cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Delay robustness of a class of nonlinear systems and applications to communication networks

In this note, we first study a class of nonlinear interconnected systems and derive sufficient conditions for their global asymptotic stability in the presence of time delays. These conditions give estimates for the maximum admissible delays that the nominal delay-free model can tolerate without losing stability. We then study a subclass with a specific interconnection structure that appears, among other applications, in several communication networks. To characterize their robustness to delays in backward and forward channels, we combine our main result with a passivity-based stability analysis, applicable to this subclass. We conclude with application examples from Kelly's network flow model of the Internet, and code-division multiple access (CDMA) uplink power control of cellular networks.
Nonlinear motion equations for a Non-Newtonian incompressible fluid in an orthogonal coordinate system

Much interest has developed in recent years in the flow of non-Newtonian fluids and many excellent articles and books have appeared upon this subject (1, 2, 3, 4). However, most of the solutions which have been published have been for steady flows. In this paper the nonlinear equations of motion in general orthogonal coordinates are developed for the non-steady flow of an incompressible non-Newtonian fluid. A solution is presented for the non-steady Hagen-Poiseuille flow through a circular pipe.
Teaching programming to beginners

Because of the rapid growth of computing and its influence in schools and community colleges, we find we must teach a growing number of graduate teachers and administrators how to program. Because we firmly believe that the only programming worth doing is well-structured programming, this is the sort of programming we want to teach these graduates to do. Because BASIC, FORTRAN, and COBOL are so widely implemented around the world, we know that one or more of these languages will be the ones most of our students will end up programming in, after they leave Columbia. Because such languages are not particularly well-suited for teaching structured programming to beginners, we decided to develop an indirect approach to this goal, one which would make the learning of these languages the learning of second languages in a second phase of learning to program. The approach which we have been developing, including the major components of a first programming language - FPL, is suggested in the remainder of this paper. For us, it has proven to be an indirect but effective way to teach raw beginners how to write well-structured programs in archaic, ill-designed, high-level real languages.
Fitness on facebook: advertisements generated in response to profile content.

Abstract Obesity is a challenging problem affecting almost half of college students. To solve this complex health problem, innovative approaches must be utilized. Over 94 percent of college students maintain a Facebook profile, providing them a venue to publicly disclose current fitness behaviors. Displayed advertisements on Facebook are tailored to profile content and may influence college students' fitness efforts. Facebook may be an innovative venue for improving college students' fitness behaviors. The purpose of this project was to determine (a) how and to what extent college students are discussing fitness on Facebook, and (b) how user-generated fitness information is linked to advertisements for fitness products and advice. First, public Facebook profiles of individual college students were evaluated for displayed fitness references based on 10 fitness behavior categories. Inter-rator reliability between two coders was 91.18 percent. Second, 10 fitness status updates were generated and posted by a ...
Torsion-free covers

This paper studies the existence and properties of a torsion-free cover with respect to a faithful hereditary torsion theory (T, F) of modules over a ring with unity. A direct sum of a finite number of torsion-free covers of modules is the torsion-free cover of the direct sum of the modules. The concept of aT-near homomorphism, which generalizes Enochs’ definition of a neat submodule, is introduced and studied. This allows the generalization of a result of Enochs on liftings of homomorphisms. Hereditary torsion theories for which every module has a torsion-free cover are called universally covering. If the inclusion map ofR into the appropriate quotient ringQ is a left localization in the sense of Silver, the problem of the existence of universally-covering torsion theories can be reduced to the caseR=Q. As a consequence, many sufficient conditions for a hereditary torsion theory to be universally covering are obtained. For a universally-covering hereditary torsion theory (T, F), the following conditions are equivalent: (1) the product ofF-neat homomorphisms is alwaysT-neat; (2) the product of torsion-free covers is alwaysT-neat; (3) every nonzero module inT has a nonzero socle.
Long-term Outcomes of Resident- Versus Attending-Performed Primary Trabeculectomy With Mitomycin C in a United States Residency Program

Purpose To evaluate long-term outcomes of primary trabeculectomy with mitomycin C performed by ophthalmology residents. Design Cohort study and case-matched comparison. Methods setting: Residency program. population/intervention: A cohort of glaucoma patients at a Veterans Administration hospital (VAH) and private patients of attending physicians ("attendings") who underwent primary trabeculectomy between 2003 and 2012 with ≥6 months of postoperative follow-up. Qualified surgical success was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤15 and >5 mm Hg (± glaucoma medications) without complications or additional glaucoma surgery. A subgroup of VAH patients with resident-performed trabeculectomy was case-matched to private patients with attending-performed trabeculectomy. outcome measures: Success rate, IOP, glaucoma medication number, visual acuity, complications, and additional glaucoma surgery. Results Eighty-five eyes (85 patients) underwent resident-performed primary trabeculectomy at the VAH with mean follow-up duration of 45.2 ± 28.1 months. Cumulative survival rates were 69.0% ± 5.6% at 3 years and 65.0% ± 6.5% at 5 years of follow-up. The complication rate was 9.4%. Patients in the resident group had more severe preoperative visual field defects, poorer long-term postoperative visual acuity, and a lower rate of cataract surgery performed after trabeculectomy than those in the attending group. Conclusion Glaucoma patients at a VAH with primary trabeculectomy performed by residents under attending supervision had similar success and complication rates as patients who underwent attending-performed trabeculectomies. However, the visual outcomes of patients with trabeculectomy performed by residents were worse in the long term, which might be attributable to a more advanced glaucoma disease stage or a lower rate of cataract surgery performed in the VAH patients.
Measurement of the pressure response of boron-doped CVD diamond piezoresistors as a function of resistivity and electric field

