cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How we develop and sustain innovation in medical education technology: Keys to success

The use of information technology to support the educational mission of academic medical centers is nearly universal; however, the scope and methods employed vary greatly (Souza et al. ). This article reviews the methods, processes, and specific techniques needed to conceive, develop, implement, and assess technology-based educational programs across healthcare disciplines. We discuss the core concepts, structure, and techniques that enable growth, productivity, and sustainability within an academic setting. Herein are specific keys to success with examples including project selection, theory-based design, the technology development process, implementation, and evaluation that can lead to broad participation and positive learning outcomes. Most importantly, this article shares methods to involve students, faculty, and stakeholders in technology design and the development process that fosters a sustainable culture of educational innovation.
Strain enhanced defect reactivity at grain boundaries in polycrystalline graphene

Grain boundaries dominate the property of polycrystalline graphene. We report first-principles calculations and classical molecular dynamics simulations that reveal enhanced defect reactivity induced by an inhomogeneous strain field at grain boundaries. Strained carbon bonds located at heptagons and pentagons can accumulate interstitials and single vacancies, respectively. We find that recombination of vacancies and interstitials can occur locally at grain boundaries, which serve as effective sinks, resulting in efficient annealing of defects. The enhanced defect reactivity indicates that grain boundaries may be manipulated by point defects.
Pore Helix Mediates Proton Block of Vanilloid Receptors

Tissue acidosis occurs during inflammation and injury, and modulates many receptors and ion channels on the pain pathway including the capsaicin ion channel TRPV1. Extracellular low pH exerts several effects on the function of TRPV1. Extreme acidification leads to direct activation of the channel, while mild acidic pH potentiates its response to other stimuli. Paradoxically, protons also inhibit the unitary conductance of the channel. This inhibitory effect confers TRPV1 a similar maximum response at low pH in spite of increased agonist sensitivity, thereby limiting the ion flux into cells. Proton-mediated pore block has been studied extensively in other ion channels. Two representative mechanisms have been proposed, one involving competitive inhibition with permeating ions, and the other by reducing the surface potential of membranes. We have examined these mechanisms for proton block of TRPV1. Surprisingly, we found that neither mechanism could adequately account for the full blocking effect of protons. Mutagenesis experiments revealed that, in addition to a residue at the pore entrance, another residue on the pore helix was also responsible, each of which accounted for only half of the total inhibition. Only double mutations of both residues could eliminate the full blockade. In the prototype Kcsa structure, the counter residues have been suggested to form a hydrogen bond, and the disruption of their interaction destabilizes the pore conductance. These results suggest that protons may block TRPV1 by titrating the interaction of the pore helix with the selectivity filter, and thus provides a novel model for proton-mediated pore block of ion channels.
Chemical Reactivity of Reduced TiO2(110): The Dominant Role of Surface Defects in Oxygen Chemisorption

O2 chemisorption on reduced, rutile TiO2(110) with various concentrations of oxygen vacancies (Ov) and bridging hydroxyls (OHb) is investigated with scanning tunneling microscopy, temperature-programmed desorption, and electron-stimulated desorption. On the annealed surface, two oxygen molecules can be chemisorbed per Ov. The same amount of O2 chemisorbs on surfaces where each Ov is converted to two OHb’s by exposure to water (i.e., 1 O2 per OHb). Surfaces with few or no Ov’s or OHb’s can be created by exposing the hydroxylated surface to O2 at room temperature, and the amount of O2 that chemisorbs on these surfaces at low temperatures is only ∼20% of the amount on the annealed (reduced) surface. In contrast, the amount of chemisorbed O2 increases by more than a factor of 2 when the OHb concentration is enhanced—without changing the concentration of subsurface Ti interstitials. The results indicate that the reactivity of TiO2(110) is primarily controlled by the amount of electron-donating surface species ...
Formation of the Secondary Radicals from the Aging of Tobacco Smoke

The fractional pyrolysis of Bright tobacco was performed in a nitrogen atmosphere over the temperature range of 240−510 °C in a specially constructed, high-temperature flow reactor system. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to analyze the free radicals in the initially produced total particular matter (TPM) and in TPM after exposure to atmospheric, dry- or water-saturated air (argon). When the initially produced TPM was allowed to age, the formation of secondary radicals with an EPR g value of 2.0053 ± 0.0003 was observed. The rate of the formation of these radicals was found to depend dramatically upon the presence of water vapor in the exposure atmosphere. The secondary radicals were nearly undetectable in the water-saturated atmosphere and increased significantly by decreasing the water concentration by partial evacuation or purging with a dry air/argon atmosphere. The EPR spectra and the conditions of the formation of the observed secondary radicals were consistent with many a...
Purchasing a Service Online: Do Brazilians Perceive it as Risky?

