cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Point-matching method for examining time-dependent Stokesian flow around a stationary axisymmetric body

Abstract We recast the time-dependent Stokesian flow about an axisymmetric body as a scattering problem, and solve the resulting boundary value problem using the point-matching method (PMM). The fluid is modeled to be viscous and incompressible. The velocity and pressure fields from the resulting linearized equations are cast as phasors in the frequency domain, and are broken up into incident and scattered components which are expressed in terms of spherical harmonic functions. For the numerical results presented, the incident velocity phasor is assumed to be a transverse plane wave progressing parallel to the symmetry axis of the body, and the PMM is applied to determine the scattered pressure and velocity phasors. Numerical results are shown for spheroids whose aspect ratios vary between 2 3 and 3 2 . Two different boundary condition cases are tackled: pure stick (i.e., no-slip) and pure slip. The extinction efficiency, a measure of the change in energy due to the presence of the scattering body, is also computed.
The solubility of solids in mixtures composed of a supercritical fluid and an entrainer

Abstract The goal of this paper is to develop a predictive method for the solubility of a solid in a supercritical fluid containing an entrainer at any concentration. The main difficulty consists in the derivation of an expression for the fugacity coefficient of the solid solute in the binary solvent. A method based on the Kirkwood–Buff formalism was employed and expressions for the derivatives of the fugacity coefficient of the solute in a ternary mixture with respect to the mole fractions were obtained. On the basis of these expressions an algebraic equation was derived, which allowed one to predict the solubility of a solid solute in terms of its solubilities in the supercritical fluid and in the entrainer. The equation was compared with the experimental results available in the literature regarding the solubility in a mixture of supercritical fluids and good agreement was obtained.
Observations of the infrared radiative properties of the ocean-implications for the measurement of sea surface temperature via satellite remote sensing

Abstract The Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) was used to measure the infrared radiative properties and the temperature of the Gulf of Mexico during a 5-day oceanographic cruise in January 1995. The ocean skin temperature was measured with an accuracy believed to be better than 0.1°C. The surface reflectivity/emissivity was determined as a function of view angle and sea state. The radiative properties are in good theoretical consistency with in situ measurements of ocean bulk temperature and the meteorological observations made from the oceanographic vessel. The AERI and in situ measurements provide a strong basis for accurate global specifications of sea surface temperature and ocean heat flux from satellites and ships.
Cognitive And Psychopathological change in degenerative disease in the elderly

Neuropsychological studies of declining cognitive ability and increasing psychopathology in degenerative neurological diseases in the elderly suggest the following: (1) the physiological basis for affective and thought disorder remains elusive; (2) cognitive capacity and primary psychopathology are not clearly related in degenerative disease; rather neuropsychological studies in this area illustrate a dissociation between accessory (secondary) symptoms of psychopathology and cognitive changes; (3) accessory symptoms of thought disorder may be associated with disorders of the basal ganglia; and (4) current nosology of affective and thought disorders is probably not appropriate when dealing with onset of psychopathology in the elderly. There is a need to closely attend to logical inference in neuropsychological data from this group of patients, and to clearly differentiate primary from secondary symptoms of affective and thought disorders.
Phosphorylation Modulates the Mechanical Stability of the Cardiac Myosin-Binding Protein C Motif

Cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyBP-C) is a thick-filament-associated protein that modulates cardiac contractility through interactions of its N-terminal immunoglobulin (Ig)-like C0-C2 domains with actin and/or myosin. These interactions are modified by the phosphorylation of at least four serines located within the motif linker between domains C1 and C2. We investigated whether motif phosphorylation alters its mechanical properties by characterizing force-extension relations using atomic force spectroscopy of expressed mouse N-terminal cMyBP-C fragments (i.e., C0-C3). Protein kinase A phosphorylation or serine replacement with aspartic acids did not affect persistence length (0.43 ± 0.04 nm), individual Ig-like domain unfolding forces (118 ± 3 pN), or Ig extension due to unfolding (30 ± 0.38 nm). However, phosphorylation did significantly decrease the C0-C3 mean contour length by 24 ± 2 nm. These results suggest that upon phosphorylation, the motif, which is freely extensible in the nonphosphorylated state, adopts a more stable and/or different structure. Circular dichroism and dynamic light scattering data for shorter expressed C1-C2 fragments with all four serines replaced by aspartic acids confirmed that the motif did adopt a more stable structure that was not apparent in the nonphosphorylated motif. These biophysical data provide both a mechanical and structural basis for cMyBP-C regulation by motif phosphorylation.
CORRELATION OF CLINICAL PHENOTYPE AND BIOCHEMICAL DEFECT IN SMITH-LEMLI-OPITZ SYNDROME (SLOS). • 480

