cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase space planning and optimization of foot placements in rough planar terrains

Operating and maneuvering in difficult terrains has remained a challenging problem in the field of legged robots. One of the major challenges arises from the high dimensionality inherent in planning foot placements coupled with center of mass motion along terrains that are multifaceted and highly diverse. Previous work has resolved these issues to an extent by constraining the center of mass to fixed trajectories or using predetermined foot placements. To deal with these challenges, this paper proposes a new set of strategies: (1) an optimized geometric Hermite curve with minimum curvature and length is used to plan the motion of the center of mass (2) single contact model dynamics for state-space approximations of center of mass behavior are used to resolve feet transitions between steps in planar environments and (3) vertical center of mass phase space trajectories are optimized to produce an overall plan with minimum energy. This framework allows us to synthesize complex maneuvers in rough terrains and to develop optimal contact transition and foot placement plans that consider the robot's configuration and constraints. Experimental results show that for any potential locations of foot contacts, our planner generates smooth and optimal trajectories for center of mass motion as well as a minimum energy plan for transitioning between foot placements.
Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle: Aspiration of Thyroid Nodules

There are multiple benefits in performing a diagnostic ultrasound examination prior to a thyroid nodule fine-needle aspiration (FNA). These benefits include determining the size and position of a nodule, which allows better selection of needle length and needle size. In patients with a multinodular goiter, ultrasound assures biopsy of the dominant nodule or the nodules most likely to be malignant—those having microcalcifications, increased vascularity, marked hypoechogenicity, blurred irregular borders, or other characteristics associated with malignancy. Finally, ultrasound may redirect the FNA to other areas of suspicion, such as an enlarged, suspicious lymph node or an incidental parathyroid adenoma. Once a physician acquires the skill to perform thyroid ultrasonography, it is a simple progression to combine the two procedures into an ultrasound-guided FNA (UGFNA).
Analysis of user behavior on high-resolution tiled displays

The use of multiple monitors for personal desktop computing is becoming more prevalent as the price of display technology decreases. The use of two monitors for a single desktop has been shown to have performance improvement in several studies. However, few studies have been performed with more than three monitors. As a result, we report an observational analysis of the use of a large tiled display containing nine monitors (in a 3x3 matrix). The total resolution of the large display is 3840x3072, for a total of 11,796,480 pixels. Over the course of six months we observed the behavior and actions of five users who used the display extensively as a desktop. We relate our observations, provide feedback concerning common usage of how people do and do not use the display, provide common scenarios and results of interviews, and give a series of design recommendations and guidelines for future designers of applications for high-resolution, tiled displays.
Penrose At Work

If a supermassive black hole has some material orbiting around it at close to its innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO), then, when it plunges into a second supermassive black hole, the orbiting material has a velocity dispersion of order of speed of light about the orbital velocity of its host black hole. It becomes plausible that some of the orbiting material will be "catapulted" to the negative-energy ergosphere orbits of the second black hole at the plunge. This may provide an astrophysically plausible way to extract energy from the black hole, originally suggested by Penrose.
A first-order AR model for non-Gaussian time series

A simple first-order autoregressive model for the generation of non-Gaussian time series is described. It is defined by X/sub n/= rho X/sub n-1/+W/sub n/ and has a hyperbolic secant marginal distribution. This hyperbolic secant model can be used to generate random non-Gaussian sequences which are free of the degeneracy that afflicts the sequences generated using the Laplace model. The generation formula and the bivariate distributions of this model are derived. It is shown that the mean-square (MS) backward prediction error is strictly less than the MS forward prediction error for all first-order autoregressive non-Gaussian models. >
The effect of prehospital transport time on the mortality from traumatic injury.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that a prehospital time threshold (PhTT) exists that when exceeded, significantly increases the mortality of trauma patients transported directly from the scene of injury to a trauma center rather than to the closest hospital. DESIGN: Review of data contained within the Illinois Trauma Registry encompassing the period from fall 1989 through spring 1991. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 5,215 injured persons with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) > 10, cared for in an Illinois level-I or -II trauma center outside of the city of Chicago. MEASUREMENTS: Injury severity expressed as ISS, scene time (ST), transport time (TrT), total emergency medical services time (TEMST), and outcome were determined for each patient. Patients were stratified into groups on the basis of ISS. RESULTS: Patient outcomes were significantly different statistically between ISS groups (p < 0.001, chi 2). Mean ST and TEMST, but not TrT, were significantly different statistically between ISS groups (p < 0.001, analysis of variance). Lower ISS was associated with longer times. Mean ST, TrT, and TEMST were significantly different statistically between survivors and nonsurvivors (p < 0.001, two-sample t-tests). Survival was associated with longer times. Each of the mean times remained significantly different between survivors and nonsurvivors after controlling for severity of injury (p < 0.001, two-way analysis of variance). CONCLUSION: No PhTT beyond which time patient transport to the closest hospital would have decreased mortality was identifiable, because no prehospital time < 90 minutes exerted a significant adverse effect upon survival.
Nonlinear spectrotemporal sound analysis by neurons in the auditory midbrain.

