cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemical ordering in some amorphous alloys

Abstract Measurements of the glass transition temperature T g , the temperature T x for the initiation of crystallization and the temperature T p at maximum heat evolution during crystallization were obtained by differential scanning calorimetry of amorphous alloys in the series Fe 100− x B x , (Fe 0.5 Ni 0.5 ) 100− x and (Fe 1− x -Ni x ) 80 B 20 . The values of T g , T x and T p for crystallization to the body-centered tetragonal Fe 3 B phase all incresed with increasing boron in the alloy series Fe 100− x B x . In the series (Fe 0.5 Ni 0.5 ) 100− x B x T g , T x and T p for crystallization to the Ni 3 B-type phase all decreased with increasing boron. Increasing the fraction of nickel in the series (Fe 1− x -Ni x ) 80 B 20 lowered T g , T x and T p for crystallization. The effect of nickel reflects a chemical ordering between the nickel and boron atoms that decreases viscosity and the energy for hole formation. With increasing nickel and boron both the glass transition temperature and the temperature for crystallization are reduced.
Piezo- and thermo-optic behavior of spinel (MgAl2O4)

Abstract The piezo- and thermo-optic properties of oxides are extremely interesting and fascinating, since in some oxides such as vitreous silica, α-quartz, etc., the refractive index increases with hydrostatic pressure, while in some others such as MgO, SrTiO 3 , α-Al 2 O 3 , etc., it decreases with pressure. Similarly, for MgO, α-Al 2 O 3 , and vitreous silica the refractive index increases with temperature while for α-quartz it decreases. This paper reports the variation of refractive indices of both stoichiometric (S) and nonstoichiometric (N) spinel in the pressure range 0–14 kbars and in the temperature range 25–700°C determined by the interferometric technique. The refractive indices of bothS andN spinels decrease linearly with pressure with the slopes 0.09 1 · 10 −3 and 0.06 5 · 10 −3 kbar −1 , respectively, and increase with temperature with the initial slopes of 0.90 5 · 10 −5 and 0.93 4 · 10 −5 deg −1 C, respectively. Since a unique value of polarizability cannot be attributed to the oxygen ion in oxides, it is impossible to predict the magnitude and sign ofd/ndP andd/ndT unambiguously for an oxide. However, it is shown that an extension of the recent theoretical analysis of refractive behavior of ionic and covalent solids developed by Levine, leads to predictions of piezo- and thermo-optic properties of spinel which are in satisfactory agreement with experiment.
An AB initio study of the electronic structure of C2O2

An ab initio LCGO MO SCF calculation using the Roothaan open-shell procedure was carried out on C2O2. The electronic structure and stability of the molecule is discussed.
Evaluation of the impact of enhanced parental legal representation on the timing of permanency outcomes for children in foster care

Abstract While the U.S. Supreme Court has expressed the opinion that providing parental counsel to indigent parents is generally a sound practice, it has ruled that parents do not have an absolute constitutional right to counsel in termination of parental rights proceedings, and not all states provide a statutory right to counsel after child protection proceedings have been initiated or in termination proceedings. What constitutes adequate representation for indigent parents involved in abuse and neglect and parental rights termination proceedings remains an open question. This study addresses gaps in knowledge about the functioning of child welfare services and juvenile courts by evaluating the impact of a program of enhanced parental legal representation on the timing of permanency outcomes for 12,104 children who entered court-supervised out-of-home care in Washington State for the first time between 2004 and 2007. The study employs methods that are methodologically superior to prior efforts to evaluate parental representation and focuses on key outcomes of the child welfare and dependency court systems. Study findings provide evidence that the availability of improved parental legal representation speeds reunification with parents, and for those children who do not reunify, it speeds achieving permanency through adoption and guardianship.
Clinical application of microfluidic leukocyte enrichment protocol in mild phenotype sickle cell disease (SCD)

Nucleated cell populations, including leukocytes and circulating endothelial cells, provide an ideal sample for studies seeking to understand the pathogenesis of diseases for development of drugs and treatments. Conventional leukocyte enrichment protocols have limitations with respect to selective cell loss and artifactual activation. An automated microfluidic device was developed for leukocyte enrichment from peripheral blood to ensure enumeration of high quality sample without cell loss or artifactual activation. Pre-clinical trials have shown the efficiency of the device to maximize cell yield and minimize artifactual activation in comparison to conventional techniques. Clinical validation and the ability of the microfluidic technique to enrich leukocyte samples to understand disease processes was accomplished in this study by quantifying circulating nucleated cells and their activation status in healthy controls and mild phenotype sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. Results confirm the clinical effectiveness of this technique to accurately characterize immune and inflammatory status.
Attachment of Salmonella typhimurium to Poultry Skin as Related to Cell Viability