SLOS is caused by an inborn error of cholesterol biosynthesis. Affected patients have growth and developmental retardation, congenital anomalies, and a characteristic facial appearance. Prior to discovery of the biochemical defect, diagnosis was based on clinical examination alone. Confirmation of the clinical diagnosis can now be accomplished by demonstration of the characteristic abnormal sterol pattern in plasma or other tissues.
Antifungal activity of pterocarpans and other selected isoflavonoids

Abstract Six pterocarpans and 11 structurally related isoflavonoids were tested for antifungal activity against Fusarium solani f. sp. cucurbitae and Aphanomyces euteiches . Representatives from the pterocarpan, isoflavan, and 6a, 11a-dehydropterocarpan classes of isoflavonoids were found that were antifungal. The activity of the antifungal isoflavonoids does not appear to be dependent on a common 3-dimensional shape.
Robot control systems: A survey

Abstract Robot manipulators have attracted considerable interest from researchers both in universities and industry during recent years. This interest covers a broad spectrum from task planning, robot language and artificial intelligence to mechanics, sensing and control. This survey paper addresses the area of robot position control and attempts to give an overview of the basic problems involved and some existing solutions.
Structural and Water Binding Properties of Meat Emulsions Prepared with Emulsified and Unemulsified Fat

The structural and water binding properties of sausage emulsions containing the fat component as a pre-emulsified fat or as water and fat separately are presented. Optimal parameters of sonic emulsification were established: frequency of ultrasound, time of emulsification, and concentration of stabilizers, sodium orthophosphate, gelatin, sodium caseinate, nonfat dry milk. Comminuted meat products with pre-emulsified fat rather than unemulsified fat had higher water-binding capacity, and viscosity, which increased with time of holding. Utilization of a pre-emulsified fat in comminuted meat products resulted in an increase in the amount of emulsified fat in the finished product, a more uniform distribution of the fat component in the structure of products and a 6 - 7% increase in the yield of finished product.
Factorial validation of a telephone test battery of specific cognitive abilities

Abstract The factor structure of eight specific cognitive ability tests administered using a traditional paper-and-pencil protocol to 529 children at 7 years of age is compared to that of similar measures administered using the telephone to a subsample of these children at 9 and 10 years. Results of exploratory factor analyses suggest that both test batteries assess the same four ability dimensions: verbal, spatial, perceptual speed, and memory. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the factor loadings do not differ between the two test batteries, thus indicating that telephone tests are factorially valid measures of specific cognitive abilities.
Health Journalism Internships: A Social Marketing Strategy to Address Health Disparities

The USA seeks to eliminate health disparities by stimulating the rapid uptake of health-promoting behaviors within disadvantaged communities. A health journalism internship incorporates social marketing strategies to increase communities' access to cancer information, while helping the interns who are recruited from underrepresented communities gain admission to top graduate schools. Interns are taught basic health journalism skills that enable them to create immediate streams of cancer-related press releases for submission to community newspapers. Interns are charged with the social responsibility of continuing this dissemination process throughout their careers. Intermediate outcomes are measured as mediators of distal behavioral change goals.
Estimating snow cover and grain size from AVIRIS data with spectral mixture analysis and modeled snow spectra

Models of hydrology and climate in alpine and other seasonally snow-covered regions require input of snow- covered area (SCA) and snow surface grain size. The spectral signature of snow depends on the snow grain size. We have shown in earlier work that to map either SCA or grain size with optical data, one must know the distribution of the other variable. Hence, we solve for SCA or grain size simultaneously with spectral mixture analysis. Alpine regions frequently exhibit large snow grain size gradients due to rugged terrain. Because the spectral signature of snow is dependent on grain size, the grain size gradients translate into spectral gradients. Snow must then be represented by a range of endmembers. To provide the range and resolution of grain size, we use modeled snow spectra of varying brain size as snow endmembers. To complete the spectral mixture library, we incorporate reference endmembers of vegetation, rock, and soil. On airborne visible/IR imaging spectrometer data of the Sierra Nevada, CA, we ran multiple mixture models. We established constraints on mixture RMS, residual, and fractions to select a subset of physically realistic models. The optimal mixture was then selected from this subset by means of the least RMS. The snow endmember fraction and grain size of the optimal mixture provide the estimates of sub-pixel SCA and surface grain size, respectively.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Benefits and limitations of factitious prey and artificial diets on life parameters of predatory beetles, bugs, and lacewings: a mini-review

The primary peer-reviewed literature pertaining to rearing of predatory beetles, true bugs, and lacewings was reviewed and synthesized. This study focused on the literature published from 1998 to 2007. Advances in rearing were revealed in relation to the influence of factitious prey and artificial diets on predator life parameters. Eggs of the Angoumois grain moth and Mediterranean flour moth were factitious prey that supported the development and reproduction of many species in lieu of natural prey. Artificial diets based on vertebrate protein were generally inferior to factitious prey for production of predators. A few exceptional cases demonstrated potential for continuous rearing of true bugs and lacewings on artificial diet, as a stand-alone food source. Factors that could ensure progressive rearing success might involve (1) exploiting the highly polyphagous nature of certain species, (2) exposing predators to artificial diet for multiple generations to incite adaptation, (3) formulating artificial diets to match the texture and chemical composition of preferred natural prey, and (4) encasing the diet within Parafilm® to resemble the shape of natural prey. Encasement may also reduce desiccation and retard spoilage of the diet. Identification of other factitious prey and development of artificial diets that ensure production of predators of high quality should be possible. This review was conducted, for the most part, in support of generalist insect predators used, or having the potential to be used, in augmentative biological control of pests on plants in semi-closed systems, such as greenhouses and interiorscapes.
Modified Carlson-Crittenden device for the collection of parotid fluid.