The auditory system of humans and animals must process information from sounds that dynamically vary along multiple stimulus dimensions, including time, frequency, and intensity. Therefore, to understand neuronal mechanisms underlying acoustic processing in the central auditory pathway, it is essential to characterize how spectral and temporal acoustic dimensions are jointly processed by the brain. We use acoustic signals with a structurally rich time-varying spectrum to study linear and nonlinear spectrotemporal interactions in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICC). Our stimuli, the dynamic moving ripple (DMR) and ripple noise (RN), allow us to systematically characterize response attributes with the spectrotemporal receptive field (STRF) methods to a rich and dynamic stimulus ensemble. Theoretically, we expect that STRFs derived with DMR and RN would be identical for a linear integrating neuron, and we find that ∼60% of ICC neurons meet this basic requirement. We find that the remaining neurons are distinctly nonlinear; these could either respond selectively to DMR or produce no STRFs despite selective activation to spectrotemporal acoustic attributes. Our findings delineate rules for spectrotemporal integration in the ICC that cannot be accounted for by conventional linear–energy integration models.
Characteristics of Fixed‐Roadside‐Object Side‐Impact Accidents

Each year approximately 160,000 people are involved in accidents where the side of a vehicle strikes a fixed‐roadside object such as a tree, utility pole, or guardrail. Of these 160,000 occupants, 60,000 are injured and 1,600 are killed. When a side‐impact accident with a fixed object occurs, an occupant has one chance in three that he will be injured and one chance in 100 that they will be fatally injured. This level of injury and death represents a loss to our society of $3 billion each year. Trees and utility poles are by far the most frequently struck objects, the objects that result in the highest risk of injury, and hence the objects causing the greatest loss to society. Data from the National Accident Sampling System and the Fatal Accident Reporting System are used to identify characteristics of this accident scenario.
Formation of close in Super-Earths \& Mini-Neptunes: Required Disk Masses \& Their Implications

Recent observations by the {\it Kepler} space telescope have led to the discovery of more than 4000 exoplanet candidates consisting of many systems with Earth- to Neptune-sized objects that reside well inside the orbit of Mercury, around their respective host stars. How and where these close-in planets formed is one of the major unanswered questions in planet formation. Here we calculate the required disk masses for {\it in situ} formation of the {\it Kepler} planets. We find that, if close-in planets formed as {\it isolation masses}, then standard gas-to-dust ratios yield corresponding gas disks that are gravitationally unstable for a significant fraction of systems, ruling out such a scenario. We show that the maximum width of a planet's accretion region in the absence of any migration is $2 v_{esc}/\Omega$, where $v_{esc}$ is the escape velocity of the planet and $\Omega$ the Keplerian frequency and use it to calculate the required disk masses for {\it in situ} formation with giant impacts. Even with giant impacts, formation without migration requires disk surface densities in solids at semi-major axes less than 0.1~AU of $10^3-10^5 \rm{~g~cm^{-2}}$ implying typical enhancements above the minimum-mass solar nebular (MMSN) by at least a factor of 20. Corresponding gas disks are below, but not far from, the gravitational stability limit. In contrast, formation beyond a few AU is consistent with MMSN disk masses. This suggests that migration of either solids or fully assembled planets is likely to have played a major role in the formation of close-in super-Earths and mini-Neptunes.
A quantum-chemical study of the adsorption of water, formaldehyde and ammonia on copper surfaces and water on ZnO(0001)

Abstract The chemisorption of H 2 O, H 2 CO and NH 3 on Cu surfaces and of H 2 O on ZnO(0001) is examined employing semiempirical quantum-chemical calculations (INDO/S) and clusters of limited size ( Cu n , n = 14, 16, 18; Zn m O m , m = 10). The present results combined with our previous results for H 2 CO and NH 3 on ZnO(0001) indicate that upon adsorption on Cu surfaces and on ZnO(0001), water, formaldehyde and ammonia are electron donors. Most of the transfer of charge from the molecules toward the surfaces is from the lone pairs: the 3a 1 MO in NH 3 , the 3a 1 and 1b 1 MO's in H 2 O, and the 2b 2 MO in H 2 CO. H 2 CO is a σ-donor and a π-acceptor when adsorbed on Cu surfaces. In the cases of H 2 O and NH 3 , the contribution of the LUMO of the free molecule to the chemisorption bond is negligible. In contrast, for H 2 CO, a contribution of the 2b 1 (π) orbital (LUMO) to the Cu surface-molecule bond is observed. The bond order indices indicate that the 4s and 4p orbitals of the metal (Cu or Zn) are primarily responsible for the chemisorption bond of H 2 O, H 2 CO and NH 3 on copper and on zinc oxide surfaces. The influence of chemisorption effects upon the NH bond orders of NH 3 , the CO and CH bond orders of H 2 CO, and the OH bond orders of H 2 O are discussed. Based on these INDO/S results, the UPS spectra of H 2 O, NH 3 and H 2 CO on Cu surfaces and of H 2 O on ZnO(0001) are discussed and compared with experimental results.
Controlling Atomic Layer Deposition of TiO2 in Aerogels through Surface Functionalization