3 H-labeled S. typhimurium cells inactivated by gamma-radiation ( 60 Co) and by formaldehyde (5%) were used to determine if cell viability affected attachment to poultry skin. Both gamma-irradiated and formaldehyde-treated cells attached like live cells. There was no difference in attachment between cells grown in a chemically defined medium (SCDM) or in brain heart infusion broth (BHI). Live and gamma-irradiated cells and BHI-grown and SCDM-grown cells had similar surface hydrophobicity. Live and gamma-irradiated cells had similar cell surface charges, whereas BHI and SCDM-grown cells had different surface charges. Differences in cell surface charge did not affect attachment rate.
1H and 13C NMR studies of new polyamide–imides containing fluorene units

On complete par spectrometrie RMN la caracterisation de quatre nouveaux polyamidoimides, qui ont ete prepares par la polymerisation d'une diamine avec un chlorure de diacide
Chemiluminescence detection in capillary electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) and related techniques yield highly efficient separations while requiring only minute amounts of sample. Thus, these techniques are amenable to analyses of complex samples in diverse matrices and in situations where sample is extremely limited. The constraints of on-column detection generally result in poor detection limits and have reduced the overall application of CE. One logical approach to increased sensitivity in CE detection has been the development of chemiluminescence (CL)-based detectors. The current state of post-column detector development, CL applications, and limitations of the technique are reported herein.
MULTIOBJECTIVE ROUTING AND SCHEDULING OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENTS

Good routing and scheduling decisions for hazardous materials shipments often require the explicit consideration of multiple objectives. Also, the performance of the relevant facilities in the transportation system typically varies by time of day with respect to many of these objectives. The authors discuss the reliability and performance of a heuristic that can be used to identify good routes and schedules for hazardous material shipments. Presented is the second part of a two-part analysis. The first part described a method for performing an integrated routing/ scheduling analysis with multiple objectives when the arc attributes are time variant. This part discusses the quality of that analysis and additional heuristics that can be used to improve the quality of the solution generated.
Ocean Color Continuity From VIIRS Measurements Over Tampa Bay

Ocean color continuity calls for consistent observations from multiple sensors in order to establish a seamless data record to address earth science questions. Currently, both Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on the Terra and Aqua satellites are being operated well beyond their designed five-year mission life, and they have shown signs of sensor degradation. It is thus urgent to evaluate whether the most recently launched Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument (2011 to present) can provide consistent observations should MODIS instruments stop functioning. In this study, the consistency between MODIS/Aqua and VIIRS measurements over the Tampa Bay estuary ( ~ 1000 km2) is assessed for remote sensing reflectance (Rrs, sr-1), chlorophyll-a concentrations (Chla, mg·m-3), and absorption coefficient of colored dissolved organic matter (ag(443), m-1). While Rrs was derived as a standard National Aeronautics and Space Administration product from the SeaDAS software package (reprocessing version R2013.0), Chla and ag(443) were estimated using the recently developed regional algorithms for Tampa Bay. Time-series analysis and statistics both showed that the two sensors provided consistent measurements for most products evaluated, with unbiased mean percentage differences of 25% and mean annual biases within -9% (except for one of the eight cases) for large dynamic ranges in Chla (1.0-20 mg·m-3) and ag(443) (0.1-1.5 m-1) in all four bay segments. These estimates are comparable or better than those derived from satellite-in situ comparisons, suggesting that VIIRS will provide observations consistent with MODIS, ensuring ocean color continuity and seamless data records for Tampa Bay. Such observations are crucial in establishing a long-term satellite-based water quality decision matrix for Tampa Bay.
Aortic and renal lesions in hypercholesterolemic adult, male, virgin sprague-dawley rats

Male, virgin Sprague-Dawley rats received for periods of from 2 to 80 weeks 1 of the 3 following diets: Commercial rat chow (control diet), commercial rat chow supplemented with cholesterol (cholesterol diet) or commercial rat chow supplemented with cholic acid and taurine in equimolar amounts (cholic acid diet). Plasma cholesterol concentration was elevated in all rats kept on the cholesterol or on the cholic acid diets. Three of 8 rats kept on the control diet also developed hypercholesterolemia 80 weeks after beginning the experiment. Intimal plaques in the aorta and glomerulosclerosis were observed in all rats with plasma cholesterol concentrations above 150 mg/100 ml, including the three hypercholesterolemic controls. Cholesterol concentrations in the aorta and kidneys of the rats with these lesions were not increased above the control values while hypercholesterolemia was common to all the rats with these lesions regardless of the type of the diet.
Realizing tunable molecular thermal devices based on photoisomerism—Is it possible?