Abstract : Directions are given for the fabrication, cleaning, and sterilizing of a modified CarlsonCrittenden parotid fluid collecting device that has been use-tested by the authors in the collection of over 40,000 specimens. It has served particularly well in prolonged collections made with exogenous stimulants. The size of the device is such that it is easily adapted for use in making collections from dogs and other large experimental animals. (Author)
TAK1: molecular cloning and characterization of a new member of the nuclear receptor superfamily.

Using polymerase chain reaction and two degenerate primers whose designs were based on the two best conserved regions of the DNA-binding domain of the nuclear receptor superfamily, we identified and cloned a novel orphan receptor, named TAK1. The open reading frame of TAK1 encodes a protein of 596 amino acid residues. Based on the modular structure and the presence of a DNA-binding domain containing two zinc fingers TAK1 belongs to the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily. The amino acid sequence of TAK1 is most closely related to the orphan receptor TR2-11. Their overall sequence homology is 64%, with the highest similarity (82%) being observed in the DNA-binding domain. Northern blot analysis using RNA from multiple human tissues showed that a 9.4 kilobase TAK1 transcript was expressed ubiquitously and that the presence of a 2.8 kilobase mRNA was largely restricted to the testis. In situ hybridization using sections of rat and mouse testes and Northern blot analysis using RNA from testes of rats...
Closure, Contrast, and Answer

How should the contrastivist formulate closure? That is, given that knowledge is a ternary contrastive state Kspq (s knows that p rather than q), how does this state extend under entailment? In what follows, I will identify adequacy conditions for closure, criticize the extant invariantist and contextualist closure schemas, and provide a contrastive schema based on the idea of extending answers. I will conclude that only the contrastivist can adequately formulate closure.
Using simulation models to evaluate ape nest survey techniques.

Background Conservationists frequently use nest count surveys to estimate great ape population densities, yet the accuracy and precision of the resulting estimates are difficult to assess. Methodology/Principal Findings We used mathematical simulations to model nest building behavior in an orangutan population to compare the quality of the population size estimates produced by two of the commonly used nest count methods, the ‘marked recount method’ and the ‘matrix method.’ We found that when observers missed even small proportions of nests in the first survey, the marked recount method produced large overestimates of the population size. Regardless of observer reliability, the matrix method produced substantial overestimates of the population size when surveying effort was low. With high observer reliability, both methods required surveying approximately 0.26% of the study area (0.26 km2 out of 100 km2 in this simulation) to achieve an accurate estimate of population size; at or above this sampling effort both methods produced estimates within 33% of the true population size 50% of the time. Both methods showed diminishing returns at survey efforts above 0.26% of the study area. The use of published nest decay estimates derived from other sites resulted in widely varying population size estimates that spanned nearly an entire order of magnitude. The marked recount method proved much better at detecting population declines, detecting 5% declines nearly 80% of the time even in the first year of decline. Conclusions/Significance These results highlight the fact that neither nest surveying method produces highly reliable population size estimates with any reasonable surveying effort, though either method could be used to obtain a gross population size estimate in an area. Conservation managers should determine if the quality of these estimates are worth the money and effort required to produce them, and should generally limit surveying effort to 0.26% of the study area, unless specific management goals require more intensive sampling. Using site- and time- specific nest decay rates (or the marked recount method) are essential for accurate population size estimation. Marked recount survey methods with sufficient sampling effort hold promise for detecting population declines.
Effect of line or band shape on the radiative flux of an isothermal spherical layer

Abstract Radiative transfer in a nongray, absorbing-emitting spherical layer is investigated. The absorption coefficient consists of an array of equal-intensity, nonoverlapping, narrow bands or lines. Specific attention is directed toward the evaluation of the effect of band or line shape on the local radiative flux of an isothermal layer. The integral equation for radiative equilibrium is formulated and functions associated with it are studied. Numerical and graphical results are presented for the rectangular, triangular, exponential, Doppler, and Lorentz profiles.
Functional Form in the Demand for Money

A general functional form is considered for which the linear and logarithmic functional forms are special cases. The general functional form is a power transformation of each of the variables—each variable is raised to a λ power. This functional form is estimated for the demand for money using the maximum likelihood method. Real money demand is specified to be a function of real current income and a short-term interest rate. The empirical evidence suggests that the logarithmic functional form is appropriate for money stock defined as currency plus demand deposits. For money stock defined to also include time deposits, neither the linear nor logarithmic form seems appropriate. The estimates of λ are insensitive to expansion of the model explaining money demand, but functional form is important for discrimination among alternative hypotheses.
Phosphatidylcholine synthesis in castor bean endosperm: characteristics and reversibility of the choline kinase reaction.

