid cells requires TOX-dependent generation of a common innate lymphoid cell progenitor

Diverse innate lymphoid cell (ILC) subtypes have been defined on the basis of effector function and transcription factor expression. ILCs derive from common lymphoid progenitors, although the transcriptional pathways that lead to ILC-lineage specification remain poorly characterized. Here we found that the transcriptional regulator TOX was required for the in vivo differentiation of common lymphoid progenitors into ILC lineage-restricted cells. In vitro modeling demonstrated that TOX deficiency resulted in early defects in the survival or proliferation of progenitor cells, as well as ILC differentiation at a later stage. In addition, comparative transcriptome analysis of bone marrow progenitors revealed that TOX-deficient cells failed to upregulate many genes of the ILC program, including genes that are targets of Notch, which indicated that TOX is a key determinant of early specification to the ILC lineage.
The place of alternative certification in the education of teachers

The title of this article sets an ambitious task, for it is no simple matter to locate and examine alternative certification within the more general and inclusive framework of teacher preparation. The concept of alternative certification suffers two liabilities at the moment. Its meaning is obscure, and its forms of implementation are many. Thus the first task is to clarify the meaning of alternative certification. In this article, this task is handled in the form of a dialogue in hopes that this format will make the usually tedious process of extended definition more interesting for the reader. The format then switches to expository prose for an analysis of the concept of alternative certification. A central purpose of this analysis is to appraise the worth or value of alternative certification relative to other forms of teacher preparation. Following this second part, the dialogue resumes in an effort to clarify the apparent tension between current initiatives to professionalize teaching and those initiatives aimed at more firmly establishing alternative certification programs. This tension arises from the fact that professionalization initiatives typically call for sustained and rigorous study for entry into the profession, while alternative certification programs are often viewed as quick and rather elementary ways to enter teaching. A better understanding of this tension illuminates some of the more critical issues surrounding the broader notion of how teachers are prepared.
Some issues in the quantitative modeling portion of cancer risk assessment

Several questions should be asked in order to determine the relevance and scientific merit of a quantitative cancer risk assessment. Twenty such questions are formulated here and briefly discussed. These questions are intended to identify important issues and serve as a checklist for risk managers and developers of quantitative risk assessments. Among the many factors involved in these questions are the carcinogenic response, quantal response models, time to response, competing risks, model shapes, goodness of fit, dose scale, high-to-low-dose extrapolation, consistency across different subjects, animal-to-human extrapolation, route-to-route extrapolation, exposure durations and patterns, short-term tests, consistency with human epidemiological data, human exposures, statistical variability, impacts of assumptions and policy decisions and value judgments, risk characterization, upper and lower bounds, and keeping pace with scientific advances.
Extended Transitive Separation Logic

Abstract Separation logic (SL) is an extension of Hoare logic by operators and formulas for reasoning more flexibly about heap portions or linked object/record structures. In the present paper we give an algebraic extension of SL at the data structure level. At the same time we step beyond standard SL by studying not only domain disjointness of heap portions but also disjointness along transitive links. To this end we define operations that allow expressing assumptions about the linking structure. Phenomena to be treated comprise reachability analysis, (absence of) sharing, cycle detection and preservation of substructures under destructive assignments. We demonstrate the practicality of this approach with examples of in-place list-reversal, tree rotation and threaded trees.
The Interplay of Pain-Related Self-Efficacy and Fear on Functional Outcomes Among Youth With Headache

Pain-related self-efficacy and pain-related fear have been proposed as opposing predic- tors of pain-related functional outcomes in youth with chronic pain. Self-efficacy is a potential resil- iency factor that can mitigate the influence that pain-related fear has on outcomes in youth with chronic pain. Drawing from theoretical assertions tested among adults with chronic pain, this study aimed to determine whether pain-related self-efficacy mediates the adverse influence of pain-related fear on functional outcomes in a sample of youth with chronic headache. In a cross-sectional design of 199 youth with headache, self-efficacy was strongly associated with fear, disability, school impair- ment, and depressive symptoms. Pain intensity and self-efficacy were only modestly related, indi- cating that level of pain has less influence on one's confidence functioning with pain. Self-efficacy partially mediated relationships between pain-related fear and both functional disability and school functioning but did not mediate the relationship between pain-related fear and depressive symp- toms. These results suggest that confidence in the ability to function despite pain and fear avoidance each uniquely contributes to pain-related outcomes in youth with chronic headache. These results further suggest that treatment for chronic headache in youth must focus not only on decreasing pain-related fear but also on enhancing a patient's pain-related self-efficacy. Perspective: Pain-related self-efficacy is an important resiliency factor impacting the influence of pain-related fear on functional disability and school functioning in youth with headache. Enhancing self-efficacy may be a key mechanism for improving behavioral outcomes. Clinicians can reduce pain-related fear and enhance pain-related self-efficacy through interventions that encourage accomplishment and self-confidence. a 2014 by the American Pain Society
Isomerization kinetics of small hydrocarbons in confinement

