cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A bio-inspired approach for self-correcting compliant assembly systems

Abstract Statistical process monitoring and control has been popularized in manufacturing as well as various other industries interested in improving product quality and reducing costs. Advances in this field have focused primarily on more efficient ways for diagnosing faults, reducing variation, developing robust design techniques, and increasing sensor capabilities. However, statistical process monitoring cannot address the need for instant variation reduction during assembly operations. This paper presents a unique dimensional error-compensation approach for compliant sheet metal assembly processes. The resulting autonomous self-correction system integrates rapidly advancing data mining methods, physical models, assembly modeling techniques, sensor capabilities, and actuator networks to implement part-by-part dimensional error compensation. Inspired by biological systems, the proposed quality control approach utilizes immunological principles as a means of developing the required mathematical framework behind the self-correcting methodology. The resulting assembly system obtained through this bio-mimicking approach will be used for autonomous monitoring, detection, diagnosis, and control of station and system level faults, contrary to traditional systems that largely rely on final product measurements and expert analysis to eliminate process faults.
Patterns of intraplate volcanism controlled by asthenospheric shear

Volcanism observed far from plate boundaries, in the interior of oceanic and continental plates, may result from flow in the underlying mantle. Comparison between a numerical model of mantle flow and the spatial distribution of intraplate volcanism indicates that rapid shear motion in the mantle may drive melting that causes intraplate eruptions. Most of Earth’s volcanism occurs at plate boundaries, in association with subduction or rifting. A few high-volume volcanic fields are observed both at plate boundaries and within plates, fed by plumes upwelling from the deep mantle1. The remaining volcanism is observed away from plate boundaries. It is typically basaltic, effusive and low volume, occurring within continental interiors2,3,4,5,6,7 or creating seamounts on the ocean floor8,9,10,11. This intraplate volcanism has been attributed to various localized processes12 such as cracking of the lithosphere8,13,14, small-scale convection in the mantle beneath the lithosphere15,16,17 or shear-induced melting of low-viscosity pockets of asthenospheric mantle that have become embedded along the base of the lithosphere18. Here we compare the locations of observed intraplate volcanism with global patterns of mantle flow from a numerical model. We find a correlation between recent continental and oceanic intraplate volcanism and areas of the asthenosphere that are experiencing rapid shear due to mantle convection. We detect particularly high correlations in the interior of the continents of western North America, eastern Australia, southern Europe and Antarctica, as well as west of the East Pacific Rise in the Pacific Ocean. We conclude that intraplate volcanism associated with mantle convection is best explained by melting caused by shear flow within the asthenosphere, whereas other localized processes are less important.
Consistency Checking for MOS/VLSI Circuits

A general algorithm is presented for consistency checking between schematics. A transistor level schematic is partitioned into functional blocks by tracing direct current paths. The first level consistency check is performed on the directed graphs constructed from these functional blocks. A recursive, graph matching algorithm is introduced to find signal correspondences in the functional blocks. The second level check is performed within the functional blocks for either identical component connectivity or logic equivalence. Performance of the program is demonstrated using an NMOS chip.
The calcium exchange reaction of bone in vitro. Effect of parathyroid extract.

Abstract By combining isotope techniques with a method of separation of bone into fractions of various specific gravity, the percentage of exchangeable calcium found in bone samples derived from animals treated with parathyroid extract was shown to be increased as compared to normal controls. This is interpreted as having resulted from an alteration of the ultrastructural relationships which exist between the organic and the mineral phases of bone, prior to resorption of high density bone. Pyrophosphate determinations confirmed the fact that new bone formation did not increase in these acute experiments.
Membrane-directed effects of the plant hormones abscisic acid, indole-3-acetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.

This study examines two ways plant hormones might influence membrane processes, effects on overall permeability and modifications of specific ion channels. Abscisic acid (ABA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) greatly enhanced erythritol permeability in mixed egg lecithin bilayers. In single component dioleoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers ABA was less effective than IAA, while 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4-D) did not affect either system or alter their ABA response. In Myxicola axons ABA and IAA had no effect, while 2,4-D (10 uM) caused a depolarizing shift of voltage-dependent Na+ and K+ activation by 25 ± 4 mV and 15 ± 3 mV, consistent with internal negative surface charge changes of −0.002 e−/A2 and −0.0007 e−/A2. We conclude that both generalized and ion channel-directed effects may link plant hormones and intracellular regulation.
Comments on operational competitiveness rating analysis (OCRA)

This note offers comments on Parkan and Wu [European Journal of Operational Research, 118 (2) (1999) 235] based on an examination of their proposed operational competitiveness rating analysis (OCRA) method. Since the premise of the OCRA method is that the cost/revenue ratios must be known, costs and revenues cannot be measured in any units other than dollar value in any practical cases. This property makes the OCRA method faulty. Further, it is shown that the invalid weighting approach used in the OCRA method provides an illusion to management that a cost category with large cost/revenue ratio is more important than a cost category with small ratio. The conclusion is that a performance analysis using the OCRA method can be invalid.
Clinical and economic evaluation of oral ciprofloxacin after an abbreviated course of intravenous antibiotics