Abstract Choline kinase (EC 2.7.1.32) was measured in concentrated 100,000 g av supernatants from castor bean endosperm ( Ricinus communis L. var. Hale). Initial velocity analysis, along with competitive inhibitor (hemicholinium-3) and product inhibition (ADPMg 2+ ) studies suggested that the forward reaction followed a sequentially ordered mechanism with ATPMg 2+ binding to the enzyme first, followed by choline and then activation of the ternary complex by free Mg 2+ . The kinetic constants of the forward reaction are reported. A reverse reaction was measured which had a pH optimum of 6.5 and produced 1 mol of ATP for every mole of choline phosphate. The estimated maximum possible K eq at 7.25 was 5 × 10 −3 which suggested that this reaction is highly reversible in this tissue. The possible physiological significance of this is discussed.
Effect of growth orientation and surface roughness on electron transport in silicon nanowires

We report a study of the effect of growth orientation and surface roughness on electron transport in small-diameter hydrogen passivated silicon nanowires (NWs). We employ a nonequilibrium Green's function technique within an $s{p}^{3}{d}^{5}{s}^{*}$ tight-binding approximation to show that band structure strongly affects current-voltage characteristics of ideal NWs, leading to current falloff at high drain bias for certain growth orientations. Surface roughness suppresses small bias conductance and current, and leads to a nonmonotonic dependence on gate bias. We also find that surface roughness results in a decrease of current with the length of a NW. The rate of the decrease depends on the growth directions and diameter. As the diameter of a NW becomes smaller, a transition of electron transport to Anderson localization regime may occur even at room temperature.
The control of DNA synthesis in macronuclei and micronuclei of a hypotrich ciliate: a comparison of normal and regenerating cells.

Urostyla weissei, a hypotrichous ciliate possessing two macronuclei and four or more micronuclei, has an inter-division interval of about 12 hours. Macronuclear DNA replication occurs between five and ten hours after cell division, while micronuclear DNA replication takes place a short time prior to mitosis. Synchronous populations of dividing cells were isolated, provided with H3-thymidine labelled Tetrahymena, and then were equatorially transected during either G1 or macronuclear S. Regeneration was completed, with attendant micronuclear and macronuclear division, four to five hours after transection. No macronuclear DNA synthesis took place during the regeneration interval. In cells transected during macronuclear S, the replication band generally disappeared and DNA synthesis was arrested. The macronucleus then divided without mixing of replicated and un-replicated portions, so that the replicated material generally passed to only one of the macronuclear division products, which was larger than the other. Following the completion of regeneration, a new wave of DNA synthesis commenced immediately in macronuclei of cells transected during G1, and with some delay in cells transected during S. The completion of this replication wave was not followed by cell division; instead a second replication was initiated a few hours later, and then the cells divided. Micronuclei initiated DNA synthesis prior to mitosis, which occurred whenever regeneration was completed, and regardless of the time of transection or the concurrent state of the macronucleus. Thus, in cells transected during G1, micronuclei replicated considerably earlier than in the unoperated controls. In cells subjected to repeated transection at four to five hour intervals, macronuclei became progressively smaller while micronuclei remained the same size, which is expected if macronuclear replication is suppressed due to the regeneration-stimulus, while micronuclear replication occurs automatically prior to every mitosis.
Random mutagenesis of the sheep Na,K-ATPase α1 subunit generating the ouabain-resistant mutant L793P

Abstract The polymerase chain reaction was used to randomly mutagenize a cDNA cassette encoding amino acids 691–946 of the sheep Na,K-ATPase α subunit. The mutagenized cassettes were used to replace the wild-type region in the full-length cDNA, and pools of mutants were transfected into HeLa cells. After the generation of resistant cells via selection in 0.5 μM ouabain, polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the mutagenized cassette from the genomic DNA of the stable transfectants. Sequence analysis of the polymerase chain reaction product revealed three amino acid substitutions: I729V, L793P, and K836R. Subsequent site-directed mutagenesis experiments showed that only L793P was important for resistance. To elucidate the role of L793 in ouabain inhibition, additional mutations at this position were prepared. L793A and L793I mutants were constructed and expressed in HeLa cells. Only L793A survived selection using ouabain, which suggested that resistance is not due to the specific substitution of leucine with proline. To explore the mechanism of resistance, apparent affinities of the L793P mutant for sodium and potassium were compared to the wild-type HeLa pump. Although the apparent affinities were comparable for sodium, the mutant had a 2-fold higher apparent affinity for potassium. This suggests that the mechanism of ouabain insensitivity of L793P is due to a perturbation in the region of the enzyme that may include the K+ binding site.
Use of fluorescence polarization to probe the structure and aluminum complexation of three molecular weight fractions of a soil fulvic acid

