cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lagrangian coherent structures in the planar elliptic restricted three-body problem

This study investigates Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) in the planar elliptic restricted three-body problem (ER3BP), a generalization of the circular restricted three-body problem (CR3BP) that asks for the motion of a test particle in the presence of two elliptically orbiting point masses. Previous studies demonstrate that an understanding of transport phenomena in the CR3BP, an autonomous dynamical system (when viewed in a rotating frame), can be obtained through analysis of the stable and unstable manifolds of certain periodic solutions to the CR3BP equations of motion. These invariant manifolds form cylindrical tubes within surfaces of constant energy that act as separatrices between orbits with qualitatively different behaviors. The computation of LCS, a technique typically applied to fluid flows to identify transport barriers in the domains of time-dependent velocity fields, provides a convenient means of determining the time-dependent analogues of these invariant manifolds for the ER3BP, whose equations of motion contain an explicit dependency on the independent variable. As a direct application, this study uncovers the contribution of the planet Mercury to the Interplanetary Transport Network, a network of tubes through the solar system that can be exploited for the construction of low-fuel spacecraft mission trajectories.
Occupational injury and illness in the semiconductor manufacturing industry

Two thousand nine hundred and ninety-four reports of OSHA-reportable occupational injury or illness cases in 1984 from member companies of a national trade association of semiconductor manufacturing firms were analyzed. The 37 participating manufacturing facilities represented 16 companies employing over 95,000 persons, or approximately one-third of the U.S. work force for this industry in 1984. The annual incidence rate for all reportable injuries and illnesses was 2.7 per 100 full-time employees (FTE) for men and 3.7 per 100 FTE for women. Strains, sprains, or dislocations were the most frequently reported incidents (N = 956 [31.9%]), followed by cuts, lacerations, punctures, scratches, and abrasions (N = 445 [14.9%]), and chemical burns (N = 401 [13.4%]). Increased work-loss days per case were associated with manufacturing sites that did not have an employee health clinic on the premises, with custodial occupations, and with female gender.
Inflammation in the carotid body during development and its contribution to apnea of prematurity

Breathing is a complex function that is dynamic, responsive, automatic and often unstable during early development. The carotid body senses dynamic changes in arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide tension and reflexly alters ventilation and plays an essential role in terminating apnea. The carotid body contributes 10-40% to baseline ventilation in newborns and has the greatest influence on breathing in premature infants who characteristically have unstable breathing leading to apnea of prematurity. In this review, we will discuss how both excessive and minimal contributions from the carotid body destabilizes breathing in premature infants and how exposures to hypoxia or infection can lead to changes in the sensitivity of the carotid body. We propose that inflammation/infection during a critical period of carotid body development causes acute and chronic changes in the carotid body contributing to a protracted course of intractable and severe apnea known to occur in a subset of premature infants.
Developing Interval Global Optimization Algorithms on the Basis of Branch-and-Bound and Constraint Propagation Methods

In this paper, we present an interval global optimization method based on such well-known techniques as branch-and-bound method and constraint propagation methods. Along with a detailed description of the new method we discuss results of the numerical tests comparing our algorithm with popular Numerica global optimization package.
Proceedings of the University of Pennsylvania 6th annual conference on statistical issues in clinical trials: Dynamic Treatment Regimes

This issue of Clinical Trials contains the proceedings of the sixth in a series of symposia held at the University of Pennsylvania on current statistical issues in clinical trials. This symposium, held in spring 2013, focused on dynamic treatment regimes, a topic highly relevant to the ever-increasing concerns about evaluation of treatment strategies in chronic diseases.
More theory in theory

Abstract An important aspect of the milk and dairy industry in the European Community is the reaction of milk producers to milk prices. In theory farmers behave like the economic man of basic economic textbooks. In practice, farmers behave quite differently, ie they increase their production when prices fall. For policy makers in the field of dairy products it is essential to know the reaction of the farming industry. Surprisingly this information is not available in the EEC; there are various opinions and estimates but they are heavily disputed. However, we now have the results of a study which can settle the dispute.1 It is interesting to see the results and to notice that there really is a fundamental problem involved, ie how to discriminate between economic models.
Decomposition kinetics of palladium nickel hydride