Abstract The pressure response of boron-doped chemical vapor deposited (CVD) polycrystalline diamond piezoresistors has been evaluated using an experimental setup consistent with commercially available differential pressure sensors. The change of resistance due to pressure is measured over a range 10–740 torr for samples with resistivities of 0.29, 10 and 116 Ω cm. The results show that the pressure response is affected by the electric field applied to measure the resistivity. Higher doping minimizes this field dependence and improves the piezoresistive response at the cost of lower sensitivity.
Intersubband absorption in p-type Si1-xGex quantum dots on pre-patterned Si substrates made by a diblock copolymer process

In this work, intersubband absorption in the valence bands of Si 1-x Ge x quantum dots is investigated. Using molecular beam epitaxy, boron-doped (10 20 cm -3 ) Ge dots with base dimensions of 15nm, heights of 5-7 nm, and an aerial dot density of 10 11 cm -2 are grown on pre-patterned Si substrates. The patterned substrate is prepared by a diblock copolymer process. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is used to measure the infrared absorption of various structures (with different dot heights and dot compositions). As the height of quantum dots is decreased, the absorption peak is shifted to a longer wavelength region. For low germanium content (x = 0.5), there is also a red shift of the absorption peak. The results suggest that we can tune optical properties of Si 1-x Ge x quantum dots for infrared detector applications. The polarization-dependent results demonstrate that these structures have significant normal-incidence absorption. This normal-incidence absorption comes from the strong quantum confinement of the small lateral size and non-zero momentum matrix elements. For low Ge content, there is very strong normal-incidence absorption. This observation suggests that we can control polarization dependence of intersubband absorption by adjusting Ge content.
Nt mutation causing laterality defects associated with deletion of rotatin.

No turning (nt), a recessive lethal mutation causing left-right and axial patterning defects, was recovered in outbred CD-1 mice. Homozygous mutant embryos die at E11.5, exhibiting randomized heart tube looping and a failure to undergo embryonic turning. Previous studies showed notochordal defects associated with abnormal expression of HNF3β, lefty, and nodal. To identify the genetic alteration underlying nt mutants, we intercrossed this mutation into a Mus musculus castaneus strain background and conducted a full-genome scan using polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers. We mapped the mutation to an 18-Mb interval in mouse chromosome 18, spanning marker D18mit189 and the distal end of the chromosome. RT-PCR analysis of known genes in the mapped interval showed no transcripts for four genes, including Rttn, CD226, Dok6, and Txndc10. Chromosome walking by serial PCR amplification of genomic DNA from homozygous mutants revealed a 1.6-Mb deletion spanning these four genes. A gene-trap mouse line with disruption of Rttn was previously also shown to have randomized heart tube looping, defects in embryonic turning, and abnormal expression of HNF3β, lefty, and nodal. Together these findings suggest that nt is likely elicited by Rttn deficiency.
Improvement of reduced left ventricular diastolic compliance in ischemic heart disease after successful coronary artery bypass surgery

Abstract To determine the effects of myocardial revascularization on decreased left ventricular diastolic compliance consequent to chronic stable coronary artery disease, 15 patients with patent coronary artery bypass grafts (Group I) were compared with 8 patients with occluded grafts (Group II) studied before and after operation. In addition, eight normal patients served as controls. Left ventricular diastolic compliance was assessed by: (1) total observed diastolic compliance: stroke volume (V) related to left ventricular diastolic pressure (P) change (ΔV/ΔP) normalized for end-systolic volume; (2) left ventricular stiffness index of passive elastic modulus (a = slope of ΔV/ΔP related to mean left ventricular diastolic pressure); and (3) fractional pattern of left ventricular filling. All patients had normal sinus rhythm and none had preoperative or postoperative mitral regurgitation. The two groups with coronary disease were well matched preoperatively for ventricular function, volumes, mass, segmental contraction and compliance. Ejection fraction increased in Group I (0.56 preoperatively to 0.65 postoperatively, P 0.05). Postoperative indexes of left ventricular compliance improved in Group I: (1) 0.110 to 0.150 (P 0.05); (2) 0.033 to 0.039 (P > 0.05); and (3) 36 to 41 percent (P > 0.05). Compliance indexes were not altered (P > 0.05) in a subset of seven patients in Group I with preoperative or intercurrent myocardial infarction. Thus, this investigation demonstrates the relatively reversible nature of abnormal left ventricular compliance after successful coronary artery bypass surgery in certain patients with ischemic heart disease.
CONGENITAL PULMONARY LYMPHANGIECTASIS OCCURRING IN SIBLINGS: POSSIBLE GENETIC IMPLICATIONS