A soil fulvic acid isolated from a northern coniferous forest (NCFA) was fractionated by ultrafiltration into three different molecular sizes ranging from less than 500 to 10 000 daltons. The conformation changes of this soil fulvic acid, NCFA, and its molecular weight (MW) fractions were studied using fluorescence polarization as a function of pH and concentration of added ionic inorganic aluminum. Polarization values versus aluminum concentration increased for the lowest molecular weight fraction, whereas they decreased for the higher molecular weight fractions. The change in the polarization values suggests that the lower molecular weight fraction of the fulvic acid molecule does not change conformation when complexed to aluminum, whereas the higher molecular weight fractions changes conformation when complexed to aluminum. The fluorescence intensity versus aluminum concentration increased for all the fractions indicating that the rigidity of the fulvic acid molecule increases as aluminum binds to it. Stability constants were calculated for the aluminum-fulvate complexes using anisotropy values calculated from the polarization data. The log of the stability constants for the aluminum-fulvate complex varied between 4.9 to 5.2 over a pH range of 3.0 to 4.0. The log of the stability constants for the aluminum-fulvate MW fractions varied between 4.2 to 5.1 at a constant pH of 3.5.
Attention in the pigeon: Testing with compounds or elements

Abstract Pigeons received free-operant go no go discrimination training in which the positive stimulus for all subjects was a visual compound, a vertical white line on a blue background. After discrimination training, two types of test trials (“elements”: blue, green, vertical, horizontal; “compounds”: blue-vertical, blue-horizontal, green-vertical, green-horizontal) were presented to each subject during extinction. Under most conditions both kinds of trials revealed that responding was more strongly controlled by wavelength than by line-till. However, only compound trials proved sensitive enough to consistently reveal differential control within the weaker (line-tilt) dimension; the near-zero response output to vertical or horizontal lines presented alone on the “elements” trials made it very difficult to detect any differential line-tilt control and could have led to the erroneous conclusion that some birds had not attended at all to the line-tilt dimension. Other comparisons from the present experiments provided information on “blocking” effects and on the influence of different negative stimuli in the development of stimulus control along the wavelength and line-tilt dimensions.
A cascade of morphogenic signaling initiated by the meninges controls corpus callosum formation.

Summary The corpus callosum is the most prominent commissural connection between the cortical hemispheres, and numerous neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with callosal agenesis. By using mice either with meningeal overgrowth or selective loss of meninges, we have identified a cascade of morphogenic signals initiated by the meninges that regulates corpus callosum development. The meninges produce BMP7, an inhibitor of callosal axon outgrowth. This activity is overcome by the induction of expression of Wnt3 by the callosal pathfinding neurons, which antagonize the inhibitory effects of BMP7. Wnt3 expression in the cingulate callosal pathfinding axons is developmentally regulated by another BMP family member, GDF5, which is produced by the adjacent Cajal-Retzius neurons and turns on before outgrowth of the callosal axons. The effects of GDF5 are in turn under the control of a soluble GDF5 inhibitor, Dan, made by the meninges. Thus, the meninges and medial neocortex use a cascade of signals to regulate corpus callosum development.
New Mexico women with no prenatal care: Reasons, outcomes, and nursing implications

A retrospective chart review was conducted to determine why women received no prenatal care during pregnancy and their subsequent maternal and neonatal outcomes. Five hundred and eighty medical records from 1990 through 1993 that were labeled as no care were reviewed. Actually, only 270 records had no care and of these, 92 had 156 recorded reasons as to why women did not receive prenatal care. These reasons were categorized into three types of barriers: attitudinal, sociodemographic, and system-related. The majority of the women were young, Hispanic, unmarried, between 20 and 29 years of age, and uninsured, and had one to three children. Overall, the women did not smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, or use drugs during pregnancy. Overall, the women had good maternal and newborn outcomes. Results suggest a need to reevaluate the effect of prenatal care use on young Hispanic women.
Artisan Work and Life in Taiwan

Artisans have been curiously neglected by students of Chinese society. Even though they are one of the four Classical status categories (scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants) and played an essential role in China's economy and urban society, they have remained, like the stagehands in Chinese theatre, almost invisible. They have been taken for granted and so overlooked. It is possible to learn a fair amount about Chinese crafts, but very difficult to find out about the people who practiced those crafts. In part this is a consequence of the common habit of thinking of Chinese society in overly simple dichotomous terms, such as elite and folk, gentry and peasantry, or traditional and modern. Not only do artisans not fit into the picture of China composed of long-fingernailed classical scholars on the one hand, and earthy peasants on the other, but they also escape the attention
Seasonal variations in population size, fecundity, and parity rates of Culicoides insignis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Florida, USA.

