cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of oxidative aging on the wear performance of highly crosslinked polyethylene knee inserts under conditions of severe malalignment.

First-generation crosslinked polyethylene developed for total hip arthroplasty has not gained wide acceptance for knee arthroplasty because of the increased potential for failure under high stresses and the increased risk for oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Sequentially crosslinked polyethylene (SQXL) is a second-generation crosslinked polyethylene that is reported to reduce the level of free radicals and preserve mechanical properties. Three groups of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene inserts were wear tested after artificial aging as per ASTM F2003: gamma-irradiated in air (GA-aged), sequentially crosslinked (SQXL-aged), and electron-beam irradiated and remelted (EBeam-aged). Inserts were tested in an AMTI knee wear simulator under malalignment conditions that were two standard deviations from the mean reported for computer-navigated and conventionally aligned techniques. GA-aged inserts delaminated by 500,000 cycles, and were severely damaged after 1 million cycles. None of the highly crosslinked inserts (SQXL-aged or EBeam-aged) delaminated or showed any signs of severe wear. Mean wear rate for GA-aged inserts was 124.6 ± 49.4 mg/million cycles. Mean wear rates for SQXL-aged and EBeam-aged inserts were significantly lower (1.74 ± 0.3 and 4.72 ± 0.7, respectively). These results support the low levels of free radicals and preservation of mechanical properties reported in second-generation crosslinked ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene. © 2008 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res, 2008
Collaborative profitable pollution prevention: an approach for the sustainable development of complex industrial zones under uncertain information

Pollution prevention (P2) has played an integral role in the development and implementation of technologies designed to prevent the amount of waste generated at a facility. The idea of P2 was later expanded by determining minimum system material and energy requirements, thus reducing the amount of raw materials and economic investment needed. This principle, which considers environmental and economic elements, was termed profitable P2 (P3). This paper, which further expands on the principles of P2 and P3, focuses on utilizing the idea of collaborative P3 (CP3) to aid in decision-making toward sustainable development. CP3 includes a system modeling and analysis methodology, which provides industrial decision-makers with the ability to assess the industrial units’ state of sustainability, evaluate future production options, and aid in the selection of the production plan with the best possibility of working toward the sustainable development of not only a single unit, but also of the overall industrial zone. To demonstrate the efficacy of the methodology, a comprehensive study on sustainable development of an auto-manufacturing focused industrial zone is illustrated.
Loose Packing of the Extracellular Domain Core of Pentameric Ligand-Gated Ion Channels is Important for Fast Activation and Desensitization

Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) mediate fast synaptic transmission. pLGIC activation is initiated by agonist binding to the orthosteric site in the extracellular domain (ECD), which promotes rapid opening of a membrane-embedded ion-conducting pore. Prolonged agonist exposure leads to pLGIC desensitization, which results in channel closure. Eukaryotic pLGICs open in the sub-millisecond to millisecond timescale, and transition into desensitized closed states in tens of milliseconds. To date, we have limited knowledge of the structural elements that underlie the rapid kinetics of activation and desensitization in pLGICs. We previously showed that eukaryotic pLGICs are characterized by loose packing of the ECD hydrophobic core, due to cavities created at two conserved sites by buried side-chains of either polar residues (threonine and serine in nicotinic receptors, nAChRs) or alanines (in GABA-A receptors), and that increasing the packing of the ECD core at these two sites slowed agonist-induced current activation and desensitization rates (Dellisanti et al., Nat Neurosci 2007; Dellisanti and Czajkowski, J Biol Chem 2011). Interestingly, prokaryotic pLGICs, like proton-activated GLIC, activate and desensitize slowly and have a tightly packed ECD core. Here, we generated loose packing mutants of GLIC by mutating V38 and V109 (aligned to nAChR-α1 T52 and S126) to either alanines or threonine and serine, respectively. We expressed the GLIC mutants in Xenopus oocytes and monitored the effects of these mutations on proton-elicited currents using two-electrode voltage clamp. The loose packing GLIC mutants had 2- to 3-fold faster current activation and desensitization rates compared to wild-type GLIC. The effects were larger when both valines (V38AV109A and V38TV109S mutants) were mutated. Our data suggest loose packing of the ECD core is directly implicated in fast activation and desensitization of eukaryotic pLGICs.
Induction Antibody Therapy in Kidney Transplantation

Antilymphocyte antibodies have been used for the prevention or treatment of acute rejection in kidney transplant recipients since the 1960s. Both monoclonal and polyclonal agents now are available and generally are classified as either lymphocyte-depleting or nondepleting agents. Use of such antibodies for induction therapy in the immediate postoperative period has varied over the years. Currently, induction antibodies are administered to more than 70% of kidney transplant recipients in the United States. However, the choice of specific agents and the patients for whom they are used vary substantially between and within transplant centers. Many centers use antibody induction therapy only in patients perceived to be at high risk of acute rejection or delayed graft function. Recently, induction antibody therapy also has become the standard of practice in protocols designed to facilitate minimization of such maintenance immunosuppressive drugs as corticosteroids or calcineurin inhibitors. The benefits of induction therapy, including a decreased incidence and delayed onset of acute rejection, must be balanced against the considerable cost and side effects of the individual agents, including risk of infection. Some, but not all, antibodies are associated with increased risk of posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disease and other malignancies.
Real-time scalable resource tracking framework (DIORAMA): System description and experimentation