Congenital pulmonary lymphangiectasis (CPL) has been a recognized pathological condition in the newborn for nearly a century. However, all previously reported cases have been sporadic. We report here two female siblings with CPL. The children were born two years apart to normal parents. Family history and both pregnancies were unremarkable. Both, grossly normal at birth, developed bilateral pneumothorax, did not respond to treatment, and died within 24 hours of birth. At autopsy, gross examination of the lungs revealed sub-pleural cystic areas containing clear fluid in all lobes. All other organs from both children appeared normal. Histological examination in both cases confirmed the diagnosis of CPL. CPL has long been considered non-familial. However, its relative rarity may lead to underdiagnosis of CPL in distressed newborns, and thus, to underestimation of familial occurrence. This first reported instance of CPL occurring in sibs should stimulate interest in the accurate diagnosis and further search for a possible genetic component in this disorder.
Radioactive seed localization of nonpalpable breast lesions is better than wire localization

Abstract Background The current study sought to validate radioactive seed localization (RSL) as an alternative to wire localization (WL) to facilitate the operative excision of nonpalpable breast lesions. Methods One hundred consecutive patients underwent preoperative WL and the next 100 RSL. Margins were considered negative if ≥2 mm from in situ and invasive disease. Results RSL resulted in 100% retrieval of the seeds and lesions. Sixty-eight percent of patients underwent RSL at least 1 day before surgery. RSL resulted in a 35% relative improvement in the rate of negative margins in the first specimen ( P = 0.01) and a 62% relative improvement in the rate of reoperation for positive margins ( P = 0.01). The sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification rate was 100% in both groups. Conclusions RSL is effective and safe, and this procedure significantly improved the rate of negative margins in the first specimen and the rate of reoperation for positive margins compared to WL. We highly favor RSL over WL.
Field articulation and working memory

Abstract This experiment assessed the proposal that performance differences associated with field independence/field articulation reflect differential efficiency in the use of a limited capacity information-processing system termed working memory. Extreme scores on a group-administered version of the embedded figures test were used to identify subjects “high” and “low” in degree of field articulation. The task required that a subject retain a series of digits for subsequent report while performing a semantic modification of a target phrase. Concurrent information load on working memory was varied in two ways: by increasing memory load from 3 to 6 digits, and by increasing the complexity of the semantic processing required. In low information load conditions no differences were found between high FA and low FA groups. In high information load conditions low FA subjects made more errors in digit recall and took longer to perform the difficult semantic modification.
Difluorobenzoates as Nonreactive Tracers in Soil and Ground Water

Over the past 10 years, several fluorinated derivatives of benzoic acid have proven their usefulness as nonreactive water tracers. In this study, the suitability of four previously untested isomers of difluorobenzoate (DFBA) as saturated- and unsaturated-zone tracers was examined in a series of laboratory and field experiments. Experimental conditions included batch shaking tests with two different soils, laboratory soil column tests under saturated and unsaturated conditions, a three-month aquifer tracer test, and a month-long tracer test in a field soil. Bromide, which is considered nonreactive in most hydrological environments, was included as an index tracer in each experiment. Under every condition, each DFBA isomer snowed the same concentration distribution and mass recovery as Br. These and other previously tested fluorobenzoates were ranked according to their suitability as nonreactive soil and ground-water tracers.
A novel SNaPshot assay to detect the mdx mutation

The mdx mouse is an animal model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). In order to evaluate possible treatments and to carry out genetic studies, it is essential to distinguish between mice that carry the dystrophic (mutant) or wild-type (wt) allele(s). The current amplification-resistant mutation system (ARMS) assay is labor intensive and yields false negatives, which reduces its efficiency as a screening tool. An alternate assay based on single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) primer extension technology (i.e., SNaPshot) is described. The SNaPshot assay has been optimized to identify both wild-type and mutant alleles, providing a robust, potentially automatable assay for high-throughput analysis.
Chrysocapsopsis rupicola : A new genus and species in the Chrysophyceae

SUMMARY Chrysocapsopsis rupicola gen. et sp. nov. (Chrysophyceae) is described. It differs from Chrysocapsa and the closely related genera Chrysocapselia and Tetrachrysis by possessing both epiphytic and planktonic forms within the same life-history. Reproduction is by budding which produces short irregular branches within a gelatinous mass. Four or more aplanospores are produced from each mother cell; no motile cells were observed.
Coffee and alcohol intake as predictors of smoking cessation and tobacco withdrawal