Culicoides insignis constituted more than 99.9% of the Culicoides midges caught by light traps operated for 2 years at a cattle feedlot in southern Florida, USA. Males and nulliparous females were present in all collections except during the exceptionally cold winter months of 1982. Fecundity was examined and the mean number of eggs/clutch ranged from 79.0 in July 1980 to 107.1 in February 1980. The number of eggs was influenced by female size and by the ambient temperature during development of immatures. Because of the common occurrence of antibodies to bluetongue in south Florida, the absence of an established C. variipennis population, and the close association between cattle and C. insignis, this species must be considered a primary potential vector of bluetongue virus in southern Florida.
Assignment of charge transfer bands for a bridged binuclear metal complex by resonance Raman excitation profiles

Resonance Raman spectra obtained using laser excitation wavelengths varled to match each of two visible charge transfer absorption bands of a dimeric metal complex with two different diimine ligands vary significantly. The identification of characteristic ligand vibrations leads to the assignment of the two metal-to-ligand charge transfer transitions with respect to the ligand which accepts the charge in the excited state. The resonance Raman spectra provide information relating to the complex structures in solution.
Maternal benefit of high-dose intravenous corticosteroid therapy for HELLP syndrome

Abstract Objective We compared maternal outcomes for patients with HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count) syndrome treated with or without high-dose corticosteroids to ameliorate maternal disease. Study design An analysis of data for patients with HELLP syndrome (platelets, ≤100,000/μL; lactate dehydrogenase level, ≥600 IU/L; aspartate aminotransferase and/or alanine aminotransferase level, ≥70 IU/L) who were treated during the 7-year epochs before and after the clinical trials in 1992 and 1993 demonstrated maternal benefit with high-dose dexamethasone. Results Corticosteroid use increased from 16% (39/246 patients) for fetal indication from 1985 to 1991 to 90% (205/228 patients) for maternal-fetal indications from 1994 to 2000. Significantly reduced composite maternal disease from 1994 to 2000 was evidenced by improvements in laboratory parameters, disease progression to class 1 HELLP syndrome, the degree of hypertension, the need for antihypertensive therapy, the use of transfusion, and the presence of maternal morbidity ( P P Conclusion Routine early initiation of high-dose intravenous corticosteroids for patients with HELLP syndrome significantly lessened maternal disease, reduced maternal morbidity, and expedited recovery.
Kinetics of azathioprine degradation in aqueous solution

Abstract The kinetics of decomposition of azathioprine to 6-mercaptopurine was studied as a model reaction to assess the suitability of thioether derivatives as potential prodrugs for compounds containing thiol functionality. The rates of decomposition yielding 6-mercaptopurine and 1-methyl-4-nitro-5-hydroxyimidazole in stoichiometric amounts were determined at 73° C over the pH range of 1–13 at an ionic strength of 0.5. The pH-rate profile was accounted for by the specific acid- and base-catalyzed reactions and also by assuming spontaneous or water-catalyzed decomposition of both undissociated and dissociated azathioprine. Maximum stability occurred at pH 5.5–6.5 in which region water was the principal catalyst in the decomposition pathway. Various buffer substances were found to exhibit general acid and base catalysis of the degradation. The effects of temperature and ionic strength on the reaction rates were also evaluated. The principal mode of azathioprine degradation may be the cleavage of the carbon sulfur bond by direct nucleophilic attack of the water molecule or the hydroxide ion on the carbon atom at the 5-position of the methyl-nitro-imidazole ring.
MobileDeluge: Mobile Code Dissemination for Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper we present MobileDeluge, a general mobile network-reprogramming tool based on Deluge for wireless sensor networks (WSNs). MobileDeluge effectively addresses the weaknesses of Deluge and other traditional over-the-air reprogramming approaches for WSNs. It enables efficient code dissemination for heterogeneous WSN motes regularly operating over low-power links through a mobile base station. We evaluate the performance of MobileDeluge via both laboratory experiments and a real-world outdoor environmental WSN testbed. Results show that our proposed MobileDeluge leads to a significant improvement of the performance compared to the original Deluge for WSNs operating over low-power links.
The reemergence of serious group A streptococcal infections and acute rheumatic fever.

Acute rheumatic fever and life-threatening group A streptococcal infections have reemerged during the past 15 years to once again become a serious health threat in the developed countries of the world. Reports of outbreaks of acute rheumatic fever in many parts of this country and others have shattered the complacency that the health-care community had acquired related to this devastating sequela of streptococcal pharyngitis. Invasive streptococcal infections, often associated with loss of limbs or life despite optimal antibiotic therapy, have underscored the potential virulence of these organisms. A new clinical entity, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, has emerged as a consequence of the new invasive strains of group A streptococci. In this article, the authors summarize the recent changes in the epidemiology of group A streptococcal infections and rheumatic fever and review the potential reasons for the increased virulence of these organisms. In addition, they discuss prospects for a streptococcal M protein vaccine designed to control these infections and their sequelae.
Affective and Developmental Considerations in Couple Therapy: Introduction to the Special Series