DIORAMA system assists the incident commander in the management of a mass casualty incident. This system is a mobile, scalable tool that can be deployed at a disaster scene to enable an offsite commander to visualize the location and condition of the casualties, the location and condition of available resources, to aid the evacuator on site to retrieve and evacuate the patients accordingly to their triage level. Our experimental results conducted with human subjects in a simulated disaster site show that the DIORAMA system can significantly reduce the evacuation time (up to 43%) when compared to paper based evacuation. This fact attests to the DIORAMA effectiveness in reducing the patients' mortality.
Obesity and sleep: the Buffalo Police health study

Purpose – This study aims to look at the prevalence of obesity and its association with sleep problems among police officers.Design/methodology/value – The authors conducted a cross‐sectional study of the relationship between obesity and sleep disorders among 110 randomly selected police officers from the Buffalo, New York, Police Department in 1999. Participants, who ranged in age from 26 to 61 years (mean±SD=39.5±7.5), responded to sleep related questions and had anthropometric measurements taken.Findings – Results show that several measures of obesity were significantly associated with sleep‐disordered breathing in police officers, but not with other sleep problems.Originality/value – A major strength of the study was that it was conducted in a cooperative and motivated study population. It was possible to assess a wide range of anthropometric measurements, including many that are important but are rarely used to measure obesity in epidemiologic studies such as abdominal height, neck circumference, and...
The determination of upper bounds for economically effective compression in packet switching networks

This paper deals with the economic tradeoffs associated with data compression in a packet switching environment.In section II we present the data profile concept and the compression analysis of typical file-transfer data strings. This is followed by a compression cost saving model that is developed in section III. Upper bounds for an economically effective compression service are derived there, and the paper concludes with an example of these bounds based on state of the art technology.
TOMOSYNTHESIS: A Three-Dimensional Radiographic Imaging Technique

A three-dimensional radiographic imaging system has been developed, and is presently being clinically evaluated. Twenty conventional radiographs are reduced and reprojected into a display volume according to a geometry which matches the X-ray source geometry. The images are integrated on a viewing screen and produce the tomographic plane corresponding to the screen's position. Planes parallel and tilted with respect to the scanning plane can be observed by simply adjusting the screen. The image is continuous in all directions, possesses a resolution of about 2lp/mm, and is usually true-sized, although factors of 2 or 3 in magnification can be easily produced.
Elites and Democracy's Illusions

This article argues that ideologies, which elites utilize for political justification and mobilization, are always misleading guides to what can be accomplished politically. After reviewing how socialism preoccupied and misled elites during the "short" twentieth century, I examine how the ideology of democracy, in which Western elites today have unquestioned faith, conceals a range of fundamental sociopolitical changes and distorts the implications of various major events. The fixation of elites on democracy's illusions is leading – in some respects has already led – to disaster.
Validity of Ultrasonography for Postoperative Monitoring in Pediatric Urology

AbstractPurpose: We studied the validity of ultrasonography for short-term followup in pediatric urology.Materials and Methods: The study group comprised 137 children (187 urinary tracts) undergoing surgery at our hospital for congenital urological pathology between February 1982 and July 1992. The study protocol designed to evaluate urinary tract dilatation postoperatively and monitor its progress, included ultrasound at discharge from the hospital, and repeat ultrasound between days 20 and 30, and days 45 and 60. Diuretic renography or excretory urography was indicated when urinary tract dilatation showed no signs of regressing or had increased on 2 consecutive evaluations. Ultrasound of the urinary tract was done to evaluate variations in the grade of dilatation of the pelves, calices, infundibula and ureters, and grade of hydronephrosis.Results: Variations in the grade of dilatation of the infundibula and ureters were early sensitive indicators of the absence of obstruction. Using this protocol only 1...
Circumacenes versus periacenes : HOMO-LUMO gap and transition from nonmagnetic to magnetic ground state with size

Circumacenes and periacenes as zigzag-edged nanographenes differ only in that circumacenes have one extra benzene ring on each of the two armchair sides. Using first principles density functional theory, we show that this slight difference in the boundary shape dramatically affects the critical size at which the open-shell antiferromagnetic state supersedes the closed-shell nonmagnetic state as the ground state. We correlate this critical size to the decreasing HOMO-LUMO gap with the molecular size and discuss implications of the critical size for experimental syntheses of circumacenes and periacenes.
Short-term nitrogen mineralization during transition from conventional to organic management is unchanged by composted dairy manure addition in perennial forage systems