In this work, we address the question if it is possible to tune the thermal conductance through photoisomerism-capable molecular junctions. Using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, we study heat flow due to phonons between two silicon leads connected via two classes of photoisomeric molecules—(a) azobenzene and (b) Spiropyran (SP)–Merocyanine (MC) isomers. For the case of azobenzene, isomeric states with different conformations are realized via mechanical strain, while in the case of SP-MC, via a hybridization change. Based on the phononic contribution to thermal conductance, we observe that the thermal conductance of both junctions is rather insensitive to the isomeric state, thereby rendering the tunability of molecular thermal devices rather difficult. Consistent with these observations, the vibrational density of states for different configurations yields very similar spectra. We note that including the effect of electronic contribution to thermal conductance could enhance the tunability of thermal properties, albeit weakly.
Project Back-on-Track at 1 Year: A Delinquency Treatment Program for Early-Career Juvenile Offenders

ABSTRACT Objective This study assessed the effectiveness of Project Back-on-Track, an after-school diversion program that uses a multimodal approach for the treatment of early-career juvenile offenders. Method Project Back-on-Track completers (30 of 41 enrollees; 73%), aged 9 to 17 years, 63% female, participated in a 4-week cycle of treatment consisting of group and family therapies, parent groups, educational sessions, community service projects, and empathy-building exercises. These youths attended the program 2 hours per day, 4 days a week, allowing for 32 hours of contact with the program per cycle; parents attended the program for 15 hours per cycle. Most youths were referred for violent offenses and met criteria for conduct disorder. Results Project Back-on-Track completers were significantly less likely than matched controls to have committed subsequent criminal offenses at 12 months. In addition, they had significantly fewer subsequent criminal charges at 9- and 12-month follow-up intervals than the control group. By decreasing the frequency of criminal recidivism, it is estimated that Project Back-on-Track resulted in savings to society of approximately $1,800 per youth enrolled after 1 year. Conclusion At 1-year follow-up, findings suggest that treatment through Project Back-on-Track was effective in reducing criminal recidivism and costs in a population of early-career juvenile offenders.
Silenced Voices: Stories of Incarcerated Women

“The greatest challenge of the day is how to bring about a revolution of the heart.” —Dorothy Day “We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.” —The Talmud Incarcerated women are amo...
Is the Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model relevant for real spin glasses?

I describe the results of numerical simulations which test whether the Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model, which was solved by Parisi, applies to short-range spin glasses. I conclude that it probably does for dimension d greater than 6, but there appear to be some differences in lower dimensions. In particular, there does not appear to be the line of transitions in a magnetic field (AT line) which is seen in the SK model.
Role Transitions in Organizational Life: An Identity-Based Perspective

The article reviews the book “Role Transitions in Organizational Life: An Identity-Based Perspective,” by Blake E. Ashforth.
Theoretical treatment of collisions of Rydberg atoms with neutral atoms and molecules. Semiquantal, impulse, and multistate-orbital theories

The semiquantal treatment of ionization in $A\ensuremath{-}B(n)$ collisions, based on encounters between the Rydberg electron $e$ and incident atom or molecule $A$, is derived from the full quantal impulse approximation. The useful transformation between the dynamical variables natural to these treatments is provided. Various levels of approximation are then deduced and necessary criteria for validity of application of the basic impulse expression to various types of $A\ensuremath{-}B(n)$ processes---ionization, excitation, and quasielastic---in different energy regions are emphasized, including those associated with the additional assumption of "on-the-energy-shell" ($e\ensuremath{-}A$) encounters. It is pointed out for cases involving quasielastic collisions at thermal energies that models based on ($e\ensuremath{-}A$) encounters alone may not provide either a full or proper description of the underlying mechanism. A new treatment of (in) elastic transitions via ($A\ensuremath{-}{B}^{+}$) encounters at thermal energies and beyond is introduced and formulated. Preliminary assessment indicates that the proposed new mechanism is significant and could well be dominant in quasielastic $A\ensuremath{-}B(n)$ processes.
Effect of treatment of shell vial cell cultures with dimethyl sulfoxide and dexamethasone and age of MRC-5 monolayers for detection of cytomegalovirus

Abstract Pretreatment of MRC-5 cell monolayers in commercially prepared shell vials with 1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 10 -5 mol/L dexamethasone (DEX) was evaluated. Preliminary experiments indicated enhanced infectivity of AD-169 for pretreated MRC-5 cells in shell vials of ages 9 and 16 days. Compared with untreated shell vials, DMSO-DEX increased positivity (day 9, 19 vs. 26 shell vials, p NS ). The median number of fluorescent foci was not significantly higher in treated shell vials. Increased toxicity of MRC-5 cells was observed in treated monolayers (p
Growth and Nutrition Disorders in Children with Cerebral Palsy.