This report demonstrates a chemical functionalization method for controlling TiO2 ALD in low-density nanoporous materials, i.e., aerogels. Functionalization of silica aerogel with trimethylsilane is shown to inhibit TiO2 growth on the aerogel via ALD. A proposed mechanism for the deactivation effect is the blocking of surface functional groups, such as hydroxyl (OH) moieties, which serve as chemisorption sites for the ALD precursors and hence are essential for nucleating the deposition process. Subsequent modification of the aerogel functionalization through the selective removal of hydrocarbon groups via heat or plasma treatment reactivates the aerogel towards deposition, thereby resulting in TiO2 growth. The results presented here demonstrate the use of ALD as a selective tool for creating novel nanoporous materials.
Measurement of Cellular Immunity in Human Coccidioidomycosis

Measurement of cellular immune response in human coccidioidomycosis, a diseaseof the Western Hemisphere caused by the soil-dwelling fungus Coccidioides,began more than 75 years ago. Numerous studies have shown that measurement ofcoccidioidal cellular immunity is a useful epidemiologic and clinical tool. The firstwidely used coccidioidal skin-test reagent, coccidioidin, was derived from a filtrateof cultured mycelia of Coccidioides by Smith and colleagues in the 1940's. Itremained the standard until the 1970's, when spherulin, obtained from the spheruleform of the fungus, was found to be more sensitive. Both reagents are specificindicators of coccidioidal cellular immunity. Since then, other coccidioidal antigenshave been identified and in vitro tests of cellular immunity have been shown to yieldcomparable results to skin testing. In vitro assays have also begun to open a windowon the specific immunologic events of coccidioidal cellular immunity. Persistentexpression of coccidioidal cellular immune response appears to augur an improvedclinical outcome. Despite this, a study of a coccidioidal vaccine failed to demonstrateefficacy. Current and future studies are focused on modulating the coccidioidal immune response in vitro and in vivo and on developing an improved vaccine.
The 1998 Coastal Turbidity Plume in Lake Michigan

In this paper, numerical models of coastal circulation, wind-waves, and sediment transport are applied to the March 1998 turbidity plume event in Lake Michigan to investigate the role of wind-induced circulation in the offshore transport of sedimentary material in Lake Michigan. Computer visualization is used to compare model results to the evidence of cross-isobath transport suggested in satellite imagery. Model results showed that circulation in Lake Michigan is highly episodic since it is almost entirely wind-driven in early spring. The characteristic wind-driven circulation pattern in the lake consists of two counter-rotating gyres, a counterclockwise-rotating gyre to the right of the wind, and a clockwise-rotating gyre to the left. The gyres are separated by a convergence zone along the downwind shore with resulting offshore flow and a divergence zone along the upwind shore with onshore flow. This two-gyre circulation pattern with offshore flow was very clearly seen during a northerly wind event in March 1998 in southern Lake Michigan. The strongest sediment resuspension occurred in the southern lake and the shallow waters along the coastline. This is because of the larger waves in southern Lake Michigan due to the dominant northerly wind in this early spring period. The two most significant sediment resuspension events were detected in the model results during the two storm events. Although results from the sediment transport model agree qualitatively with satellite imagery, they fail to simulate the initial eddy-like structure of the plume. Visualization is shown to be an effective tool for interpreting the complex turbidity patterns in the satellite imagery of the turbidity plume.
Extracellular matrix functions during neuronal migration and lamination in the mammalian central nervous system

Extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoproteins are expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) in complex and developmentally regulated patterns. The ECM provides a number of critical functions in the CNS, contributing both to the overall structural organization of the CNS and to control of individual cells. At the cellular level, the ECM effects its functions by a wide range of mechanisms, including providing structural support to cells, regulating the activity of second messenger systems, and controlling the distribution and local concentration of growth and differentiation factors. Perhaps the most well known role of the ECM is as a substrate on which motile cells can migrate. Genetic, cell biological and biochemical studies provide strong evidence that ECM glycoproteins such as laminins, tenascins and proteoglycans control neuronal migration and positioning in several regions of the developing and adult brain. Recent findings have also shed important new insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which reelin regulates migration. Here we will summarize these findings, emphasizing the emerging concept that ECM glycoproteins promote different modes of neuronal migration such as radial, tangential and chain migration. We also discuss several studies demonstrating that mutations in ECM glycoproteins can alter neuronal positioning by cell non-autonomous mechanisms that secondarily affect migrating neurons.
Ilusiones ópticas del alma : conflictos en torno a la representación en la obra de Gómez de Avellaneda (1860-1864)

This article focuses on the texts Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda’s wrote during her stay in Cuba (1860-1864), in order to clarify some discursive strategies used by the author to avoid the claims of her nationalist compatriots. Faced with the demands of objectivity of the nationalist authors, Gomez de Avellaneda chooses to avert her gaze and to approach the Island from caution and distance in her poems. Gomez de Avellaneda defends the re-working of perception in her literary criticism and her novel El artista barquero from a poetics of the emotions that resists the nationalist “positivism”.
GaAs LEDs with n-i-p-i active layers fabricated by selective contact diffusion