In one study of 105 smokers who received physician advice plus placebo gum and in another study of 630 self-quitters, neither the presence or absence, nor amount of precessation alcohol, nor coffee intake, nor changes in alcohol or coffee intake postcessation, predicted relapse or most withdrawal symptoms. The one possible exception was that heavy caffeine and alcohol users reported a greater increase in hunger and craving postcessation; however, these effects were not consistent across measures, follow-ups, and studies. Our results are inconsistent with theories that caffeine intoxication from increased caffeine blood levels postsmoking cessation worsen tobacco withdrawal or that alcohol or caffeine use during initial abstinence from smoking increases relapse to smoking.
A typological analysis of the relations between measured vocational interests and abilities

Abstract This investigation focused on an alternative methodology to study the relations between measured vocational interests and abilities. Correlational studies had not found strong relations between the two domains. High point profile analysis was used to study the relations between the six Holland, 1966 , Holland, 1973 , Holland, 1985 vocational personality types, as measured by the General Occupational Theme (GOT) scale scores of the SVIB-SCII ( Campbell, 1974 ; Campbell & Hansen, 1981 ) and the eight ability scale scores of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB; U.S. Department of Labor, 1970) . The sample was 846 vocational assessment clinic clients who were tested between 1978 and 1985. The interest types that emerged from the analysis had generally higher abilities in areas predicted by Holland's theory of vocational personality types. The results indicate that there are relations between typologies derived from measured vocational interests and abilities. A theoretically coherent typology of individuals who received vocational assessment services has been derived.
Thieves, assassins and spies of the microbial world

Extracellular signalling regulates a plethora of multicellular processes. For microbes, maintaining a specific cell–cell signal in an extracellular environment crowded by other species can be extremely challenging. Two recent papers demonstrate how different bacteria have adapted to avoid, or exploit, species cross-signalling.
The nuclear SUV3-1 mutation affects a variety of post-transcriptional processes in yeast mitochondria

The SUV3-1 mutation was isolated earlier as a suppressor of a deletion of a conserved RNA processing site (dodecamer) near the 3' end of the var1 gene. Previous studies indicate that the suppressor enhances translation of mutant var1 messages; unexpectedly, it also causes over-accumulation of excised intron RNA of the large rRNA gene intron and blocks cleavage at the dodecamer site within that intron. In this study most mitochondrial genes in SUV3-1 and suv3 nuclear contexts are surveyed for changes in levels of mRNA, for interference with dodecamer cleavage and splicing and for levels of excised intron RNAs. SUV3-1 has little or no effect on the size or abundance of unspliced RNAs tested. It results, however, in a marked increase in the abundance of seven of eight excised group I intron RNAs tested, most of which are not detectable in wild-type (suv3) strains. The suppressor lowers levels of the cob and coxl mRNAs about 2-5 and 20-fold, respectively. The effect on coxl mRNA results from a decrease in the splicing of its intron 5 beta. Despite the reduction in these mRNA levels, the amounts of coxl and cyt b polypeptides were close to wild-type levels in SUV3-1 cells. These data show that the suv3 gene plays a prominent role in post-transcriptional and translation events in yeast mitochondria.
Beyond the Concordance: Semantic and Mythic Structures in Gower’s Tale of Florent

Phelan argues that the existence of a concordance of the CA will have a major impact on the study of Gower, if used appropriately. He suggests that "there is a strain of the unconscious in the diction of the ancient masters which goes beyond rhetorical principles; and critics need now to proceed beyond the concordance to the construction of a personal literary thesaurus – an idiosyncratic arrangement of the words of an author's language based on the careful consideration of the frequency and kinds of association" (461). On the basis of psychological and structuralist principles, Phelan maintains that the words which recur most frequently within a narrative "must form a network of associations which define in an existential way the central theme of the story" (464). The test case for this theory is the story of Florent in Book 1 of the CA. By means of a series of tables and calculations, Phelan arrives at a number of "first-level words" (467) that separate Gower's version from Chaucer's, both thematically and plot-wise. Gower's key terms are "covenant," "strengthe, "trowthe" and "schape," each of which receives detailed explication. In their totality these words reveal that the underlying trajectory of the narrative is one that "describes the development of the animus or masculine psyche" (476). In the end, then, "the semantic structure parallels and embraces the mythic structure" (472). [CvD]
Antiatherosclerotic effects of statins: LDL versus non-LDL effects