This study was conducted to determine the effect of composted dairy manure (CDM) addition on nitrogen (N) mineralization in perennial forage production system undergoing transition to organic management. A field experiment was carried out on a Gray Luvisol of northeastern Colorado (40°39′N, 104°59′W) in 2008 and 2009, using the in situ resin core method. CDM was top-dressed onto two mixtures of perennial grasses at 22.4 and 11.2 Mg ha−1 in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Additionally, a control with no CDM addition was included. In 2008, N mineralization was unchanged following the addition of CDM compared to unamended control, irrespective of grass mixture. In 2009, N mineralization was greater in CDM-amended plots than controls, but these differences were only marginally significant (P < 0.1). There were, in general, no significant total dry matter (DM) yield or N uptake differences between grass mixes that received CDM and those that did not regardless of year, but generally total DM yield declined in 2009 compared to 2008. No significant differences in N mineralization, total DM yield or N uptake between controls and CDM-amended soils suggests that CDM-derived N mineralization rates were considerably lower than expected and thus may not keep up with N demand of perennial forage grasses in the short term, as evidenced by low total DM yield in 2009. Thus, we suggest that high application rates of CDM, in addition to quality, may be needed for at least 3 years until a reserve of organic N pool that will mineralize over time is built, particularly for a soil in transition to organic management.
A partnered approach to QA increases efficiency through early problem detection

Over the years, organizational leaders have employed a variety of process and product quality assurance (PPQA) programs to reduce costs and improve the quality of their operations. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. A new approach, partnering, combines the best of these strategies to increase organizational effectiveness while enabling flexibility. As one software unit at a defense contractor discovered, the strength of this technique lies in its emphasis on encouraging personnel to detect problems early in a process or product life cycle, when they can be most easily addressed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Surface-mediated formation of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans from the high-temperature pyrolysis of 2-bromophenol on a CuO/silica surface.

We studied the surface-mediated pyrolytic thermal degradation of 2-bromophenol, a model brominated hydrocarbon that may form brominated dioxins in combustion and thermal processes, on silica-supported copper oxide in a 1 mm i.d., fused silica flow reactor at a constant concentration of 88 ppm over a temperature range of 250−550 °C. Observed products included dibenzo-p-dioxin (DD), 1-monobromodibenzo-p-dioxin (1-MBDD), dibromodibenzo-p-dioxin (DBDD), tribromodibenzo-p-dioxin (TrBDD), 4-monobromodibenzofuran (4-MBDF), dibenzofuran (DF), 2,4,6-tribromophenol, 2,4- and 2,6-dibromophenol, and polybrominated benzenes. These results are compared and contrasted with previous work on surface-catalyzed pyrolysis of 2-chlorophenol. Polybrominated dibenzofurans (PBDFs) are formed by the Langmuir−Hinshelwood mechanism, and the formation of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PBDDs) is through an Eley−Rideal mechanism. Yields of PBDDs are at least 16× greater for 2-bromophenol than for analogous PCDDs from 2-chlorophenol...
Total Attenuation Coefficients for 5- to 11-MeV Photons

Monoenergetic neutron-capture gamma rays have been used to measure gamma-ray attenuation co-efficients of beryllium, aluminum, copper, tin, and lead at energies of 5.435, 6.405, 7.725, and 10.833 MeV. These coefficients have been obtained with uncertainties of from 0.3 to 0.5%. Results are in reasonable agreement with calculated coefficients. Analysis of the results shows that, in the energy range studied, if Compton scattering can be calculated from the Klein-Nishina formula without radiative corrections, pair production in the Coulomb field of an electron is best predicted by the theory of Borsellino.
The tetranuclear manganese complex of Photosystem II.

A polynuclear manganese complex functions in Photosystem II both to accumulate oxidizing equivalents and to bind water and catalyze its four-electron oxidation. Recent electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic studies of the manganese complex show that four manganese ions are required to account for its magnetic properties. The exchange couplings between manganese ions in the S2 state are characteristic of a Mn4O4 “cubane”-like structure. Based on this structure for the manganese complex in the S2 state, as well as a consideration of the known properties of the manganese complex in Photosystem II and the coordination chemistry of manganese, structures are proposed for the five intermediate oxidation states of the manganese complex. A molecular mechanism for the formation of an O-O bond and the displacement of O2 from the S4 state is suggested.
Mantle sources in the Arizona transition zone and global mantle heterogeneity

Isotopic and trace element data for basaltic lavas from the Springerville volcanic field, east-central Arizona, define three distinct mantle components involved in magma genesis in this part of the Colorado Plateau-Basin and Range transition zone. Correlated isotopic and trace element variations indicate that Springerville alkalic basalts were derived by mixing between components from a depleted asthenospheric source, an enriched lithospheric source, and a lithospheric source that exhibits radiogenic Pb and relatively nonradiogenic Sr characteristics. Tholeiitic basalts from the Springerville field equilibrated in the enriched mantle lithosphere and subsequently interacted with crust. Two of the distinct mantle components correspond to Zindler and Hart's proposed mantle isotopic end members PREMA and EMI, and the third mantle component suggests the possible existence of a HIMU-type reservoir. These observations have implications for the origin of enriched isotopic compositions in oceanic-island magmatism and support the theory that delamination of the subcontinental lithosphere is a feasible mechanism to recycle enriched components back into the mantle to be erupted at anomalous oceanic islands.
Effects of indomethacin on hemodynamics of dogs in refractory hemorrhagic shock.