ABSTRACT Marketing literature presents evidence that perceived risk may be one of the deterrents preventing the quicker spread of the Internet as a purchasing channel. This study investigates the relative importance of dimensions of risk when the consumer in Brazil is deciding on purchasing a service online. The results suggest that value for money (corresponding to a combination of financial and performance risks) and psychological risk were the only dimensions considered relevant by the respondents when making their online purchase decision. Time risk seemed to be mediated by these two dimensions. The implications of this study can be applied by both marketing professionals and academic researchers. RESUMEN. La literatura de mercadeo presenta pruebas de que el riesgo percibido puede ser uno de los obstaculos que previenen la diseminacion acelerada de la Internet como un canal de compras. Este estudio investiga la importancia relativa de las dimensiones del riesgo inherentes al instante en que el consumi...
Biomimetic evolutionary analysis: testing the adaptive value of vertebrate tail stiffness in autonomous swimming robots.

SUMMARY For early vertebrates, a long-standing hypothesis is that vertebrae evolved as a locomotor adaptation, stiffening the body axis and enhancing swimming performance. While supported by biomechanical data, this hypothesis has not been tested using an evolutionary approach. We did so by extending biomimetic evolutionary analysis (BEA), which builds physical simulations of extinct systems, to include use of autonomous robots as proxies of early vertebrates competing in a forage navigation task. Modeled after free-swimming larvae of sea squirts (Chordata, Urochordata), three robotic tadpoles (`Tadros9), each with a propulsive tail bearing a biomimetic notochord of variable spring stiffness, k (N m -1 ), searched for, oriented to, and orbited in two dimensions around a light source. Within each of ten generations, we selected for increased swimming speed, U (m s -1 ) and decreased time to the light source, t (s), average distance from the source, R (m) and wobble maneuvering, W (rad s -2 ). In software simulation, we coded two quantitative trait loci (QTL) that determine k : bending modulus, E (Nm -2 ) and length, L (m). Both QTL were mutated during replication, independently assorted during meiosis and, as haploid gametes, entered into the gene pool in proportion to parental fitness. After random mating created three new diploid genotypes, we fabricated three new offspring tails. In the presence of both selection and chance events (mutation, genetic drift), the phenotypic means of this small population evolved. The classic hypothesis was supported in that k was positively correlated ( r 2 =0.40) with navigational prowess, NP , the dimensionless ratio of U to the product of R , t and W . However, the plausible adaptive scenario, even in this simplified system, is more complex, since the remaining variance in NP was correlated with the residuals of R and U taken with respect to k , suggesting that changes in k alone are insufficient to explain the evolution of NP .
A Review of Recent Research on Internet Access, Use, and Online Health Information Seeking

The 2013 data from the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life project show that 85% of United States adults use the Internet. This includes 86% of non-Hispanic whites, 85% of non-Hispanic...
Distribution of ICAM-1 immunoreactivity during aging in the human orbitofrontal cortex.

Neurological and psychiatric alterations during aging are associated with increased cerebrovascular disturbances and inflammatory markers such as Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1). We investigated whether the distribution of ICAM-1 immunoreactivity (ICAM-1-I) in histological sections from the left orbitofrontal cortex (ORB) was altered during normal aging. Postmortem tissue from the ORB of nine younger (27–54 years old) and 10 older (60–86) human subjects was collected. Cryostat sections were immunostained only with antibodies to ICAM-1 or together with an antibody to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The total area fraction of ICAM-1-I, and the fraction of vascular and extravascular ICAM-1-I were quantified in the gray matter. Furthermore, we examined the association of extravascular ICAM-1-I to GFAP immunoreactive (GFAP-IR) astrocytes. In all subjects, brain blood vessels were similarly ICAM-1 immunoreactive, and in some subjects there was a variable number of extravascular patches of ICAM-1-I. The area fraction of ICAM-1-I was 120% higher (p < .0001) in the old subjects than in the young subjects. This increase localized mostly to the extravascular ICAM-1-I in register with GFAP-IR astrocytes. A much smaller, also age-dependent increase occurred in vascular ICAM-1-I. Our results indicate a dramatic increase in extravascular ICAM-1-I associated to GFAP-IR astrocytes in the ORB in normal aging. This increase may contribute to an enhanced risk for brain inflammatory processes during aging, although a role of extravascular ICAM-1 as a barrier to further inflammation cannot be ruled out.
Humic matter isolated from soils and water by the XAD‐8 resin and conventional NaOH methods

Abstract Differences were studied in humic (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) extracted from soils and streams in South Georgia by the Amberlite XAD‐8 resin and conventional NaOH method. Characterization analysis was performed by liquid 13C NMR, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and chemical analysis. The NMR spectra indicated that the resin method yielded black water HA and FA with spectroscopic, chemical and elemental characteristics different from those isolated by the conventional NaOH method. Humic acids from both the resin and conventional NaOH methods were composed of aliphatic, aromatics and carboxyl groups, but the “resin”; HA contained more aliphatic groups. These differences were also noticed between the FA fractions obtained by the two methods. The differences corresponded to differences in IR spectra. The IR spectrum of “resin”; FA exhibited only a weak shoulder at 1625/cm for the COO”; stretching vibration, in contrast to that of FA isolated by the conventional NaOH proc...
Actantial analysis Greimas’s structural approach to the analysis of self-narratives