Cardiovascular risk factors, particularly low-density lipoproteins (LDL), give rise to atherosclerosis and its complications by triggering a dysfunctional endothelium, inflammation, and a procoagulant vascular surface. 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibition by statins leads to a fall in circulating and plaque LDL concentrations and improvement in many cellular dysfunctions, but controlled trials only show partial benefit with regard to myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death. Emerging clinical evidence now shows that these risk factors also stimulate the activation (isoprenylation) of small G-binding proteins and, through their effectors (Rho-associated kinase) they can activate many or most of the subcellular and vessel wall pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. Inhibition of Rho-kinase can improve these dysfunctions with no changes in LDL. Similarly, statins can diminish the activation of these small G-binding proteins and their downstream effectors in atherosclerosis. This review compares and contrasts the effects of statins on atherosclerosis that are related to changes in LDL with those effects occurring through these alternate lipid pathways, and suggests that the therapeutic control of these small G-binding proteins and their downstream effectors may significantly add to the partial benefits of using statins in patients with atherosclerotic heart disease.
Remarks on the Systematics of Isotopes

A comparison between the older views on the structure of nuclei and recent ideas is given and possibilities are discussed which might guide to a decision between the two views.
Update on estrogens and the skeleton.

Context: The very clinical trial, the Women’s Health Initiative, which definitely established the antifracture efficacy of estrogen therapy, led to the demise of estrogen treatment as a viable, long-term option for prevention of bone loss in postmenopausal women due to the well-publicized adverse effects of estrogen plus progestin therapy on a number of nonskeletal endpoints. Given the diminishing clinical use of estrogen, it is logical to question whether estrogen regulation of bone remains a relevant issue at a clinical or basic research level. Evidence Acquisition: Findings of this update are based on a PubMed search and the author’s knowledge of the field. Evidence Synthesis: Basic and clinical studies on the mechanisms of estrogen effects on bone will continue to provide potential novel drug targets for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. At a clinical level, it is clear that even the low levels of estrogen present in postmenopausal women have a significant impact on bone turnover, leading ...
The poetics of pedantry from thomas bowdler to susan ferrier

Abstract Susan Ferrier's explorations of canonicity have paradoxically made her work resistant to feminist projects of expanding the canon. Despite her usefulness in literary-historical narratives as a token of gender balance or of national symmetry, Ferrier's esthetic of the hackneyed has made her novels increasingly hard for even literary historians to read, or rather frustratingly easy. Her glib derivativeness resists the most basic critical assumptions about the uses of intertextuality, while the common literacy culture which her novels invoke leaves no space for scholarly ingenuity. Less concerned to represent a world than to exercise readers' taste, Ferrier's novels make no sense within the framework through which we usually read realist fiction. But they do become legible if situated instead within a competing contemporary culture of the anthology. Ferrier's fiction borrows not only the modular form of turn-of-the-century literary anthologies, but also their project of training readers to situate t...
Aneurysmal Bone Cyst located in the Mandibular Condyle

A rare case of aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) located in the mandibular condyle in a 10-year-old boy is presented. The patient came to our attention for a sudden swelling in the right temporomandibular region, the mouth opening was not reduced. A rapid growing mass, depicting soft tissue invasion, in the right condyle of the mandible was found. Clinically and radiographically it resembled to a malignant lesion. The surgical excision of the mandibular condyle allowed a complete removal of the lesion. The histological examination revealed a pseudocystic expanding osteolytic lesion containing blood-filled space separated by connective tissue and many osteoclastic giant cells, which was a conventional vascular ABC. The ABC is an infrequent bone lesion which can only be found very rarely at the craniofacial skeleton. There have been described about 160 cases of ABC originated in the molar region or in upper maxilla and even more rare is the location of this cyst in the mandibular condyle. Only 6 cases were reported in the literature to date. A complete surgical resection of this osteolytic lesion is the treatment of choice considering its high recurrence rate. The condyle was not replaced with any graft. Therefore a functional device was used after surgery to overcome the lack of the condyle and to stimulate the growth of the ramus.
Pain control following inguinal herniorrhaphy: current perspectives

Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most common surgeries performed worldwide. With the success of modern hernia repair techniques, recurrence rates have significantly declined, with a lower incidence than the development of chronic postherniorrhaphy inguinal pain (CPIP). The avoidance of CPIP is arguably the most important clinical outcome and has the greatest impact on patient satisfaction, health care utilization, societal cost, and quality of life. The etiology of CPIP is multifactorial, with overlapping neuropathic and nociceptive components contributing to this complex syndrome. Treatment is often challenging, and no definitive treatment algorithm exists. Multidisciplinary management of this complex problem improves outcomes, as treatment must be individualized. Current medical, pharmacologic, interventional, and surgical management strategies are reviewed.
Something in the Air: Hyperoxic Conditioning of the Tumor Microenvironment for Enhanced Immunotherapy

Recent clinical trials in cancer therapy have demonstrated unprecedented responses through blockade of CTLA-4 and PD-1 immune checkpoint pathways. In a provocative recent paper in Science Translational Medicine, Hatfield and colleagues demonstrate the ability of supplemental oxygen to act as a novel immune checkpoint inhibitor by disrupting the hypoxia-adenosine-A2aR pathway.
An open question.