Abstract We examined the effects of indomethacin upon anesthetized control dogs and dogs in refractory hemorrhagic shock. Systemic arterial pressure, central venous pressure, cardiac output, and blood flow to the kidney, the heart, the brain, a small intestinal segment, and a piece of skeletal muscle were measured. Systemic vascular resistance and resistances of the vascular beds of the kidney, the heart, the brain, a small intestinal segment, and a piece of skeletal muscle were calculated. Blood flow distribution within the renal cortex was also examined. Indomethacin treatment had little effect upon dogs that were not in shock. Blood flow to the skeletal muscle was decreased. There was also a redistribution of blood flow within the renal cortex with a greater proportion of renal cortical flow going to the outer cortex. However, systemic vascular resistance, cardiac output, and blood flow to the heart, kidneys, brain, and small intestine were unchanged. The refractory shock state was characterized by low systemic arterial pressure and cardiac output with vascular resistance identical to control. Blood flow to the kidney and brain appears to be decreased while coronary flow is maintained. In addition, the ratio of outer renal cortical blood flow to inner renal cortical blood flow, which in the control dog was about 1.5, decreases to 1. Indomethacin treatment largely reversed the hypotension of refractory shock. The increase in arterial pressure following indomethacin treatment is the result of an increase in systemic vascular resistance. Indomethacin treatment had no effect upon cardiac output. The vascular resistances of the kidney, heart, brain, and small intestine increased following treatment of dogs in refractory shock with indomethacin. Renal blood flow was decreased 57%. The renal cortical blood flow distribution was shifted toward the outer cortex as in the controls. Substances dependent upon prosta glandin synthetase may be involved in the hypotension that is characteristic of refractory hemorrhagic shock and may be important in maintaining blood flow to the kidneys and gut.
Efficient Check Node Processing Architectures for Non-binary LDPC Decoding Using Power Representation

When the code length is moderate, non-binary low-density parity-check (NB-LDPC) codes can achieve better error correcting performance than their binary counterparts at the expense of higher decoding complexity. The check node processing is a major bottleneck of NB-LDPC decoding. This paper proposes a novel scheme for the forward-backward check node processing by making use of the cyclical-shift property of the power representation of finite field elements. Compared to previous designs, the proposed check node units (CNUs) do not need the complex switching network. Moreover, the multiplications of the parity check matrix entries are efficiently incorporated. For a Min-max NB-LDPC decoder over GF(32), the proposed schemes reduce the CNU area by at least 32%, and lead to higher clock frequency than prior efforts.
Pyrolysis and oxidation of polymers at high heating rates

A high-heating-rate, thermoanalytical technique was developed and applied in an investigationof the pyrolysis and oxidation of nine polymeric fuel binders typical of those used in composite propellants. The experimental method permitted detection and measurement of energy effects from reactions in samples heated nearly uniformly at rates from 50° to 300°K/sec. Tests were performed at pressures from 0.02 to 6.85 atm. The results of the high-heating-rate pyrolysis tests in a neutral atmosphere were different from those obtained by conventional laboratory techniques at low heating rates. Although in either case the energy effects were small compared to oxidation effects, a change in the pyrolysis mechanism with heating rate was apparent. Tests in which the polymers were oxidized either with gaseous oxygen or by the decomposition products of admixed ammonium perchlorate showed evidence of an exothermic reaction at a temperature 100° to 150°K below the sample ignition temperature. Although significant heating resulted from this reaction, it apparently became reactant limited and may be an essential precursor to the strongly exothermic runaway ignition reaction.
Synthesis and SAR of novel isoquinoline CXCR4 antagonists with potent anti-HIV activity

Using AMD070 as a starting point for structural modification, a novel series of isoquinoline CXCR4 antagonists was developed. A structure-activity scan of alternate lower heterocycles led to the 3-isoquinolinyl moiety as an attractive replacement for benzimidazole. Side chain optimization in the isoquinoline series led to a number of compounds with low nanomolar anti-HIV activities and promising rat PK properties.
The role of theology in current evolutionary reasoning

A remarkable but little studied aspect of current evolutionary theory is the use by many biologists and philosophers of theological arguments for evolution. These can be classed under two heads: imperfection arguments, in which some organic design is held to be inconsistent with God's perfection and wisdom, and homology arguments, in which some pattern of similarity is held to be inconsistent with God's freedom as an artificer. Evolutionists have long contended that the organic world falls short of what one might expect from an omnipotent and benevolent creator. Yet many of the same scientists who argue theologically for evolution are committed to the philosophical doctrine of methodological naturalism, which maintains that theology has no place in science. Furthermore, the arguments themselves are problematical, employing concepts that cannot perform the work required of them, or resting on unsupported conjectures about suboptimality. Evolutionary theorists should reconsider both the arguments and the influence of Darwinian theological metaphysics on their understanding of evolution.
Infrared spectrum and revised energy levels for neutral krypton