Abstract purpose: Oral ciprofloxacin has the requisite pharmacokinetic and antibacterial properties to rival the potency of intravenous antibiotics. This study was designed to determine whether oral ciprofloxacin could abbreviate the course of intravenous antibiotics in the treatment of serious infections. patients and methods: Hospitalized adult patients were eligible for enrollment if they had a serious infection that was expected to require 8 or more days of intravenous antibiotic treatment. After conventional intravenous antibiotics were administered for 3 days, informed consent was obtained and patients were randomly assigned to either continue parenteral antibiotics (n = 53) or switch to oral ciprofloxacin 750 mg taken twice daily (n = 52). Ninety-nine of the 105 patients were evaluable for the assessment of efficacy. Clinical and bacteriologic efficacy, adverse events, and costs of the two treatments were compared. results: The two treatment groups were comparable for demographic characteristics, types of infections, bacteria isolated, initial intravenous antibiotic regimens, and duration of antibiotic treatment. The most common infections were of the skin and skin structure; bacteremia and infections of the lower respiratory tract, urinary tract, and bone and joint were also represented. The most commonly isolated pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Escherichia coli . The most frequently prescribed intravenous antibiotics before randomization included aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, vancomycin, and nafcillin; 52 evaluable patients were treated with combination therapy while 47 received monotherapy. The clinical and bacteriologic outcomes and adverse reaction frequency with oral ciprofloxacin were comparable to those of the continued intravenous antibiotic regimens. Ciprofloxacin was associated with an average cost savings of $293 per patient. conclusion: When used after 3 days of intravenous antibiotics, oral ciprofloxacin was as safe and effective as full courses of intravenous antibiotics and provided substantial cost savings.
“Grannie's got to go fishing”: meanings and experiences of family leisure for three-generation families in rural and urban settings

The purpose of this interpretive study was to explore how the sociospatial context in Canada (rural vs. urban) shaped the perspectives, meanings and experiences of family leisure for three-generation families (grandparents, parents and adult grandchildren). Sixteen family triads were interviewed about their experience of family leisure. Specifically, rural and urban families were compared to understand similarities and differences in their experiences. Family leisure, although not without its challenges, was found to play a central role in the development of close family bonds. Findings are examined within the context of Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory, Shaw and Dawson's theory of purposive leisure and Rye's conceptualization of the rural idyll and suggest that both rural and urban families value the rural context in the development of family cohesion and the intergenerational transmission of values.
Role of helminths in regulating mucosal inflammation.

The rapid rise in prevalence of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) in highly developed countries suggests that environmental change engenders risk for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Eradication of parasitic worms (helminths) through increased hygiene may be one such change that has led to increased prevalence of these diseases. Helminths alter host mucosal and systemic immunity, inhibiting dysregulated inflammatory responses. Animals exposed to helminths are protected from experimental colitis, encephalitis, and diabetes. Patients with CD or UC improve when exposed to whipworm. Lamina propria (LP) mononuclear cells from helminth-colonized mice make less interleukin (IL)-12 p40 and IFN-γ, but more IL-4, IL-13, IL-10, TGF-β, and PGE2 compared to LP mononuclear cells from naive mice. Systemic immune responses show similar skewing toward Th2 and regulatory cytokine production in worm-colonized animal models and humans. Recent reports suggest that helminths induce regulatory T cell activity. These effects by once ubiquitous organisms may have protected individuals from many of the emerging immune-mediated illnesses like IBD, multiple sclerosis, type I diabetes, and asthma.
Cournot model of brokered FX trading

Abstract This paper develops a Cournot model of rival dealers placing limit orders with a broker, who in turn makes a market by acting as a liaison between dealers. The broker's limit-book lists the various prices and quantities at which dealers are willing to exchange currency vis-a-vis electronic broking. The size and volatility of the inside spread is simulated relative to dealer entry–exit and the price elasticity of linear order arrival functions. Our simulations reveal non-linear price dynamics from dealer participation in market development, with an additional rival narrowing the inside spread by 1.82% while diminishing its volatility. These findings may shed some light on the “excess volatility puzzle” raised by Killeen, Lyons and Moore (forthcoming) as to why price behavior under flexible exchange rate regimes is significantly more volatile than macro fundamentals would suggest.
Forgotten Fathers: Maternal Report of Drug and Alcohol Problems Among Fathers of Urban Newborns. † 1135

Forgotten Fathers: Maternal Report of Drug and Alcohol Problems Among Fathers of Urban Newborns. † 1135
Sexuality among the visually handicapped: A beginning