This paper introduces a formal procedure for analyzing narratives that was developed by the French/Lithuanian structuralist, A. J. Greimas. The focus is on demonstrating the utility of Greimas's ideas for analyzing one aspect of personal narratives: identity-construction. Reconstructing the basic actantial structure from self-narratives is shown to provide cues to power differentials among actants as perceived by the narrator. Distinguishing narrated events along conflict versus communication axes helps the analyst determine whether an experiential or a discursive domain is of primacy for the narrator. Moreover, investigation of communicative outcomes can be used to validate (or invalidate) findings on power relations. Analyses of narrative plots may afford insights into how people engage objects with cultural valuations within the various social contexts recounted in narrative data. Finally, Greimas's theory of modalities can be used to differentiate among these plots within narrative trajectories. This approach to narrative analysis differs from more traditional “denarrativization” and “renarrativization” approaches in that it affords the researcher a language (or discursive structure) according to which the narrator's, not the analyst's, understandings of character relations and reality conditions become the subject matter of one's research.
Direct implementation of compiler specifications or the pascal p-code compiler revisited

We have developed a complete formal specification of the translation semantics of the Pascal P-compiler. The specification is written as a semantic grammar (a variant of extended attribute grammars), and has been extensively tested and debugged with the aid of Lawrence Paulson's experimental semantics processor. The translation semantics models the operational aspects of compilation in detail. It is one-pass, embodying static semantic checking, address assignment, code generation, and a certain amount of code improvement. Our paper describes the development history of the project, compares the new compiler with the existing P-compiler, and discusses our positive experience with semantic grammars and Paulson's system.
Completely characterizing ultrashort pulses using spectral interferometry at large crossing angles

Spectral interferometry ordinarily requires the interference of collinear beams. We measure the complete intensity and phase of pulses using collinear spectral interferometry by inserting a pinhole before the spectrometer, taking advantage of the diffracted beams.
Two new South American species of Croton (Euphorbiaceae) and their phylogenetic affinities

Riina, R. & Berry, P.E. 2010. Two new South American species of Croton (Euphorbiaceae) and their phylogenetic affinities. Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 67(1): 23-27. Two rarely collected species of Croton from South America are des cribed and illustrated. Croton chimboracensis P.E. Berry & Rii na is localized in western Andean Ecuador and is sister to Croton sect. Adenophyllum Griseb. Croton abonari Riina & P.E. Berry is known from a single location in Amazonian Brazil; it resembles both C. sampatik Mull. Arg. and members of Croton sect. Cuneati (G.L. Webster) Riina & P.E. Berry, but C. abonari can be easily distinguished from both groups by distinctive morphological characters.
Transient Analysis of Markovian Queueing Systems and Its Application to Congestion-Control Modeling

In applied queueing theory, it is often important to deal with transient system behavior. Performance evaluation of congestioncontrol mechanisms in a packet-switching network is an excellent example in which there is frequently a strong need to deal with the intrinsic dynamic character of congestion. In that case, the queueing models have to be analyzed for a transient environment. In this paper, we show that such problems can be treated in a uniform way, when the system of coupled differential equations describing the system-state or flow process is solved numerically. For this, the fourth-order RungeKutta procedure allows a good balance between memory requirements, computing time, and accuracy. To illustrate the explanatory power of this kind of transient queueing analysis, three models will be considered: the common-store queueing system showing the priority deadlock, the foreground-background congestion-control mechanism, and a two-level global congestion-control mechanism.
The climatology of the lower stratosphere during the IGY and its implications for the regime of circulation

Three-monthly mean statistics, show that throughout the year in the layer between about 200 and 30 mb large-scale eddies transport both heat and momentum against the north-south gradient of, respectively, the temperature and the angular rotation. Furthermore, it is found that in this layer, warm air masses tend to sink and cold air masses tend to rise, thereby converting kinetic into potential energy. The eddy circulations have, therefore, no source of energyin situ and must be forced by the circulation systems in the adjacent layers, probably in the troposphere. A comparison is drawn between the transport of angular momentum and heat by transient eddies in the lower troposphere, the upper troposphere and the lower stratosphere. Finally, the necessary sloping of the trajectories of the forced air parcels is discussed.
Incremental Lattice Reduction: Motivation, Theory, and Practical Implementation