Chemical reactions are often carried out in nano-structured materials, which can enhance reactions due to their large specific surface area, their interactions with the reacting mixture and confinement effects. In this work, we present a systematic study of the effect that the geometrical restrictions imposed by the pore walls can have on reactions that involve a three dimensional rearrangement of the atoms in a molecule. In particular, we consider the isomerization of three 4-membered hydrocarbons—n-butane, 1-butene and 1,3-butadiene confined in carbon nanopores of slit geometry. Our results illustrate the fact that, in the molecular sieving limit, the reaction rates change as the double exponential of the pore size (Santiso et al., in J. Chem. Phys., 2007a, submitted), and therefore the transition rates in nanopores can be many orders of magnitude different from the corresponding bulk values. These results can be used as a guideline for the molecular-level design of improved catalytic materials.
Boosting Latino and Black Political Participation: The Impact of Associational and Religious Resources

This study has two objectives: to determine which variables increase Latino and black political participation in the post-civil rights era and also to determine if the factors that boost one group's participation will boost the other's. These results show that although a variety of variables may similarly enhance black and Latino political participation, the most consistent factor is exposure to mobilization in voluntary organizations. However, not just any organization will do. Membership in a voluntary organization the basic orientation of which is directed at changing the status quo, as opposed to groups that bring people together simply to enjoy each other's presence, is what is most needed to help blacks and Latinos become active in the political system.
Neural dynamics of surface perception: boundary webs, illuminants, and shape-from-shading

A real-time visual processing theory is used to provide a new approach to the analysis of surface perception, notably shape-from-shading. The theory elsewhere has been used to explain data about boundary detection and completion, textural segmentation, depth perception, color and brightness perception, and striate-prestriate cortical interactions. Neural network interactions within a multiple scale boundary contour (BC) system and feature contour (FC) system are used to explain these phenomena. Each spatial scale of the BC system contains a hierarchy of orientationally tuned interactions, which can be divided into two successive subsystems called the OC filter and the CC loop. The OC filter contains two successive stages of oriented receptive fields which are sensitive to different properties of image contrasts. The OC filter generates inputs to the CC loop, which contains successive stages of spatially short-range competitive interactions and spatially long-range cooperative interactions. Feedback between the competitive and cooperative stages synthesizes a coherent, multiple scale structural representation of a smoothly shaded image, called a boundary web. Such a boundary web regulates multiple-scale filling-in reactions within the FC system which generate a percept of form-and-color-in-depth. Computer simulations establish key properties of a boundary web representation: nesting of boundary web reactions across spatial scales, coherent completion and regularization of boundary webs across incomplete image data, and relative insensitivity of boundary webs to illumination level and highlights. The theory clarifies data about interactions between brightness and depth percepts, transparency, influences of highlights on perceived surface glossiness, and shape-from-texture gradients. The total network suggests a new approach to the design of computer vision systems, and promises to provide a universal set of rules for 3D perceptual grouping of scenic edges, textures, and smoothly shaded regions.
The 5'-untranslated RNA of the human dhfr minor transcript alters transcription pre-initiation complex assembly at the major (core) promoter.

