cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Artificial palpation in robotic surgery using haptic feedback

The loss of tactile feedback in minimally invasive robotic surgery remains a major challenge to the expanding field. With visual cue compensation alone, tissue characterization via palpation proves to be immensely difficult. This work evaluates a bimodal vibrotactile system as a means of conveying applied forces to simulate haptic feedback in two sets of studies simulating an artificial palpation task using the da Vinci surgical robot. Subjects in the first study were tasked with localizing an embedded vessel in a soft tissue phantom using a single-sensor unit. In the second study, subjects localized tumor-like structures using a three-sensor array. In both sets of studies, subjects completed the task under three trial conditions: no feedback, normal force tactile feedback, and hybrid vibrotactile feedback. Recordings of correct localization, incorrect localization, and time-to-completion were used to evaluate performance outcomes. With the addition of vibrotactile and pneumatic feedback, significant improvements in the percentage of correct localization attempts were detected (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0459, respectively) during the first experiment with phantom vessels. Similarly, significant improvements in correct localization were found with the addition of vibrotactile (p = 2.57E−5) and pneumatic significance (p = 8.54E−5) were observed in the second experiment involving tumor phantoms. This work demonstrates not only the superior benefits of a multi-modal feedback over traditional single-modality feedback, but also the effectiveness of vibration in providing haptic feedback to artificial palpation systems.
Lung ultrasound surface wave elastography

Lung ultrasound surface wave elastography (LUSWE) was developed for noninvasively measuring superficial lung tissue stiffness. In LUSWE, a 0.1 second harmonic vibration is generated on the chest wall of a subject using a handheld vibrator. An ultrasound probe is aligned with the vibration excitation in the same intercostal space to measure the generated surface wave propagation on the lung. A human subject is examined in a sitting position. The lung is tested at the total lung volume and through three intercostal spaces on each lung. In a prospective clinical study, we measure the lung surface wave speeds at 100 Hz, 150 Hz, and 200 Hz on 91 patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and 30 healthy control subjects. Significant differences of wave speed between patients and controls were found in all 6 lung regions and for 3 frequencies. We also found positive correlation between LUSWE and clinical assessments including CT and pulmonary function tests. LUSWE is used to track the changes of surface wave speed for patients. LUSWE is a safe and noninvasive technique for generating and measuring surface wave propagation on the lung. LUSWE may complement the clinical standard high-resolution computed tomography for assessing ILD.Lung ultrasound surface wave elastography (LUSWE) was developed for noninvasively measuring superficial lung tissue stiffness. In LUSWE, a 0.1 second harmonic vibration is generated on the chest wall of a subject using a handheld vibrator. An ultrasound probe is aligned with the vibration excitation in the same intercostal space to measure the generated surface wave propagation on the lung. A human subject is examined in a sitting position. The lung is tested at the total lung volume and through three intercostal spaces on each lung. In a prospective clinical study, we measure the lung surface wave speeds at 100 Hz, 150 Hz, and 200 Hz on 91 patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and 30 healthy control subjects. Significant differences of wave speed between patients and controls were found in all 6 lung regions and for 3 frequencies. We also found positive correlation between LUSWE and clinical assessments including CT and pulmonary function tests. LUSWE is used to track the changes of surface wave ...
Theoretical Interpretation of Ion Velocities in Concentrated Electrolytes Measured by Electrophoretic NMR

Author(s): Timachova, K; Newman, J; Balsara, NP | Abstract: Electrophoretic NMR (eNMR) is emerging as a powerful technique for characterizing ion transport in electrolyte systems. We show that the standard approach for analyzing eNMR data is valid only for dilute electrolytes and provide a theoretical framework for interpreting eNMR results for all binary electrolyte systems with univalent salts. We derive relationships between the velocities of the ion species and the solvent in terms of the electrochemical Stefan-Maxwell diffusion coefficients and provide modified expressions for correctly calculating the transference number and conductivity from eNMR data in concentrated electrolytes. Our approach suggests that it is necessary to measure not just the displacement of ion species during the application of current in an eNMR experiment but also the displacement of the uncharged solvent in order to correctly calculate ion mobilities and the transference number.
Hydrogen-Peroxide-Generating Electrochemical Scaffold Eradicates Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms

Increasing rates of chronic wound infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a crisis in healthcare settings. Biofilms formed by bacterial communities in these wounds create a complex environment, enabling bacteria to persist, even with antibiotic treatment. Wound infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are major causes of morbidity in clinical practice. There is a need for new therapeutic interventions not based on antibiotics. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a known antibacterial/antibiofilm agent, continuous delivery of which has been challenging. A conductive electrochemical scaffold (e-scaffold) is developed, which is composed of carbon fabric that electrochemically reduces dissolved oxygen into H2O2 when polarized at -0.6 VAg/AgCl, as a novel antibiofilm wound dressing material. In this study, the in vitro antibiofilm activity of the e-scaffold against MRSA is investigated. The developed e-scaffold efficiently eradicates MRSA biofilms, based on bacterial quantitation and ATP measurements. Moreover, imaging hinted at the possibility of cell-membrane damage as a mechanism of action. These results suggest that an H2O2-generating e-scaffold may be a novel platform for eliminating MRSA biofilms without using antibiotics and may be useful to treat chronic MRSA wound infections.
A regression analysis with laboratory validation for the use of reverse micelles to achieve desired nanosized catalytically active sites

Nano-sized catalytic sites can be synthesized using reverse micelles to systematically deposit active metal species onto catalyst supports. The size of these metallic sites is influenced by the syn...
Talking Genes in Breast and Pancreatic Malignancies

Introduction: Both breast and pancreatic cancers have high mortality rates. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in females, while pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth most common cause of cancer death. Almost 4-16 % of individuals with pancreatic cancer have a family history of the disease. Intra-ductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are cystic lesions that received more attention lately due to their associations with PDAC and other solid organ tumors, such as breast cancer. Aim: The purpose of this article is to discuss the association of the familiar pancreatic cancer (FPC), sporadic pancreatic cancer, and IPMNs with the breast cancer. Results: Mutations in BRCA2, BRCA1, p16 and PALB2 play a major role in the genetic etiologies of familial pancreatic cancer. In familial and sporadic pancreatic cancers, mutations in BRCA2 are associated with a high incidence of PDAC, while mutations in BRCA1have shown inconsistent results. Data is insufficient to prove an association between IPMNs and breast cancer. Conclusion: The familial clustering of PDAC is not well understood. Further studies are required for greater comprehension of the genetic basis of PDAC and the association between IPMNs and breast cancer.
Reflections on the nature of populism and the problem of stability

Beginning with a reference to the concept of the political and the idea of stability, the essay turns to an examination of populism from an historical and a normative point of view. While historica...
A Gradient Estimate for PageRank

Personalized PageRank has found many uses in not only the ranking of webpages, but also algorithmic design, due to its ability to capture certain geometric properties of networks. In this paper, we study the diffusion of PageRank: how varying the jumping (or teleportation) constant affects PageRank values. To this end, we prove a gradient estimate for PageRank, akin to the Li-Yau inequality for positive solutions to the heat equation (for manifolds, with later versions adapted to graphs).
Effect of entomofungal pathogens on mortality of three aphid species.

The pathogenicity of twelve fungal isolates belonging to Beauveria basiana (Bals.) Vuill., Metarhizium allisopliae (Metschinikoff) Sorokin and Verticillium lecanii (Zimmerman) against Aphis craccivora Koch, Aphis gossypii Glover and Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch was studied using detached leaf bioassay technique. All twelve isolates of thc three fungi were found to be pathogenic to A. craccivora and A. gossypii at a concentration of 1x107 spores/ml. All isolates except Bb3 and Bb4 of B. bassiana were pathogenic to R. maidis. The mortality ranged from 2 to 74 per cent in A. craccivora , 14 to 80.8 percent in A. gossypii and 6 to 50 per cent in R. maidis. Bb5a isolate of B. bassiana caused highest per cent mortality in A. gossypii (80.8%.) and R. maidis (50%) indicating its broad spectrum action. VII isolate of V. lecanii recorded maximum mortality (80.8%) of A. craccivora. R. maidis was relatively less susceptible to the three fungi than A. craccivora and A. gossypii. The LC50 of Bb5a for three days old nymphs of A. gossypii was 6.57x105 spores/ml. The LT 50 of Bb5a for three days old nymphs of A. gossypii was highest (9.67 days) for the lowest dose of 106 spores/ml, which decreased with increasing concentration. The highest dose 109 spores/ml recorded the lowest LT 50 of 1.76 days.
MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT IN AMPHIOXUS: MORPHOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

ABSTRACT This review concerns the structure and biochemistry of muscle in amphioxus. Most work has focused on the segmented swimming (axial) muscles. These muscles derive from the medial wall of the somites, which arise as evaginations from the gut wall. The myotomal muscle cells of amphioxus, unlike those of vertebrates, never fuse, but remain mononucleate, contain only one myofibril, and span the entire length of the myotome. The muscle cells are very thin and lack a T-tubule system. There are two, maybe three, types of fibers. Innervation is via muscle tails, which contact the basal lamina of the nerve cord. The notochord is also composed of striated muscle cells, which similarly send muscle tails to the nerve cord. Less is known about the biochemistry of muscle. The notochord, like molluskan catch muscle, contains paramyosin. Among the muscle-specific proteins sequenced are alkali myosin light chain, troponin C and sarcoplasmic calcium-binding proteins, calcium-vector protein, and its target protein c...
Honoring a Request for Comfort Measures Only After Self-Harm.