Growth and nutrition disorders are common secondary health conditions in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Poor growth and malnutrition in CP merit study because of their impact on health, including psychological and physiological function, healthcare utilization, societal participation, motor function, and survival. Understanding the etiology of poor growth has led to a variety of interventions to improve growth. One of the major causes of poor growth, malnutrition, is the best-studied contributor to poor growth; scientific evidence regarding malnutrition has contributed to improvements in clinical management and, in turn, survival over the last 20 years. Increased recognition and understanding of neurological, endocrinological, and environmental factors have begun to shape care for children with CP, as well. The investigation of these factors relies on advances made in the assessment methods available to address the challenges inherent in measuring growth in children with CP. Descriptive growth charts and norms of body composition provide information that may help clinicians to interpret growth and intervene to improve growth and nutrition in children with CP. Linking growth to measures of health will be necessary to develop growth standards for children with CP in order to optimize health and well-being.
Fuzzy multivariate rule-building expert systems: Minimal neural networks

A fuzzy multivariate rule-building expert system (FuRES) has been devised which also functions as a minimal neural network. This system builds rules from training sets of data that use feature transformation in their antecedents. The rules are constructed using the ID3 algorithm with a fuzzy expression of classification entropy. The rules are optimal with respect to fuzziness and can accommodate overlapped and underlapped clusters of data. The FuRES algorithm combines the benefits obtained from simulated annealing and gradient optimization, which provide robustness and efficiency respectively. FuRES classification trees support OR logic in their inference. The system automatically generates meaningful and consistent certainty factors during rule construction. Unlike other neural networks, FuRES uses local processing which furnishes qualitative information in the rule structure of its classification trees and variable loadings of the weight vectors.
Synaptic Adhesion: the Building Blocks of Memory?

Because LTP is relatively short lasting—compared to our lifespan—it has been universally believed that permanent changes in synaptic structure could be involved in memory formation. Suggestive of this, conversion of ordinary LTP to a durable form termed L-LTP is blocked by inhibitors of transcription and protein synthesis (reviewed byMilner et al. 1998xMilner, B, Squire, L.R, and Kandel, E.R. Neuron. 1998; 20: 445–468Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (772)See all ReferencesMilner et al. 1998). In addition, if L-LTP is produced by growth or splitting of the existing synapses, or by new synapse formation, such an increase in synapse number would be an advantage to the neural circuitry. Since LTP is saturable, addition of new synapses during L-LTP will provide the means to unsaturate the total synaptic strength, assuming that the new synapses are not already fully potentiated. The overall synaptic strength would then revert back to a state that can be further regulated. One might therefore expect that cell adhesion molecules may play a role during a later phase of LTP when synapse remodeling becomes an issue. The recently demonstrated involvement of cell adhesion molecules in LTP indicates a role in its immediate expression. This finding is not, however, incompatible with a potential role in later, long-term, structural changes. Cadherins could be necessary for LTP's immediate enhancement of synaptic transmission, while at the same time laying the foundation for the changes to come. What remains to be seen is whether LTP actually causes new synapse formation and if other steps leading up to that are mediated by cell adhesion molecules as well.Altogether, the emerging picture of synaptic junctions in the brain is that it is a highly dynamic structure. While we often think of shuttling synaptic vesicles as the central moving parts of synapses, the active zone may not be as static as it seems from the electron micrograph pictures with which we are all familiar. The participation of increasing numbers of synaptic cell adhesion molecules in the regulation of synaptic efficacy opens up new angles from which to approach myriad aspects of synaptic function. The next several years will undoubtedly be an exciting time for the structural molecules present at synapses.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND FOREIGN TRADE1

(c) A selection of the Reading Vocabulary may be taught as a separate speech course. Each chapter ends in a description or conversation or other end-exercise led up to by a variety of drills practising the various new elements required for the end-exercise. This type of course supplies a vocabulary better adapted to conversational needs, and its situations are the situations of conversation and everyday life. Learn to Speak by Speaking was the first attempt to produce such a course. All the above methods (a, b, c) differ from the normal classroom procedure in that the lesson is not between teacher and individual children, but between children working in pairs, or between the individual child and his book (talking to himself from a picture). The teacher introduces an exercise; the children then practise it themselves; the teacher meanwhile goes round among the children, listening-in to detect mistakes. In an ordinary oral lesson (as noted above) each child gets about thirty seconds' speaking practice. In a New Method lesson each child gets (in a well-conducted lesson) about fifteen minutes' actual speaking practice (simultaneous drill being counted at one-half the time value of self-practice or practice in pairs). This result is rendered possible by the nature of the books; they are self-teaching; the teacher is merely a supervisor. On the continent of Europe teachers tend to over-emphasize English grammar, or even to manufacture grammar where there is none. All grammar is a logical arrangement and presentation of individual speech habits, but these speech habits are in fact and in life disjointed responses to individual situations. The native does not think "I1 (je suis, tu est, il est) est (mon-ma) mon mari." Rather "est" and "mon" are produced just as spontaneously as the word "plume" at the sight of that article. The basis of the New Method system is a set of self-teaching books in which the pupil learns to read by reading, to speak by speaking. Both the content words and the structural elements are learned in situations, as responses to a situation.
Analysis of c-kit protein expression in small-cell lung carcinoma and its implication for prognosis.

