cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Imageview: A High-Level Authoring Tool for Repurposing Multimedia Content

The teaching of medicine lends itself to the use of a rich mixture of sounds, text, graphics, images, and animated sequences to illustrate concepts. Often, these multimedia teaching materials ar available only in limited contexts, such as during a specific lecture or within a particular software program. As a result, students have little opportunity to review non-textual information, and courseware authors must obtain their own images and other content that may in turn be encapsulated within a software program. In response to these and other limitations of traditional content management, we have developed an infrastructure and tools supportive of making image-based content available both for student review and for courseware authors to use as a repurposeable resource.
Acid-catalyzed pinacol rearrangement. Chemically amplified reverse polarity change

The reverse polarity change from a polar to a nonpolar state has been successfully incorporated in the design of chemical amplification resists. The imaging mechanism is based on the pinacol-pinacolone rearrangement, wherein vic-diols (pinacols) are converted to ketones or aldehydes with photochemically generated acid as a catalyst. In addition to a polymeric pinacol which undergoes the rearrangement very cleanly in the solid state, aqueous base developable three-component negative deep UV resist systems are described, which are based on phenolic resins, small pinacols, and triphenylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate as the acid generator.
Valence Charge Density in Indium Antimonide

Nine x-ray structure factors have been accurately measured in good-quality InSb single crystals and compared with various model calculations of the valence-electron charge distribution. Excellent agreement is obtained with a model based on tetrahedral distortion and ionic charge transfer, whereas Phillips's bond-charge model gave the poorest fit of all.
Transition-state analysis for depurination of DNA by Ricin A-chain

Ricin toxin A-chain (RTA) exerts its cytotoxicity by depurinating 28 S ribosomal RNA at ribonucleotide A4234, a site of eukaryotic elongation factor binding. Small stem-loop RNAs and DNAs can also be depurinated at the first adenine residue of 5‘-GAGA-3‘ tetraloops. DNA oligonucleotides were synthesized with DNA polymerase, using dATP labeled with [1‘-14C], [5‘-14C,9-15N], [1‘-3H], [2‘R-3H], [2‘S-3H] or [5‘-3H]. Kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) were measured for depurination of a stem-loop DNA, called dA-10, with the sequence d(5‘-GGCGAGAGCC-3‘). The commitment to catalysis was measured and found to be negligible, indicating that the experimental KIEs are the intrinsic KIEs of the chemical steps. The experimental KIEs, especially the small primary 1‘-14C KIE of 1.015 ± 0.001, demonstrated that the reaction proceeds through a stepwise DN*AN mechanism, forming a discrete oxocarbenium·RTA complex with a lifetime ≥10-12 s. The secondary KIEs at 1‘-3H, 2‘R-3H, and 2‘S-3H were large and normal, supporting the exi...
Creatine kinase activity is required for mineral deposition and matrix synthesis in endochondral growth cartilage.

Abstract In earlier studies, we have drawn attention to the unique changes in energy metabolism that accompany the maturation of epiphyseal growth plate chondrocytes. The objective of this investigation was to examine the importance of the ATP generating enzyme creatine kinase (CK), in the development and mineralization of the growth plate. We inhibited CK function by administering β-guanidinopropionic acid (β-GPA) to rats in vivo and to cultured chick chondrocytes in vitro. We found that this agent inhibited normal development of cartilage. Disorganization of chondrocytes in the proliferative and hypertrophic zones, poor vascular invasion, and retention of calcified cartilage occurred in the long bones of β-GPA-fed rats. β-GPA caused a change in the electrophoretic mobility of type II and type X collagens. Inhibition of apatite formation in the bones of shell-less chick embryos was accompanied by a CK isoenzyme shift from a bone-specific phenotype to a CK isozyme profile similar to that of cartilage. The results of these studies indicate that CK activity is required for normal development of the growth plate and that interference with creatine phosphate metabolism results in profound changes in the synthesis of cartilage and the maturational activities of chondrocytes.
Fracture of thick laminated composites

The fracture of thick laminated graphite/epoxy composites has been the subject of an extensive research program. The program was divided into three major areas of investigation which included laminate thickness, laminate stacking sequence, and part-through surface flaws. The results from this program are reviewed with emphasis placed on their applicability to the design of thick laminated composite structures.
One-Pot Formation of Functionalized Indole and Benzofuran Derivatives Using a Single Bifunctional Ruthenium Catalyst

We report a single bifunctional ruthenium catalyst for cyclization of terminal alkynylaryl amines and -phenols to corresponding indole and benzofuran derivatives in good yields. Key features the ability to cyclize and hydrate terminal alkynes in one step and to deuterate the heteroaromatic compounds formed.
Scaling of optical forces in dielectric waveguides: rigorous connection between radiation pressure and dispersion