Given that the patient is suffering from extensive and life-threatening third degree burns following self-immolation, would it be ethically appropriate for the medical team to honor either the now-...
Role of volumetric multiparametric MRI in distinguishing between intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms and serous cystadenoma

To evaluate the use of volumetric multiparametric MRI in differentiating pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) from serous cystadenomas (SCAs) Included patients (123 patients with pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCNs) measuring ≥ 10 mm) were stratified into two groups based on cyst type. Axial cyst size, region of interest (ROI)-based apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and volumetric data, including cyst volume, volumetric apparent diffusion coefficient (vADC), and volumetric venous enhancement (vVE) were extracted and compared between the two groups. Univariate and multiple logistic regression was used to develop models for distinguishing between IPMNs and SCAs. Volume and size of the cysts, vVE and vADC and ROI-ADC were significantly different between the two groups. Cyst volume was significantly larger in SCAs (median = 14.1cm3, IQR 3.5–42.5) than in IPMNs (median = 2.5 cm3, IQR 1.1–6) (p < 0.001). IPMNs had a higher volumetric ADC value in comparison to SCAs (2925 ± 294 × 10–6 mm2/s vs 2521 ± 202 × 10–6 mm2/s, p < 0.001). However, IPMNs had lower vVE values compared to SCAs (37 signal intensity (SI) vs 86 SI, p < 0.001). Area under the ROC Curve (AUC) of the model that included vADC and cyst volume had 95% accuracy in distinguishing between the two groups. In comparison, the AUC of the model that included ROI-ADC and axial cyst size had 84% accuracy in distinguishing between the two groups. A threshold of 2615 × 10−6 mm2/s for volumetric ADC resulted in the identification of IPMNs from SCAs with sensitivity and specificity of 90.8% and 73.5%, respectively. IPMNs had smaller cyst volume, higher volumetric ADC and lower volumetric VE values compared to SCAs. Volumetric multiparametric MRI could be useful in differentiating between the IPMN and SCA groups.
A Phenomenological Study of Vertical SAR for Underground Pipe Imaging

A numerical study is carried out to investigate the use of airborne, downward-looking synthetic aperture radar (SAR), or vertical SAR, for pipe imaging and detection. Significant differences in the imaging responses are noted between the two illumination scenarios examined, viz., vertical and horizontal dipole excitation. The discussion considers the causes behind the various important target imaging features observed, the effects of ground surface reflection, the effects of uncertainty in the soil dielectric properties on image reconstruction, and the application of a hybrid far-to-near field transformation for calculating the response from the rough ground surface.
Plant Transcriptome Assembly: Review and Benchmarking

ABSTRACT Transcriptome assembly using next-generation sequencing data is an important step in a wide range of biological studies at the molecular level. The quality of computationally assembled transcriptomes affects various downstream analyses, such as gene structure prediction, isoform identification, and gene expression analysis. However, the actual accuracy of assembled transcriptomes is usually unknown. Furthermore, assembly quality depends on various factors such as the method used, the parameters (for example, k-mers) used with the method, and the transcript to be assembled. Users often choose an assembly method based solely on availability without considering differences among methods, as well as choices of the parameters. This is partly due to the lack of suitable benchmarking datasets. In this chapter, we provide a review of computational approaches used for transcriptome assembly (genome-guided, de novo, and ensemble), factors that affect assembly performance including those particularly important for plant transcriptomes, and how the transcriptome assembly performance can be assessed. Using examples from plant transcriptomes, we further illustrate how simulated benchmark datasets can be generated and used to compare the quality of transcriptome assemblies and how the performance of transcriptome assemblers can be assessed using various metrics.
Neurotrophic Factors in Diabetic Retinopathy

The incidence of diabetes worldwide is staggering. Millions of people have been diagnosed with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and it is estimated that approximately 10% of diabetes cases are Type 1 [1], while approximately 90% of patients diagnosed with diabetes are Type 2. Type 2 diabetes currently affects more than 150 million people worldwide [1, 2], and it has been estimated that with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and prevalence of obesity, the incidence of diabetes worldwide is expected to reach 366 million by the year 2020 [2, 3].
Advanced porous materials from poly(ionic liquid)s: Challenges, applications and opportunities