Abstract The kinetics of the decomposition of β-Pd 0.85 Ni 0.15 H x were determined under isothermal conditions. The experiments were carried out with a suspension of alloy particles in liquid undecane. The rate-limiting process is the solid state transformation taking place at the interface between the hydride and the hydrogen solid solution phase. The activation energy was 78 kJ mol −1 ; the pre-exponential in the Arrhenius expression is 4.38 × 10 9 s −1 . The results are discussed in terms of the Polanyi-Wigner expression and the activated complex theory. It is proposed that the decomposition proceeds by the conversion of a group of approximately ten whole β phase unit cells to a corresponding group of whole α phase unit cells.
A thermodynamical theory of turbulence. I - Basic developments. II - Determination of constitutive coefficients and illustrative examples

This paper is concerned with the construction of a thermodynamical theory for turbulence based on a continuum model consistent with a wide range of experimental results and observations. A complete theory with appropriate constitutive equations is developed for viscous turbulent flow but the special case of (rate-independent) inviscid turbulent flow is also discussed. The theoretical results obtained readily account for such mechanical aspects of turbulent flow as anisotropy, as well as the energetic effects of turbulent fluctuations, in addition to the more standard thermomechanical effects. More specifically, three different scales of motion and modelling, namely molecular, microscopic and macroscopic, are considered in the construction of the basic theory. Whereas the ordinary thermal effects (such as temperature) on the macroscopic scale represent the manifestation of vibratory motions at the molecular level, similar variables are used to represent the energetic turbulent effects on the macroscopic level that arise from turbulent fluctuations at the microscopic level. The various ingredients of the thermodynamical aspects (both due to thermal and turbulent effects) of the continuum model are incorporated into the theory by means of a recent procedure to thermodynamics by Green & Naghdi ( Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 357, 253 (1977)). The mechanical aspects of the model for a turbulent fluid requires admission of additional balance laws for eddy concentration and for a kinematical variable which represents the effect of alignment of these eddies (at the microscopic level) along a particular direction on the macroscopic scale, in accordance with observations by Townsend ( The structure of turbulent shear flow , Cambridge University Press (1976)) and others.
Driven cavity flows by efficient numerical techniques

Abstract Efficient and reliable numerical techniques of high-order accuracy are presented for solving problems of steady viscous incompressible flow in the plane, and are used to obtain accurate solutions for the driven cavity. A solution is obtained at Reynolds number 10,000 on a 180 × 180 grid. The numerical methods combine an efficient linear system solver, an adaptive Newton-like method for nonlinear systems, and a continuation procedure for following a branch of solutions over a range of Reynolds numbers.
Performing Collaborative Tasks with Robotic Drawers

In this demonstration, we explore how everyday household robots-in particular, expressive robotic drawers' should behave when performing collaborative tasks with human users. We ran a Wizard of Oz study where participants assembled a cube while collaborating with the drawers, which contained the tools needed to complete the task. The demonstration will reproduce the setting for the study, augmented with other activities and drawers' contents, such as following a recipe using cooking utensils.
Statististical Performance Evaluation of Soft Seat Pressure Relief Valves

Risk-based inspection methods enable estimation of the probability of failure on demand for spring-operated pressure relief valves at the United States Department of Energy's Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina. This paper presents a statistical performance evaluation of soft seat spring operated pressure relief valves. These pressure relief valves are typically smaller and of lower cost than hard seat (metal to metal) pressure relief valves and can provide substantial cost savings in fluid service applications (air, gas, liquid, and steam) providing that probability of failure on demand (the probability that the pressure relief valve fails to perform its intended safety function during a potentially dangerous over pressurization) is at least as good as that for hard seat valves. The research in this paper shows that the proportion of soft seat spring operated pressure relief valves failing is the same or less than that of hard seat valves, and that for failed valves, soft seat valves typically have failure ratios of proof test pressure to set pressure less than that of hard seat valves.
Effects of question formats on student and item performance.