The human dhfr minor transcript is distinguished from the predominant dhfr mRNA by an approximately 400 nucleotide extension of the 5'-untranslated region, which corresponds to the major (core) promoter DNA (its template). Based on its unusual sequence composition, we hypothesized that the minor transcript 5'-UTR might be capable of altering transcription pre-initiation complex assembly at the core promoter, through direct interactions of the RNA with specific regulatory polypeptides or the promoter DNA itself. We found that the minor transcript 5'-UTR selectively sequesters transcription factor Sp3, and to a lesser extent Sp1, preventing their binding to the dhfr core promoter. This allows a third putative transcriptional regulatory protein, which is relatively resistant to sequestration by the minor transcript RNA, the opportunity to bind the dhfr core promoter. The selective sequestration of Sp3 > Sp1 by the minor transcript 5'-UTR involves an altered conformation of the RNA, and a structural domain of the protein distinct from that required for binding to DNA. As a consequence, the minor transcript 5'-UTR inhibits transcription from the core promoter in vitro (in trans) in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that the dhfr minor transcript may function in vivo (in cis) to regulate the transcriptional activity of the major (core) promoter.
Modulator: the missing link.

Article de synthese considerant les interactions entre les recepteurs des hormones steroides et la proteine hsp 90
Sleep and pain complaints in symptomatic traumatic brain injury and neurologic populations

Objective: To compare the incidence of sleep and pain complaints in symptomatic traumatic brain injury (TBI) (mild vs moderate/severe) and neurologic populations. Design: Case-control study. Setting: Outpatient neuropsychology service at a university-affiliated tertiary care center. Patients: A consecutive sample of mild (n = 127) and moderate to severe (n = 75) patients with TBI and a general neurologic (non-TBI) group (n = 123) referred for neuropsychological assessment. Main Outcome Measures: Patient report of sleep and/or pain problems. Results: TBI subjects had significantly more insomnia (56.4% vs 30.9%) and pain complaints (58.9% vs 22%) than non-TBI subjects (p < .0001). For both subject groups, the presence of pain increased insomnia approximately twofold. Poor sleep maintainance was the most common sleep problem. In those subjects without pain, TBI patients reported more sleep complaints that non-TBI patients (p = .05). Mild TBI patients reported significantly (p < .0001) more pain than patients with a moderate to severe injury (70% vs 40%). In TBI subjects without pain, there were significantly more insomnia complaints in mild than in moderate to severe injuries (p < .01). Conclusions: TBI patients with persistent cognitve complaints have more sleep and pain concerns than general neurologic patients. Pain is strongly associated with sleep problems. Aggressive evaluation and treatment of pain and sleep problems in the TBI, especially mild TBI, population appears warranted and may contribute to increased disability. The etiology of greater sleep and pain problems in the mild than in the more severe TBI patients requires further study.
An intelligent parallel control system structure for plants with multiple operating regimes

Abstract A parallel control system, consisting of a bank of concurrently running virtual control loops and a concurrency coordinator, is proposed for plants that operate in multiple, often radically different regimes. The virtual control loops acting in parallel and exchanging information among themselves, are coordinated to obtain good closed-loop performance in each operating regime, and bumpless transfer during transitions. The basic strategy, overall structure, and the individual elements of the parallel control system are discussed; the design, analysis, and performance are illustrated via simulation of a chemical reactor designed to manufacture a product in three different regimes.
Ethanol-induced hypothermia in rats: possible involvement of opiate kappa receptors.

Abstract The effect of the opiate antagonists naloxone and MR2266 on ethanol-induced hypothermia and changes in Ca 2+ -stimulated Mg 2+ -ATPase activity in brain regions were investigated in the present study. Administration of different doses of ethanol (0.5–2 g/kg, IP) produced a dose-dependent hypothermia. Ca 2+ /Mg 2+ -ATPase activity in the hypothalamus was stimulated at 30 min and 2 hr after ethanol (2 g/kg, IP) treatment. In cortex, enzyme activity was inhibited by ethanol at 30 min with no change seen at 2 hr. Naloxone (7.5 mg/kg, SC) at a dose which did not affect body temperature or enzyme activity, partially inhibited ethanol-induced hypothermia and enzyme activity at the earliest time (30 min) but not at 2 hours. The opiate Kappa antagonist MR2266 (5 mg/kg, SC), however, significantly protected against ethanol hypothermia and enzyme activation measured at 30–120 min. This evidence suggests that ethanol-induced hypothermia and subsequent activation changes of Ca 2+ /Mg 2+ -ATPase in the hypothalamus may be regulated by opiate Kappa receptors, and that Ca 2+ ions play an important role in mediating the effects of ethanol.
Functional Group Accessibility in Hydrogen Bonded Polymer Blends