Abstract Over the past few years porous materials have become a topic of intense research. Porous poly(ionic liquid)s combine the porous architecture with intrinsic ionic liquids properties. In all research areas, the quest for new and improved materials has targeted functional materials with enhanced specificity and efficiency towards the final application. The application of porous materials ranges from sensing, protein separation, solid-phase extraction, catalysis, to CO2 capture and reuse. Recently, the design, synthesis, and porosity control of poly(ionic liquid)s have been attempted through strategies that include classic polymerization techniques as well as molecular imprinting and aerogels production. This review aims at providing the recent advances on porous poly(ionic liquid)s, giving a critical perspective about the works in which key requirements for porosity induction are discussed. Several applications that rely on molecular interactions between the porous material and target compounds are presented, focusing mainly on CO2 capture and reuse, along with some challenges that the scientific community in this field need to be aware of.
All-Pairs Shortest Paths for Real-Weighted Undirected Graphs with Small Additive Error

Given a graph with n vertices and real edge weights in [0,1], we investigate an approximate version of the standard all-pairs shortest paths (APSP) problem where distances are estimated with additive error at most e. Yuster (2012) introduced this natural variant of approximate APSP, and presented an algorithm for directed graphs running in O(n^{(3+ω)/2}) ≤ O(n^{2.687}) time for an arbitrarily small constant e > 0, where ω denotes the matrix multiplication exponent. We give a faster algorithm for undirected graphs running in O(n^{(3+ω²)/(ω+1)}) ≤ O(n^{2.559}) time for any constant e > 0. If ω = 2, the time bound is O(n^{7/3}), matching a previous result for undirected graphs by Dor, Halperin, and Zwick (2000) which only guaranteed additive error at most 2.
BINANA 2.0: Characterizing Protein/Ligand Interactions in Python and JavaScript

BINding ANAlyzer (BINANA) is an algorithm for identifying and characterizing protein/ligand interactions and other factors that contribute to binding. We recently updated BINANA to make the algorithm more accessible to a broader audience. We have also ported the Python3 codebase to JavaScript, thus enabling BINANA analysis in the web browser. As proof of principle, we created a web-browser application so students and chemical-biology researchers can quickly visualize receptor/ligand complexes and their unique binding interactions.
Man vs. Machine: A Novel Evaluation of Data Analytics Using Occupational Licensing as a Case Study

For researchers of state regulatory policy, the difficulty of gathering data has long presented an obstacle. This study compares two new databases for state-level occupational licensing laws. The Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation (CSOR) database uses traditional manual reading to gather data, while RegData uses a machine learning algorithm. We describe both data-gathering processes, weigh their costs and benefits, and compare their outputs. The CSOR database allows researchers to find specific licensing requirements typically used in the occupational licensing literature, but the traditional methodology is time and labor intensive. RegData provides researchers with a better overall measure of stringency and complexity in regulation that allows for comparisons across states. However, RegData cannot reach the level of detail in the CSOR database. The variables gathered by CSOR and RegData are useful for researchers and policymakers and can be used as a model to build databases for other state-level regulations.
In/sub 0.52/Al/sub 0.48/As/In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As lateral resonant tunnelling transistor

The first fabrication and characterisation are reported for a lateral resonant tunnelling transistor formed in the In0.52Al0.48As/In0.53Ga0.47As system lattice-matched to InP. Strong multiple negative differential resistances (NDR) and transconductances are observed indicative of resonant tunnelling across depletion-defined tunnel-barriers in the channel of a two-dimensional electron gas. Calculations of the potential energy surface and quasibound state spectrum for this heterostructure provide qualitative understanding of the device operation and close agreement with the measured multiple-NDR peak spacings.
Biomedical image retrieval using multimodal context and concept feature spaces

This paper presents a unified medical image retrieval method that integrates visual features and text keywords using multimodal classification and filtering. For content-based image search, concepts derived from visual features are modeled using support vector machine (SVM)-based classification of local patches from local image regions. Text keywords from associated metadata provides the context and are indexed using the vector space model of information retrieval. The concept and context vectors are combined and trained for SVM classification at a global level for image modality (e.g., CT, MR, x-ray, etc.) detection. In this method, the probabilistic outputs from the modality categorization are used to filter images so that the search can be performed only on a candidate subset. An evaluation of the method on ImageCLEFmed 2010 dataset of 77,000 images, XML annotations and topics results in a mean average precision (MAP) score of 0.1125. It demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed multimodal framework compared to using only a single modality or without using any classification information.
Unresolved Questions About the Structure and Dynamics of the Extended Solar Corona