Objective. To determine the effect of 3 variations in test item format on item statistics and student performance. Methods. Fifteen pairs of directly comparable test questions were written to adhere to (standard scale) or deviate from (nonstandard scale) 3 specific item-writing guidelines. Differences in item difficulty and discrimination were measured between the 2 scales as a whole and for each guideline individually. Student performance was also compared between the 2 scales. Results. The nonstandard scale was 12.7 points more difficult than the standard scale (p=0.03). The guideline to avoid “none of the above” was the only 1 of the 3 guidelines to demonstrate significance. Students scored 53.6% and 41.3% (p<0.001) of total points on the standard and nonstandard scales, respectively. Conclusions. Nonstandard test items were more difficult for students to answer correctly than the standard test items, provided no enhanced ability to discriminate between higher- and lower-performing students, and resulted in poorer student performance. Item-writing guidelines should be considered during test construction.
Use of epidemiologic data in Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessments

In human health risk assessment, information from epidemiologic studies is typically utilized in the hazard identification step of the risk assessment paradigm. However, in the assessment of many chemicals by the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), epidemiologic data, both observational and experimental, have also been used in the derivation of toxicological risk estimates (i.e., reference doses [RfD], reference concentrations [RfC], oral cancer slope factors [CSF] and inhalation unit risks [IUR]). Of the 545 health assessments posted on the IRIS database as of June 2007, 44 assessments derived non-cancer or cancer risk estimates based on human data. RfD and RfC calculations were based on a spectrum of endpoints from changes in enzyme activity to specific neurological or dermal effects. There are 12 assessments with IURs based on human data, two assessments that extrapolated human inhalation data to derive CSFs and one that used human data to directly derive a CSF. Lung or respiratory cancer is the most common endpoint for cancer assessments based on human data. To date, only one chemical, benzene, has utilized human data for derivation of all three quantitative risk estimates (i.e., RfC, RfD, and dose-response modeling for cancer assessment). Through examples from the IRIS database, this paper will demonstrate how epidemiologic data have been used in IRIS assessments for both adding to the body of evidence in the hazard identification process and in the quantification of risk estimates in the dose-response component of the risk assessment paradigm.
Gestational and early life influences on infant body composition at 1 year

Excess weight gain during both pre- and postnatal life increases risk for obesity in later life. Although a number of gestational and early life contributors to this effect have been identified, there is a dearth of research to examine whether gestational factors and weight gain velocity in infancy exert independent effects on subsequent body composition and fat distribution. Objective: To test the hypothesis that birth weight, as a proxy of prenatal weight gain, and rate of weight gain before 6 months would be associated with total and truncal adiposity at 12 months of age. Design and Methods: Healthy, term infants (N = 47) were enrolled in the study and rate of weight gain (g/day) was assessed at 0-3 months, 3-6 months, and 6-12 months. Results: Total and regional body composition were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at 12 months. Stepwise linear regression modeling indicated that lean mass at 12 months, after adjusting for child length, was predicted by rate of weight gain during each discrete period of infancy (P < 0.05), and by maternal pre-pregnancy BMI (P < 0.05). Total fat mass at 12 months was predicted by rate of weight gain during each discrete period (P < 0.01), and by older maternal age at delivery (P < 0.05). Trunk fat mass at 12 months, after adjusting for leg fat mass, was predicted by rate of weight gain from 0-3 months and 3-6 months (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Results suggest that growth during early infancy may be a critical predictor of subsequent body composition and truncal fat distribution.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of histone deacetylase inhibitors that are based on FR235222: A cyclic tetrapeptide scaffold

We outline the synthesis of six novel derivatives that are based on a recently discovered HDAC inhibitor FR235222. Our work is the first report utilizing a novel binding element, guanidine, as metal coordinators in HDAC inhibitors. Further, we demonstrate that these compounds show cytotoxicity that parallels their ability to inhibit deacetylase activity, and that the most potent compounds maintain an L-Phe at position 1, and a D-Pro at position 4. Both inhibition of HDAC activity and cytotoxicity against the pancreatic cancer cell line BxPC3 are exhibited by these compounds, establishing that a guanidine unit can be utilized successfully to inhibit HDAC activity.
Reducing managerial risk with expert systems