Devices were fabricated in MBE (molecular-beam epitaxy)-grown wafers with a ten period doping superlattice consisting of 300-AA layers with n=p=3*10/sup 18/ cm/sup -3/, using sequential patterned sulfur and zinc diffusions. The typical contact spacing was 5 mu m, and the devices were generally 400 mu m long. Excellent I-V characteristics were achieved with reverse breakdown voltages in excess of 9.5 V, indicating that the selective contacts were nearly optimum. CW outputs of 500 mu W at 50-mA drive current have been observed from the surface of the devices at room temperature. Measurements of the current-voltage characteristics and electroluminescence spectra have been performed from 3 to 300 K. The LED output spectrum tuned at a rate of about 700 meV/V of applied bias at 120 K. Good correlation was observed between the forward characteristics of the diodes and the tuning of the electroluminescence. The tunneling component of the diode current has been identified and remains significant to temperatures of approximately=140 K. As the tunneling component is reduced, the tunable luminescence is quenched due to the competition from thermally injected carriers recombining across the bandgap. >
Nonlinear Deformation of Composite Beams: Unification of Cross-Sectional and Elastic Analyses

A unified analysis is presented for predicting the deformation of anisotropic beams. Outlines of the derivations of both a linear, two-dimensional, cross-sectional analysis and a nonlinear, one-dimensional analysis are given from application of a general kinematical foundation, in which only small strain and small local rotation are assumed. The deformation may be arbitrary except that restrained warping effects are not treated. Predictions from the unified analysis agree quite well with published experimental results for both nonlinear static and linearized dynamic behavior about equilibrium.
Effect of platelet-activating factor antagonist L-691,880 on low-flow ischemia-reperfusion injury of the large colon in horses.

Objective—To determine the effect of platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonist L-691,880 on low-flow ischemia and reperfusion (I-R) of the large colon in horses. Animals—12 adult horses. Experimental Design—Horses were anesthetized, and the large colon was exteriorized through a ventral median celiotomy and instrumented. Colonic arterial blood flow was reduced to 20% of baseline (BL) and maintained for 3 hours; flow was then restored, and the colon was reperfused for 3 hours. One of two solutions was administered intravenously 30 minutes before reperfusion: group 1, 10 mL/kg 0.9% NaCl; and group 2, 5 mg/kg PAF antagonist L-691,880 in 0.9% NaCl. Hemodynamic variables were monitored and recorded at 30-minute intervals. Systemic arterial and colonic venous blood were collected for measurement of blood gas tensions, oximetry analyses, packed cell volume, and total plasma protein concentrations. Colonic venous blood was collected for determination of lactate, 6-keto prostaglandin F1α (6-kPG), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) concentrations. Full-thickness biopsy specimens were harvested from the left ventral colon for histological evaluation. Results—There were no significant differences between the two groups for any hemodynamic or metabolic variables. Colonic venous pH decreased, and carbon dioxide tension and lactate concentration increased during ischemia but returned to BL values during reperfusion. Colonic venous 6-kPG concentration was significantly increased above BL value at 2 hours and remained increased through 6 hours in horses of both groups. Colonic venous PGE2 concentration was significantly greater in group 2 compared with group 1 throughout the study. Colonic venous PGE2 concentration was increased above BL value from 3 to 6 hours in horses of both groups. Colonic venous TXB2 concentration was not different between groups but was significantly increased above the BL value for the first hour of reperfusion. Low-flow I-R of the large colon caused significant mucosal necrosis, hemorrhage, edema, and neutrophil infiltration; however, there were no differences in histological variables between vehicle-control and PAF antagonist-treated horses. Conclusion—No protective effects of PAF antagonist L-691,880 were observed on colonic mucosa associated with low-flow I-R. Additionally, deleterious drug-induced effects on hemodynamic and metabolic variables and colonic mucosal injury were not observed.
Some New Circuits for High-Power Traveling-Wave Tubes

A discussion of new types of slow-wave structures, in which the coupling between sections is obtained largely by negative mutual inductance, is given in this paper. Since this type of coupling can be used to give "fundamental" amplifier operation with relatively high impedance, the devices are somewhat unusual in the field of high-power traveling-wave tubes. Several structures which make use of this type of coupling are examined in a qualitative manner, and the results of "cold tests" on each model are given. In particular, one device, the so-called "clover-leaf" structure, is investigated in some detail. Curves of impedance, C, and gain at megawatt power levels are included. Some discussion of the practical problems involved in the design of an amplifier using this circuit is presented to serve as a guide for those interested in the construction of high-power traveling-wave tubes.
Mycotic innominate artery pseudoaneurysm presenting as an embolic stroke.