Recently, therapies targeting signaling pathways involved in the pathogenesis of different tumors have been developed. Studies have shown that the tyrosine kinase inhibitor STI-571 (Gleevec) is used successfully against tumors expressing the c-kit oncogene, such as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). A recent in vitro study also demonstrated an antiproliferative effect of STI-571 on small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines. To determine the expression of c-kit in SCLC, we retrospectively analyzed presence of c-kit by immunohistochemistry in biopsy samples from patients with SCLCs. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissue samples from 30 SCLCs were stained with an antibody directed against c-kit (CD117) by immunohistochemistry. Thirty cases of SCLCs, including 17 males (age 44 to 89) and 13 females (age 21 to 85), were examined. Sixteen of 30 (53.3%) SCLCs showed c-kit expression. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with a log-rank test revealed that patients with c-kit expression had a tendency toward lower survival than c-kit-negative patients (median survival, 6 months versus 31 months, P =.062). Based on previously established anti-c-kit effects of STI-571 on SCLC cell lines and our findings, clinical trials may be considered for selected SCLC patients with c-kit expression. Furthermore, determination of c-kit in SCLC may have a prognostic value in SCLC patients.
Model-based real-time nonuniformity correction in focal plane array detectors

A statistical model for the focal-plane array (FPA) output is developed characterizing the random nature of nonuniformity in time and space. The rationale of this method is that current and past outputs of the FPA bear information about the nonuniformity. Using a statistical algorithm, this hidden information about the random nonuniformity can be extracted and used to restore the true image. The proposed algorithm consists of two main parts. The first part involves a periodic statistical estimation of the model parameters using current data. The second part involves utilizing the estimated parameters in restoring the true image by means of a least mean square FIR filter whose coefficients remain unchanged between the rounds of parameter estimation. This model-based approach exploits the slow drift of the sensors' offset voltage, gain, and circuit noise in order to reduce the necessary computations to a minimum.
Adsorption and solution of H2 and N2 by Ta and Nb

Abstract The condensation and desorption kinetics of H 2 and N 2 on polycrystalline wires of Ta and Nb are examined for solute concentrations between 0.1 and 100 monolayers. Accurate comparisons of adsorbate densities and sticking coefficients on Ta, Nb, Mo and W are obtained by making simultaneous measurements on all four substrates in the same vacuum system. Desorption exhibits second order kinetics for all substrates at all coverages. Desorption activation energies are higher on Ta and Nb than on W and Mo for both gases. Diffusion limited desorption is observed for H 2 at high heating rates. Solution of H 2 occurs at measurable rates ( s ≳ 0.01) in Ta and Nb even at 78 °K while for N 2 no solution is observed for T
Efficacy of a conservative weight loss program in the long-term management of chronic upper airway obstruction.

Objective. Obesity is a significant contributor to oxygen demand and dynamic airway obstruction. The objective of the current study is to determine the long-term success of conservative measures directed toward weight reduction on airway management without respect to specific airway disease etiology. Methods. Patients with chronic airway obstruction secondary anatomic lesions or obstructive sleep apnea were recruited and followed prospectively. Demographics, initial and final weights, diagnosis, and followup information were recorded. Patients were referred to a registered dietician, provided counseling, and started on a weight-loss regimen. Outcome measures were change in body mass index (BMI) and rate of decannulation from weight loss alone. Results. Of fourteen patients, ten remained tracheostomy-dependent and four had high-grade lesions with the potential for improvement in oxygen demand and dynamic airway collapse with weight loss. The mean follow up period was 25 months. The mean change in BMI was an increase of 1.4 kg/m2 per patient. Conclusions. Conservative measures alone were not effective in achieving weight reduction in the population studied. This may be due to comorbid disease and poor compliance. The promise of decannulation was an insufficient independent motivator for weight loss in this study. Although the theoretical benefits of weight loss support its continued recommendation, the long-term success rate of conservative measures is low. More aggressive facilitated interventions including pharmacotherapy or bariatric surgery should be considered early in the course of treating airway disease complicated by obesity.
Awakening to Race Ralph Ellison and Democratic Individuality

Ralph Ellison offers crucial insight into the meaning of conscientious citizenship in American democracy. In doing so, he follows his nineteenth-century Transcendentalist forebears—Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman—who have become key figures in contemporary efforts to theorize liberal democratic character. At the center of Emersonian ethics is the idea of “awakening.” “Awakening” is the Emersonians' name for honest and courageous confrontation with reality. Ellison broadens the Emersonians' vision by insisting that one cannot be “well awake” in America without confronting the ways historical white supremacy shapes one's identity and chances in life. Political theorists who draw inspiration from the Emersonians in theorizing democratic individuality need to pay attention to Ellison—for he demonstrates that one cannot achieve democratic individuality without awakening to race.
Conscientious Objectors in the Culture War?: A Typology of Attitudes Toward Church-State Relations

In this study we investigate the various types of church-state positions taken by members of the mass public. We propose a typology of attitudes on church-state issues, and test that typology with a cluster analysis of a survey of residents of the Washington, D.C. area. We confirm that there are four main positions on free exercise and establishment issues. Attitudes toward questions of religious establishment and free exercise are substantially independent, and attitudes toward religious free exercise are-not directly related to religiosity or religious orthodoxy. These findings suggest that the "culture wars" thesis may be empirically inadequate as a description of contemporary American politics.
Modeling the "Good enough to release" decision using V&V preference structures and Bayesian belief networks