Particularly over the past ten years much progress has been made in developing computer-based decision systems for business. These systems have worked well with structured types of decisions or problems. Unfortunately, many business decisions are of the unstructured variety which are not adequately handled by pre-Artificial Intelligence (AI) state-of-the-art technology. This situation has continued to force business managers to make decisions on ill-structured problems via the old methods of judgment, intuition, insight, or experience.Making unstructured types of decisions in imprecise methods has added to managerial risk taking. However, AI/Expert Systems have added the missing dimension in decision making to come up with a “smart” computer that is making it profitable to solve unstructured problems on a computer-based Decision Support System (DSS). Problems have existed in bringing AI/Expert Systems from the laboratory to commercial uses. This transition from research and development to production is now happening and, as the Conference now proclaims, there is a “Rising Tide of Business Expert Systems.”
NMR STUDIES OF A 13C, 15N-LABELED GM4-LACTAM GLYCOLIPID AT AN ORIENTED MODEL-MEMBRANE INTERFACE

Liquid crystal NMR techniques were used to study an isotopically labeled lactam analog of ganglioside GM4 in an oriented bilayer system composed of L-α-dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and 3-((cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio)-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPSO). This discoidal bilayer system is used to mimic a biological membrane, the natural environment of GM4 and other glycolipids. Residual dipolar couplings (13C−13C and 15N−13C) and chemical shift anisotropy effects for the amide 13C and 15N labeled sites were measured in GM4 lactam, using both one- and two-dimensional NMR methods. The dipolar coupling data were interpreted using a torsional search for preferred geometry about the two elements of the glycosidic bond attaching the headgroup to the bilayer surface. This yielded three independent families of structures, all of which were consistent with the dipolar coupling data. An order matrix analysis was used to compare experimentally measured changes in chemical shifts upon orientation to thos...
STUDIES ON THE ETIOLOGY OF HEARTWATER : III. THE MULTIPLICATION OF RICKETTSIA RUMINANTIUM WITHIN THE ENDOTHELIAL CELLS OF INFECTED ANIMALS AND THEIR DISCHARGE INTO THE CIRCULATION.

The Rickettsiae of heartwater are more definitely restricted to the vascular endothelial cells of infected animals than are those of typhus or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. They likewise form more pronounced spherical colonies within the cells. Their presence does not injure the endothelial cells to a degree at all comparable with that caused by the other pathogenic Rickettsiae. The rupture of endothelial cells and discharge of Rickettsiae, which are apparently viable, into the circulation constitute phenomena not thus far reported in the case of typhus or Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Theory of helix–coil transitions involving complementary poly- and oligo-nucleotides. I. The complete binding case

A statistical thermodynamic treatment of thermally induced helix–coil transitions is formulated with the matrix method for an (ensemble) of system(s) in which one strand of a double helix consists of a homopolymeric polynucleotide and the other strand comprises a number of complementary oligonucleotides. Each oligonucleotide is considered to be completely bound to the longer chain when in the helical configuration and completely free from it when in the randomly coiled configuration. The case of partial binding; i.e., “dangling,” is treated in a later paper. Taken into account in both cases are intrachain “stacking” interactions between nearest neighbor residues and interchain hydrogen bonding. An approximate treatment of the characteristic equation of the formulation indicates that the reciprocal of the transition temperature (1/T0) is a linear function of the reciprocal of the degree of polymerization (D.P.) of the oligonucleotides. In the same approximation, 1/T0 is also a linear function of the negative logarithm of the absolute activity of the oligonucleotides. Transition curves obtained by exact calculation on a computer are presented for various degrees of polymerization of both the oligo- and polynucleotides. These curves show a sharpening of the transition with increasing D.P. of the long chain and the aforementioned reciprocal D.P. dependence of 1/T0.
Synthesis of radiobrominated m‐tyrosine

The electrophilic radiobromination of m-tyrosine was investigated and found to be rapid and quantitative. Two positional isomeric products were found by radio-HPLC with a mass ratio of 4:1. Because of the inability of proton NMR to unequivocally identify the major product, 13C-NMR analysis was performed. Results show that the major product was 6-bromo- D,L-m-tyrosine. Preliminary studies, in vivo, in mice suggest that radiobrominated m-tyrosine is a potential tracer for CNS dopamine.
Development of a New Passive-Active Magnetic Damper for Vibration Suppression