This article introduces the special series on affective and developmental considerations in couple therapy. Although considerable evidence supports the efficacy of couple therapy, an equally sizable literature documents limits to current strategies for treating relationship distress. One factor limiting couple therapy involves the comorbidity of relationship distress with individual psychopathology, particularly affective disorders. Research also documents important developmental influences on couple functioning and therapy outcome. Articles comprising the special series address conceptual and strategic advances incorporating affective and developmental issues in treating relationship distress in general and specific couple problems in particular.
Career Choice among String Music Education Students in American Colleges and Universities

The objective of this study was to identify teacher strategies for attracting school orchestra students to string teaching. Full-time string music education professors at 17 universities surveyed t...
Communities of the Converted: Ukrainians and Global Evangelism

Communities of the Converted: Ukrainians and Global Evangelism by Catherine Wanner. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 2007, paperback, viii+305 pp. Nearly everywhere I travelled in 15 ye...
Predicting fatigue life of pre-corroded 2024-T3 aluminum

Abstract Much research has examined the viability of total fatigue life prediction methodologies based on the initial condition of the material. Further, corrosion attack is also of interest in terms of its damaging effects on structural durability. As a natural next step in understanding the effects of corrosion damage, this investigation was aimed at assessing the viability of a total fatigue life prediction methodology for material with pre-existing corrosion damage. The work covered here was mainly performed to further the breadth and scope of research and development, provide insights into several factors influencing fatigue resistance of corroded material with a basis in analytical and experimental data, and push closer to a fully conclusive analysis tool for truly predicting fatigue life in corroded materials. While the qualitative effects of corrosion and its effects on fatigue resistance are acknowledged by many researchers, a rigorous analytical technique for fully capturing the quantitative consequences of corrosion does not exist in closed form. Most current strategies call for overly conservative and costly repairs or make use of arbitrary factors of safety. For this study, fatigue specimens of nominal gage 0.063 in. aluminum alloy 2024-T3 were exposed to corrosion and tested in a laboratory setting. The test samples were taken from a single lot of material and corroded for 6, 24, and 72 h in three specimen orientations. The corroded specimens were cycled to failure at three stress levels. All failed specimens were examined to characterize the damage state(s) and failure mechanism(s). An analysis technique for predicting fatigue life results in the presence of corrosion damage was developed using a fracture mechanics foundation and the observed mechanisms of failure. In general, fatigue tests showed a decrease in life due to increased corrosion exposure. However, the fatigue tests from different specimen orientations exhibited similar lives to failure. The spread from shortest to longest fatigue lives among the different corrosion conditions decreased at the higher stress levels. Life predictions based on measured nucleation sites were generally conservative in nature and within 20–30% of the experimental lives. The main conclusion from this work was that a total fatigue life prediction methodology was shown to be a mostly successful tool in predicting the life of pre-corroded test specimens, while capturing the effects of three stress levels, three corrosion levels, and three specimen orientations.
A new operation for producing anterior or posterior bone block of the ankle

the construction of a check Iigament, and the construction of a bone bIock. The former operation, tenodesis of the ankIe for foot drop, as described by GaIIie,l consists of the anchorage of the extensor tendons and the tibialis anticus by imbedding them into the anterior surface of the tibia. Observation of the end resuIts of this operation over a number of years has resuIted in the conviction that it is not nearIy so satisfactory as an operation that utiIizes a bone bIock as a check to joint motion; a stretching of the check Iigament practicaIIy aIways occurs. With a bone bIock operation, on the other hand, there is a firm stop appIied to motion beyond a predetermined arc, and the fact that the resuIts of this type of operation are far more IikeIy to be permanent is attested to by its vastly greater popuIarity at the present time. The most popuIar of the operations for posterior bone bIock of the ankIe are the two operations of CampbeII, both of which require the remova of the posterior end of the astragalus. His origina procedure repIaces the end of the astragaIus with a piIIar of bone chips obtained from an associated tarsa arthrodesis. CampbeII’s second operation repIaces the posterior end of the astragaIus with a simiIar piIIar made by turning up successive shavings from the upper surface of the OS caIcis. In both cases, since the new bone piIIar consists of a Iarge number of chips or shavings of bone, a considerable time must elapse before a firm and solid bone bIock is produced-a disadvantage that is inherent in chip bone grafts wherever used. AIso, the possibIe fraiIty of the compIeted piIIar and the faiIure of union of these chips are contingencies which should be considered. Other operations that have been suggested have the disadvantage of necessitating a fracture of the astragaIus, with a ComparativeIy long period of immobilization, or the operative procedure is technicaIIy diffrcuIt and time-consuming. There are two methods of providing a bone block to dorsa1 ffexion of the foot, viz., the method of Putti and that of AIbee. Putti’s method consists of fracturing the body of the astragaIus anteriorIy by means
An iterative-perturbation scheme for treating inhomogeneous elasticity in phase-field models