The article discusses Android software by the U.S. Internet search company Google and why the author feels that open software is not necessarily better software. The author provides several examples of proprietary and licensing models that experienced both success and failure, such as the iPod by U.S. computer manufacturer Apple and U.S. software manufacturer Microsoft, and what makes the Android a success.
Defining the envelope for sonic IR: detection limits and damage limits

Work is presented which begins to define the envelope of applicability for the sonic IR NDE technique. Detection limits define the faintest flaw signal that can be perceived, which is a function of flaw size and depth, excitation strength and duration, and the detector limits (spatial, temporal, thermal). A unique contribution of the present work is a model to predict the dynamic frictional heating of a crack, and this is combined with a transient heat transfer analysis to define the detection limits. Damage limits consider the risk of damage to a part from the application of the dynamic excitation. Experience has shown that the dynamic excitation can damage parts, notably for brittle materials such as ceramics with existing flaws. Since sonic IR is intended to be nondestructive it is important to test parts in a manner consistent with preserving the part integrity. The evaluation of damage limits assumes that additional part damage during testing is a fatigue process that propagates existing cracks. Paris' law for fatigue damage is employed to provide an estimate of fatigue crack propagation during the dynamic forcing. Both detection limits and damage limits are combined to create an envelope of applicability for sonic IR. Further experimental effort is required to tune and validate the analytical tools presented herein. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract W-7405-Eng-48.
Arazate Method for Estimating Copper in Water

Abstract A method using zinc dibenzyldithiocarbamate (Arazate) for estimating copper in water was not significantly different from the Bathocuproine procedure. Repeatability trials at two levels of copper gave standard deviations of 0.001 and 0.002ppm. Twelve samples with 0.1 and 0.2ppm of added copper had recoveries of 93 to 104% and 93 to 103% with means of 100 and 99%. The presence of>10ppm of chlorine, however, interfered with the recovery of copper.
Nonbarrier contraceptives and vaginitis and vaginosis.

Within the limitations of the available data, it has been reported that oral contraceptive use versus other contraceptive methods is associated with a greater or similar frequency of candidiasis, increased numbers of anaerobic microorganisms, an increased or similar frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis , and a reduced frequency of bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis. The impact of contraceptive steroids on cellular and humoral immunologic factors may explain these observations. Intrauterine contraceptive device use is reported to be associated with an increased rate of bacterial vaginosis and anaerobic organism recovery from the vagina regardless of symptoms. Patients having a contraceptive vaginal ring were found to have the same number and types of vaginal organisms as oral contraceptive users. Levonorgestrel-releasing subdermal implant (Norplant, Wyeth-Ayerst, Philadelphia, Pa.) users have been reported to have approximately half the rate of vaginitis and vaginosis compared with that of Copper T-200 intrauterine device users.
Metabolism of D- and DL-β-hydroxybutyrate by mouse embryos in vitro

Abstract Rates of 14 CO 2 production by mouse conceptuses in vitro from d - and dl -[3- 14 C]-β-hydroxybutyrate (βOHB) were determined during the period of organogenesis (days 9 through 12 of gestation) in the presence of 4 to 32 mmol/L dl -βOHB. During this time period the rates 14 CO 2 production from d -βOHB metabolism are concentration-dependent, increase on each day of gestation, and the site of metabolism appears to shift from the visceral yolk sac placenta to the embryo proper. In contrast to fetal and neonatal tissues, the rates of 14 CO 2 production from dl -βOHB oxidation is significantly greater than from d -βOHB suggesting that the utilization of the l -isomer may be equal to or greater than that of the d -form.
Defining recovery from an eating disorder: Conceptualization, validation, and examination of psychosocial functioning and psychiatric comorbidity

Conceptually, eating disorder recovery should include physical, behavioral, and psychological components, but such a comprehensive approach has not been consistently employed. Guided by theory and recent recovery research, we identified a "fully recovered" group (n = 20) based on physical (body mass index), behavioral (absence of eating disorder behaviors), and psychological (Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire) indices, and compared them with groups of partially recovered (n = 15), active eating disorder (n = 53), and healthy controls (n = 67). The fully recovered group was indistinguishable from controls on all eating disorder-related measures used, while the partially recovered group was less disordered than the active eating disorder group on some measures, but not on body image. Regarding psychosocial functioning, both the fully and partially recovered groups had psychosocial functioning similar to the controls, but there was a pattern of more of the partially recovered group reporting eating disorder aspects interfering with functioning. Regarding other psychopathology, the fully recovered group was no more likely than the controls to experience current Axis I pathology, but they did have elevated rates of current anxiety disorder. Results suggest that a stringent definition of recovery from an eating disorder is meaningful. Clinical implications and future directions regarding defining eating disorder recovery are discussed.
Rank Estimation and the Multivariate Analysis of in Vivo Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetric Data