A recent acquaintance, a man in his late thirties with severely limited vision, told me of an encounter he had had with his tow-vision specialist, a bright youn~ optometrist. Optometr is t : If you could have your distant vision restored to some useful degree, what would you like most to be able to do? Patient: Look at women! Optometr is t : Aah, c'mon, be serious! What would you really like to do? (Noting that the patient was hesitating) Wouldn't you really like to be able to get around better? Patient: (Knowing when he was licked): Yes, I guess you're right, I'd really most like to be able to get around better. This little tale, which is essentially true, makes three points that I would like to develop in the course of this paper. First, sexuality is as important to the visually handicapped as it is to the normally sighted--no more and no less. Second, the main source of problems or difficulties in sexuality for the visually handicapped lies, not in what they have in their heads, but in what Robert A. Scott 1 has called the Blindness System--optometrists and ophthalmologists; staffs of training schools, residential schools, rehabilitation centers, and other institutions for the training of the visually handicapped; organizations that prepare recorded material or Braille for the visually handicapped; agencies that accredit such organizations; and all other persons and agencies whose professional activities involve serving the needs of the visually handicapped. Third, what I have to say in this paper is
Release of norethindrone from poly(ortho esters)

The release of norethindrone from a poly(ortho ester) derived from 3,9-bis(methylene)2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro[5,5] undecane and 1,6-hexanediol was studied. Thin circular devices containing incorporated drug and a water soluble salt, such as sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, or sodium chloride, were placed in water buffered at pH 7.4 at 37°C, and release of drug was followed spectrophotometrically. It was found that rate of drug release was close to zero order for long periods of time and that release of the drug from the hydrophobic matrix occurred as a consequence of osmotic imbibing of water driven by the water soluble salt. Thus, a swelling front moves at a slow and constant rate through the solid device and drug release takes place by rapid diffusion of the drug from the swelling front. Polymer erosion lags behind drug release, and no erosion takes place with basic salts such as sodium carbonate when mechanical properties of the matrix are adequate to accommodate osmotic swelling.
Adaptive estimation of seismic data autocorrelation functions from a single trace

This paper proposes an adaptive technique for estimating autocorrelation functions from a single trace by using a finite-time integrator whose gain and integration time can be programmed to approximate the optimum integrator. The appropriate algorithm is derived and the estimation errors are discussed.
The theory of Pinhole images in the fourteenth century

Toward the end of the thirteenth century, pinhole images were elevated to the status of un probleme celebre by the work of Roger Bacon, Witelo, and John Pecham. Earlier authors had commented on the remarkable ability of noncircular apertures to produce circular images of the sun, but little had been made of the fact. Bacon, however, wrote a sizable treatise on burning mirrors, one fourth of which he devoted to pinhole images and their implications for theories of the propagation of light. Witelo considered the problem of pinhole images in six propositions of his Perspectiva. Pecham devoted the longest proposition of his Perspectiva communis and sections of his Tractatus de perspectiva and De sphera to the same problem.1 The theory of pinhole images continued to occupy a position of considerable importance in the fourteenth century. The two most significant optical treatises of the century, the Questiones super perspectivam by Henry of Langenstein and the work of the same title by Blasius of Parma, each devote a full question to pinhole images. Earlier in the century, Egidius of Baisiu and Levi ben Gerson also dealt with the problem.2 The problem of pinhole images attracted so much attention in the thirteenth century because it posed a fundamental optical problem. At least since Euclid, the principle of rectilinear propagation of light had served as the foundation for an elaborate superstructure of geometrical optics. Although physical, physiological, and even psychological matters frequently intrude, a glance at almost any optical treatise written before the fourteenth century3 immediately reveals that geometrical elements predominate. Yet the phenomena of pinhole images seemed to cast doubt on the rectilinear propagation of light and thereby on the entire optical
Sutureless and Scalpel-Free Circumcision—More Rapid, Less Expensive and Better?

Purpose: We previously reported our success with sutureless circumcision using 2-octyl cyanoacrylate in 267 patients. We have since modified our technique by making incisions with electrocautery. We report our results with this novel technique. We also performed a cost analysis.Materials and Methods: We compiled data on all patients 6 months to 12 years old who underwent primary circumcision and circumcision revision in a 39-month period, as done by 3 surgeons. Study exclusion criteria were complexity beyond phimosis and Gomco clamp use. The technique included 1) a circumferential inner incision using electrocautery on cutting current, 2) a circumferential outer incision using electrocautery, 3) foreskin removal, 4) hemostasis with electrocautery, 5) skin edge approximation with 2-octyl cyanoacrylate or 6-zero suture and 6) antibiotic ointment application. We also determined the cost of all procedures based on anesthesia and operating room facility fees, and material costs.Results: Between July 1, 2006 an...
Numerical study of a diffusion-type chemical laser.