For multiple-input multiple-output communication systems that employ four or more transmit and four or more receive antennas, symbol detection remains a challenge in communication systems research. Lattice-reduction-aided detectors are attractive solutions to this problem because these detectors achieve the same diversity as the maximum-likelihood detector while exhibiting lower complexity. Current applications of lattice-reduction-aided detectors involve executing a lattice reduction algorithm to completion and then utilizing this result in the subsequent symbol detection. In this article, however, we examine the possibility of partially executing the lattice reduction algorithm. We first demonstrate using a hypothetical lattice-reduction-aided detector that early termination of lattice reduction algorithms is possible in the context of MIMO detection. Encouraged by these results, we develop and introduce incremental lattice reduction, which utilizes a practical early termination condition. We then apply this idea to develop a joint symbol detection and lattice reduction algorithm that is based on the Lenstra, Lenstra, Lovasz algorithm and successive interference cancellation. An evaluation using a spatial correlation channel model demonstrates that the proposed algorithm effectively distributes the lattice reduction processing over the length of each received packet. This behavior naturally enables the relaxation of throughput and latency requirements of lattice reduction algorithm hardware realizations.
A critique of ecosystem health concepts and indexes

Because people wish to preserve their health and do something equivalent for ecosystems, the metaphor of ecosystem health springs to mind. This paper presents the argument that it is a mistake for environmental scientists to treat this metaphor as reality. First, the metaphor fails because it misrepresents both ecology and health science. Ecosystems are not organisms, so they do not behave like organisms and do not have properties of organisms such as health. Also, health is not an operational concept for physicians or health risk assessors because they must predict, diagnose, and treat specific states called diseases or injuries; they do not calculate indexes of health. Second, attempts to operationally define ecosystem health result in the creation of indexes of heterogeneous variables. Such indexes have no meaning; they cannot be predicted, so they are not applicable to most regulatory problems; they have no diagnostic power; effects on one component are eclipsed by responses of other components; and the reason for a high or low index value is unknown. Their only virtue is that they reduce the complex array of ecosystem responses to various disturbances to one number with a reassuring name. A better alternative is to assess the real arraymore » of ecosystem responses so that causes can be diagnosed, future states can be predicted, and benefits of treatments can be compared.« less
Transposition of the Great Vessels — The arterial switch operation, the atrial switch operation, the coronaries

Abstract Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) is one of the more common congenital heart diseases, accounting for 5% to 7% of all congenital cardiac lesions. Patients are now treated with anatomical correction with the arterial switch operation. In these patients MR and CT assessment can be useful to assess ventricular function, valvular function, the branch pulmonary arteries, and increasingly the coronary arteries. Historically, there remain a group of TGA patients who were treated with the atrial switching—Mustard or Senning operations. These patients present different follow-up problems, with failing systemic right ventricles, venous pathway obstruction and baffle leaks. Again MR and CT imaging can provide accurate diagnostic and prognostic information in these patients. This review will provide a brief description of the surgical options for TGA, followed by a discussion of the currently available CT and MR techniques, and their clinical role in the preoperative, immediate and late post-operative periods.
Trihalomethane Comparative Toxicity: Acute Renal and Hepatic Toxicity of Chloroform and Bromodichloromethane Following Aqueous Gavage

Abstract Bromodichloromethane (BDCM) and chloroform (CHCl 3 ) are by-products of drinking water chlorination and are the two most prevalent trihalomethanes (THMs) in finished drinking water. To date, no comprehensive comparison of the acute renal and hepatic effects of BDCM and CHCl 3 following oral gavage in an aqueous dosing vehicle has been conducted. To characterize BDCM- and CHCl 3 -induced nephro- and hepatotoxicity following aqueous gavage and compare directly the responses between these THMs, 95-day-old male F-344 rats were given single oral doses of 0.0, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, or 3.0 mmol BDCM or CHCl 3 /kg body wt in an aqueous 10% Emulphor solution. Compound-related hepatic and renal damage was evaluated by quantitating clinical toxicity markers in the serum and urine, respectively. Both THMs appear to be equally hepatotoxic after 24 h, but BDCM caused significantly greater elevations in serum hepatotoxicity markers than CHCl 3 at 48 h following exposure to 2.0 and 3.0 mmol/kg. In addition to causing more persistent liver toxicity than CHCl 3 , BDCM also appears to be slightly more toxic to the kidney at lower doses. Potency differences between the two THMs may be due to pharmacokinetic dissimilarities such as greater metabolism of BDCM to reactive metabolites or more extensive partitioning of BDCM into kidneys and fat depots, resulting in prolonged target tissue exposure.
An engineer's guide to technical writing

In spite of the abundance of reference material on technical writing, the preparation of technical papers remains a challenge for many engineers. This work brings together several aspects of preparing technical papers: organizing the message, formatting it into a presentable paper and using symbols, references, etc. accordance with established practices.
Synthesis and characterization of Zr(IV) and Hf(IV) tropocoronand complexes