We observed the spectrum of neutral krypton (Kr I) in its naturally occurring isotopic mixture as emitted by a microwave-excited electrodeless discharge lamp with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 2 m Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS). The spectra cover the region from 6699 to 12 200 A with a resolution of 0.01 cm 1 and the region from 9000 to 47 782 A with a resolution of 0.007 cm 1 . We present a line list that includes more than 630 classified lines, about 290 newly observed, and provides an accurate and comprehensive description of the infrared spectrum. The response of the FTS was characterized by using a radiometrically calibrated tungsten strip lamp to obtain relative intensities accurate to 10% or better over the entire spectral range for lines with good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). All eight levels of the 4 s 2 4 p 5 ( 2 P3/2)6g configuration have been located as well as one previously unknown level of the 4s 2 4 p 5 ( 2 P3/2)6 f configuration. Our new data have been combined with previous precise measurements to determine improved values for 64 even and 77 odd parity levels of Kr I.
A brief photochemically induced oxidative insult causes irreversible lens damage and cataract. II. Mechanism of action.

Using photochemically induced oxidative stress and rat lenses in organ culture with 4% O2 and 4 μ m riboflavin, it has been found that the observed changes in lens parameters are, in most cases, irreversible. This has made possible the elucidation of the sequence of biological changes leading to cataract. The earliest detectable changes in lens cell biology are observed in the epithelial cell redox set point and at the DNA level in terms of DNA integrity and 3H-thymidine incorporation followed by decreased membrane transport and changes in gene expression. Significant modification in classical cataract parameters such as hydration, steady state non-protein thiol, glyceraldehyde-phosphate-dehydrogenase activity and transparency occur at later times. The data suggest a definitive pattern of lens breakdown resulting in opacity starting at the epithelial cell level and leading to subsequent fibre cell involvement.
pH optimum for the rate of acetylcholine action on neurons

The influence of external pH shifts in the range pH 4.5 to 10 on acetylcholine-induced currents was investigated under voltage clamp conditions in neurons of ‘Helix pomatia’. Observations were limited to neurons which responded to electrophoretic application of acetylcholine with a transient hyperpolarization. The reversal potential for acetylcholine-induced currents was altered very little by pH changes. A decrease or an increase of the peak acetylcholine-induced conductance change was noted on different neurons when pH was shifted away from the physiological value of 7.65. This finding is probably attributable to a nonhomogenous distribution of cholinesterase. pH shifts produced consistent changes in the time course of acetylcholine-induced currents. The average rate of current rise plotted as a function of pH delineates a curve with an optimum at approximately pH 7.65. The implications of our findings as related to the charge distribution on the surface of acetylcholine membrane receptors are discussed.
Kinetics of the CI (2PJ) + CH4 Reaction: Effects of Secondary Chemistry Below 300K

Absolute rate data for the Cl(2)P(J) + CH4 yields HCl + CH3 reaction have been obtained from 218 to 298 K by using the discharge-flow resonance fluorescence technique at I Torr total pressure. The result at 298 K is (10.1 +/- 0.6) x 10(exp -14) cu cm/molecule/s. The temperature dependence in Arrhenius form is (6.5 +/- 0.9 ) x 10(exp -12) exp[(-1235 +/- 34 )/T]. The errors given are one standard deviation; overall experimental error is estimated at +/- 15%. Because of the relatively large disagreement among earlier measurements at low temperatures, the results were examined for possible effects of non-Boltzmann spin distribution and vibrational excitation of CH4, secondary chemistry of CH3 radicals, and impurities in the CH4 source. There was no significant change in the observed rate constant when an efficient spin quencher, CF4, was added and estimates indicate that vibrational partitioning in CH4 should be at the ambient reactor temperature before the start of the reaction. The results were also independent of the source of Cl atoms (microwave discharge or thermal decomposition of Cl2) and whether CH4 was purified in-situ. However, the observed rate constant did depend on initial Cl atom concentrations and to a lesser extent on CH4 concentrations. Numerical simulations were used to assess the importance of secondary chemistry over a range of reactant concentrations
Flip-chip interconnects based on solution deposited carbon nanotube bumps

A solution based fabrication process of carbon nanotube (CNT) bump interconnects is proposed. In comparison to CVD growth of CNT which requires high process temperature, the proposed process has the advantage of being capable to fabricate CNT bumps at room temperature with relatively high resolution and adjustable bump height. The average resistance of the fabricated CNT bumps was measured to be 904 mΩ, comparable to the resistance of the transferred CVD grown CNT bumps.
ATP, oxygen uptake rate and INT-dehydrogenase activity of actinomycete foams