Clinical Summary A 62-year-old man presenting with hoarseness was diagnosed with a squamous epithelial cell tumor of the soft palate. He underwent soft palate resection with adjuvant localized radiation therapy. After he was free of recurrence during the ensuing 5 years, osteoradionecrosis of the medial left clavicle and a corresponding methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection involving the sternoclavicular joint developed. This was successfully treated with intravenous antibiotics, surgical debridement, and coverage with a left pectoralis muscle rotation flap. Four months after being treated for this infection, the patient had an embolic cerebrovascular accident localized to the right middle cerebral artery territory, as determined by magnetic resonance imaging, and this manifested as a left-sided hemiparesis. Incidentally, magnetic resonance imaging also revealed a 3.6 3.4-cm saccular pseudoaneurysm with a narrow 5-mm neck emanating from the anterior base of the innominate artery (Figure 1) and extensive inflammatory soft tissue in the anterior mediastinum extending from the left distal clavicle to the innominate, subclavian, and common carotid arteries. The results of blood cultures were positive for MRSA, and intravenous vancomycin was initiated. Because the results of additional diagnostic studies, including a carotid Duplex ultrasound and cardiac echocardiogram, were unremarkable, the most plausible source of this embolic stroke was ascribed to the pseudoaneurysm. Because of the perceived risk of further embolic stroke and risk of rupture, pseudoaneurysm resection was recommended. Surgical resection was performed 2 weeks after the cerebrovascular accident and after near-complete recovery of left-sided motor function. At the time of the operation, the innominate artery pseudoaneurysm was identified through a standard median sternotomy approach (Figure 2). During the dissection, moderate inflammatory tissues were encountered in the vicinity of the aortic arch in continuity with the left sternoclavicular region, although no gross purulence was noted. Cardiopulmonary bypass was instituted with aortic cannulation of the distal ascending aorta and dual-staged venous cannulation of the right atrium. With the use of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, the pseudoaneurysm was dissected circumferentially and opened. Substantial thrombus was removed from the saccular component of the pseudoaneurysm, revealing a narrow neck arising approximately 8 mm distal to the origin of the innominate artery. After the pseudoaneurysm was completely resected, the resultant 1-cm defect at the base of the innominate artery was repaired with a patch of autologous pericardium fixed in glutaraldehyde. A 28-minute period of circulatory arrest was required. The results of intraoperative cultures and histologic analyses of the pseudoaneurysm and surrounding mediastinal tissues were negative for active infection or neoplasm. The patient was discharged to home after an unremarkable 7-day postoperative course to complete a 6-week course of MRSAspecific intravenous antibiotics.
Beetle pollination of Dieffenbachia longispatha (Araceae)

Dieffenbachia is an monoecious understory herb of tropical rain forests that exhibits a complex and specialized relationship with its beetle pollinators. The erect protogynous inflorescence has the spadix divided, with the female flowers in the basal half and male flowers in the upper half. Dieffenbachia longispatha Engler & Krause is pollinated by scarab beetles in the genera Cyclocephala and Erioscelis. The enveloping spathe of the inflorescence opens in the evening, but no flowers are sexually functional until the stigmas become receptive about 24 hr later. Beetles fly to the inflorescence in darkness, suggesting that floral odors play a role as an attractant. Beetles remain in the inflorescence for 24 hr, eating protein-rich staminodia that surround the stigmas. On the evening of the third day the anthers dehisce and beetles become covered with pollen as they crawl up the spadix in the process of leaving. Beetles fly an average of 80 m between inflorescences, usually to the nearest female inflorescence, although distances of 4001,000 m have been observed. Minimal estimate of genetic neighborhood sizes are large for D. longispatha (750 to 8,900 plants) and neighborhood areas encompass 41,000 to 67,000 M2. Experiments demonstrate that the species is self-compatible and that fruit production is pol-
A Link Obfuscation Service to Detect Webbots

Web bot fraud activity currently accounts for a large number of web accesses. Current resistance methods such as CAPTCHA are not applicable for bot detection at the granularity of each click. In this paper, we propose a service that counters web bots which mimic human clicks by walking random links. We base our defense on systematically applying link obfuscation. The obfuscation is designed as a service that can be applied to websites without changes from web developers and without changing the behavior of human users. The service for resisting web bots is called Decoy Link Design Adaptation (DLDA) and works by transparently modifying every page of a protected website. The modifications are made such that walking web bots cannot traverse valid paths through the website. Specifically, DLDA modifies each original link on the page surrounding it with a group of invalid links. These obsfucated links are carefully styled to be unnoticed or avoided by human users; however, they require significant effort for programs (bots) to identify. Experiments show that DLDA has a very high detection rate for web bots and near zero false positives. DLDA can detect 80% of walking bots ending a session after one minute of inactivity (no clicks). The detection rate increases to 100% when the session is ended where multiple visits of the bots can be grouped into a single session.
Effect of heating rate on starch granule morphology and size

Changes in starch granule morphology and size during heating were monitored continuously, when heated at either 5 or 25 °C/min on a hot stage. The results showed that granule morphology was different as a function of the heating rate and granule swelling was governed kinetically. These observations visually demonstrate the significant influence of processing conditions, i.e., heating rate, on starch granule size and morphology and therefore potentially have implications in determining structure and texture of baked products.
THEORETICALLY EXPLORING METHYLATION EFFECTS ON SOLVATED MULTI-HYDROGEN BONDING AMMONIUM PERCHLORATE SYSTEMS