Abstract Zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV) complexes of the tropocoronands, [MY2(TC-n,m)] (MZr(IV), Hf(IV); YCl,CH2Ph,Ch2SiMe3) have been prepared and structurally characterized. The compounds exhibit variable stereochemistry depending on the number of methylene units, n and m, in the polymethylene linker chains connecting the two aminotroponiminate rings, although in all cases the cis stereoisomer is formed. With the smallest ligand (TC-3,3), the dialkyl and dichloro complexes display slightly distored trigonal prismatic structures; increasing the size of the macrocyclic ring substantially shifts the geometry at the metal center toward octahedral stereochemistry. Concomitant with the reorientation toward octahedral symmetry, the stability of the complexes decreases and the metal center can attack the CH bonds in the alkyl linker arms of the ligand. Substitution of the latter with xylyl groups eliminates this undesired decomposition pathway while still affording strained complexes. Finally, when the binding cavity of the ligand becomes too large, dinuclear species such as {[Hf(CH2SiMe3)3]2(TC-5,5)} are obtained.
Last Glacial Maximum ice sheet dynamics in Arctic Canada inferred from young erratics perched on ancient tors

Along-standing debate regarding the reconstruction of former ice sheets revolves around the use of relative weathering of landscapes, i.e., the assumption that highly weathered landscapes have not been recently glaciated. New cosmogenic isotope measurements from upland bedrock surfaces and erratics along the northeastern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) shed light on this debate. 10 Be and 26 Al concentrations from three perched erratics, yielding cosmogenic exposure ages of 17–11 ka, are much lower than those measured in two unmodified, highly weathered tors upon which they lie, which yield cosmogenic exposure ages of >60 ka. These findings suggest that non-erosive ice covered weathered upland surfaces along the northeastern margin of the LIS during the last glacial maximum. These data challenge the use of relative weathering to define the margins of Pleistocene ice sheets. The juxtaposition of non-erosive ice over upland plateaus and erosive ice in adjacent fiords requires strong gradients in basal thermal regimes, suggestive of an ice-stream mode of glaciation. r 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Negative Treatment Effects in Dyadic Psychotherapy: A Focus on Prevention and Intervention Strategies

Therapy holds the potential to harm as well as help. This paper highlights approaches that may help prevent or decrease the incidence of negative effects in psychotherapy. These approaches include supervision, peer consultation, ongoing assessment of the therapeutic process, therapist-client matching, and referrals and transfers. We hope that this paper will serve as a stimulus for clinicians, psychotherapy researchers, and educators to put forth collabo-rative effort into identifying variables directly associated with adverse treat- ment outcomes and determining appropriate prevention and intervention strategies.
On Frequency-Doubled Optical Millimeter-Wave Generation Technique Without Carrier Suppression for In-Building Wireless Over Fiber Applications

A novel optical millimeter-wave (mm-wave) generation scheme based on double-sideband phase modulation (DSB-PM) to achieve frequency doubling without suppressing the carrier is proposed. Theoretical analysis shows that the generated 60-GHz optical mm-wave can tolerant ± 0.016-nm wavelength drifting with filter bandwidth ranging from 70 to 100 GHz to sustain first to second harmonic suppression ratio of 18 dB. In addition, error-free transmission of 60-GHz mm-wave at 2.5 Gb/s is experimentally demonstrated over a combined distance of 3-m wireless with 21-dBm equivalent isotropically radiated power, and 250-m fiber to best emulate an in-building network environment. Dispersion effect on the frequency-doubled PM optical mm-wave without carrier suppression is also analyzed and experimentally studied by comparing the link performance over single-mode fiber (SMF-28) and dispersion-shifted fiber (DSF), respectively.
Structural and behavioral characteristics of a commercial humic acid and natural dissolved aquatic organic matter

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) from two natural surface wa~r sources and a commercial humic acid were analyzed using gel-permeation chromatography, high pressure reverse phase liquid chromatography, and IH-NMR speclroscopy. Results from the chromatographic studies show that the DOM of two natural waters consisted primarily of relatively low molecular weight, polar organic constitoonts, while large and relatively nonpolar macromolecules comprised a significant fraction of the commercial humic acid. The 1H-NMR assays indicated that DOM from the two natural water samples was comprised of nonaromatic organic constituents, while the commercial humic acids tested contained both aromatic and alipha~ moieties. Based upon these composite results of the several different types of analysis employed, it is evident that the humic acid examined, and possibly others prepared in the same way, contain molecular smlcmres which exhibit physical and chemical propeni~ that do not reflect the uue nature of DOM in real aquatic systems. Commercially available humic subsumces of this type may therefore not be suitable surroga~ for naturally occurring DOM in laboratory investigations and analysis of geochemical and environmental ~nsfe~a~ion reactions.
Hydrolytic degradation of polyglycolic acid: Tensile strength and crystallinity study