Abstract : The theoretical performance of an HF diffusion-type chemical laser is investigated by means of exact numerical solutions for the laminar diffusion of a finite stream of H2 into a semi-infinite stream containing F and a diluent in the presence of an incident coherent radiation field. This flow model corresponds to flow in a single semichannel of a diffusion-type chemical laser. The initial flow velocity, temperature, and hydrogen stream thickness is held constant, and the effect of pressure level, initial fluorine partial pressure, and incident radiation intensity on peak integrated gain, axial extent of the lasing region, laser output power, and chemical efficiency is investigated.
What Is the Best Surgical Treatment for Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation

Background Many prefer mitral valve replacement (MVR) for patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and concomitant degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR). We reviewed our results of septal myectomy combined with mitral valve repair (MVrep) and MVR when these problems coexist. Methods Between 1990 and 2006, 32 patients (56% men; mean age, 60.7 ± 16.7 years) underwent extended septal myectomy for HCM with concomitant MVrep or MVR for degenerative MR (4% of myectomies and 3% of isolated MVrep during the same period). Preoperatively, 63% were in New York Heart Association (NHYA) functional class III/IV. Preoperative peak left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient was 63.7 ± 37.6 mm Hg. Systolic anterior motion (SAM) was present in 94%, with severe MR in 88%. Results Extended septal myectomy included concomitant MVrep in 28 (88%) or mechanical MVR in 4 (12%). MVrep included leaflet resection in 10 (36%), edge-to-edge stitch in 6 (21%), and leaflet plication in 8 (29%). An annuloplasty ring/band was used in 19 (68%) and commissural annuloplasty in 2 (7%). There was one early death (3%). At discharge, resting LVOT gradient was reduced to 10.2 ± 19.0 mm Hg ( p p p p Conclusions Concomitant MVrep with myectomy for HCM and degenerative MR can be performed with low early mortality with satisfactory relief of LVOT obstruction and MR. Most patients have significant relief of symptoms. MVR can be avoided in most patients with degenerative MR and HCM.
ColVa1 and ColXIa1 are required for myocardial morphogenesis and heart valve development.

Genetic mutations in minor fibrillar collagen types Va1 (ColVa1) and XIa1 (ColXI) have been identified in connective tissue disorders including Ehlers–Danlos syndrome and chondrodysplasias. ColVa1+/− and ColXIa1−/− mutant mice recapitulate these human disorders and show aberrations in collagen fiber organization in connective tissue of the skin, cornea, cartilage, and tendon. In the heart, fibrous networks of collagen fibers form throughout the ventricular myocardium and heart valves, and alterations in collagen fiber homeostasis are apparent in many forms of cardiac disease associated with myocardial dysfunction and valvular insufficiency. There is increasing evidence for cardiac dysfunction in connective tissue disorders, but the mechanisms have not been addressed. ColVa1+/− and ColXIa1−/− mutant mice were used to identify roles for ColVa1 and ColXIa1 in ventricular myocardial morphogenesis and heart valve development. These affected cardiac structures show a compensatory increase in type I collagen deposition, similar to that previously described in valvular and cardiomyopathic disease. Morphological cardiac defects associated with changes in collagen fiber homeostasis identified in ColVa1+/− and ColXIa1−/− mice provide an insight into previously unappreciated forms of cardiac dysfunction associated with connective tissue disorders. Developmental Dynamics 235:3295–3305, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Abstract 1308: A phase I clinical study investigating disulfiram and copper gluconate in patients with advanced treatment-refractory solid tumors involving the liver

Background: Disulfiram inhibits hepatic aldehyde dehydrogenase causing accumulation of acetaldehyde when alcohol is ingested and is used to treat alcohol addiction. When metal ions such as copper are combined with disulfiram, key oncoproteins are bound, and inactivated. Disulfiram and copper can inhibit tumor cell growth in cell culture, and xenograft models, and induce cell killing via apoptosis. Here we determined the safety and tolerability of disulfiram when administered together with copper gluconate in patients with advanced treatment-refractory solid tumors involving the liver. Methods: Four preselected oral doses of copper gluconate were tested (2, 4, 6, and 8 mg tid) in a standard “3+3” design. Disulfiram 250 mg was administered once daily. Patients were observed for DLTs, and pharmacodynamic studies were performed. Patients were required to refrain from alcohol consumption during the study. Results: As of November 15, 2010, 15 patients with treatment refractory solid tumors metastatic to the liver have been enrolled. The average number of prior treatments was 7 (range 1-16). Malignancies represented included pancreatic (2), breast (4), colon (1), prostate (1), lung (1), cutaneous melanoma (2), and ocular melanoma (2). Grade 3 toxicities included dehydration (1), hyperglycemia (1), constipation (1), LFT elevations (2) and troponin elevation (1) but these were felt to be more likely related to advanced malignancy or to causes other than the study drugs. Although hepatic toxicity is a potential side effect of disulfiram, the only Grade 3 LFT elevations that occurred on treatment were in patients with disease progression in the liver suggesting that these events were not drug related. There was one reported Grade 2 disulfiram reaction due to exposure to alcohol. Other Grade 1 and 2 toxicities included changes in mental status (6), headaches (2), and dizziness (3) though many of these events corresponded to progression of the underlying malignancy. No radiographic responses to treatment have been observed. Six patients progressed within 28 days of starting treatment. One patient with advanced colon cancer achieved disease stability for 125 days. The average duration on treatment was 37 days (range 1 – 125 days). Reasons for discontinuing treatment included functional decline (4), disease progression (10), and death (1). Two remaining slots are open on the 8 mg dose cohort. Analysis of S-glutathionylation of proteins in response to treatment is ongoing. Conclusions: Disulfiram dosed at 250 mg daily together with copper gluconate at doses of 6 mg three times daily is well tolerated in patients with advanced solid tumors involving the liver. No DLT has yet been observed. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1308. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1308
Preparation of Homogeneous Gold−Silver Alloy Nanoparticles Using the Apoferritin Cavity As a Nanoreactor