We show that eigenmodes of dielectric optical waveguides exert surface dilation forces on waveguide boundaries owing to radiation pressure, and we develop an exact scaling law relating modal dispersion of an arbitrary dielectric waveguide to the magnitude of optical forces generated by radiation pressure. This result points to highly dispersive waveguides as an optimal choice for the generation of large optical forces in nano-optomechanical systems. Exact agreement with ab initio calculations is demonstrated.
Antipyrine kinetics following partial blood exchange with Fluosol‐DA in the rat

The effects of partial blood exchange with Fluosol-DA on hepatic microsomal oxidative metabolism have been studied in the rat. Antipyrine clearance (Cl) was used as an in-vivo measure of the activity of the mixed function oxidase system. Rats were partially exchanged with Fluosol-DA and dosed with antipyrine at selected time intervals following exchange. No change in antipyrine Cl was observed at 0.5 h, but there was a statistically significant decrease at 24 h and then an increase by more than 50% relative to control at 48 and 72 h. These data indicate that the effects of Fluosol-DA on hepatic function are time-dependent and that Fluosol-DA has the potential both to inhibit and to enhance hepatic metabolism. The possibility of altered hepatic metabolism should be considered when patients transfused with Fluosol-DA are given drugs primarily metabolized by the mixed function oxidase system.
Microchannel bioreactors for bioartificial liver support

An extracorporeal bioartificial liver (BAL) device containing viable hepatocytes has the potential to provide temporary hepatic support to liver failure patients, serving as a bridge to transplantation while awaiting a suitable donor. In some patients, providing temporary hepatic support may be sufficient to allow adequate regeneration of the host liver, thereby eliminating the need for a liver transplant. Although the BAL device is a promising technology for the treatment of liver failure, there are several technical challenges that must be overcome in order to develop systems with sufficient processing capacity and of manageable size. In this study, the authors describe the critical issues involved in developing a BAL device. They also discuss their experiences in hepatocyte culture optimization within the context of a microchannel flat-plate BAL device.
Intravascular macrophages in normal calf lung. An electron microscopic study

Intravascular macrophages were found commonly in sections of calf lung capillaries. These cells were large with many pseudopodia of various sizes. The cell membrane was covered with an electron-opaque coat which remains between adjacent pseudopodial walls and results in structures suggesting “micropinocytosis vermiformis.” The cytoplasm of the macrophage was electron-lucent and contained endoplasmic reticulum, numerous mitochondria, free ribosomes, Golgi zones, dense bodies and vesicles of many sizes. These macrophages showed phagocytic activity. During erythrophagocytosis, a dense layer initially appeared at the red blood cell periphery. This layer moved toward the center together with the erythrocyte membrane as phagocytosis progressed. Simultaneously, the electron opacity of the red blood cell decreased until the cell was completely dispersed within the macrophage. This erythrophagocytosis occurred relatively seldom. The possibility that intravascular macrophages are the pre-cursors of alveolar macrophages is discussed.
Multi-rate multicasting with network coding

Single-rate multicasting may yield low utilization of the network resources when a subset of the receivers creates a bottleneck for the whole multicast group. Thus, practical multi-rate multicasting strategies are required to allow users with better channels to achieve maximum performance. While earlier studies have investigated such mechanisms using routing strategies over fixed trees, in this work we consider the possibility of using network coding without a given subgraph. Our scheme identifies the optimal routes and provides the utility maximizing rate allocation and coding solution. We also propose and investigate a nested multicasting method to reduce the complexity of the original scheme for practical implementation.
Strong stability of elastic control systems with dissipative saturating feedback

Abstract We will consider, with a focus on saturating feedback control laws, two problems associated with damping in a bounded acoustic cavity Ω⊂ R 3 . Our objective is to verify (compare (Discrete Continuous Dynamical Systems 7 (2001) 319, Math. Control Signals Systems 2 (1989) 265) that these are strongly stable: for every finite-energy solution, the acoustic energy goes to zero as t→∞. We will, in each case, formulate the problem in terms of a contraction semigroup of nonlinear operators on an appropriate Hilbert space and compare this with the corresponding semigroups without saturation—following Avalos and Lasiecka (Semigroup Forum 57 (1998) 278) in using the spectral methods of Arendt and Batty (Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 8 (1988) 837) to show strong stabilization for those linear semigroups.
Selection of appropriate cellular and molecular biologic diagnostic tests in the evaluation of cancer

In this article, the use of cellular and molecular markers to diagnose and stage tumors is discussed. Their role in the evaluation of tumor prognosis and tumor susceptibility also is covered. The immunologic, cytogenetic, and molecular phenotype is discussed. Traditional markers are compared with newer methodologic approaches including evaluation of oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and genes that predict tumor susceptibity. These discussions are presented in relation to specific tumors. Finally, statements one might use to decide which tests to perform are presented
Long-term follow-up of patients with previous myocarditis using radionuclide ventriculography.