The hydrolytic degradation of polyglycolic acid (PGA) was studied by examining the changes of tensile strength and the level of crystallinity of the suture material. It was found that the breaking stress decreased from 6.369 × 10−1 at 0 day to 3.97 × 10−3 Newton/Tex at 49 days. The sigmodial shape of the stress–strain curves gradually disappeared with increase in the duration of in vitra degradation. The endpoint titration method used to assess the degree of degradation beyond the period of measurable tensile strength showed that the percent of PGA degraded were 42, 56, and 70% at 49, 60, and 90 days, respectively. The level of crystallinity of PGA at various durations of degradation exhibited an initial increase in the degree of crystallinity from 40% at 0 day to an upper limit of 52% at 21 days, then gradual decrease to 23% at 90 days. This observation is essentially parallel to hydrolysis of cellulose and polyethylene terephthalate. The concept of microfibrillar structure of fibers provides the basis for the proposed degradation mechanism of PGA in vitro. It is believed that degradation proceeds through two main stages which are different in rate of degradation.
Disintegration of dried yeast cells and its effect on protein extractability, sedimentation property, and viscosity of the cell suspension

The morphology of dried Candida lipolytica yeast suspended in aqueous solutions (H2O, 0.4% NaOH, 2N HCl, and 6N HCl) and organic solvents (95% alcohol and acetone) was studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an optical microscope. The effect of high-pressure homogenization on cell-wall structure and cell clumps was also determined. The protein extractability, sedimentation property, and viscosity of cells subjected to different mechanical and chemical treatments were also investigaged. The dried yeast cells were in a spherical agglomeration consisting of 100s of closely bound cells. The clump was resistant to water, aqueous 2N HCl solution at 25°C, 95% alcohol and acetone, but vulnerable to 6N HCl, aqueous 0.4% NaOH solution, and homogenization. The homogenization of the cell suspension not only broke the clump but also cracked the cell-wall structure. The aqueous alkaline solution could have weakened the cell wall and increased the solubility of the protein released through the cracks in the cell wall. The destruction of the agglomeration and the cell-wall structure increased the hydration of the cell and thereby increased the stability of the suspension. The sedimentation and the viscosity of the cell suspension corresponded to the morphological changes and the extractability of protein in the cell suspensions with different treatments.
The use of FEIBA for surgery in patients with haemophilia and inhibitors

Summary. The availability of bypassing therapy has made it possible to safely and effectively perform minor, major, and dental surgical procedures on patients with haemophilia and inhibitors. Several case series of surgery in patients with factor VIII or IX inhibitors offer guidance with regard to appropriate FEIBA dosage regimens and provide predicted rates of success. Development of laboratory assays to monitor therapeutic efficacy, together with a better understanding of the causes of treatment resistance, will advance the future role of surgery in inhibitor patients.
A better approach to modeling emergency care service

The objective of this paper is to develop and analyze models used in emergency care system. A different modeling approach is presented based on the idea of using a priority measure defined as "operating priority" that changes with time as a patient waits for service and each resource pays due consideration to skill hierarchy and selects the next patient for treatment. The new modeling approach breaks away from the conventional approach in which entity drives the request for resources. The resource is the driver in the new approach. This paper presents a comparison of performance between the conventional and the new approach in modeling emergency care. The paper also discusses potential enhancements of the proposed approach.
A New Interdigital Electrode Transducer Geometry

A new interdigital electrode transducer geometry has been conceived and its theoretical performance verified experimentally. The transducer is composed of sets of electrodes which are connected in series through an offset or "dog-leg" electrode, thereby significantly increasing the electrical impedance of the transducer over that of a conventional one having the same aperture. This transducer radiates and receives a uniform straight-crested wavefront. The transducer is shown to have unique impedance properties suited for wide-aperture surface-wave devices or those requiring some form of wave-amplitude weighting. Experiments have been conducted on YZ LiNbO/sub 3/ which verify that the terminal impedance of the transducer is proportional to the square of the number of equal-aperture constant-amplitude sections.
Initial evaluation of direct 4D parametric reconstruction with human PET data

Previously, we presented a direct EM method for producing kinetic parameter images from list mode PET data, where the time-activity curve for each voxel is described by a one-tissue compartment model (1T). The initial evaluations were performed with simulations, without motion, randoms, or scatter effects included. By extension of our previous frame-based physics correction methods, a practical direct 4D parametric reconstruction algorithm is now proposed and implemented for human data. Initial evaluations were performed using 3 human subjects with the serotonin transporter tracer [11C]AFM. Comparisons with the 2-step approach (frame-based reconstruction followed by voxel-by-voxel parameter estimation) provided encouraging initial results. Regional analysis showed that the 2-step and 4D methods have similar K 1 and V T values, but with a consistent difference. Visual analysis showed some noise reduction in 4D. These initial results suggest that direct 4D parametric reconstruction can be performed with real data, and offers the potential for improved accuracy and precision over the 2-step frame method.
A novel class of hierarchical higher order tangential vector finite elements for electromagnetics