Homogeneous Au−Ag alloy nanoparticles have been synthesized in the cavity of horse spleen apoferritin (HSAF) by a diffusion technique. The Au−Ag nanoparticle cores are 5.6−6.3 nm in diameter with narrow size distribution (≤1.0 nm), and their average diameter was gradually increased with an increase in the Ag content. The core formation ratios of Au−Ag−HASF samples are higher than 80%. These series of nanoparticles were applied for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol in the presence of NaBH4. As the Au content was increased in the Au−Ag−HSAF nanoparticles, the rate constant of the reduction was exponentially increased from 1.3 × 10−3 s−1 (pure Ag−HSAF) to 7.58 × 10−2 s−1 (pure Au−HSAF). These synthesized Au−Ag nanoparticles with different compositions will be further applicable in catalysis, sensing, and biomedical areas.
Inferring the scale height of the lunar nightside double layer

[1] Earlier analyses of Lunar Prospector (LP) data found that the shadowed lunar surface charges negative. The potential difference between the surface and LP has unexplained dependences on solar zenith angle and tip angle. The dependence on tip angle may arise because electrons with pitch angles close to the loss cone angle on field lines with higher tip angles encounter a smaller average potential before reflecting (the technique used to infer potentials relies upon loss cone angle measurements). The correlation may therefore be due to a systematic measurement error. However, since this “measurement error” depends upon the ratio of gyroradius to double layer scale height, it allows us to estimate the scale height. By comparing data with the results of particle tracing simulations, we estimate an average nightside scale height of a few km. This is somewhat larger than the electron Debye length, but much smaller than recent theoretical estimates.
Transient Ischemic Attack: Diagnostic Evaluation

A transient ischemic attack portends significant risk of a stroke. Consequently, the diagnostic evaluation in the emergency department is focused on identifying high-risk causes so that preventive strategies can be implemented. The evaluation consists of a facilitated evaluation of the patient's metabolic, cardiac, and neurovascular systems. At a minimum, the following tests are recommended: fingerstick glucose level, electrolyte levels, CBC count, urinalysis, and coagulation studies; noncontrast computed tomography (CT) of the head; electrocardiography; and continuous telemetry monitoring. Vascular imaging studies, such as carotid ultrasonography, CT angiography, or magnetic resonance angiography, should be performed on an urgent basis and prioritized according to the patient's risk stratification for disease. Consideration should be given for echocardiography if no large vessel abnormality is identified.
Fate of some chlorinated hydrocarbons in arctic and far eastern ecosystems in the Russian Federation

Since the 1970s, the Russian Federation has been carrying out a broad-based study of chlorinated hydrocarbons in the environment. As part of this study, a joint USSR/US investigation was begun in 1984 in the Bering and Chukchi Seas to investigate the transport of agricultural chemicals such as pesticides and other persistent pollutants. Since the impact of chlorinated hydrocarbons on the coastal environments of Russia has changed since the mid-1980s, forecasts of the behavior of these chemicals in the far eastern and arctic marine areas require clarification. Results from two intergrated expeditions and several local investigations between 1988 and 1992 to far eastern and polar Russian seas demonstrated that during the last 5 years, the composition of chlorinated hydrocarbons in surface waters has shifted towards larger amounts of α-HCH and smaller amounts of highly chlorinated PCB congeners. Significant decreases in PCB concentrations (from 100–900 pg/l to 12–20 pg/l) were observed from 1988 to 1992 in the seas surrounded by far eastern countries. α-HCH concentrations increased from 800 pg/l in the South China Sea to 2500 pg/l in the Chukchi Sea. This trend in α-HCH concentration has been seen by other researchers and may reflect the effect of much colder surface water temperatures in the polar seas. The Henry's law constant of α-HCH decreases with decreasing water temperature, thus favoring deposition to the water phase. Higher than expected γ-HCH levels were found near the coasts of Russia and Japan, indicating local sources. Composition of other chlorinated hydrocarbons (DDTs and chlordanes) has not changed considerably during the last 5 years. No significant changes in concentrations of global chlorinated hydrocarbons, including HCHs, were observed in the seas of the western part of the Russian Arctic, where usage patterns have not changed significantly.
Effects of humic acid purification on interactions with hydrophobic organic matter: Evidence from fluorescence behavior.