A prospective long-term follow-up study is reported of 18 of 19 patients who survived a bout of presumed myocarditis 6–136 months (average 54 months) previously. The study included 14 males and four females, ranging from 27 to 63 years of age (mean, 44 years). Chest X-ray, ECG, echocardiogram, and resting and exercise radionuclide ventricular ejection fraction (RNVEF) for assessment of ventricular function were evaluated at follow-up. Resting and exercise RNVEF from seven control subjects were evaluated for comparison. Residual abnormalities were noted in chest X-ray (16%), echocardiogram (30%), and ECG (55%) in these predominantly asymptomatic patients (17/18 or 95%). The resting RNVEF (mean ±SD) for the myocarditis group versus controls were 0.57±0.1 and 0.65±0.1 (P=NS), respectively. The exercise RNVED for the myocarditis group versus controls were 0.56±0.1 and 0.74±0.05 (P<0.01), respectively. Abnormal resting RNVEF was noted in six (33%) and exercise RNVEF in 14 (77%) patients in the myocarditis group. Two patients with abnormal exercise RNVEF subsequently developed findings consistent with dilated cardiomyopathy. It is unclear as to whether the abnormal ventricular function may serve as a marker for future development of dilated cardiomyopathy.
Switching behavior of stressed Vicalloy wire

In recent years there has been considerable interest[1] in wire produced by subjecting cold-drawn Vicalloy to a schedule of stretching and twisting first developed by J. Wiegand[2]. Magnetization reversal in this wire occurs by a single giant Barkhausen jump, leading to a number of sensor-based applications. We show that the unusual switching behavior is due to a nearly perfect single magnetic domain running the length of the wire. This condition results from a doubly helical residual stress pattern (see figure) built into the wire by the twisting process. This stress is extremely large, causing a single-domain behavior first noted by Preisach[3] and Sixtus and Tonks[4] in externally stressed wires. The central region of the wire is frozen in axial tension (∼80 Kg/mm2) and twist, whereas the outer region is in compression and twist of opposite chirality. This model accounts for all of the observed properties of this wire[5].
Recurrent first trimester pregnancy loss is associated with uterine septum but not with bicornuate uterus

Abstract Objective Determine the relative frequency of having a uterine septum or bicornuate uterus in women presenting with first trimester recurrent pregnancy loss and a divided uterine cavity by hysterosalpingography (HSG) or hysteroscopy. Design Retrospective analysis of the frequency of a uterine septum or a bicornuate uterus in all patients undergoing surgery (laparoscopy and hysteroscopy) with the clinical presentation of recurrent pregnancy loss and a divided uterine cavity between January 1995 and October 2002. Setting An academic medical center. Patient(s) Thirty-five consecutive, premenopausal women with a divided uterine cavity on preoperative HSG or hysteroscopy. Intervention(s) Diagnostic laparoscopy and diagnostic hysteroscopy. Main outcome measure(s) A fused uterine fundus at laparoscopy indicating a uterine septum. Result(s) All 35 patients had a uterine septum. Conclusion(s) When presenting with recurrent first trimester pregnancy loss and a divided uterine cavity by HSG or hysteroscopy, virtually all the women have a uterine septum.
Cultures in co-operation and conflict: Indians in the fur trade on the northern Great Plains, 1807–1840

Abstract The fur trade on the northern Great Plains from 1807 to 1840 may be viewed as an alliance between two sets of cultures each with a demand for the other's products. The Indian's role in this fur trade was crucial: he produced the robes and furs, provisioned the traders and greatly influenced the pattern of trading post locations. The fur trade functioned successfully only by adjusting its system of operations to the existing patterns of Indian occupance and by working within those limits to encourage the production of robes and furs. Properly conducted, the fur trade fitted well with the Indian's way of life. Nevertheless, in the process of this culture contact the relationship between the trader and the Indian soured, and the trader became an agent in the destruction of Indian populations and the modification of Indian cultures.
Surgical management of anorectal malformations: a unified concept

Posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) is a new approach for the treatment of anorectal malformations. It has allowed direct exposure of the anatomy of these defects, enabling the author to describe the spectrum of this malformation. It also permits patients to be grouped on the basis of their potential for continence and the correlation of operative findings with clinical results. Traditional anatomic concepts have proved very inaccurate. The new approach allows separation of rectum from genitourinary tract without damaging important structures. The rectum is located within the limits of the striated muscle structures in a precise manner. This approach has important implications for therapy, evaluation of results, classification, and terminology. All defects can be treated with PSARP. The size of the incision will vary according to the complexity of the malformation, from minimal PSARP in low malformations to full PSARP in higher defects. In addition, approximately 10% of all cases will require a laparotomy. Colostomy is recommended in most patients except for those with low malformations. A new classification is proposed based on practical therapeutic purposes. Patients are also grouped according to their common potential for continence, which is important for the evaluation and comparison of results. The decision to create a protective colostomy is based on clinical facts in 80%–90% of cases and on invertograms and other diagnostic tests in the remaining 10%–20%.
Poetry and the Possibility of Theology: Whitehead's Views Reconsidered