Throughout the process of determining when a unique computer-based system is "good enough to release," an assessor must consider and reconcile process and product evidence as well as make a judgment on the severity of remaining faults. The assessor may be working with uncertain or incomplete knowledge, and may have little data by which the evidence can be validated and verified. As well, the assessment may be done on an ad-hoc basis with unstated or untested assumptions concerning the relative importance of evidence. It can be difficult to repeat ad-hoc or loosely structured assessments with any degree of confidence, and it may be near impossible to recreate a given assessment for an audit. A model of the "good enough to release" decision based upon quasi-order preference structures of validation and verification (V&V) activities is proposed in this paper. We focus on modeling the release decision for unique computer-based systems because of the types of evidence assessed during the decision. We use quasi-order preference structures to determine the V&V activities that are generally considered to be the most effective, and to determine relationships among the activities. We use a Bayesian belief network (BBN) as the modeling formalism because a BBN's characteristics support the type of assessment process being modeled.
Distal stem design and the torsional stability of cementless femoral stems

In cementless hip arthroplasty, the fit between the implant and the endosteal cavity is a critical determinant of implant stability. Although cementless implants may be stabilized through proximal fit within the metaphysis, many surgeons rely on diaphyseal fixation to provide the necessary resistance to rotational forces, especially in revision hip arthroplasty. The cross-sectional design of the femoral stem at the level of the femoral isthmus was investigated with respect to its effect on the rotational stability of the bone-stem interface. Four cross-sectional designs--a fluted stem, a finned stem, a porous-coated stem, and a slotted fluted stem--were implanted in 12 cadaveric femurs and loaded in torsion. A knurled stem, cemented into each specimen at the conclusion of testing, acted as a control stem. The torque required to cause 100 microns of displacement at the bone stem-interface ranged from 13.7 +/- 0.8 N-m with the porous-coated design to 30.1 +/- 3.7 N-m with the fluted design (P < .0001). Intermediate values of 19.5 +/- 1.4 and 19.9 +/- 2.3 N-m were observed with the finned and slotted fluted designs, respectively. In all of the cemented control stems, failure occurred at the bone-cement interface at an average torque of 34.0 +/- 3.0 N-m. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the porous-coated, finned, and slotted fluted designs were all significantly weaker in torsion than the cemented control stem; however, there was no significant difference between the torsional resistance of the solid fluted (unslotted) and cemented stems.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Dynamic Stress Analysis Applied to the Electrodeposition of Copper

Electrodepositioniscommonlyusedinelectronicpackaging,magnetic recording, copper interconnections in printed circuit boards and integratedcircuits,andMEMS(micro-electromechanicalsystems)devices. These films tend to develop sizable residual stresses as a result of the nucleation and growth process that can adversely affect reliability and service life. Various mechanisms have been proposed to account for the stress evolution that has been observed experimentally in both electrodeposited films and those grown from the gas phase. These stress-generating processes sometimes occur sequentially as the film morphology develops. More often, stress development is a balance between competing mechanisms. Multiple studies appear in the literature that address stress evolution during Volmer-Weber or 3D island growth of polycrystalline films. 1‐4 Generally, films show three stages of stress evolution during growth. Compressive stress is often observed in the pre-coalescence regime where the deposit is comprised of discrete nuclei on the surface. This compressive stress has been attributed to Laplace pressure
Glial-glial and glial-neuronal interfaces in radiation-induced, glia-depleted spinal cord.

This review summarises some of the major findings derived from studies using the model of a glia-depleted environment developed and characterised in this laboratory. Glial depletion is achieved by exposure of the immature rodent spinal cord to x-radiation which markedly reduces both astrocyte and oligodendrocyte populations and severely impairs myelination. This glia-depleted, hypomyelinated state presents a unique opportunity to examine aspects of spinal cord maturation in the absence of a normal glial population. An associated sequela within 2–3 wk following irradiation is the appearance of Schwann cells in the dorsal portion of the spinal cord. Characteristics of these intraspinal Schwann cells, their patterns of myelination or ensheathment, and their interrelations with the few remaining central glia have been examined. A later sequela is the development of Schwann cells in the ventral aspect of the spinal cord where they occur predominantly in the grey matter. Characteristics of these ventrally situated intraspinal Schwann cells are compared with those of Schwann cells located dorsally. Recently, injury responses have been defined in the glia-depleted spinal cord subsequent to the lesioning of dorsal spinal nerve roots. In otherwise normal animals, dorsal nerve root injury induces an astrocytic reaction within the spinal segments with which the root(s) is/are associated. Lesioning of the 4th lumbar dorsal root on the right side in irradiated or nonirradiated animals results in markedly different glial responses with little astrocytic scarring in the irradiated animals. Tracing studies reveal that these lesioned dorsal root axons regrow rather robustly into the spinal cord in irradiated but not in nonirradiated animals. To examine role(s) of glial cells in preventing this axonal regrowth, glial cells are now being added back to this glia-depleted environment through transplantation of cultured glia into the irradiated area. Transplanted astrocytes establish barrier-like arrangements within the irradiated cords and prevent axonal regrowth into the cord. Studies using other types of glial cultures (oligodendrocyte or mixed) are ongoing.
A novel model of polyhydramnios: amniotic fluid volume is increased in aquaporin 1 knockout mice.