Conventional isolation of humic materials from natural matrixes includes demineralization by treatment with HF/HCl. The possible effect of this on the structural integrity of humic acid (HA) was investigated by comparing the interactions of two aqueous HAs, one produced by the conventional procedure (CHA) and the other by a gentler resin method (RHA), with a hydrophobic probe (pyrene). Although RHA had a substantially higher ash content, it was found that this had relatively little effect on its interaction with the probe molecule. In view of the micellar model of dissolved HAs, however, it was noted that the HF-treated HA had a greater apparent ability to sequester pyrene and isolate it from the aqueous bulk. This was revealed by the kinetics of probe fluorescence enhancement when Mg2+ was added to a solution also containing HA and by the anisotropy excitation spectra of the native humic fluorophores. The effect was ascribed to a lesser degree of conjugation in the HA demineralized with HF, producing pol...
Imaging genomics applied to anxiety, stress response, and resiliency

Anxiety and stress response/resiliency are heritable traits central to the etiology of multiple psychiatric diseases, but efforts to identify genetic variation influencing this broad domain of neurobiological function are hampered by the coarseness of the phenotypic measures and the effects of environmental factors. Neuroimaging offers a powerful approach for assessing functional neuronal activity. Neurophysiological measures can serve as intermediate phenotypes more directly linked to small gene effects, compared with behavioral end points of neural dysfunction. Imaging genomics is a relatively new research area that is concerned with linking functional gene variants and brain information processing. Here, we will focus on processes affected by anxiety and stress. Neuroimaging has been combined with genetic analysis to reveal genetic effects of functional variants of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genes on brain response to stressful stimuli. The low-expressing allele of the 5-HTT promoter polymorphism (HTTLPR) is associated with anxiety and with greater amygdala and other regional responses to emotional. The COMT Met158 allele leads to lower COMT activity and has also been associated with anxiety, and the effect of this gene is apparently additive with HTTLPR. Individuals with Met158 genotypes are more sensitive to pain stress and, as shown by C11 Carfentanil imaging, have diminished ability to upregulate opioid release after pain/stress. These results suggest that functional variants of 5-HTT and COMT impact brain functions involved in stress and anxiety.
K+-Cl- cotransporter-2 KCC2 in chicken cardiomyocytes.

Using antibodies prepared against a unique region (exon 22–24) of rat K+-Cl− cotransporter-2 (KCC2), we confirmed that the ∼140-kDa KCC2 protein is exclusively expressed in rat brain, but in chicke...
Selection, Constraints, and Creativity Case Studies: Max Beckmann and Philip Guston

This article presents a problem-solving model of creativity based on constraint selection. In the model, constraints come in pairs that (a) preclude reliable solutions and (b) promote search for novel ones. The most important constraint specifies a novel goal. Other constraints—source (elements for recombination), task (how materials are used), and subject (motif, theme)—are then strategically selected to realize the goal constraint. We use Fauvism to briefly introduce the model before analyzing the constraints selected by Max Beckmann and Philip Guston in the 2 mature phases of each artist's career. The analyses are then used to support our contention that constraint selection is central to creativity.
Semantics-Enhanced Privacy Recommendation for Social Networking Sites

Privacy protection is a vital issue for safe social interactions within social networking sites (SNS). Although SNSs such as My Space and Face book allow users to configure their privacy settings, it is not a simple task for normal users with hundreds of online friends. In this paper, we propose an intelligent semantics-based privacy configuration system, named SPAC, to automatically recommend privacy settings for SNS users. SPAC learns users' privacy configuration patterns and make predictions by utilizing machine learning techniques on users' profiles and privacy setting history. To increase the accuracy of the predicted privacy settings, especially in the context of heterogeneous user profiles, we enhance privacy configuration predictor by integrating it with structured semantic knowledge in the SNS. This, in turn, allows SPAC to make inferences based on additional source of knowledge, resulting in improved accuracy of privacy recommendation. Our experimental results have proven the effectiveness of our approach.
The Ferromagnetism of Nickel. II. Temperature Effects

With the model proposed in an earlier paper, the temperature variation of the ferromagnetism of nickel is discussed. By application of Fermi statistics to the electrons in the $d$ bands, the free energy is computed as a function of temperature and magnetic moment. At each temperature, the value of magnetic moment for which the free energy is a minimum is the value which will actually be found, and this decreases with increasing temperature, going to zero at the Curie point, in satisfactory agreement with experiment. The value of the free energy itself at the minimum, as a function of temperature, is compared with experimental values derived from the observed electronic specific heat of nickel, and the agreement is again satisfactory. To get agreement of both quantities with experiment, it is necessary to use a smaller exchange integral than was suggested in the earlier paper, but plausible reasons are suggested for thinking that this should be done anyway. It is found that even at the absolute zero not quite all of the spins are parallel to each other, the minimum in the free energy curve coming at a little less than the maximum possible magnetic moment. It is suggested that this small effect becomes much more pronounced as iron is approached in the series of ferromagnetic elements, explaining the fact that alloys of iron and cobalt show the highest saturation moments of any ferromagnetic substances, the moment then decreasing in iron and even more in alloys of iron with lighter elements.
Ten Developments in the Use of Biologicals for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Belimumab has recently been approved, and several other types of biological therapy with different mechanisms of action are currently in phase II and III studies. This review puts these approaches in context, emphasizing mechanistic categories and clinical trial designs. Most of the promising approaches involve B cell depletion or modulation. Post-approval experience with belimumab is critically reviewed.
On the Use of Rotor-Bearing Instability Thresholds to Accurately Measure Bearing Rotordynamic Properties