Important as Whitehead has been to much contemporary theology, few students of theology (and still fewer of philosophy) have given careful consideration to various aspects of Whitehead's thought lying outside his metaphysical system per se. Even scholars like Bernard Meland (1969, 1976) and Lyman Lundeen (1972), while emphasizing that there is more to Whitehead than a metaphysical scheme, have discussed such matters as his theory of language without ever giving a truly satisfactory account of the specific topic that concerns us here-namely, Whitehead's views as to the connection between theology and poetry (i.e., literary art). Whitehead, of course, was no theologian-at least not in the usual sense of the word./1/ His approach to literature, moreover, was that of a dedicated, sophisticated amateur. Yet, as we will see, Whitehead's ideas concerning poetry's relation to theology, and especially metaphysical theology, are by no means peripheral to his thought or lacking in theological import. In point of fact, Whitehead argues in a distinctive way that a thorough theological grounding of religious truth-claims rests not only on a defense of some kind of metaphysics (as the "process theologians" emphasize) but also-given the nature of metaphysics itself-on a defense of poetry as that kind of discourse which is closest to "integral experience." What is perhaps more interesting, Whitehead's particular argument entails, if only implicitly, a model of religious and metaphysical understanding that could be called "dipolar." For it assigns the language of poetry an ongoing role complementary to, and in dialogue with, the contrasting language of the theologian and philosopher. And in doing so it identifies these two modes of language with two rather different modes of thought and cognition. In examining the basic elements of Whitehead's argument, we will first
Radiation-induced injury to the visual pathway

Radiation-induced injury to the visual pathway was reviewed in a cohort of patients treated for various cancers of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses between 1969 and 1985. The study subjects consisted of 219 patients, 137 men and 82 women, in whom detailed records were available on the extent of orbital shielding, treatment plan for estimating doses delivered to various optic structures, and visual acuity follow-up information. There was a wide range in doses administered to various optic structures because patients with different primary lesion types were included and the radiotherapy techniques used varied during this era. The endpoint of the study was visual acuity < 20/100. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the influence of various factors on the latent time to visual impairment and to fit the LQ model to the failure-time data. Actuarial curves showing the proportion of patients with visual impairment as a function of dose and time were generated. Corneal injury occurred in 24 of the 49 patients treated with the 3-field technique without any orbital shielding; variables affecting the incidence of cornea injury were total radiation dose and chemotherapy. Symptomatic retinopathy was diagnosed in 7 of 77 patients who received irradiation to a relatively large retinal surface, but no variables were found to correlate with this complication. Eight patients developed ipsilateral blindness due to optic neuropathy and 11 patients had bilateral visual impairment secondary to chiasm injury. The total radiation dose was identified as the predominant determinant. None of patients receiving a dose of < 50 Gy developed optic neuropathy or chiasm injury.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effects of augmented respiratory muscle pressure production on locomotor limb venous return during calf contraction exercise

We determined effects of augmented inspiratory and expiratory intrathoracic pressure or abdominal pressure (Pab) excursions on within-breath changes in steady-state femoral venous blood flow (Qfv)...
Patriarchy versus Islam: Gender and Religion in Economic Growth

ABSTRACTThis contribution evaluates whether affiliation with Islam is a theoretically and statistically robust proxy for patriarchal preferences when studying the relationship between gender inequality and economic growth. A cross-country endogenous growth analysis shows that direct measures of patriarchal institutions dominate a variety of religious affiliation variables and model specifications in explaining country growth rates, and that using religious affiliation, particularly Islam, as a control for culture produces misleading conclusions. This result is robust to the inclusion of measures of gender inequality in education and income, indicating that establishing and maintaining patriarchal institutions (a process this study calls “patriarchal rent-seeking”) exact economic growth costs over and above those measured by standard gender inequality variables. One of the key contributions of this study is to draw on unique institutional data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development...
Why perfusion in neonates with congenital heart defects is negative--technical issues related to pulsed arterial spin labeling

Abstract Pulsed arterial spin labeling (PASL) perfusion MRI has unique advantages for measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the pediatric population. In neonates with congenital heart defects (CHDs), however, a considerable number of negative CBF values were observed in PASL perfusion images. A set of specific physiological and biophysical conditions were proposed as plausible explanations for this phenomenon, including small body size, low blood flow, prolonged tracer life time (blood T1) and the “shunt” between pulmonary and systemic circulations in CHD. An optimized PASL scheme with a restricted label volume was proposed, and experimental data demonstrated reduced spurious negative values and lower intersubject variability of perfusion measurements in neonates with CHD as compared to standard PASL sequences.
Determination of rarefied-flow aerodynamics of the Shuttle orbiter from flight measurements on STS-6 and STS-7