Objective To test the hypothesis that amniotic fluid volume is increased in aquaporin 1 knockout mice. Study design Transgenic mice deficient in aquaporin 1 protein were generated by targeted gene disruption, as described previously. After a cesarean section was performed, intact, individual gestational sacs were removed from the uterus and weighed. Amniotic fluid volume, osmolality, and fetal and placental weights were determined. Data were analyzed by a 1-way analysis of variance for ranks; Dunn's post hoc test was used to analyze significant trends. Results Analysis of 16 litters showed 35 wild-type, 52 heterozygote, and 33 aquaporin 1 knockout mice. The knockout mice had a greater volume of amniotic fluid and lower amniotic fluid osmolality than their wild-type and heterozygote counterparts. There were no significant differences in fetal or placental weights among the groups. Conclusions Aquaporin 1 null fetuses produce a greater volume of more dilute amniotic fluid. Our findings show that aquaporin 1 water channels in fetal membranes may contribute to amniotic fluid volume regulation. We speculate that idiopathic polyhydramnios may be associated with a deficiency of aquaporin 1 channels in human fetal membranes. Transgenic aquaporin 1 knockout mice provide a unique animal of polyhydramnios.
Effects of surgical side and site on mood and behavior outcome in children with pharmacoresistant epilepsy.

Children with epilepsy have a high rate of mood and behavior problems yet few studies consider the emotional and behavioral impact of surgery. No study to date has been sufficiently powered to investigate effects of both side (left/right) and site (temporal/frontal) of surgery. One hundred patients (aged 6-16) and their families completed measures of depression, anxiety and behavioral function as part of neuropsychological evaluations before and after surgery for pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Among children who had left-sided surgeries (frontal=16; temporal=38), there were significant interactions between time (pre to postoperative neuropsychological assessment) and resection site (frontal/temporal) on Anhedonia, Social Anxiety, and Withdrawn/Depressed scales. Patients with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) endorsed greater presurgical anhedonia and social anxiety than patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), with scores normalizing following surgery. While scores on the Withdrawn/Depressed scale were similar between groups before surgery, the FLE group showed greater symptom improvement after surgery. In children who underwent right-sided surgeries (FLE=20; TLE=26) main effects of time (patients in both groups improved) and resection site (caregivers of FLE patients endorsed greater symptoms than those with TLE) were observed primarily on behavior scales. Individual data revealed that a greater proportion of children with left FLE demonstrated clinically significant improvements in Anhedonia, Social Anxiety, and Aggressive Behavior than children with TLE. This is the first study to demonstrate differential effects of both side and site of surgery in children with epilepsy at group and individual levels. Results suggest that children with FLE have greater emotional and behavioral dysfunction before surgery, but show marked improvement after surgery. Overall, most children had good emotional and behavioral outcomes, with most scores remaining stable or improving.
POTASSIUM SORBATE PERMEABILITY of POLYSACCHARIDE FILMS: CHITOSAN, METHYLCELLULOSE and HYDROXYPROPYL METHYLCELLULOSE

Edible coatings controlling preservative migration from surface to food bulk could control surface microbial growth which is often the main cause of spoilage for many food products. In this paper we examine the potassium sorbate permeability behavior of chitosan, methyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose based films. to gain an understanding of the permeation process, permeability determinations were done at 5, 24, 32 and 40°C. Permeability rates followed the Arrhenius activation energy model. A lack of breaking points in Arrhenius plots indicated that no morphological changes occur within these films in the 5 to 40°C temperature range. Activation energy values were found to be independent of film composition and were affected only by the solvent embedded in the film. This behavior was confirmed by analysis of the same permeability data using a modified Stokes-Einstein equation. Methyl cellulose was the most promising diffusion barrier with a permeability constant of 3.4 and 1.4×10−8 (mg/s cm2) (cm)/(mg/cm3) at 24 and 5°C, respectively. Electron microscopy was used to examine the morphological characteristics of these films and showed they have no visible pores or channels at magnifications up to 10,000.
Does the Effect of Exposure to TV Sex on Adolescent Sexual Behavior Vary by Genre