Node based finite elements are not suitable for modeling the vector nature of electromagnetic fields. Tangential vector finite elements (TVFEs) overcome most of the shortcomings of node based finite elements and for various element shapes, several TVFEs of different orders have previously been presented. For a triangular element, this paper presents a novel class of hierarchical higher order TVFEs that differs significantly from traditional TVFEs. For a simple application, the paper demonstrates that the performance of one of these new TVFEs is equivalent to the performance of a traditional mixed order TVFE. However, the hierarchical nature of the new TVFEs may make them a better choice than traditional TVFEs. A homogeneously filled rectangular waveguide is considered as an example.
Cone Beam Computed Tomography 3D Reconstruction of the Mandibular Condyle

Abstract Objective: To determine the ideal window level and width needed for cone beam computed three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the condyle. Materials and Methods: Linear dimensions were measured with a digital caliper to assess the anatomic truth for 50 dry human mandibular condyles. Condyles were scanned with the i-CAT cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and 3D-models were reconstructed. Three linear three-dimensional measurements were made on each of the 50 condyles at 8 different Hounsfield unit (HU) windows. These measurements were compared with the anatomic truth. Volumetric measurements were also completed on all 50 condyles, at 23 different window levels, to define the volumetric distribution of bone mineral density (BMD) within the condyle. Results: Significant differences were found in two of the three linear measurement groups at and below the recommended viewing window for osseous structures. The most accurate measurements were made within the soft tissue range for HU window levels. ...
Contribution of Ih to LTP, Place Cells, and Grid Cells

The brain's grid and place cells, which contribute to spatial representations of the external environment, are thought to be modulated by the hyperpolarization-activated cation current (I(h)). Giocomo et al. and Hussaini et al. now provide new insights into these cells' unique activity patterns by studying transgenic mice lacking I(h).
Comparison of buffer allocation schemes in ATM switches: complete sharing, partial sharing, and dedicated allocation

The paper presents a performance comparison of three different buffer allocation schemes in ATM switches under bursty traffic conditions. It is well known that complete buffer sharing offers the highest throughput and lowest loss rates when traffic is not bursty. This is due to the statistical gains that are obtained from sharing buffers among outputs. One might expect that these statistical gains would only increase under bursty traffic conditions, but this is not always the case. Completely shared buffers may be plagued by congestion arising from a few bursty calls unfairly occupying the entire buffer space to the exclusion of other calls. Thus, under bursty traffic conditions there are two competing forces in a completely shared system: gains due to sharing buffers and losses due to unfairness. This trade-off becomes very important within the context of the bursty ATM environment. Dedicated queues are intrinsically fair, but they do not enjoy the statistical gains of sharing. Partial buffer sharing may offer a compromise between complete sharing and dedicated allocation by obtaining some gains from sharing while maintaining a degree of fairness. The multinet switch is one example of a partially shared system. >
Nitrification in the euphotic zone as evidenced by nitrate dual isotopic composition: Observations from Monterey Bay, California

simultaneous and variable influence of both phytoplankton NO3 assimilation and nitrification within the euphotic zone. Specifically, increases in d 18 ONO3 were consistently greater than those in d 15 NNO3. A coupled isotope steady state box model was used to estimate the amount of NO3 supplied by nitrification in surface waters relative to that supplied from deeper water. The model highlights the importance of the branching reaction during ammonium (NH4 ) consumption, in which NH4 either serves as a substrate for regenerated production or for nitrification. Our observations indicate that a previously unrecognized proportion of nitrate-based productivity, on average 15 to 27%, is supported by nitrification in surface waters and should not be considered new production. This work also highlights the need for a better understanding of isotope effects of NH4 oxidation, NH4 assimilation, and NO3 assimilation in marine environments.
Practical Self-Deception

Philosophical accounts of self-deception almost invariably treat it as a phenomenon concerning belief. But this article argues that, in the very same sense that we can be self-deceived about belief, we can be selfdeceived about matters that concern our practical identities — e.g., our desires, emotions, values, and lifestyles. Given that our practical identities are at least as important to us as are our beliefs, philosophical accounts of self-deception should accommodate such practical selfdeception.
Book Review: Slavery and the Law: A Study in Contradiction