This report presents the flight data results from the High Resolution Accelerometer Package (HiRAP) experimment on the sixth and seventh Shuttle missions (i.e. STS-6 and STS-7). The data have been reduced to produce aerodynamic force coefficients, principally L/D in the rarefied flow regime. Also, a technique is used to extract approximate body-axis aerodynamic coefficients from the flight data. Comparisons of the rarefied transition flow aerodynamic behavior between the two sets of flight data indicate differences, primarily in the free-molecule flow coefficients; i.e. STS-7 shows a free-molecule flow behavior which correlates with diffuse surface reflection conditions, while STS-6 does not. The data have also been used to estimate the density profiles in the atmosphere. The atmospheric density is generated from 60 to 160 km from each flight. The density profiles produced have a primary wave structure and differences are observed between the two sets of flight data. A new rarefied transitional flow aerodynamic bridging formula has been generated from the flight data. Comparisons with the flight bridging formula and existing Monte Carlo and wind-tunnel data are made.
Atomoxetine in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder with prior stimulant therapy: a prospective open-label study

The objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of atomoxetine in youth, ages 6–17 years with ADHD, who had a prior trial of stimulant treatment. This was a 6-week prospective open-label study of atomoxetine, dosage up to 1.4 mg/kg per day in 34 children and adolescents with DSM-IV ADHD. Primary measures of response included the ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD RS) and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Scale. Analyses were intention-to-treat. The treatment with atomoxetine was associated with statistical and clinical significant reduction in clinician rated ADHD RS symptoms, compared with baseline. Statistical significant improvement was attained by the second week of treatment. Fifty-six percent (N = 18) met criteria for our a priori definition of response; much or very much improved on the CGI plus more than 30% reduction in ADHD RS symptoms. In conclusion, atomoxetine was generally well tolerated; 85% of subjects completed the trial. Atomoxetine was effective and well tolerated in a 6-week open study of ADHD youth with a prior history of stimulant treatment.
A factor toxic to chick embryos in blood of tumor bearing animals

Resume Le sang d'animaux porteurs de tumeurs solides metastasiantes de leucemies et de lymphomes provoque, chez les embryons de poulet, une mortalite elevee (40–100 pour cent au 7e jour), lorsqu'il est injecte sur la membrane chorio-allantoidienne. Au contraire, du sang provenant d'animaux normaux, d'animaux porteurs de tumeurs non metastasiantes, de lesions inflammatoires ou de granulomes, du sang d'animaux dont la physiologie normale est ulteree, injecte dans les memes conditions, est relativement inoffensif et ne provoque qu'un raible pourcentage de deces (0–30 pour cent), chez les embryons de poulet.
Self-grooming by mares and foals of the Welsh pony. (Equus caballus)

Abstract Self-grooming behaviour of 15 mare-foal pairs was studied weekly for the first 24 weeks of the foal's life. Mares self-groomed at mean rates of 1.2–2.2 times h −1 depending on the 4-week period. Foals self-groomed more often, with a peak rate of 12.3 times h −1 occurring during Week 5–8 and a subsequent decline to 6.0 times h −1 by Weeks 21–24. Self-grooming bouts of mares and foals also differed in the proportion devoted to each type of self-grooming. During a greater proportion of their total self-grooming bouts, foals scratched their head and neck with a hind limb or bit and scratched the trunk or hind limbs with the teeth. The mares spent a greater proportion of their self-grooming bouts rubbing their head or neck on an inanimate object, another pony, or their fore limb, or rolling on the ground. Particular types of individual self-grooming bouts were engaged in for different lengths of time. Foals had longer bouts of scratching the head and neck with a hind limb, scratching or biting the fore limb or hind limb with the teeth, and rubbing the head and neck on an inanimate object, while mares had longer bouts of rolling. Some of the differences in preference for particular types of self-grooming may be the result of differences in relative size of various body parts and, consequently, relative ease of a given type of self-grooming.
Stereospecific synthesis of dinosterol

Abstract Using a Claisen ortho-ester rearrangement, the biogenetically important marine sterol dinosterol and its C-24 epimer were synthesized stereospecifically by a sequence which is also attractive for selective isotope labelling in the side chain.
Enhancing E-Learning with Interactive Multimedia

Nowadays, multimedia-based e-Learning systems have become widely available. Many systems, however, provide little interactivity to learners. E-Learners do not have much control over learning content and process to meet their individual needs. Therefore, we face challenges of how to integrate instructional material in different media and how to provide flexible process control in an e-Learning environment to enable personalized knowledge construction and improve learning effectiveness. In this study, we propose that an e-Learning system with interactive multimedia can help learners better understand learning content and achieve learning performance comparable to that of classroom learning. The results from an empirical study show significant evidence in support of our proposition. It explores an important issue towards building effective multimedia-based e-Learning environments.
Kinetics of the reactions of OH radicals with CO and N2O

Rate constants k1 for the reaction of OH radicals with CO have been determined at 299 ± 1 K over the pressure range 25–654 torr of argon using a flash photolysis-resonance fluorescence technique. The rate constant K1 was observed to be independent of total pressure over the range studied with a value of K1 = (1.54 ± 0.16) × 10−13 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. In addition, upper limits for the rate constants k2 for the reaction of OH radicals with N2O of k2 < 2 × 10−16 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 were obtained at both 298.0 and 442.8 K.
Expert opinion on nanotechnology: risks, benefits, and regulation