Using the Integrated Model of Behavioral Prediction, this study examines the effects of exposure to sexual content on television by genre, specifically looking at comedy, drama, cartoon, and reality programs, on adolescents’ sex-related cognitions and behaviors. Additionally, we compared the amount and explicitness of sexual content as well as the frequency of risk and responsibility messages in these four genres. Findings show that overall exposure to sexual content on television was not related to teens’ engagement in sexual intercourse the following year. When examined by genre, exposure to sexual content in comedies was positively associated while exposure to sexual content in dramas was negatively associated with attitudes regarding sex, perceived normative pressure, and ultimately engaging in sex 1 year later. Implications of adolescent exposure to various types of content and for using genre categories to examine exposure and effects are discussed.
Concise Review: Pancreas Regeneration: Recent Advances and Perspectives

The replacement of functional pancreatic β-cells is seen as an attractive potential therapy for diabetes, because diabetes results from an inadequate β-cell mass. Inducing replication of the remaining β-cells and new islet formation from progenitors within the pancreas (neogenesis) are the most direct ways to increase the β-cell mass. Stimulation of both replication and neogenesis have been reported in rodents, but their clinical significance must still be shown. Because human islet transplantation is limited by the scarcity of donors and graft failure within a few years, efforts have recently concentrated on the use of stem cells to replace the deficient β-cells. Currently, embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells achieve high levels of β-cell differentiation, but their clinical use is still hampered by ethical issues and/or the risk of developing tumors after transplantation. Pancreatic epithelial cells (duct, acinar, or α-cells) represent an appealing alternative to stem cells because they demonstrate β-cell differentiation capacities. Yet translation of such capacity to human cells after significant in vitro expansion has yet to be achieved. Besides providing new β-cells, cell therapy also has to address the question on how to protect the transplanted cells from destruction by the immune system via either allo- or autoimmunity. Encouraging developments have been made in encapsulation and immunomodulation techniques, but many challenges still remain. Herein, we discuss recent advances in the search for β-cell replacement therapies, current strategies for circumventing the immune system, and mandatory steps for new techniques to be translated from bench to clinics.
Low-density addressable array for the detection and typing of the human papillomavirus.

Abstract We have developed a low-density DNA array for the detection and typing of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. The gene chemistry strategy involves using a combination of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the consensus oligonucleotide primers MY09/MY11 followed by a ligase detection reaction (LDR). Fluorochrome-labeled HPV-specific primers are joined to a common primer modified with a unique anchoring sequence called a zip code on its 3′ end. The result is a series of 60-70 base pair and single-stranded ligation products that are then hybridized to their respective zip code complements affixed to glass slide based arrays. Nine separate zip codes were assigned, one for each HPV type (6,11,16,18, 31, 33, 35, and 53) and one for a β-globin internal control marker. Two additional zip-codes were reserved for a pair of consensus HPV LDR products: the cLDR1 and cLDR2 primers hybridize to a conserved sequence within the HPV L1 open reading frame internal to the MY09/MY11 fragment. These consensus primers were shown to detect over 40 different HPV types. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the analytic performance of this low-density microarray based assay for HPV, as well as to introduce our simplified read-out instrumentation, shown here to be a low cost and highly efficient way to detect and genotype HPV for clinical testing.
Effects in a climate model of slope tapering in neutral physics schemes

In many global ocean climate models, mesoscale eddies are parameterized as along isopycnal diffusion and eddyinduced advection (or equivalently skew-diffusion). The eddy-induced advection flattens isopycnals and acts as a sink of available potential energy, whereas the isopycnal diffusion mixes tracers along neutral directions. While much effort has gone into estimating diffusivities associated with this closure, less attention has been paid to the details of how this closure (which tries to flatten isopycnals) interacts with the mixed layer (in which vertical mixing tries to drive the isopycnals vertical). In order to maintain numerical stability, models often stipulate a maximum slope Smax which in combination with the thickness diffusivity Agm defines a maximum eddy-induced advective transport Agm*Smax. In this paper, we examine the impact of changing Smax within the GFDL global coupled climate model. We show that this parameter produces significant changes in wintertime mixed layer depth, with implications for wintertime temperatures in key regions, the distribution of precipitation, and the vertical structure of heat uptake. Smaller changes are seen in details of ventilation and currents, and even smaller changes as regards the overall hydrography. The results suggest that not only the value of the coefficient, but the details of the tapering scheme, need to be considered when comparing isopycnal mixing schemes in models.
Back to the future: reflections on the history of the future of family medicine.

These are historic times for family medicine. The profession is moving beyond the visionary blueprint of the Future of Family Medicine (FFM) report while working to harness the momentum created by the FFM movement. Preparing for, and leading through, the next transformative wave of change (FFM version 2.0) will require the engagement of multigenerational and multidisciplinary visionaries who bring wisdom from diverse experiences. Active group reflection on the past will potentiate the collective work being done to best chart the future. Historical competency is critically important for family medicine9s future. This article describes the historical context of the development and launch of the FFM report, emphasizing the professional activism that preceded and followed it. This article is intended to spark intergenerational dialog by providing a multigenerational reflection on the history of FFM and the evolution that has occurred in family medicine over the past decade. Such intergenerational conversations enable our elders to share wisdom with our youth, while allowing our discipline to visualize history through the eyes of future generations.