Methyl substituents are introduced into solvated ammonium perchlorate (AP) systems to explicate the effects of methylation on localized hydrogen-bonding. Methylation systems are modeled using density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP type with 4-31G(d, p), 6-311+(2d, p) basis set methods, indicating that whichever methyl group is substituted at the proton site in an ammonium ion or solvent, both methyl groups cease to H-bond, as evidence by elongation of the neighboring bond and characteristic red-shifts in the frequency of vibration. The energy barriers to the conversion from reactants to products in solvated AP systems are also discussed herein to help to elucidate the relationship solubility and H-bonding.
Noninsulinoma pancreatogenous hypoglycemia: a novel syndrome of hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia in adults independent of mutations in Kir6.2 and SUR1 genes.

In adults, endogenous hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia is almost invariably due to insulinoma. In these patients with insulinoma, neuroglycopenic episodes exclusively after meal ingestion and negative 72-h fasts are extraordinarily rare. We describe five adults with neuroglycopenic episodes from hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia within 4 h of meal ingestion and negative 72-h fasts. Each had negative transabdominal ultrasonography, spiral computed tomographic scanning, and celiac axis angiography of the pancreas. However, all showed positive selective arterial calcium stimulation tests indicative of pancreatic β-cell hyperfunction. At pancreatic exploration, no insulinoma was detected by intraoperative ultrasonography and complete mobilization and palpation of the pancreas. Moreover, the resected pancreata showed islet hypertrophy and nesidioblastosis, but no insulinoma. No definite disease-causing mutation was detected in Kir6.2 and SUR1 genes, which encode the subunits of the pancreatic ATP-sensitive potassium ...
Graph-Theoretic Distributed Inference in Social Networks

We consider distributed inference in social networks where a phenomenon of interest evolves over a given social interaction graph, referred to as the social digraph. We assume that a network of agents monitors certain nodes in the social digraph and the agents rely on inter-agent communication to perform inference. The key contributions include: (i) a novel construction of the distributed estimator and distributed observability from the first principles; (ii) a graph-theoretic agent classification that establishes the importance and role of each agent towards inference; (iii) characterizing the necessary conditions, based on the classification in (ii), on the agent network to achieve distributed observability. Our results are based on structured systems theory and are applicable to any parameter choice of the underlying system matrix as long as the social digraph remains fixed. In other words, any social phenomena that evolves (linearly) over a structure-invariant social digraph may be considered-we refer to such systems as Liner Structure-Invariant (LSI). The aforementioned contributions, (i)-(iii), thus, only require the knowledge of the social digraph (topology) and are independent of the social phenomena. We show the applicability of the results to several real-wold social networks, i.e. social influence among monks, networks of political blogs and books, and a co-authorship graph.
The β-glucosaminidase activity of egg-white lysozyme

Abstract Substances of natural and synthetic origin were used to determine the chemical linkages attacked by crystalline egg-white lysozyme. Whereas, lysozyme was observed to possess β-glucosaminidase activity, as indicated by its capacity to hydrolyze chitin, a known β-glucosaminide bonded by i , 4 linkages, it failed to hydrolyze either the α or the β form of synthetic phenyl-N-acetylglucosaminide.
Selenium in aquatic organisms from subsurface agricultural drainage water, San Joaquin Valley, California.

Concentrations of total selenium were high in 1983 in water, sediment, organic detritus, aquatic plants and invertebrates, and mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) from Kesterson Reservoir (San Joaquin Valley, California) and the San Luis Drain. Selenium concentrations in biota from the Reservoir and Drain (referred to here collectively as “Kesterson”) exceeded 300 (μg/g dry weight in some samples of algae, submerged rooted plants, chironomids, and mosquitofish, and were as high as 440 μg/g dry weight in decomposing detritus. Overall, selenium concentrations in samples from Kesterson averaged about 100-fold higher than those from the Volta Wildlife Area (here termed “Volta”), a nearby site that does not receive subsurface drainage water. Selenium concentrations generally increased from water to sediment to plants to animals. Spatial (geographic) patterns were observed for selenium concentrations in samples from Kesterson, but not in those from Volta. Higher concentrations were usually measured in samples from the San Luis Drain than from the evaporation ponds that comprise Kesterson Reservoir. At Kesterson, concentrations were usually higher in August than in May. The elevated levels of selenium measured in forage organisms from Kesterson are probably toxic to sensitive consumer animals, and may explain recent observations of dead and deformed embryos in eggs of aquatic birds that nest at the Reservoir. The effects of the selenium on fish living in subsurface agricultural drainage water are still poorly understood.
Biphasic wnt8a Expression Is Achieved Through Interactions of Multiple Regulatory Inputs