The most basic questions about the physical state of the solar corona remain unanswered after more than 50 years of study through remote-sensing observations. Although we know it to have temperatures that exceed 10 6 K, we do not know the linkage of mechanisms that both provide and dissipate the energy flux needed to sustain its existence. An abbreviated sample of basic questions is: What is the role of magnetic activity in the generation of plasma energy flux that may heat the corona? What are the size scales and temporal cadence of this activity? What is the role of suprathermal electrons generated by this activity in heating overlying layers? What is the role of waves in coronal heating processes? Do they provide the primary energy input from sources close to the photosphere or are they secondary to interactions in the corona between fine-scale plasma jets driven by, e.g. magnetic activity, that may lead to large-scale Alfven and fast-mode waves, fast-mode shocks and plasma instabilities? If so, what drives the plasma jets and how do their properties depend on, and also shape, the macroscopic structure of the corona? How does the mix of semicoherent wave packets generated by the interaction between plasma jets evolve into a turbulent flow? What is the feedback of this turbulence on the suprathermal particle population and how does the energy flux that this population carries evolve with heliocentric distance? What mix of processes in the corona differentiate between low and high speed solar wind ?
Diversity and its Discontents: The End of Affirmative Action at Boalt Hall

In 1995, the Regents of the University of California abolished the use of racial, ethnic, and gender preferences in admissions. The following year, the state's voters cemented the Regents' decision by constitutionalizing the ban on preferences. In response, Boalt Hall did away with its affirmative action program. The impact was immediate and dramatic. In 1997, the entering class included only one Black student and fourteen Latino students. Although these numbers increased somewhat in succeeding admissions cycles, the representation of Black and Latino students remains substantially below what it was when affirmative action was permissible. In Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, Justice Lewis Powell justified affirmative action programs on the basis of the pedagogical benefits that a diverse student body brings. The sudden shift in Boalt's admissions policy provided an unprecedented opportunity to guage the impact of diversity on legal education. In the spring of 1998, fifty-nine Boalt students participated in hour-long interviews that explored their reasons for coming to law school, their classroom experience, their relations with faculty, their participation in study groups and extracurricular activities, their friendships, and their views on admissions policy. The results reveal that even with affirmative action, hierarchical instruction and competition for grades and other credentials have made it difficult to realize Powell's vision of a diverse pedagogy, at least in the first year of law school. When students draw on their identity and perspective, they sometimes are limited to the margins of the educational process, for example, in student-sponsored organizations and activities. Racial and ethnic organizations have been blamed for balkanizing the student body. As affirmative action draws to a close, however, students recognize that Black students in particular may become tokenized and that Whites and Asian Americans may form separate cliques. As a result, Boalt will not necessarily reap the benefits of colorblindness that the end of affirmative action was supposed to achieve.
Text type and the position of a temporal adverbial within the sentence

Consider example (a), below. When the temporal adverbial since 1992 is in sentence-final position as in (i.a), it can attach syntactically at the VP-level or at sentence-level: i. a. Mary has worked in Amsterdam since 1992. b. Since 1992 Mary has worked in Amsterdam. Hitzeman (1993, 1997) argues that these different positions allow it to take on two readings: one in which there was some period between 1992 and speech time during which Mary worked in Amsterdam and another in which Mary has worked in Amsterdam for the period from 1992 until speech time. In contrast, sentence (i.b), in which the adverbial must attach at sentence-level, has only the second reading. If an initial-position adverbial unambiguously specifies the time of the event expressed by a sentence, then it should be a useful tool for a reader trying to determine the order of events in a narrative. To test the hypothesis that initial-position adverbials occur more often in texts describing events with some temporal order (i.e., a story line), I compare the use of these adverbials in narrative text and in non-narratives. The results show that significantly more initial-position adverbials are used in narratives. I then test the individual narratives and show that the significant difference in use of initial-position adverbials is correlated with the amount of flashback material in a narrative, i.e., with the complexity of the story line.
Functionalist and Conflict Views of AICPA Code of Conduct: Public Interest vs. Self Interest

The sociological models of functionalism and conflict are introduced and utilized to analyze professionalism in the accounting profession as it is manifest in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant's Code of Conduct. Rule 203 of the Code and provisions of the Code related to the public interest are examined using semiotic analysis to determine if they are most consistent with the functionalist or conflict models. While the analysis does not address intent of the Code, it is determined that the Code contains semantic defects which result in different interpretations of the Code to different readers. The defects found are most consistent with the conflict model of professionalism. This has implications for the public and for individuals within the profession, making the Code less useful to both groups. The defects are seen as a potential battleground for the self-interest vs the public interest orientation of the accounting profession.
Noise correlations in the expansion of an interacting one-dimensional Bose gas from a regular array