A survey of American (US) nanotechnology researchers (N = 177) suggests a diversity of views about what areas are most important to the burgeoning field, as well as perceptions about the overall benefits and risks of such research. On average, respondents saw a range of technologies as key and viewed public health and environmental issues as areas where both risks and the need for regulation are greatest. These areas were also where respondents said current regulations were least adequate. Factor analyses of the survey questions suggest that, when considering both risks and regulations, respondents make a distinction between health and environmental risks, and what might be termed “social risks” (e.g., invasion of privacy, use of nanotechnology in weapons, and economic impacts).
An experimental comparison of detector performance for direct and indirect digital radiography systems

Current flat-panel detectors either directly convert x-ray energy to electronic charge or use indirect conversion with an intermediate optical process. The purpose of this work was to compare direct and indirect detectors in terms of their modulation transfer function(MTF),noise power spectrum (NPS), and detectivequantum efficiency (DQE). Measurements were made on three flat-panel detectors, Hologic Direct-Ray DR-1000 (DRC), GE Revolution XQ/i (XQ/i), and Philips Digital Diagnost (DiDi) using the IEC-defined RQA5 (∼74 kVp, 21 mm Al) and RQA9 (∼120 kVp, 40 mm Al) radiographic techniques. The presampled MTFs of the systems were measured using an edge method [Samei et al., Med. Phys. 25, 102 (1998)]. The NPS of the systems were determined for a range of exposure levels by two-dimensional (2D) Fourier analysis of uniformly exposed radiographs [Flynn and Samei, Med. Phys. 26, 1612 (1999)]. The DQEs were assessed from the measured MTF, NPS, exposure, and estimated ideal signal-to-noise ratios. For the direct system, the MTF was found to be significantly higher than that for the indirect systems and very close to an ideal function associated with the detector pixel size. The NPS for the direct system was found to be constant in relation to frequency. For the XQ/i and DRC systems, the DQE results reflected expected differences based on the absorption efficiency of the different detector materials. Using RQA5, the measured DQE values in the diagonal (and axial) direction(s) at spatial frequencies of 0.15 mm −1 and 2.5 mm −1 were 64% (64%) and 20% (15%) for the XQ/i system, and 38% (38%) and 20% (20%) for the DRC, respectively. The DQE results of the DiDi system were difficult to interpret due to additional preprocessing steps in that system.
Data set comparability and short-term trends in crime and delinquency

Two self-report surveys of delinquent behavior, the National Youth Survey and the Monitoring the Future study, indicate different rates of prevalence for illegal behavior. Trends in the two series differ also, and this has been taken as evidence for differential validity between the two studies. Comparison of the two data sets indicates that difference between them could be attributable primarily to differences in sampling design, the administration of the surveys, and the wording of specific questions. There appears to be little support for the assertion that one data set is more or less valid than the other for measuring rates or trends in crime and delinquency.
Sources of spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the colonization of an alpine krummholz environment by the weedy subalpine plant Chamerion angustifolium (fireweed)

Plant–plant interactions may increase or reduce the impact of abiotic stress on species' distributions, depending on the balance between competition and facilitation. We report on the role of a willow (Salix) shrub canopy in mediating the importance of drought stress for performance at seedling and adult life stages of the herbaceous wildflower, Chamerion angustifolium L. (fireweed). Willows form the vegetative boundary (krummholz) between subalpine and alpine life zones in the Rocky Mountains. Chamerion angustifolium is a weedy pioneer species common in subalpine vegetation and advancing upward into the krummholz in the central Rocky Mountains. A mosaic of soil moisture variation dictated spatial patterns of seed germination and seedling survival in C. angustifolium in the absence of willows. However, willows restricted the capacity of C. angustifolium to exploit natural patches of soil moisture during establishment. Seed germination, seedling survival, and net establishment success increased markedly wi...
Size-exclusion chromatography—from high-performance to ultra-performance

Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) enables measurement of the average molecular weights and molecular-weight distributions of polymers. Because these characteristics may, in turn, be correlated with important performance characteristics of plastics, SEC is an essential analytical technique for characterization of macromolecules. Although SEC is one of the oldest instrumental chromatographic techniques, it is still under continuous development, as a result of the great demand for increased resolution and faster analysis in SEC. Ultra-high-pressure size-exclusion chromatography (UHPSEC) was recently introduced to satisfy the growing demands of analytical chemists. Using instrumentation capable of generating very high pressures and columns packed with small particles, this technique enables greater separation efficiency and faster analysis than are achieved with conventional SEC. UHPSEC is especially advantageous for high-resolution analysis of oligomers, for very rapid polymer separations, and as a second dimension in comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography of polymers. In this paper we discuss the benefits of UHPSEC for separation of macromolecules, with examples from the literature.
Sulfur derivatives of N-chloro compounds