Accessibility of functional groups is an important concept in the mixing of polymers and involves factors such as chain connectivity, steric shielding, etc., all of which tend to limit the number of interchain contacts formed. Infrared spectroscopy is well suited to study functional group accessibility in carefully selected miscible hydrogen bonded polymer blend systems, because the fraction of interchain hydrogen bonded groups can be measured quantitatively. Such measurements have been made on blends consisting of a wide range of carbonyl containing (co)polymers with a 2,3-dimethylbutadiene-stat-4-vinylphenol containing 24 wt % 4-vinylphenol. Evidence has been obtained for decreasing accessibility of the carbonyl groups of the poly(n-alkyl methacrylate)s due to steric shielding from bulky side groups. Conversely, when these groups are spaced further apart in an ethylene-stat-vinyl acetate or ethylene-stat-methyl methacrylate copolymer chain, they become much more accessible. The effect of functional grou...
Phytophthora Rot of Soybean

Phytophthora root and stem rot may cause plant stand losses and complete yield reductions in very susceptible soybean cultivars. The severity of losses depends on cultivar susceptibility, rainfall,...
Hypertension in Athletes and Active Patients: Tailoring Treatment to the Patient

Understanding the hemodynamic responses to exercise in normotensive and hypertensive persons allows physicians to effectively treat hypertension in active people and athletes. If lifestyle modifications such as weight loss and moderation of sodium intake along with continued exercise are not effective, drug therapy can be added. Nonselective beta-blockers and diuretics may impair performance; cardioselective beta-1 blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and alpha-1 blockers are less likely to hinder exercise. Therapy tailored to the type and intensity of a patient's exercise and the stage of hypertension may allow him or her to participate safely without compromising performance.
INTENSITY LIMITATION OF ACCELERATORS.

Abstract The beam intensity of an accelerator is limited by a momentary drop of the accelerating voltage due to a high peak current, as well as by the space charge defocussing effect. The maximum expectable beam current is proportional to the voltage squared.
Navigating the straits with research or opinion? Setting the course for Technology Education

The purpose of this study was to identify a concise list of constructs representative of the issues and problems confronting Technology Education today. Data was collected from a random sample of 600 members of the International Technology Education Association. A total of 254 usable instruments was returned for a response rate of 42.3%. A factor analysis using a principal-components analysis followed by orthogonal rotation using a Varimax procedure resulted in possible factor solutions with from 7 to 15 factors. These factor matrices were then examined to determine which was most appropriate to provide a meaningful and concise list of constructs representative of the issues and problems included in the study. An eight-factor solution was suggested by the analysis of data. The factors identified werefunding, academic content, program vitality, leadership, research base, teacher supply, identity, andintegration. Collectively, these factors explained 48 of the 60 items identified by Wicklein's (1993) original study and accounted for 24.4% of the total variance. While the ability of a short list of terms was limited in its capacity to embody the meaning of the 60 distinct concepts represented by the data, the list developed is manageable enough to provide a practical focus for concerted efforts to enhance the field of technology education at a critical time in its existence.
APPROXIMATE BURST STRENGTH OF THIN-WALLED CYLINDERS WITH HEMISPHERICAL CAPS

An approximate solution is presented for the bursting strength of thin- walled cylinders with hemispherically capped ends. Deformation theory of plasticity is used, together with the Mises yield criterion and its associated flow rule. Solutions are presented for materials that strain-harden according to a Ludwik power law relation ship. Results obtained are compared with those for cylinders with rigid ends to determine the influence of end restraint on burst pressure. Numerical results are presented for cylinder lengths varying from zero to infinity and for a range of hardening coefficients from 0 to 1.0. For cylinders with a length/diameter ratio 1 larger than 2, the effect of end restraint, as represented by spherical heads or rigid caps, upon the burst strength is small, amounting to less than 13%. However, for values of 1 < 2.0, this effect becomes significant, the rigidly capped cylinder being considerably stronger than the hemispherically headed one. Furthermore, both shells are considerably stronger than the infinitely long cylinder. (auth)
Detecting image purpose in World Wide Web documents