Abstract The purpose of this study was to establish the validity of the INT-dehydrogenase test for determining the biochemical activity of actinomycete foams. Parallel measurements of INT-dehydrogenase activity, adenosine triphosphate and oxygen uptake rate were made on foam samples collected from three different activated sludge plants over a period of several months. Activity levels of actinomycete foams measured in this study were found to be comparable to those of activated sludge as reported in the literature. Good-to-excellent correlations (r2 > 0.87) were found between INT-dehydrogenase activity and the alternative parameters. Precision of all assays tested was comparable. The INT-dehydrogenase test can therefore be used in lieu of ATP or oxygen uptake rate assays without sacrifice in either the reliability or reproducibility of results obtained.
Two species of antarctic icefishes (genus Champsocephalus) share a common genetic lesion leading to the loss of myoglobin expression

Species of the suborder Notothenioidei dominate the fish fauna of coastal Antarctic waters. Members of one notothenioid family, Channichthyidae (Antarctic icefishes), are unique among all vertebrates in lacking the circulating oxygen-binding protein hemoglobin. Icefish species also do not uniformly express the intracellular oxygen-binding protein myoglobin (Mb) in their oxidative muscles. Our laboratory previously characterized the pattern of cardiac Mb expression in 13 of the 16 known icefish species. In this paper, we complete the survey of cardiac Mb expression among all 16 known species of icefishes. Using PAGE and immunoblot analyses, we demonstrate that both Channichthys rhinoceratus and Cryodraco atkinsoni express Mb in heart ventricle, while Champsocephalus esox does not express the protein. We report Mb gene sequences from Channichthys rhinoceratus and Champsocephalus esox genomic DNA. The Mb gene of C. esox contains the identical 5-bp duplication/insertion to that observed in congeneric Champsocephalus gunnari, a species that also does not produce Mb. This duplication in exon 2 of the Champsocephalus spp. gene causes a shift in reading frame at a position normally encoding for amino acid 91 and also results in a premature stop codon, thus disrupting translation of the normal protein. Thus, 6 of the 16 known icefish species do not express cardiac Mb. These results confirm earlier conclusions that losses of Mb expression have occurred via at least four independent events during the evolution of the icefish family. Extreme similarity of Mb genes in Champsocephalus congeners further suggests recent speciation despite early divergence of this group from the lineage leading to more derived icefishes.
Optimal CAC Policy in Multimedia Wireless Networks with Reservation Channel Schemes

In this paper, we investigate the call admission control (CAC) policy of a single cell in multimedia wireless networks with reservation channel scheme (RCS) for different classes of calls. Arrival process of each class of calls is assumed to be a Poisson process, the service time of each call is exponentially distributed. Admitting a call would bring a reward. However, if the reserved channels for the arriving call are all occupied, connecting this arriving call in the system will also bring a call holding cost per unit time. In order to achieve the maximum expected reward, we establish a discounted semi Markov decision process (SMDP) model and then derive the optimal policy for admitting or rejecting the arriving calls. We verify that the optimal CAC policy is a control limit policy if the cost functions have some special properties. Simulation result is consistence with the numerical result from our theoretic analysis.
Assessing Costs and Potential Returns of Evidence-Based Programs for Seniors

The authors describe the customary tools used by health services researchers to conduct economic evaluations of health interventions. Recognizing the inherent challenges of these tools for utilization in contemporary public health practice, we recommend a practical cost-benefit analysis (PCBA) to allow public health practitioners to assess the economic merits of their existing public health programs. The PCBA estimates what health effects and corresponding medical cost avoidance would be required to support the costs associated with implementing a community-based prevention program. We apply the PCBA to evaluate a statewide evidence-based falls prevention program for seniors in Texas. We estimate a positive return on realized costs due to avoided direct and indirect medical expenses if the program averts 7 falls among 140 participants within the first year. While acknowledging the demonstrated health-related benefits of public health interventions, we provide a practical ex-post economic evaluation methodology to assess return on investment as a more simplistic yet effective alternative for public health practitioners versus contemporary analyses of health services researchers.
Forecasting Locational Marginal Pricing in deregulated power markets

This investigation focuses on development of new methodologies for implementing power systems optimization for forecasting Location Marginal Prices (LMP) in deregulated electricity markets. The proposed approach uses the LMP method [1–3] to show relationships between generator bids, power system constraints, and electricity demand. The proposed approach uses Unit Commitment, Economic Dispatch, and Optimal Power Flow to perform load flow analysis that includes LMP calculation to determine price of electricity.
Geomorphology of carbonate platform‐marginal uppermost slopes: Insights from a Holocene analogue, Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas

As the product of a variety of sediment sources and sedimentation (and re-sedimentation) and erosion processes, the geomorphology and sedimentology of carbonate slopes are highly variable. The purpose of this study is to describe sub-bottom profiles and side-scan sonar, multibeam and optical data acquired by an autonomous underwater vehicle to explore variability in geomorphological and sedimentological character of the present-day platform-marginal, uppermost slope environments (< 240 m water depth) on the north, open-ocean facing flank of Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas. Although at time scales of greater than 100 ka this margin is progradational, the data illustrate a complex juxtaposition of erosional and depositional processes and features. Erosion is evidenced by two prominent escarpments (70 m and 120 m) that expose eroded, bedded rocky outcrops. These escarpments are interpreted to represent relict features, related to past sea-level positions, although they still may be shedding debris. Aside from erosional remnants, sedimentation and active transport is indicated by several features, including active bedforms (especially above the 70 m escarpment, but ripples occur to depths of ca 200 m), several mass transport complexes that overlie and cover the lower escarpment, gravity flow deposits and rare slump features. Similarly, a thick (up to 20 m) onlapping sediment wedge, interpreted to be Holocene in age, suggests lateral accretion of the slope by more than 75 m in this period. Data illustrate that this open-ocean margin is distinct from windward margins in the Bahamas, which typically include near-vertical walls of erosion or bypass, flanked downdip by rubble and talus, and leeward margins, which have onlapping muddy wedges, but that lack marked terraces or escarpments. Collectively, the results provide perspectives into the nature and controls on complex geomorphological patterns of erosion and deposition in Holocene uppermost slope systems, concepts potentially applicable to ancient analogues.
Resection of subaortic stenosis; can a more aggressive approach be justified?

Objectives: Discrete subaortic stenosis causes left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction and often produces aortic regurgitation (AR) which alone may precipitate surgical intervention. Conventional resection relieves the obstruction, but the recurrence rate is high, and the AR is little changed as the thick fibrous membrane which extends onto the valve leaflets remains. We studied whether an aggressive surgical approach could reduce both the severity of AR and rate of recurrence of obstruction associated with discrete subaortic stenosis, and whether this aggressive approach could be justified. Methods: Between June 1992 and April 1996, 37 patients aged 0.5‐35 years (median 7.5) underwent resection of a discrete subaortic membrane. Ten underwent re-operation for recurrent obstruction and eight followed previous ventricular septal defect closure. LVOT gradient was measured using the modified Bernoulli equation and AR was graded on a scale of 0‐4 (0 = none, 4 = severe). Postoperative assessment was performed early (,7 days) and at mid-term (27.0 months; range 2‐59 months). Results: There was significant improvement in AR from mild/moderate to none/trivial (P = 0.019) immediately postoperatively and LVOT gradient from 66.9 ∠ 30.4 to 15.1 ∠ 12.2 mmHg (P , 0.0001). By stepwise logistic regression preoperative gradient correlated significantly with postoperative mild/moderate AR (P = 0.015) and LVOT gradient (P = 0.0036). Preoperative mild/moderate AR also correlated with postoperative mild/moderate AR (P = 0.034). Five patients developed complete heart block, four undergoing reoperation for recurrent obstruction, and one preoperatively had right bundle branch block from previous ventricular septal defect repair. At mid-term follow-up there was no increase in AR or LVOT gradient (14.8 ∠ 12.8 mmHg). Early post-operative AR was the strongest predictor of late mild/moderate AR (P = 0.02). Early post-operative gradient was a weaker predictor (P = 0.04). Pre-operative and early post-operative gradient were significant predictors of late gradient (P = 0.0038; ,0.0001, respectively). No patient required reoperation for recurrent obstruction; one underwent late aortic valve replacement for severe AR. Conclusions: An aggressive surgical approach to discrete subaortic stenosis produces excellent relief of obstruction and frees the valve leaflets, significantly reducing associated AR at early and mid-term follow-up with low morbidity for primary operation. Long-term follow-up is required to confirm whether this early benefit is maintained.© 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Existence and genericity problems for dynamical systems with nonzero Lyapunov exponents

This is a survey-type article whose goal is to review some recent results on existence of hyperbolic dynamical systems with discrete time on compact smooth manifolds and on coexistence of hyperbolic and non-hyperbolic behavior. It also discusses two approaches to the study of genericity of systems with nonzero Lyapunov exponents.
An Agent-Based Approach to Robust Switching Between Abstraction Levels for Fault Diagnosis

Many artificial intelligence approaches to automated fault diagnosis employ functional or symptomatic abstraction hierarchies in their reasoning process. However, these approaches fail to provide rapid response and adaptability comparable to humans experts. This paper presents an approach which allows robust, unstructured switching between abstraction levels and types using agents that examine the problem domain from different perspectives. This approach was implemented and tested with promising results.
Iterative reweighted least squares and the design of two-dimensional FIR digital filters

Studies the use of the iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS) algorithm to obtain an L/sub p/-approximation for the design of two-dimensional (2D) linear-phase finite impulse response (FIR) digital filters. The algorithm is based on an iterative optimization technique first introduced in Burrus et al. for the design of 1D linear-phase digital filters and is very useful in the design of filters that give a trade-off between the traditional L/sub 2/ and L/sub /spl infin// designs. The new algorithm proposed, in terms of the maximum error in frequency response and complexity of implementation, compares favorably with the L/sub p/ optimization technique proposed by Lodge and Fahmy in [1980] and also with those obtained using other methods. Design examples and a comparison summary are presented. >
Learning the Language of Leadership: A Proposed Agenda for Leader Training