Principal component regression has been used in the past to separate current contributions from different neuromodulators measured with in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry. Traditionally, a percent cumulative variance approach has been used to determine the rank of the training set voltammetric matrix during model development; however, this approach suffers from several disadvantages including the use of arbitrary percentages and the requirement of extreme precision of training sets. Here, we propose that Malinowski’s F-test, a method based on a statistical analysis of the variance contained within the training set, can be used to improve factor selection for the analysis of in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetric data. These two methods of rank estimation were compared at all steps in the calibration protocol including the number of principal components retained, overall noise levels, model validation as determined using a residual analysis procedure, and predicted concentration information. By analyzing ...
Effect of Practice Contractions on Grip Strength of Elderly Females

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of gradient sub-maximal practice contractions versus no practice contractions on grip strength of elderly females. There were 35 healthy females who varied in age from 65 to 89 years. During one session they performed three gradient submaximal practice contractions, followed by six maximal contractions. During the other session they performed six maximal contractions without practice contractions. Each subject's grip strength was defined in two ways: The measurements of six successive maximal contractions and the mean of the first three of these measurements. Analyses demonstrated no significant differences or interactions. Because of low power, the data were reorganized to decrease the variability within the sets of data. Although further analyses demonstrated statistically significant differences, the differences were too small to be considered as clinically significant. The findings suggest that the use of gradient submaximal practice contractions w...
A simple model for the calculation of the extra-atomic relaxation energies in ionic solids

Abstract A simple model for the calculation of the extra-atomic relaxation energies in ionic solids is developed. It is particularly useful for materials with complicated structures or with only short-range order. It takes into account both the bulk polarization and the local structure of the solid. Moreover, the input parameters: nearest neighbor distance, coordination number, polarizabilities of ions, and dielectric constant, can all be determined experimentally. Agreement with both the exact calculation of the Mott-Littleton energy (within 0.1 eV) and the extra-atomic relaxation energy estimated from the Auger parameter (within a few tenths of an eV) is achieved.
Development and Implementation of a Control System for a Parallel Hybrid Powertrain

Iterative modeling and simulation form an integral part of modern control system design. While industry engineers rely heavily on proprietary "legacy" models to rapidly develop and implement new control systems, others must initiate models to develop production-capable control systems. The design process has now been considerably improved by the availability of COTS modeling packages, vehicle simulators, software environments for RT execution and compatible production hardware. This paper documents the incremental approach adopted by the Mississippi State University Challenge X team to configure the overall powertrain system controller of its through-the-road parallel hybrid electric vehicle.
Lending Student Voice to Latino ELL Migrant Children's Perspectives on Learning

Migrant workers in the United States have a well-documented history of struggle. This research explored the perspectives of a select group of middle school Latino migrant students in terms of their education in the United States. The research used qualitative and quantitative data gathered from a focus group session and a survey that explored the experiences of these students in the United States. Results of this study indicate that trust in educators is an issue for middle school migrant students, who tend to trust teachers of Latino heritage more than those of a different background.
Alloy thermodynamics by mass spectrometry: A critical review

Mass spectrometric techniques of sufficient accuracy to permit reliable measurement of alloy activity as a function of temperature have been developed. These offer the advantages that derive from sensitivity, speed of measurement and ability to work easily with complex vapors. Two methods require that the two components be volatile; ratios of ion currents are measured. The ratio/model method (Hoch et al.) invokes the regular solution model. The ratio/ Gibbs - Duhem (Lyubimov et al.; Belton and Fruehan; Neckel et al.) method invokes the Gibbs - Duhem equation. Internal standard (I.S.) methods incorporated concurrent measurement of a reference materials. The I.S./ isotope or “triple cell” method (Hoch et al.) requires isotopically enriched materials, while the I.S./dual or multiple cell methods (Stafford, Whitmore et al.; De Maria et al.) use mechanical motion under vacuum to select the sample studied. Details and difficulties of the methods, listed above in order of increasing information output, are presented, compared and critically evaluated. A complete listing of the applications to date is presented.
An Efficient Algorithm for Multi-Item Scheduling

A number of resource-allocation problems, including that of multi-item scheduling, may be solved approximately as large linear programs, as in Manne [Management Sci. 4, 115-135 1958]. Dzielinski and Gomory [Management Sci. 11, 874-890 1965] applied the Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition principle to this problem. Here, the problem is attacked directly, using a column generation technique and Dantzig and Van Slyke's generalized upper-bounding method [J. Comp. and Syst. Sci. 1, 213-226 1967]. For problems involving I items and T time periods, one need deal with a basis matrix of dimension only T by T. A lower bound on the optimal cost may be developed, and intermediate solutions all have Manne's integer property loc. cit.. Computational experiments, including an option for pricing out subproblem solutions until none is useful, show a number of iterations to optimality of from one-half to one-ninth the number required by the decomposition principle with work per iteration remaining approximately the same. Extensions of the basic model are also described. These form the core of an automated production-scheduling and inventory-control system, currently being used by a major U. S. manufacturer. Computational experience with this extended model is presented.
PULMONARY COMPLICATIONS OF GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX/HIATAL HERNIA IN CHILDREN