Background: Vertebrate axis development depends upon wnt8a transcription in a dynamic pool of mesoderm progenitors at the posterior pole of the gastrulating embryo. The transcriptional mechanisms controlling wnt8a expression are not understood, but previous studies identified two phases of wnt8a expression in zebrafish: Nodal-dependent activation during early gastrulation (phase I) and No tail (Ntl)-dependent regulation from mid gastrula stages (phase II). Results: We identified two upstream cis-regulatory regions, proximal and distal, each of which possesses a promoter. The proximal regulatory region contains a margin-specific enhancer that is required for both the Nodal and Ntl responses. Phase I expression requires Nodal activation of the margin enhancer in combination with the transcription factor Zbtb4 and the distal regulatory region. Phase II expression requires Ntl regulation of the margin enhancer in the context of the proximal regulatory region. An additional mechanism is required to ensure the transition from phase I to phase II regulation. Analysis of stickleback wnt8a suggests this mechanism of regulation may be conserved. Conclusions: The seemingly simple wnt8a expression pattern reflects complex interactions of multiple regulatory inputs. Developmental Dynamics 241:1062–1075, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Body counts and murder rates: the contested statistics of Western violence. [Review of: McKanna CV, Jr. Race and homicide in nineteenth-century California. Reno, University of Nevada Press, 2002; Peterson del Mar D. Beaten down: a history interpersonal violence in the West. Seattle, University of Washington Press, 2002].

It's the New Western History iiber alles among Old West historians these days. No longer really new (the rubric dates back at least to 1969), the school continues to take as its founding reference the inadequacies of Frederick Jackson Turner. One of the most egregious, argues Donald Worster, was Turner's excluding from his master narrative the "unsmiling aspects" of frontier life. In contrast, says Worster, the revisionists have exposed a region of scowling turmoil, of raging, often murderous conflict "not only between the races but also between classes, genders, and other groups within white society." As another respected new westernist, Anne M. Butler, recently summarized the consensus: "One almost cannot speak of western history without taking into account the place and power of violence in the heritage of the West."'
Prosthodontic complications of Spline dental implants.

Access to accurate clinical data on the frequency of prosthodontic complications encountered in dental implant restorations can provide dentists with important information for evaluating dental implant systems. The complication of prosthetic screw loosening, for example, has often been ignored or underreported. Only limited published clinical data exists on the use of the Spline connections for dental implant restorations. This paper reports on an in-vitro investigation of prosthodontic complications encountered with the Spline dental implant system restored by students and residents at The Ohio State University’s School of Dentistry. From a comprehensive list of implant patients generated from the University’s computer records, an extensive chart review was conducted, and all patients who were treated with Spline dental implants were entered into the study. During a second chart review, data on all prosthodontic complications with Spline implant restorations were gathered on reporting forms then entered into a computer database and subjected to statistical analysis. The results showed that 95.75% of the prostheses were free of any complications. Iatrogenic factors that resulted in screw loosening were identified. Based on the findings of this relatively short-term study ranging from 29 to 59 months of post-restoration clinical follow-up, Spline dental implants provided a stable implant prosthetic connection. (Implant Dent 2003;12:151–159)
SAT-based sequential depth computation

Determining the depth of sequential circuits is a crucial step towards the completeness of bounded model checking proofs in hardware verification. In this paper, we formulate sequential depth computation as a logical inference problem for quantified Boolean formulas. We introduce a novel technique to simplify the complexity of the constructed formulas by applying simple transformations to the circuit netlist. We also study the structure of the resulting simplified QBFs and construct an efficient SAT-based algorithm to check their satisfiability. We report promising experimental results on some of the ISCAS 89 benchmarks.
Co-membership in immigration gatekeeping interviews: construction, ratification and refutation

I analyze the construction of co-membership in a high-stakes gatekeeping encounter: US permanent residency (or `green card') interviews. Co-membership is sometimes attempted (intentionally or not) ...
Problems in (nano)medical mechanics

Abstract Three major biomedical problems in non-linear mechanics are stated, and several sub-problems are derived from simplifications that correspond to substituting model nanotechnology-based systems for their biological counterpart. Strategies for the solutions to these problems are briefly proposed. The medical implications of the solutions to the general and simplified problems are discussed, and perspectives on the deep transformation in health care these solutions would engender are presented.
Air curtain temperature measurement in an open refrigerated display cabinet by IR thermography

IR thermography has been widely used to measure air temperature in many application fields. Usually screens or targets are located in the region of interest in such a way to minimise the perturbation of the flow under investigation. In this work, this technique is applied to map the air distribution inside the cold curtain of an open refrigerated display cabinet. The performances of a black cardboard, which is commonly used, and a net-screen are studied in different conditions by a computational fluid dynamics analysis. Experimental measurements are carried out on the cold curtain, both with the cardboard and the net-screen. The comparison of results is reported. The analysis shows that this measurement technique is highly intrusive from the fluid-dynamic point of view, and the error due to the surrounding radiation is significant.
The Value of Knowing Modern Foreign Languages

Author's summary.— An analysis of the pros and cons of teaching modern foreign languages and a proposed remedy for the ailments which have been attributed to present-day instruction.
Frictional pressure gradients in two-phase flow in a small horizontal rectangular channel