We consider the one-dimensional expansion of a system of interacting bosons, starting from a regular array. Without interactions the familiar Hanbury Brown and Twiss effect for bosons gives rise to a series of peaks in the density-density correlations of the expanded system. Infinitely repulsive particles likewise give a series of dips, a signature of the underlying description in terms of free fermions. In the intermediate case of finite interaction, the noise correlations consist of a set of Fano resonance lineshapes, with an asymmetry parameter determined by the scattering phase shift of a pair of particles and a width depending on the initial momentum spread of the particles.
Tryptophan Decarboxylase, Tryptamine, and Reproduction of the Whitefly

Tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) from Catharanthus roseus (periwinkle) converts tryptophan to the indole-alkaloid tryptamine. When the TDC gene was expressed in transgenic tobacco, the 55-kD TDC enzyme and tryptamine accumulated. Bemisia tabaci (sweetpotato whitefly) reproduction on transgenic plants decreased up to 97% relative to controls. Production of tryptamine, its derivatives, or other products resulting from TDC activity may discourage whitefly reproduction and provide a single-gene-based plant protection strategy.
A fuzzy-logic based expert system for cupola furnaces

Successful operation of a cupola furnace is highly dependent upon the mitigation of operational problems occurring in them. Cupolas rely on the experience of the operator for a smooth operation. The focus of this research is to develop a fuzzy-logic based expert system, which would provide expert advice to a cupola operator to address multiple operational problems occurring simultaneously in the cupola. An expert system for a cupola operation is not currently available. Expert sub-systems, which address individual operational problems, are developed and tested. These sub-systems are integrated using an intelligent methodology so as to provide suggestions that address multiple operational problems simultaneously. A self-corrective capability was introduced into the expert system by developing an iterative process for some vital parameters in the cupola furnace. Provisions were given to the user to prioritize the inputs and seek the pertinent suggestions from expert system. The expert system was tested on a set of operational problems. It performed satisfactorily. As expected some problems could not be addressed simultaneously as they require contradictory solutions. The user was given the ability to modify the requirements so that a solution satisfying part of the requirements can be achieved.
Production, Consumption, and Pricing of Milk and Its Components,

Abstract Production and consumption of milk fat, milk protein, and lactose were compared for 1970, 1975, 1979, and 1983 to determine whether production and consumption were balanced and, if not, to determine how balance might be achieved. Ratios of these components in milk produced remained virtually constant from 1970 to 1983. However, increased cheese consumption during this period resulted in increased per capita consumption of fat and protein despite reduced consumption of these components in other dairy products. Because lactose is not in cheese, lactose consumption declined. Because of these changes, imbalances of production and consumption of milk components now exist and are due almost entirely to too much lactose being produced. Because of small variation of lactose percentage, this imbalance could be reduced by increased fat and protein percentages. Milk pricing should encourage this by emphasizing fat and protein (not solids-not-fat). Fat and protein differentials should differ from market to market and should be based on utilization. Milk pricing is reviewed, and a procedure for determining blend differentials is outlined.
Study of HgCdSe Material Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Much progress has been made in developing high-quality HgCdTe/Si for large-area focal-plane array (FPA) applications. However, even with all the material advances made to date, there is no guarantee that this technology will be mature enough to meet the stringent FPA specifications required for long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) systems. With this in mind, the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has begun investigating HgCdSe material for infrared (IR) applications. Analogous to HgCdTe, HgCdSe is a tunable semiconductor that can detect any wavelength of IR radiation through control of the alloy composition. In addition, several mature, large-area bulk III–V substrates are nearly lattice matched to HgCdSe, giving this system a possible advantage over HgCdTe, for which no scalable, bulk substrate technology exists. We have initiated a study of the growth of HgCdSe using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Growth temperature and material flux ratios were varied to ascertain the best growth conditions. Smooth surface morphology has been achieved using a growth temperature much lower than that used for HgCdTe. Additionally, zero void defects were nucleated at these lower temperatures. Preliminary data suggest a linear relationship between the Se/Cd flux ratio used during growth and the cutoff wavelength as measured by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.
Peptide-conjugated quantum dots activate neuronal receptors and initiate downstream signaling of neurite growth.

Quantum dots (QDs) could serve as fluorescent scaffolds for effecting specific physiological and pharmacological responses in cells. Here, we conjugate the peptide ligand βNGF to QD surfaces, and confirm surface modification and single QD nanostructure using AFM. We show that βNGF-QDs retain bioactivity, activate TrkA receptors, and initiate neuronal differentiation in PC12 cells. Receptor-evoked activity of QD-immobilized ligands has wide-ranging implications for the development of molecular tools and therapeutics targeted at understanding and regulating cell function.
What’s New in Craniosynostosis?