As part of a retrospective analysis of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and/or hiatal hernia (HH) in infants and children, all chest films obtained during the month prior to or following an upper gastrointestinal study on 507 consecutive children (April 73-June 75) were reviewed for pulmonary abnormalities (clinically manifest or unsuspected) consisting of either single or multiple areas of consolidation, emphysema, or both. GER and/or HH was found in 209 (41%) of the total group studied and in 55 (67%) of the 82 children with positive chest findings (P<0.001). The 55 pulmonary cases with GER and/or HH were significantly different in age distribution from the 27 patients without abnormalities of the cardia with 48/55 (87%) of the first group aged one year and under while only 14/27 (52%) of the second group fell into this age group (P<0.001). The clinical course and resolution of pulmonary abnormalities by x-ray were related to the presence or absence of cardioesophageal (CE) abnormalities in that either chronic, shifting, and/or recurrent changes were found in 9/27 (33%) of cases without and 26/55 (47%) of cases with GER and/or HH. Finally, in those cases with GER/HH, persistent pulmonary changes occured in 21/35 (60%) with major reflux (grades 3-5) but in only 5/20 (25%) with minor reflux (grades 1 - 2, delayed only) and hiatal hernia only (P<0.02). Tufts Medical School (New England Medical Center Hospital) Department of Pediatrics, Boston.
How do we decide whom our friends are? Defining levels of friendship in Poland and the United States.

Participants were 57 U.S. college students and 56 Polish university students and copper mine workers who judged the intimacy of 9 hypothetical relationships and also rated the intensity of their relationships with a best friend, a friend, and an acquaintance on the Friendship Intensity Measurement Scale (FIMS; T. S. Arunkumar & B. Dharmangadan, 2001). The present results confirmed that people perceive (a) relationships with best friends as more intense and intimate than other friendships and (b) other friendships as more intense and intimate than acquaintanceships. The results also indicated that Americans perceive all of their relationships, ranging from mere acquaintanceships to intimate friendships, as more intense and intimate than do Poles. It was somewhat surprising that there were no sex differences in either country in the perception of relationships. The authors discussed the research in the context of the difficulty of defining what friendship is and how an individual's cultural background might...
Occurrence of Urinary Calculi in Inbred Strain (C3H) of Mice Treated with Estrogen

SummaryUrinary calculi occurred in 33.1% of the 151 strain C3H male mice treated with estogren, and in 4.1% of 96 controls. The highest incidence was noted in mice 5 months of age or older, which had received from 9 to 20 weekly injections of 100 rat units. The calculi appeared at an earlier age in the treated animals.
Work functions of rhenium and tungsten determined by thermionic and mass spectrometric measurements

Abstract Measurements have been made of the changes in the effective work function of polycrystalline tungsten, rhenium, and tungsten—rhenium alloys at high temperatures, as a function of the ambient oxygen pressures in the range of 10−8 to 10−5 Torr. The observed work function changes were determined by two techniques: (1) the standard thermionic emission method, utilizing Richardson's equation and (2) a mass spectrometric method wherein the positive ion emission rates of the specimen were monitored as a function of specimen temperature. In this latter method, calculations were made on the basis of the Saha—Langmuir equation that relates ion emission rates to the ionization potential, work function, and absolute temperature of the sample. Experimental data from both methods in the temperature range 1700 K to 2150 K yielded consistent work function values for the pure metals. A maximum work function increase about 0.7 eV was noted for both tungsten and rhenium at 1710 K at 10−5 Torr, compared to a 10−8 Torr reference. In the case of the alloys, there is a large difference in the effective work function change as determined by thermionic and mass spectrometric measurements. Ion emission is demnated by the high work function element, while electron emission is dominated by the low work function element.
Altered fractionation and adjuvant chemotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Background. The aim of this review was to dis- cuss the role of altered fractionation and adjuvant chemother- apy for patients treated with definitive radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods. This review explores the pertinent literature and discusses the optimal management of previously untreated patients with stage III-stage IVA and/or -B HNSCCs. Results. Depending on the schedule, altered fractionation improves locoregional control and survival. Both hyperfractio- nation and concomitant boost RT improve locoregional control and are associated with improved overall survival (OS). Adju- vant chemotherapy improves OS; the greatest impact is observed after concomitant versus induction or maintenance chemotherapy. Monochemotherapy appears to be equivalent to polychemotherapy. Drugs associated with the greatest sur- vival benefit include fluorouracil and cisplatin. Intraarterial chemotherapy offers no advantage over intravenous chemo- therapy. Concomitant cetuximab and RT results in improved outcomes similar to those observed after concomitant cispla- tin-based chemotherapy and RT. Conclusions. Altered fractionation and/or concomitant chemotherapy result in improved outcomes compared with conventionally fractionated definitive RT alone for stage III- stage IV HNSCC. The optimal combination of RT fractionation and chemotherapy remains unclear. V