Magnetic fields can be used to apply damping to a vibrating structure. Dampers of this type function through the eddy currents that are generated in a conductive material experiencing a time-changing magnetic field. The density of these currents is directly related to the velocity of the change in magnetic field. However, following the generation of these currents, the internal resistance of the conductor causes them to dissipate into heat. Because a portion of the moving conductor 's kinetic energy is used to generate the eddy currents, which are then dissipated, a damping effect occurs. This damping force can be described as a viscous force due to the dependence on the velocity of the conductor. In a previous study, a permanent magnet was fixed in a location such that the poling axis was perpendicular to the beam's motion and the radial magnetic flux was used to passively suppress the beam s vibration. Using this passive damping concept and the idea that the damping force is directly related to the velocity of the conductor, a new passive-active damping mechanism will be created. This new damper will function by allowing the position of the magnet to change relative to the beam and thus allow the net velocity between the two to be maximized and thus the damping force significantly increased. Using this concept, a model of both the passive and active portion of the system will be developed, allowing the beams response to be simulated. To verify the accuracy of this model, experiments will be performed that demonstrate both the accuracy of the model and the effectiveness of this passive-active control system for use in suppressing the transverse vibration of a structure.
Emerging Opportunities at the Interface of Photonics, Nanotechnology and Biotechnology

ABSTRACT Today major breakthroughs are more likely to occur in interdisciplinary areas. This paper discusses opportunities created by interfacing photonics with nanotechnology and biotechnology. Examples are provided from our work at the Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics. Specifically discussed are applications of nanophotonics to nanomedicine, which is an emerging field utilizing nanostructures for bioimaging, biosensing and targeted therapy. Applications of quantum dots for bioimaging and of fluorescence labeled magnetic nanoparticles for multimodal imaging are presented. Use of nanoparticles for light-activated therapy, the photodynamic therapy, is discussed. Examples of nanophotonics to optically track and monitor nanoparticle delivery genes of and subsequent transfection is given. Finally, some examples of future opportunities are presented.
Measurement of CrO in flames by cavity ringdown spectroscopy

CrO is an important intermediate in the high temperature oxidation chemistry of chromium containing species. This work reports the first detection of CrO in a flame. The B 5Π-X 5Π electronic transition was probed by cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS) in a lean (ϕ=0.38), low-pressure, flat, laminar hydrogen-oxygen-argon flame seeded with Cr(CO)6. The previous B 5Π-X 5Π CrO spectrum of Hocking et al. (605.0 nm-606.5 nm) is extended from the band head located at 605.6 nm to 614.4 nm. The temperature profiles of the doped and undoped flames were obtained from measurements of OH laser- induced fluorescence. Seeding the flame with Cr(CO)6 increased the flame temperature by approximately 150 K. The concentration profile of CrO was measured as a function of height above the burner. CrO absorption signals were converted to concentration using the measured temperature profile and absorption cross-section calculated from lifetimes by Hedgecock et al. A lower limit peak CrO concentration of 1.6 ppb was found in the flame. Some uncertainty in the cross-section remains. Comparisons to calculations using STANJAN indicate that CrO is present in flames at super equilibrium concentrations.
Moral Judgment and Crime Drama: An Integrated Theory of Enjoyment

The article proposes a theoretical framework in which moral reasoning about mediated crime and punishment is defined and combined with existing, affect-driven entertainment theory to yield an integrated theory of enjoyment. The authors analyze how crime dramas serve as statements about justice and then address how moral deliberation about the propriety of those statements impacts enjoyment. The authors report research findings to support the analysis of cognitive processing during crime dramas distinct from affective processing. The article also suggests future means by which the integrated theory of enjoyment can be examined.
Effect of dibenzopyrene measurement on assessing air quality in Beijing air and possible implications for human health

Size fractionated particulate matter (PM) was collected in summer and winter from Beijing, China for the characterization of an expanded list of PAHs and evaluation of air pollution metrics. Summertime ΣPAHs on PM was 14.6 ± 29PM1.5, 0.88 ± 0.49PM1.5–7.2 and 0.29 ± 0.076PM7.2 ng m−3 air while wintertime concentrations were 493 ± 206PM1.5, 26.7 ± 14PM1.5–7.2 and 5.3 ± 2.5PM7.2 ng m−3 air. Greater than 90% of the carcinogenic PAHs were concentrated on PM1.5. Dibenzopyrene isomers made up a significant portion (∼30%) of the total carcinogenic PAH load during the winter. To our knowledge, this is the first report of dibenzopyrenes in the Beijing atmosphere and among the few studies that report these highly potent PAHs in ambient particulate matter. Lifetime risk calculations indicated that 1 out of 10000 to over 6 out of 100 Beijing residents may have an increased risk of lung cancer due to PAH concentration. Over half of the lifetime risk was attributed to Σdibenzopyrenes. The World Health Organization and Chinese daily PM10 standard was exceeded on each day of the study, however, PAH limits were only exceeded during the winter. The outcomes of the air pollution metrics were highly dependent on the individual PAHs measured and seasonal variation.
Hypertension and arterial aneurysm