A re-examination of rotor-bearing instability has led to a fresh approach that can potentially improve measurement accuracy of journal bearing rotordynamic coefficients. The approach uses a two-degree-of-freedom system and has three major parts. First, bearing stiffness coefficients are measured using static loading. Second, measured orbital motion at an adjustable threshold speed is used to extract the bearing damping coefficients by inverting the associated Eigen problem. Third, multiple displacement-measurement coordinate systems are used to allow an averaging approach which uses to advantage the tensor transformation property of bearing rotordynamic coefficients. The fundamental advantages of the overall approach stem from the physical requirement for an exact internal energy balance between positive and negative damping influences at an instability threshold, and that it does not require the measurement of dynamic forces.
An oscillator model for hadronization

This article brings together a comparison of the predictions of a model of long standing with experimental data. The model is based on a parallel between quark bound states and a diatom, with the quarks as the atoms and the mesons as the photons. The results are partially already published and partially new. The motivation for this full compilation is the compelling nature of the many phenomena covered correctly by the model’s predictions. Only one parameter is necessary for a complete specification of the model; it is related to the constant relating string length to excitation energy.
Transgenic AEQUORIN Reveals Organ-Specific Cytosolic Ca2+ Responses to Anoxia in Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings

Using the transgenic AEQUORIN system, we showed that the cotyledons and leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings developed a biphasic luminescence response to anoxia, indicating changes in cytosolic Ca2+ levels. A fast and transient luminescence peak occurred within minutes of anoxia, followed by a second, prolonged luminescence response that lasted 1.5 to 4 h. The Ca2+ channel blockers Gd3+, La3+, and ruthenium red (RR) partially inhibited the first response and promoted a larger and earlier second response, suggesting different origins for these responses. Both Gd3+ and RR also partially inhibited anaerobic induction of alcohol dehydrogenase gene expression. However, although anaerobic alcohol dehydrogenase gene induction occurred in seedlings exposed to water-agar medium and in roots, related luminescence responses were absent. Upon return to normoxia, the luminescence of cotyledons, leaves, and roots dropped quickly, before increasing again in a Gd3+, La3+, ethyleneglycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid-, and RR-sensitive fashion.
Empirical Test of the Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior

The general concepts, variables, and relationships described by the Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior (IMCHB) were used to guide a secondary data analysis of 203 women's decisions to request an amniocentesis. Step-wise multiple regression explained 58% of the variance in these decisions by jointly examining the factors which define the client as unique in her responses to an at-risk pregnancy, as well as factors describing the client-provider interaction. The women could be correctly classified as users or nonusers of prenatal diagnosis with 87% accuracy in a discriminant analysis based on the variables derived from the conceptual model. Finally, structural equation modeling was used to estimate the causal paths described by the general model. While the relationships proposed in the model need further empirical evaluation, this first application serves to demonstrate the testability of the IMCHB and its potential to direct nursing inquiries.
Interventional Procedures for Cancer Pain Management: When Are They Indicated?

Non-invasive pharmacological management of patients with cancer related pain has resulted in pain control in 90–95% of the patients. Thus, 5–10% of patients still experience inadequate pain control despite aggressive combined pharmacological therapy. Moreover, patients may not tolerate an aggressive program of titration of medications and fail this approach because of side effects. In these patients interventional techniques have been very useful. This article discusses the alternative therapies, as well as the pitfalls in implementing these therapies, to achieve the highest possible success while minimizing potential complications and side effects.
Imaging of in vitro and in vivo bones and joints with continuous-wave diffuse optical tomography.

We present what is believed to be the first absorption and scattering images of in vitro and in vivo bones and joints from continuous-wave tomographic measurements. Human finger and chicken bones embedded in cylindrical scattering media were imaged at multiple transverse planes with Clemson multi-channel diffuse optical imager. Both absorption and scattering images were obtained using our nonlinear, finite element based reconstruction algorithm. This study shows that diffuse optical tomography (DOT) has the potential to be used for detection and monitoring of bone and joint diseases such as osteoporosis and arthritis.
Three-dimensional sensing, graphics, and interactive control in a human-machine system for decontamination and decommissioning applications