The number of WWW documents available to users of the Internet is growing at an incredible rate. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to develop systems that aid users in searching, filtering, and retrieving information from the Internet. Currently, only a few prototype systems catalog and index images in Web documents. To greatly improve the cataloging and indexing of images on the Web, we have developed a prototype rule-based systems that detects the content images in Web documents. Content images are images that are associated with the main content of Web documents, as opposed to a multitude of other images that exist in Web documents for different purposes, such as decorative, advertisement and logo images. We present a system that uses decision tree learning for automated rule induction for the content images detection system. The system uses visual features, text-related features and the document context of images in concert for fast and effective content image detection in Web documents. We have evaluated the system by collecting more than 1200 images from 4 different Web sites and we have achieved an overall classification accuracy of 84 percent.
Propagation lengths of surface polaritons at 10.6 microns on BeO and metal substrates

Abstract Propagation lengths at 10.6 μm have been measured to be 120 μm for the surface phonon-polariton on BeO and 5.0, 7.4 and 1.6 mm for surface plasmons on gold, copper and stainless steel. A CO2 laser beam was coupled to the surface mode, propagated a long the surface, and decoupled using the two-prism method.
Temperature-dependent spore dimorphism in Burenella dimorpha (Microspora: Microsporida)

Burenella dimorpha, a microsporidian parasite of the tropical fire ant, Solenopsis geminata, produces two morphologically distinct types of spores. The binucleate free spores (spores not bound by a pansporoblast membrane) develop normally at temperatures at least as low as 20°C and as high as 32°C. The uninucleate octospores (spores bound in octets by a pansporoblast membrane), however, develop in a restricted range of temperature. Octospores constituted 35.9%± 2.6 of the spores in 25 pupae held at 28°C. Raising the temperature to 30°C reduced octospores to < 1% of the total spore population. Lowering the temperature to 25° or 22°C reduced the octospore population to 8.5%± 6.5 or 0.4 ± 0.5, respectively. Inhibition of octospore development was complete at 20°C. In contrast, the octospores of Vairimorpha necatrix and Vairimorpha plodiae are reported to be abundant at 16°C and 21°C, respectively. The critical event blocked in octospore development may be meiosis, as evidenced by an abundance of binucleate sporonts in the octospore sequence of development, and absence of more advanced sporogonic stages in hosts held at inhibitory temperatures. Free spore size is not affected by temperature although yield may be slightly reduced at elevated temperature.
Effect of Pd surface structure on the activation of methyl acetate

Abstract The activation of methyl acetate (CH 3 COOCH 3 ) has been studied using periodic density functional theory calculations to probe the effect of Pd surface structure on this reaction. The adsorption of methyl acetate, dehydrogenated derivatives including enolate (CH 2 COOCH 3 ) and methylene acetate (CH 3 COOCH 2 ), and dissociation products including acetate, acetyl, ketene, methoxy, formaldehyde, CO, C, O, and H; and the C–H and RCO–OR′ C–O bond dissociation in methyl acetate, enolate, and methylene acetate, are calculated on Pd(1 1 1) terrace, step edge, and kink; and on Pd(1 0 0) terrace and step edge. The adsorption of most species is not strongly affected from (1 1 1)- to (1 0 0)-type surfaces, but is clearly enhanced by step/kink compared to the corresponding terrace. For a given reactant, going both from terrace to step edge and from (1 1 1)- to (1 0 0)-type surfaces stabilizes the transition states of C–O bond dissociation steps. Going from terrace to step edge also stabilizes the transition states of C–H bond dissociation steps, but going from (1 1 1)- to (1 0 0)-type surfaces does not clearly do so. Our results suggest that compared to the Pd(1 1 1) terrace, the Pd(1 0 0) terrace is more selective for the C–O bond dissociation that is desirable for alcohol formation, whereas step edges are more selective for C–H bond dissociation.
31P-NMR assay of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine in AL721.

A 1H-NMR based method has been developed for the assay of phosphatidylcholine (PC), and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in AL721. The assay was based on the comparison of NMR signal intensities of the choline and the ethanolamine moiety of PC and PE, respectively, to the signal of imidazole, the internal standard. The assay was reliable and more accurate than the commonly used LC or TLC methods. The uncertainty, due primarily to signal intensities, of the 1H-NMR method was estimated at less than 3%.