The rather common coexistence of arterial aneurysm and systemic hypertension may be attributed to their respective frequency as clinical findings. The development of hypertension secondary to renal ischemia that can occur as a complication of certain types of aneurysmal disease is well recognized. Less well appreciated is the evidence to implicate hypertension as a factor in the pathogenesis of arterial aneurysms, perhaps in their progressive enlargement, and even in rupture. Furthermore, after resection of an aneurysm, systemic hypertension adversely influences survival, and it is an important contributing factor in the development of false aneurysms. A relation between hypertension and aortic dissection has received more recognition. Just how systemic hypertension contributes to the occurrence of aortic dissection is not clear, but the effective control of hypertension has the potential for decreasing the incidence of aortic dissection. The curious clinical association of hypertension with the location of the primary tear in the proximal part of the descending aorta (type III or type B) has several plausible explanations.
Kidney transplantation under minimal immunosuppression after pretransplant lymphoid depletion with thymoglobulin or campath

Background Multiple drug immunosuppression has allowed the near elimination of rejection, but without commensurate improvements in longterm graft survival and at the cost of quality of life. We have suggested that transplantation outcomes can be improved by modifying the timing and dosage of immunosuppression to facilitate natural mechanisms of alloengraftment and acquired tolerance. Study design Two therapeutic principles were applied for kidney transplantation: pretransplant recipient conditioning with antilymphoid antibody preparations (Thymoglobulin [Sangstat] or Campath [ILEX Pharmaceuticals]), and minimal posttransplant immunosuppression with tacrolimus monotherapy including "spaced weaning" of maintenance doses when possible. The results in Thymoglobulin- (n = 101) and Campath-pretreated renal transplantation recipients (n = 90) were compared with those in 152 conventionally immunosuppressed recipients in the immediately preceding era. Results Spaced weaning was attempted in more than 90% of the kidney transplant recipients after pretreatment with both lymphoid-depleting agents, and is currently in effect in two-thirds of the survivors. Although there was a much higher rate of acute rejection in the Thymoglobulin-pretreated recipients than in either the Campath-pretreated or historic control recipients, patient and graft survival in both lymphoid depletion groups is at least equivalent to that of historic control patients. In the Thymoglobulin-conditioned patients for whom followups are now 24 to 40 months, chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) progressed at the same rate as in historic control patients. Selected patients on weaning developed donor-specific nonreactivity. Conclusions After lymphoid depletion, kidney transplantation can be readily accomplished under minimal immunosuppression with less dependence on late maintenance immunosuppression and a better quality of life. Campath was the more effective agent for pretreatment. Guidelines for spaced weaning need additional refinement.
Effects of curved geometry on residual stress in laser peening

Abstract Prevention of failure in materials has been extensively researched for centuries by people all over the world. Sustained or cyclic loading is a major cause of failure in many situations. There can be other contributing factors, such as manufacturing defects and the presence of unfavorable residual stresses. But residual stresses can also play a positive role and can enhance the life of the component, if applied properly. Laser peening (LP) is a surface enhancement technique that can impede crack initiation and propagation by inducing favorable compressive residual stresses in the peened components. Laser peening can generate deeper compressive stresses compared with other surface enhancement techniques, such as shot peening, and it has been used to improve the fatigue life of components in aerospace, automotive and medical applications. In this work, the effects of laser peening are studied by using two dimensional finite element simulation models created with ABAQUS©. Crack initiation often occurs along the curved regions or fillets of structural components because of the presence of high stress concentrations. These critical regions are modeled as a curved geometry to capture the curvature effects using simulation models. Concave and convex simulation models are created and compared with flat geometry to investigate the effects of curvature in a laser peening problem. A mechanism of residual stress generation in curved models is used to explain the residual stress results obtained from finite element models. The results predict that increasing the radius of curvature in a concave model decreases the compressive residual stress generated in the component while increasing the radius of curvature of a convex model increases the compressive residual stress induced in the material when compared with a flat component.
Congestion control for spatio-temporal data in cyber-physical systems