Abstract The reactions of chlorine monofluoride with perfluoroalkyl- and perfluoroacyliminosulfur difluorides are known to give perfluoroalkyldichloroamines and N,N-dichlorofluoroamides, via the elimination of sulfur tetrafluoride, e.g., We now find that the reactions of iminosulfites with chlorine monofluoride take a surprisingly different route to give cis and trans isomers of the sulfur(VI) derivatives while eliminating chlorine and trifluoromethyldichloroamine.
Synthesis, Protein Levels, Activity and Phosphorylation State of Tyrosine Hydroxylase in Mesoaccumbens and Nigrostriatal Dopamine Pathways of Chronically Food-restricted Rats

Chronic food restriction (FR) enhances the rewarding and motor-activating effects of abused drugs, and is accompanied by changes in dopamine (DA) dynamics and increased D-1 DA receptor-mediated cell signaling and transcriptional responses in nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, little is known about effects of FR on DA synthetic activity in the mesoaccumbens and nigrostriatal pathways. In Experiment 1 of the present study, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene expression was measured in ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra, using real-time RT-PCR and in situ hybridization; no differences were observed between FR and ad libitum fed (AL) rats. In Experiment 2, TH protein levels, determined by Western blot, were found to be elevated in NAc and caudate-putamen (CPu) of FR relative to AL rats. In the absence of increased transcription, this may reflect a slowing of TH degradation. In Experiments 3 and 4, DA synthetic activity was assessed by Western blot measurement of TH phosphorylation at Ser40, and HPLC measurement of in vivo tyrosine hydroxylation rate, as reflected by DOPA accumulation following administration of a decarboxylase inhibitor (NSD-1015; 100 mg/kg, i.p.). Basal phospho-(Ser40)-TH levels did not differ between groups but DOPA accumulation was decreased by FR. Decreased DOPA synthesis, despite increased levels of TH protein, may reflect the inhibitory effect of increased DA binding to TH protein or decreased concentrations of cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin. Finally, in response to D-amphetamine (0.5 and 5.0 mg/kg, i.p.), phospho-(Ser40)-TH was selectively decreased in NAc of FR rats. This suggests increased feedback inhibition of DA synthesis-a possible consequence of postsynaptic receptor hypersensitivity, or increased extracellular DA concentration. These results indicate that FR increases TH protein levels, but may decrease the capacity for DA synthesis by decreasing TH activity. According to this scheme, the previously observed upregulation of striatal cell signaling and transcriptional responses to DA receptor agonist administration may include compensatory neuroadaptations.
FOLLOW-UP OF VIETNAM VETERANS II. SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT

Abstract Vietnam veterans were divided into three groups according to their inservice narcotics use: frequent users (n = 98), occasional users (n = 55) and nonusers (n = 49). Using a blind interview procedure the three groups were found to differ in the areas of employment/education, family adjustment, physical health, and depression. A composite “Social Adjustment Factor” was derived from these four areas, and a series of multiple correlations were computed in order to assess the effect of Vietnam drug use on the Social Adjustment Factor when preservice variables were held constant. Both the Social Adjustment Factor and two of its components, family adjustment and depression, continued to correlate significantly with the Vietnam drug group after the influence of preservice variables had been accounted for. Correlations between the two components employment/education and physical health and Vietnam drug group were no longer significant. The authors conclude that current social adjustment is determined by the interaction of pre-service conditions and the Vietnam experience itself.
What is the next big thing?: fulbright's half-life theory

My great-grandparents lived one-half of their lives without electricity. My grandparents lived one-half of their lives without a telephone. My parents lived one-half of their lives without a television. I lived one-half of my life without a computer. Today, we could not imagine life without any of these wonderful innovations. What is it that the current college-age generation will live one-half of their lives without? Whatever it is will come about in around 2020--2025 and will change the way we live, work, and/or recreate, and make billions of dollars. But, it won't be anything we know and love and use today. But, based on past experience, the foundation technology of "the next big thing" is just now in research labs.
On the Lipschitzian properties of polyhedral multifunctions

In this paper, we show that for a polyhedral multifunctionF:RnźRm with convex range, the inverse functionFź1 is locally lower Lipschitzian at every point of the range ofF (equivalently Lipschitzian on the range ofF) if and only if the functionF is open. As a consequence, we show that for a piecewise affine functionf:RnźRn,f is surjective andfź1 is Lipschitzian if and only iff is coherently oriented. An application, via Robinson's normal map formulation, leads to the following result in the context of affine variational inequalities: the solution mapping (as a function of the data vector) is nonempty-valued and Lipschitzian on the entire space if and only if the solution mapping is single-valued. This extends a recent result of Murthy, Parthasarathy and Sabatini, proved in the setting of linear complementarity problems.
Two-handed virtual manipulation