Decontamination and Decommissioning (D important requirement of the U.S. Department of Energy''s Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ERWM) program. Means need to be devised to minimize radiation exposure to humans involved in the D research presented in this paper describes a human-machine system which can be employed for performing radiation scan and pipe cutting operations in a typical D Advanced Servomanipulator (ASM) from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), we have designed a hybrid telerobotic pipe-cutting module. The module, when fully integrated, will allow users of the ASM to exploit the original functionality of the telerobot when our pipe cutting system is not in use. Comprising the pipe-cutting system are interactive three- dimensional object localization, graphical task modeler, arm control, human-machine interface, radiation sensor, and cut-tool sub-systems. Only the task modeler and interactive object localization modules are discussed in this paper. The goal of these modules is to interactively localize an object, usually a pipe, and display it in a three-dimensional rendering of the work space. Through interaction with these modules, the supervisor coordinates a task- specific sequence of actions that the lower-level sub-systems will perform.
Performance characteristics of an ultrafast network for PACS

Three difficult problems in making picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) a clinical reality in radiology are image archiving, very high-resolution display stations, and high-speed networking. This paper considers high-speed image transmission through a high- capacity network. Several commercially available high-speed networks were tested over the past year. Only one of these networks (UltraNet) has adequate throughput and capacity potential necessary for the PACS used in the test. The focus of this experiment is to determine the throughput and capacity characteristics of this star topology networking scheme as relates to the operation of a PACS in the clinical environment. A large-scale test was performed to gauge network memory-to-memory performance for three networking configurations modeling those in a PACS: duplex, parallel and relay. Ten computers used in the PACS (Sun 3 and 4 class computers) were connected with UltraNet for the test. For point-to-point throughput (half-duplex model) the network delivers up to 3.1 megabytes/second (MBps) for Sun 3/computers and 4.7 MBps for the Sun SparcServer 490. As regards capacity considerations (parallel model), five parallel image transfer processes generated a maximum of 13.9 MBps through the network. Only a slight degradation in individual process throughput was observed (1.4%). With regard to shared access to high-contention resources on the PACS network (e.g., archive servers), this network demonstrated equal sharing of server networking capacity between various client computers (relay model). For disk-to-disk performance measurement under loaded clinical conditions between two SparcServer 490s, the overall average transfer rate was found to be 1.125 +/- 0.257 MBps, while the average network transfer rate of 3.632 +/- 1.542 MBps was determined. This compares to an average overall transfer rate of 0.389 +/- 0.061 MBps and average network transfer rate under similar conditions of 0.568 +/- 0.060 MBps using Ethernet. For disk-to-memory transfer from a parallel transfer disk (PTD) on a Sun 4/470 to the 2K display frame buffer on a Sun 4/370, the PTD portion of the transfer required 1.2 seconds (6.7 MBps) and the network portion required 1.04 seconds (7.7 MBps) for an overall transfer rate of 3.6 MBps.
Cosmopolitan Stars, Interactive Audience Labor, and the Digital Economy of Global Care

Cosmopolitan stars like Angelina Jolie not only urge charity and care; increasingly, they link Western media audiences to international aid and development agencies, enjoining them to become empowe...
Preharvest Aflatoxin Contamination in Drought-Tolerant and Drought-Intolerant Peanut Genotypes

Abstract Peanuts become contaminated with aflatoxins when subjected to prolonged periods of heat and drought stress. The effect of drought tolerance on aflatoxin contamination is not known. The objectives of this research were to evaluate preharvest aflatoxin contamination in peanut genotypes known to have drought tolerance and to determine the correlation of drought tolerance characteristics with aflatoxin contamination. Twenty genotypes with different levels of drought tolerance were grown in Yuma, AZ (a desert environment) and under rain-protected shelters in Tifton, GA. Two drought-tolerant genotypes (PI 145681 and Tifton 8) and an intolerant genotype (PI 196754) were selected for further examination in a second experiment with two planting dates in 1997 at Tifton. Drought and heat stress conditions were imposed for the 40 d preceding harvest. The drought-intolerant genotype had greater preharvest aflatoxin contamination than Florunner (the check cultivar) in the tests conducted in 1997. Both drought-...
Novel Synthesis of ansa-Metallocenes via the Reductive Dimerization of Fulvenes with Group 4 Metal Divalent Halides1

Substituted ethylene-bridged ansa-metallocenes of group 4 dihalides can be prepared in high yields by the interaction of the titanium, zirconium, or hafnium dihalide with 2 equiv of the appropriate...
Volatile compounds from the predatory insectPodisus maculiventris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) : Male and female metathoracic scent gland and female dorsal abdominal gland secretions.

In the predatory spined soldier bug,Podisus maculiventris, the dorsal abdominal glands are much smaller in adult females than males. Females produce a mixture of (E)-2-hexenal, (E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-hexenoic acid, benzaldehyde, and nonanal in these glands. The female dorsal abdominal gland secretion may be a close-range pheromone since the dorsal abdominal gland secretion from males has been shown to be a long-range aggregation pheromone in this species. The metathoracic scent gland secretions of male and female spined soldier bugs are apparently identical, and similar to that of other pentatomids, except for the presence of the monoterpene alcohol, linalool.