Craniosynostosis is a syndrome of premature skull ossification. Children with craniosynostosis exhibit an abnormal skull shape and are often surgically corrected within the first year of life to minimize the long-term sequelae of the condition. In this article, we describe the epidemiology and pathophysiology of craniosynostosis, surgical corrective approaches, and anesthetic management including preoperative evaluation, intraoperative management, and postoperative treatment. Lastly, we explore recent advances in blood conservation strategies for these surgeries.
On automorphism groups of block designs

Abstract This paper studies the relationship between the point orbits and block orbits for groups on automorphisms of balanced incomplete block designs. For a prime p and a group on a design with parameters v, b, r, k, λ, with t point orbits, of lengths v1, …, vt, and t′ block orbits, of lengths b1, …, bt′, the following main result is proved: if p ∤ ( r − λ ) ( r , b ) ( k , v ) ( resp. p ∤ r − λ ) then there are t block orbits, of lengths bj1, …, bjt such that vi and bji are divisible by exactly the same powers of p for i=1, …, t (resp. of at least t−1 of the t indices i). A similar result is proved for constant-distance matrices (in particular for Hadamard matrices). Applications are given to permutation groups on a finite set Ω (about the orbits of k-element subsets of Ω) and to designs of configurations in other designs (e.g., about the flag orbits in a finite projective plane).
Deconstructing Whiteness: Uncovering Prospective Teachers' Understandings of Their Culture–A Latina Professor's Perspective

This qualitative case study focuses on White prospective teachers' exploration of their cultural identities. Through writing, as a tool for reflection, 46 teacher education students exposed their understandings about what it means to be White. Deconstructing whiteness became a starting point to reflect on issues about race and cross-cultural experiences for my students and for me, their Latina professor.
2891 – Motivational approaches to addiction through movies within the context of treatment models

Introduction A comparison of addiction patterns and occurrence rates between European and United States Veterans will be the backdrop for introducing strategies for treatment and recovery models. Addiction therapists and Case Managers working within the context of the Department of Veterans Affairs in the United States have reported successful use of movies as motivational instruments and sources of heightened insight. Aims To introduce a catalog of movies that support motivational treatment strategies for addiction. To explore the experiences of therapists working with movies as treatment adjuncts To provide an analysis of the effect of the creative impact on therapy within current recovery models. To encourage therapists and increase confidence in utilizing movies within treatment contexts. Methods A compendium of relevant movies will be presented. Special attention will be paid to legal issues in Europe/US with regard to when permission is needed to use movie material within the context of treatment. Material from large group of addiction therapists will be made available and analyzed within addiction treatment models. Results The anonymous case examples and therapists’ experiences using movies as therapeutic adjuncts will increase awareness, confidence and ability to integrate this approach into approaches to addiction treatment. Conclusion Use of movies in addiction treatment increases awareness, creates insights and provides explicit emotional points of identification for patients and clients that facilitate understanding and engagement as treatment is introduced and progresses.
Enhancing Choice and Participation for Adults with Severe Disabilities in Community-Based Instruction

Three adults with severe disabilities received instructional support to make purchases in fast food restaurants. During baseline and intervention, participants received discrete, systematic prompti...
Holographic radar imaging privacy techniques utilizing dual- frequency implementation

Over the last 15 years, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has performed significant research and development activities to enhance the state of the art of holographic radar imaging systems to be used at security checkpoints for screening people for concealed threats hidden under their garments. These enhancement activities included improvements to privacy techniques to remove human features and providing automatic detection of body-worn concealed threats. The enhanced privacy and detection methods used both physical and software imaging techniques. The physical imaging techniques included polarization-diversity illumination and reception, dual-frequency implementation, and high-frequency imaging at 60 GHz. Software imaging techniques to enhance the privacy of the person under surveillance included extracting concealed threat artifacts from the imagery to automatically detect the threat. This paper will focus on physical privacy techniques using dual-frequency implementation.
Metropolitan/non-metropolitan divergence: A spatial Markov chain approach

This article examines spatial aspects of distributional dynamics and finds that the distribution of US metropolitan incomes relative to their neighbours has diverged during the 1969-1999 period. Use of a spatial Markov approach shows that non-metropolitan neighbours of metropolitan regions have tended to converge during the period, with roughly equal rates of upward and downward mobility within the distribution. Non-metropolitan regions, not neighbouring metropolitan regions, show much less tendency to converge and reveal higher rates of downward rather than upward mobility. Results highlight regional differences in mobility coherence, with metropolitan areas in the West tending to outpace their non-metropolitan neighbours.
Biologic activity of oligomeric forms of SV40 DNA.