We discuss a two-handed user interface designed to support three-dimesional neurosurgical visualization. By itself, this system is a “point design,” an example of an advanced user interface technique. In this work, we argue that in order to understand why interaction techniques do or do not work, and to suggest possibilities for new techniques, it is important to move beyond point design and to introduce careful scientific measurement of human behavioral principles. In particular, we argue that the common-sense viewpoint that “two hands save time by working in parallel” may not always be an effective way to think about two-handed interface design because the hands do not necessarily work in parallel (there is a structure to two-handed manipulation) and because two hands do more than just save time over one hand (two hands provide the user with more information and can structure how the user thinks about a task). To support these claims, we present an interface design developed in collaboration with neurosurgeons which has undergone extensive informal usability testing, as well as a pair of formal experimental studies which investigate behavioral aspects of two-handed virtual object manipulation. Our hope is that this discussion will help others to apply the lessons in our neurosurgery application to future two-handed user interface designs.
When alcohol narrows the field of focal attention

The aim of this study was to measure the extent to which alcohol intoxication restricts the scope of attention in the visual field. A group of intoxicated (n = 31; mean BAC ≈ .08%) and placebo control (n = 31; mean BAC ≈ .00%) participants were required to correctly identify visual probes while performing two verbal categorization tasks: one designed to widen the scope of visual attention on to each stimulus word, the other to narrow attention on to the central letter of each word. Response times to surprise probes interpolated between categorization trials were measured and these catch trials could appear in any of the stimulus word letter positions. As predicted by alcohol myopia theory (AMT), which assumes that the drug narrows focal attention, intoxicated participants made slower responses than the sober controls to probes displayed in non-central letter positions, although right-field probe reaction times (RTs) were slower than those for left-field targets. This response asymmetry and the wider theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
Development and study of a robot for transferring Mycobacterium tuberculosis samples

As an essential part of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis automatic testing system, a 3-DOF robot for transferring testing samples has been developed in this paper. Mechanical structure of the robot has been first presented. The control system of the robot is then studied. A closed loop control method of stepping motors, which are motion actuators of each joint, is developed with a Proportion Integration (PI) controller so that high precision and fast response can be obtained. In order to avoid sudden increase of motor speed when it starts, which may cause mechanical shock, a starting acceleration algorithm is applied. An upper computer interface is developed for operators to easily program the robot. Finally, experiments have been performed to verify the design performance.
Estimate of the number of urea transport sites in erythrocyte ghosts using a hydrophobic mercurial.

In this paper a variety of mercurials, including a pCMB-nitroxide analogue, were used to study urea transport in human red cell ghosts. It was determined that the rate of inhibition for pCMBS, pCMB, pCMB-nitroxide, and chlormerodrin extended over four orders of magnitude consistent with their measured oil/water partition coefficients. From these results, we concluded that a significant hydrophobic barrier limits access to the urea inhibition site, suggesting that the urea site is buried in the bilayer or in a hydrophobic region of the transporter. In contrast, the rate of water inhibition by the mercurials ranged by only a factor of four and did not correlate with their hydrophobicities. Thus, the water inhibition site may be more directly accessible via the aqueous phase. Under conditions that leave water transport unaffected, we determined that ≤32,000 labeled sites per cell corresponded to complete inhibition of urea transport. This rules out major transmembrane proteins such as band 3, the glucose carrier, and CHIP28 as candidates for the urea transporter. In contrast, this result is consistent with the Kidd (Jk) antigen being the urea transporter with an estimated 14,000 copies per cell. From the experimental number of urea sites, a turnover number between 2–6×106 sec−1 at 22°C is calculated suggesting a channel mechanism.
Between Constructivism and Connectedness

Parker Palmer is correct in his claims that good teaching depends more on the capacity for connectedness than on technique and that helping teacher candidates cultivate a strong sense of personal identity is crucial. However, to what extent are Palmer's claims compatible with the various constructivist models of learning that are now prevalent in many colleges of education? Moreover, how are the goals of Palmer's approach integrated with those of constructivism? This essay responds to these questions and negotiates between constructivism and Palmer's educational approach. First the author lays out a predominant constructivist model of teaching and learning. Next, he explores some potential limitations facing constructivism and argues that Palmer's notion of connectedness can help mitigate against some of the shortcomings of constructivism. Finally, the author examines a specific example from an English methods course that represents an attempt to integrate the virtues of Palmer's approach with those of co...
A simulation method and distributed server balancing results of networked industrial robots for automotive welding and assembly lines

The fundamental purpose of building simulation models is because it is often impossible to experiment with real‐world systems. In terms of our networked robots in the automotive welding and assembly lines, simulating possible scenarios, both for design as well as for operation control purposes, is very important for the design team, as well as for management, due to the per‐minute‐cost of every failed robotic operation. In order to support, both the design as well as the management community of such systems, in this article, we discuss a generic simulation methodology, using the IT‐Guru OPNET simulation program, as well as show practical results, that demonstrate the benefits of simulation methods.