Consider this book the next time you are staring at your melting sherbet at the end of a Law Day speech about the majesty of the law and the glory of the Founding Fathers' vision. Judge Higginbotham's important study of law and race relations is a useful antidote for self-congratulation, an occupational hazard of lawyers. In the Matter of Color is the first volume of Judge Higginbotham's projected three-volume study of the progress of racial justice in America. He has assembled cases and statutes into a lucid and convincing demonstration of the lamentable role of law as an instrument of oppression in our colonial period. His work contains several serious limitations, but Judge Higginbotham makes a powerful case for his central point that "the American legal process was able to set its conscience aside and, by pragmatic toadying to economic 'needs,' rationalize a regression of human rights for blacks." His study of six colonies - Virginia, Massachusetts, New York, South Carolina, Georgia, and Pennsylvania - makes clear the inhumanity behind the law pertaining to race from the arrival of white settlers until the Revolutionary period. As the horrors multiply, Judge Higginbotham manages both to control his own passion and to avoid numbering the reader's conscience. This is a consciousness-raising book, in the best tradition of the Brandeis brief. Fact is piled on painful fact; the law emerges as the increasingly harsh controller of slaves even, on occasion, the controller of masters.
Bicentric diagrams

In an era where data on social, economic, and physical networks are proliferating at a rapid pace, the ability to understand the underlying complex structural connections, discover prominent entities, and identify clusters is becoming increasingly important. It is also well-established that interactive visualizations can amplify human cognition and augment decision making. Motivated by a practical need articulated by corporate decision makers and limitations of existing visual representations, this research presents our journey in designing and implementing bicentric diagrams, a novel graph-based set visualization technique. A bicentric diagram enables simultaneous identification of sets, set relationships, and set member reach in integrated egonetworks of two focal entities. Our technique builds on the well-established sociological theory of tie strength to visually group and position nodes. We illustrate the broad applicability of bicentric diagrams with examples from four diverse sample domains: university collaboration, technology co-occurrence, health app purchases, and interfirm alliance networks. We assess the value of our technique using an expert-based evaluation approach. The paper concludes with implications and a discussion of opportunities for implementation in real-world decision support settings. Interactive visualizations amplify human cognition and augment decision making.Bicentric diagrams enable identification of sets, relationships, and reach.Bicentric diagrams enable visual exploration of strong and weak ties.Study provides illustrative examples from commerce, news, research, and strategy.Value-driven expert evaluation reveals utility and usefulness of bicentric diagrams.
U.S. State Education Agencies' Use of Twitter: Mission Accomplished?.

This study examined how Twitter was used by all U.S. state education agencies (SEAs) for public engagement in education. Drawing on the ecological model of communication, this study analyzed the la...
Becoming A Zen Practitioner

to the case of the person beginning Zen meditation and a striking similarity is found. Some observations on the differences between the processes of conversion-commitment in Zen meditation and other cases found in the literature are made. One of the major concerns of sociologists with the new religions is understanding who joins them and how or why they come to do it. What are the actual processes or conditions involved in converting to a new religious form and increasing one's commitment to it? One influential model for thinking along these lines is Lofland and Stark (1965) which treats conversion and commitment as a process of becoming deviant. Lofland (1966) used this in his study of the early Unification Church. Other groups that use a similarly skeptical approach to new religions are those who are interested in the potentially dangerous and coercive aspects of cult-like groups. While there is a growing literature using a coercive persuasion perspective (Robbins et al, 1978), perhaps the most extreme is Conway and Siegelman (1978), who argue that in joining nearly all new religious groups, even quasi-religious groups such as est (Erhard's Seminar Training), there is a drastic psychological transformation made under conditions similar to brainwashing. Conceptualizing new religious activity as deviance or as a form of brainwashing is criticized by Balch and Taylor (1977) and Balch (1980), who see this perspective as not adequate to their experience with members of a UFO cult. Instead they find a cultic milieu or metaphysical sub-culture that allows us to see the joining of these groups as a desirable, commendable and as a supported activity by others within that subculture. Rather than deviant, they argue conversion and commitment can be studied as a normal process of role learning. Among the various approaches to the study of conversion, structural studies attempt to specify the conditions that predispose persons to become seekers and joiners of new religious forms. These studies typically assume the joiner is passive in the face of conditions that cause one to take up the new behavior and lock one into the new group. Conditions such as marginality and stress are seen as predisposing one to new religious activity. Another group of sociologists emphasize situational factors (Gerlack and Hine, 1970). Here emphasis is put upon the causes of participation, but upon how the person actually goes
STABILIZATION OF RH IN EXHIBITION CASES: HYGROMETRIC HALF-TIME

A formula is derived with experimental support for predicting the RH changes inside an unsealed exhibition case containing a buffer such as silica gel. It is shown that a well-constructed case containing about 20 kg silica gel per cubic metre of case volume should constrain seasonal humidity variation within reasonable limits and in some climates make air conditioning unnecessary. However the formula proposed requires full-scale practical tests before adoption.
Study of Inclusion Removal Ratio in Swirling Flow Tundish

The flow in swirling flow tundish and swirling chamber is simulated in according to similitude theory.The influences of the diameter and height on conglomerating to center and floating are studied and the inclusion removal effect of the swirling chamber is validated.As a result,the swirling chamber is in favor of the floating and removal of inclusion and the floating ratios of inclusion is improved from 92.35% to 97%.