This paper proposes a training/research agenda for teaching leaders strategic language. Strategic language is defined by motivating language theory (Sullivan, 1988) as leader-to-subordinate oral communication that increases the likelihood of such desirable worker outcomes as high performance levels and job satisfaction. Motivating language has been further specified as appropriate use of the following speech act categories: 1) Direction-Giving, 2) Empathetic, and 3) Meaning-Making.Motivating language theory and its predictions have received strong support from previous research, including scale development and model testing. The proposed next step is implementation through organizational diagnosis and training programs.
GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN TOOTH MORPHOLOGY AND DENTINAL PATTERNS IN THE SPINNER DOLPHIN, STENELLA LONGIROSTRIS

Sixteen tooth characters were analyzed in 277 specimens of spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostriJ) from the eastern tropical Pacific to determine whether the characters were associated with size of the animal, species-stock membership or geographic location. The tooth characters included 5 continuous measurements and 11 qualitative variables. Statistical analyses of the characters included twoway ANOVA tests which assessed continuous measurement variables for differences based on stock membership, latitude and longitude of collection or whether the animal was collected north or south of the equator. Principal component analyses combined factors of continuous variables with those of qualitative variables into components which were used as variables in further analyses. Discriminant analyses were performed using continuous variables alone and using principal components as potentially discriminating variables. Results showed that tooth differences were not associated with size but significant differences were found in some tooth variables with stock membership, incremental changes in latitude and whether the animal was collected north or south of the equator. A discriminant function, containing only tooth length, correctly classified 67% of northern and 78% of southern animals according to location of collection north or south of the equator. A number of dolphin populations in the eastern tropical Pacific are caught incidentally by tuna seiners during fishing operations. One such species, the spinner dolphin, Stenella longivostris, includes a number of population stocks: the eastern spinner dolphin, northern and southern whitebelly spinner dolphin, Costa Rican spinner dolphin and Hawaiian spinner dolphin (Perrin et a/. 1979, 1985). Stock membership is determined at sea by government observers using distinguishing criteria of snout and dorsal fin shape and overall body form. Another recognized category, ‘unidentified,’ are animals with an intergrade color
Electrostatic latching for inter-module adhesion, power transfer, and communication in modular robots

A simple and robust inter-module latch is possibly the most important component of a modular robotic system. This paper describes a latch based on electric fields and capacitive coupling. Our design provides not only significant adhesion forces, but can also be used for inter-module power transmission and communication. The key insight presented in this paper, and the factor that enables electrostatic adhesion to be effective at the macroscale, is the use of electric field attraction to generate frictional shear forces rather than electric field attraction alone. A second important insight is that a specific degree of flexibility in the electrodes is essential to maximize their mutual coupling and the resulting forces - electrodes which are too flexible or too rigid will perform less well. To evaluate the effectiveness of our latch we incorporate it into a cubic module 28 cm on a side. The result is a latch which requires almost zero static power and yet can hold 0.6 N/cm2 of latch area.
Aortic and right atrial pressures during standard and simultaneous compression and ventilation cpr in human beings

Coronary perfusion pressure, as reflected by the diastolic aortic to right atrial (Ao-RA) pressure gradient, has been shown to correlate well with coronary blood flow during standard external CPR (SE-CPR) and is an important determinant of successful cardiac resuscitation. Few studies have documented such Ao-RA gradients in human beings, however. Twenty patients sustaining out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrests and basic cardiac life support were instrumented with thoracic aortic and right atrial catheters on arrival in the emergency department. The mean time from arrival in the ED to catheter placement was 16.5 ± 6.0 minutes. With SE-CPR, peak systolic aortic and right atrial pressures were 73.7 ± 20.2 mm Hg and 69.6 ± 18.3 mm Hg, respectively. End diastolic aortic and right atrial pressures were 27.9 ± 7.3 mm Hg and 20.3 ± 7.2 mm Hg, respectively, with an end diastolic gradient of 7.9 ± 9.1 mm Hg. Three patients had systolic Ao-RA gradients of more than 25 mm Hg, which is consistent with some cardiac compression as a mechanism of flow. Five patients also had one-minute trials of simultaneous compression and ventilation CPR (SCV-CPR). Ao-RA end diastolic gradients decreased in four of the five during SCV-CPR. No patient in this study was resuscitated successfully. We conclude that ED SECPR provides little coronary perfusion for victims of prehospital cardiac arrest. Although SCV-CPR has been shown to improve carotid blood flow in human beings, it appears to have an adverse effect on the already minimal myocardial perfusion provided by SE-CPR.
Exact equivalence of iterative pre-filtering and IQML

The iterative prefiltering algorithm of Steiglitz and McBride (1965) is rederived in a new form that demonstrates its exact equivalence to the iterative quadratic maximum-likelihood (IQML) algorithm. Since the IQML method was originally formulated to solve a multiple measurement case, an extended version of iterative prefiltering applicable to the multiple measurement case is also stated and shown to be equivalent to the general form of IQML. >