Abstract We have analyzed the biologic activity of supercoiled oligomeric forms of SV40 DNA during productive and transforming infection. These DNA molecules had equal infectivity as assayed by plaque formation; however, the ability of such DNA molecules to transform nonpermissive cells increased linearly with their size. Oligomeric linear and circular forms of SV40 DNA produced by in vitro ligation of linear SV40 monomeric DNA had similarly enhanced transforming activity. Nucleic acid hybridization studies suggest that the amount of viral DNA in rat cells transformed by the variously sized oligomeric DNAs is similar.
A near-optimal method for reasoning about action☆

Abstract We give an algorithm for “before-after” reasoning about action. The algorithm decides satisfiability and validity of formulas of propositional dynamic logic, a recently developed logic of change of state that subsumes the zero-order component of most other action-oriented logics. The algorithm requires time at most proportional to an exponentially growing function of the length (number of occurrences of variables and connectives) of the input. Fischer and Ladner have shown that that every algorithm for this problem must take exponential time, making this algorithm optimal to within a polynomial. Application areas include program verification, program synthesis, and discourse analysis. The algorithm is based on the method of semantic tableaux, appropriately generalized to dynamic logic. A formal treatment of the generalization, called Hintikka structures, is developed.
A novel subcycle composite delamination growth model under fatigue cyclic loadings

Abstract A new subcycle-based delamination growth model is proposed. The key idea is to model delamination growth at any time instant within a cyclic loading, rather than the cycle-averaged growth kinetics. First, some existing models are briefly reviewed for the fatigue delamination growth analysis of composite materials. Following this, two hypotheses are given for the derivation of the subcycle delamination growth model: (1) delamination growth does not happen during the unloading path and (2) delamination growth does not happen when the applied loading is below a reference level during the loading path. Mathematical expression is given for the calculation of delamination growth rate. Next, the extension of the proposed model is discussed to use both stress intensity factor and energy release rate as the driving force parameters, which are widely used in the open literature. Finally, the model predictions are compared with extensive experimental data under different stress ratios for model validation. One of the advantages of the proposed model is that the stress ratio dependent delamination growth can be predicted. Some conclusions and future work are drawn based on the proposed method.
A monoclonal antibody (MMA) thet identifies a differentiation antigen on human myelomonocytic cells

Abstract A monoclonal IgMκ antibody (MMA) was produced against the human histocytic cell line, U-937. This antibody reacted by indirect immunofluorescence and complement-mediated lysis with adherent mononuclear cells and granulocytes. MMA was unreactive with circulating T and B cells, erythrocytes, and platelets. Depletion of MMA+ cells from blood mononuclear cell populations significantly reduced the reactivity of these cells to antigens and mitogens. The lymphoproliferative responses were restored by addition of 10% MMA+ cells. MMA is expressed by some T-cell lines (HSB-2, MOLT-3, MOLT-4) and mitogen-activated T cells, but not by B-cell lines or activated B cells. Studies using double immunofluorescence showed that 80% of activated T 4 + and 10% of T 8 + cells expressed MMA. The antigen is present on precursors of in vitro granulopoietic colony-forming cells. Malignant cells from patients with both acute and chronic myeloid leukemias express this antigen. The MMA antibody thus defines a unique differentiation antigen present on human myeloid cells, their precursors, and a subpopulation of activated T cells.
Clinical Features and Pathophysiology of Posterior Canal Benign Positional Vertigo

Benign positional vertigo (BPV) is caused by detached otolith debris that enters the semicircular canal and moves with changes in head position. Movement in the plane of the affected canal triggers brief but violent episodes of vertigo. The posterior semicircular canal variant (PC-BPV) is by far the most common because once the debris enters the canal it becomes trapped and can remain there for months and even years. We are just beginning to understand how the otolithic membrane is formed, how it is maintained and what happens to otolithic debris floating in the endolymphatic space.
Important constructs in literacy learning across disciplines.

Currently students who struggle with language and literacy learning are classified with various labels in different states—language learning disabilities, dyslexia, specific language impairment, and specific learning disability—in spite of having similar diagnostic profiles. Drawing on the research on comprehension of written language, we propose common language for teachers of language and literacy to use in planning intervention. The common language is based on a common set of constructs and measures rooted in research in linguistics and psychology and applied to educational science. The common constructs are knowledge of phonological structures, knowledge of the alphabetic principle, fluency in decoding and encoding, comprehension of oral and written language, and extensive reading and writing. The common language should facilitate communication between speech, language, and reading specialists in their efforts to address intraindividual differences in individual students with evidence-based diagnostic profiles that can inform treatment.
Erythromycin-induced hemolytic anemia

DRUG-INDUCED HEMOLYTIC ANEMIA in children is commonly associated with a congenital defect of the red cells, and rarely is related to an immunologic reaction