Frictional pressure gradients were measured in a two-phase flow of an air-water mixture in a rectangular channel with a cross section of 19.05 × 3.18 mm, for application to plate-fin compact heat exchangers of the plain fin type. The measurements were conducted with the channel in two horizontal orientations. Adiabatic flows of air-water mixtures near atmospheric pressure were used at mass qualities of 2.5 × 10−5 to 1.0 and total mass fluxes of 50–2000 kg/(m2 · s). Pressure gradients were measured with respect to two-phase flow patterns. Unique conditions were found at the transition from bubble or plug flow to slug flow. The data were compared to predictions of two widely used correlation equations. These equations did not adequately correlate the data, and a modified equation were developed for qualities larger than those occuring at the transition to slug flow. The modified two-phase flow pressure gradient correlation covers the parameters of interest for compact heat exchanger application of mass flux from 50 to 350 kg/(m2 · s) and mass qualities greater than 0.05 (Martinelli parameter less than unity). An existing correlation was found to have good accuracy at mass fluxes above 400 kg/(m2 · s).
Special Education Teacher Attrition: It All Depends on Where You Are Standing:

Special education teacher attrition has been a major concern for over fifteen years. There have been numerous studies and proposals to explain this problem and suggestions offered for interventions...
Chlorsulfuron Modifies Biosynthesis of Acyl Acid Substituents of Sucrose Esters Secreted by Tobacco Trichomes

Sucrose esters and duvatrienediol diterpenes are principal constituents formed in and secreted outside head cells of trichomes occurring on surfaces of Nicotiana tabacum. Using trichome-bearing epidermal peels prepared from midveins of N. tabacum cv T.I. 1068 leaves, we found that chlorsulfuron reduced and modified radiolabeling of sucrose ester acyl acids derived from branched-chain amino acid metabolism. The herbicide did not effect formation and exudation of diterpenes which are products of isoprenoid metabolism. Treatment with 1.0 micromolar chlorsulfuron affected 8.5- and 6.3-fold reductions in radiolabeling of methylvaleryl and methylbutyryl groups of sucrose esters, respectively, and concomitant increases of 9- and 9.8-fold in radiolabeling of straight chain valeryl and butyryl groups, respectively. These results and others indicate that inhibition of acetolactate synthase causes an accumulation of 2-oxo-butyric acid that is utilized by enzymes common to Leu biosynthesis to form 2-oxo-valeric acid. Coenzyme A (CoA) activation of this keto acid gives rise to butyryl CoA, which is utilized to form butyryl containing sucrose esters. Alternatively, reutilization of 2-oxo-valeric acid by the same enzymes followed by CoA activation leads to valeryl containing sucrose esters. We propose that in trichome secretory cells synthase, isomerase and dehydrogenase enzymes which catalyze Leu synthesis/degredation in most tissues, convert iso-branched, anteiso-branched and straight-chain keto acids in the formation of sucrose ester acyl groups.
Relationships among Childhood Trauma, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Dissociation in Men Living with HIV/AIDS

This study examined the relationships among dissociation, childhood trauma and sexual abuse, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in HIV-positive men. Data were collected from 167 men enrolled in a randomized clinical trial that examined a group therapy intervention to decrease HIV-related risk behavior and trauma-related stress symptoms. Participants completed the Trauma History Questionnaire, the Impact of Events Scale–Revised, and the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire. Overall, 35.3% of the participants reported having experienced childhood sexual abuse. A total of 55.7% of the sample met diagnostic criteria for PTSD. The intensity of dissociative symptoms that participants endorsed was positively associated with experience of childhood sexual abuse (r = .20, p < .01). Dissociative symptoms were also positively associated with specific PTSD symptoms, notably hyperarousal (r = .69, p < .001). Hierarchical regression indicated that hyperarousal symptoms accounted for more of the v...
A Comparison of Positive Charge Generation in High Field Stressing and Ionizing Radiation on MOS Structures

We compare the effects of ionizing radiation and high field stressing on Metal-Oxide-Silicon oxides. Using electron spin resonance, we compare the point defects responsible for the positive charge generated by ionizing radiation and high field stressing. We find the two processes to be different in that the positive charge generated by ionizing radiation is almost entirely due to E? centers in the oxide; however, less than half the positive charge generated by high field stressing can be accounted for by E? centers.
A Scale Measuring Attitudes toward Black and White Integration

Summary This article reports on the development of a Likert type scale measuring attitudes toward black-white integration. The need for such a scale is indicated by the dated nature of previous scales, and the salient nature of attitudes toward integration in the last decades. One hundred items were selected from a larger pool, with the use of criteria for good attitude scale statements. After item analysis, 20 items were retained having part-whole correlations greater or equal to .56. The reliability and validity study showed a corrected split-half correlation coefficient of .85, and moderate validity coefficients.
Tracheal ligation and corticosteroids in congenital diaphragmatic hernia: for better for worse?

Tracheal Ligation and Corticosteroids in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: For Better for Worse?