In this paper, we discuss a simple iterative-perturbation scheme for solving the elasticity equation in systems with strong elastic inhomogeneity. As an example, a thin film in contact with a gas and a substrate is considered. The scheme is demonstrated to be efficient through numerical experiments and reliable through rigorous mathematical justification. It is then applied to the study of the inhomogeneous shear modulus effect on the microstructure evolution in thin films based on the phase-field method.
CyGraph: A Reconfigurable Architecture for Parallel Breadth-First Search

Large-scale graph structures are considered as a keystone for many emerging high-performance computing applications in which Breadth-First Search (BFS) is an important building block. For such graph structures, BFS operations tends to be memory-bound rather than compute-bound. In this paper, we present an efficient reconfigurable architecture for parallel BFS that adopts new optimizations for utilizing memory bandwidth. Our architecture adopts a custom graph representation based on compressed-sparse raw format (CSR), as well as a restructuring of the conventional BFS algorithm. By taking maximum advantage of available memory bandwidth, our architecture continuously keeps our processing elements active. Using a commercial high-performance reconfigurable computing system (the Convey HC-2), our results demonstrate a 5× speedup over previously published FPGA-based implementations.
Pigs and Packers

This study presents us with a number of issues that add complexity to the taken-forgranted practices of teaching immigrant children in the US. Furthermore, by contextualizing the events and dialogs within the larger contexts and contradictory discourses of the purposes of schooling vis-a ` -vis the globalizing dimension of ethnoscapes, the debate forces us to engage in theorizing within the discourses of correspondence (reproduction), resistance, agency, and hope. In what follows we engage in conversation where we each take turns interrogating, problematizing, and playing the role of the provocateur in order to elicit dialog among us and to advance the tremendous ideas put forth in Pigs and Packers. Across our comments, we ultimately struggle with three big ideas: • How are youth’s and teachers’ stories about science, self and future constructed within the discourse of science learning, ELL, dissection, and immigrant status? What roles do teachers, curriculum, institutional structures and local, national, and global priorities play in constructing these stories? • How do youth and their teachers work to and/or learn to resist disrupt ‘‘normative stories’’ of science, self and future? • In what ways does place shape the construction of such narratives? Jaime: A powerful undercurrent across this text is place, and I find myself as a reader taking up my own place both with and against the text. My background is not in science education and my own high school science experiences were not in the US.
Accurate fitting of immittance spectroscopy frequency-response data using the stretched exponential model

Abstract A new method of accurately calculating two stretched-exponential (Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts (KWW)) models and fitting them by complex non-linear least squares (CNLS) to small-signal frequency-domain data is described and used for the detailed analysis of data for the disordered materials Li2OAl2O32SiO2 glass at 24°C and Na2O · 3SiO2 from 303 K to 398.5 K. Fitting was carried out with two different KWW models, KWW0 and KWW1, and with others, and included possible electrode polarization effects and ϵD∞, the high-frequency-limiting dielectric constant, taken as a free parameter. For conductive-system dispersion, ϵD∞ and ϵ∞ are usually unequal. The present most-physically-appropriate KWW model, the KWW1, was much superior for the present data to all other models investigated. In particular, the power-law or ‘Jonscher’ model was found to be inferior for fitting the trisilicate data, contrary to earlier conclusions of Nowick and Lim, based on their comparison of the fitting utility of the power-law model and the Moynihan KWW modulus formalism. In addition, serious limitations of the modulus formalism were found and are illustrated; indicating that it should not be considered for future fitting. For the Na2O · 3SiO2 data, very-high-accuracy CNLS KWW1 fitting disclosed a small change in activation energy near 341 K and somewhat irregular, but well-determined, temperature dependence of the β exponent of the KWW1 model. Although the differences between fit predictions and the trisilicate data are too small to distinguish on ordinary M″(ω) or −ρ″(ω) plots, the very small relative residuals of the fit nevertheless show appreciable serial correlation, rather than random behavior, indicating that some systematic errors still remain.
Degradation of polymers during aerosol formation from antimisting polymer solutions

Degradation of polyisobutylenes as a consequence of spraying jet-fuel solutions of these polymers was studied as a function of polymer molecular weight and concentration and the spray conditions. Assessment of the degradation was made by measuring the maximum ductless siphon height h* for sprayed samples and comparing this with prespray values. Two polymers, L-160 from Exxon and B-288 from BASF (Mv = 4.1× 106 and 11.9 × 106), were studied to concentrations of 3000 and 2000 ppm, respectively. Degradation was found to be extremely sensitive to the air speed used in wind-shear spraying, above a critical value of approximately 30–40 m/s. At the highest air speed employed, 135 m/s, degradation was so severe that h* values were reduced nearly to Newtonian (solvent) values, for all concentrations of both polymer additives. The implications of these results are important for designing effective antimisting fluids.