Data dissemination protocols in cyber-physical systems must consider the importance of data packets in protocol decisions. Importance of data cannot generally be accurately represented by a static priority value or deadline, but rather must stem from the dynamic state of the physical world. This paper presents a novel congestion control scheme for data collection applications that makes two key contributions. First, packet importance is measured by data contributions to the accuracy of estimating the monitored physical phenomenon. This leads to congestion control that minimizes estimation error. Second, our protocol employs a novel mechanism, i.e. spatial aggregation, in addition to temporal aggregation to control congestion. The protocol is generalized to multiple concurrent applications. Our approach employs different granularities of aggregation in transporting spatio-temporal data from nodes to a base station. The aggregation granularity is chosen locally based on the contribution of the transmitted data to the reconstruction of the phenomenon at the receiver. In an area affected by congestion, data are summarized more aggressively to reduce data transfer rate while introducing minimal error to the estimation of physical phenomena. We implement this scheme as a transport layer protocol in LiteOS running on MicaZ motes. Through experiments, we show that the proposed scheme eliminates congestion with an estimation error an order of magnitude smaller than traditional rate control approaches.
Preoperative cisplatin and accelerated hyperfractionated radiation induces high tumor response and control rates in patients with advanced head and neck cancer.

Background : Preoperative therapy with concurrent cisplatin infusion and accelerated hyperfractionated radiation has the potential to eradicate pools of resistant cells with high-growth fraction that accumulate during standard radiation therapy. Based on preliminary data showing a high complete response rate (necessary for organ preservation) in patients with advanced squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (stages III and IV), we conducted a multi-institutional study using accelerated hyperfractionated radiation to maximize local and regional tumor control without adding toxicity. Pattents and methods : Preoperative radiation was given in 1.8 Gy fractions for 2 weeks followed by 1.2 Gy bid hyperfractionation to 46.7 Gy. Continous infusion of cisplatin 20 mg/m2 was given on days 1 through 4 and 22 through 25. Patients were initially assessed with panendoscopy and were subsequently reassessed with biopsy of primary site (±nodes). Patients with negative primary site biopsy received additional hyperfractionated radiation to 76 Gy with simultaneous carboplatin 25 mg/m2 bid for 12 consecutive days. Patients with residual disease after 47 Gy had resection of primary site and node dissection. Of 69 patients treated, 56 were T3 and T4, and 46 were N1, N2, and N3; 17 patients (25%) were stage III and 50 (72%) were stage IV; in 2 patients (3%) the stage was unknown. Results : Treatment was well tolerated with no grade IV toxicities, but there were 13 patients with grade III toxicities (mucositis, dysphagia, or hematological toxicity). Biopsy specimens were taken from 84% of the patients, and 81% of the primary sites showed pathologic complete response and 49% of the lymph nodes showed a pathologic complete response. Thirty-four patients underwent curative surgery. Eleven required resection of the primary and 23 required neck dissection only. At 2 years (median follow-up 12 months), 44 of 69 patients (64%) have no evidence of disease, 9 are dead of disease, 9 are dead of other causes, and 6 are alive with disease. Surgical toxicities were minimal and primarily limited to fibrosis in 12 patients, edema in 8 patients, tracheoesophageal fistula in 1 patient, and delayed wound healing in 1 patient. Late toxicities included xerostomia in 22 patients, dysphagia in 17, and speech impairment in 9. Conclusions : Preoperative concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy provides a high level of organ preservation and local and regional control because of the high complete response rate at the primary site. A planned neck dissection with minimal morbidity ensures local/regional control, as well as providing definitive staging information. A randomized evaluation is suggested for this program.
Compound heterozygosity for Hb S and HB C coexisting with AIDS: a cautionary tale.

A 35-year-old woman was hospitalized with fever for 2 weeks and 3 days of increasing shortness of breath and pleuritic chest pain. Her past medical history was remarkable only for mild intermittent...
Electron microscope studies of frozen-substituted marine eggs. II. Morphology of ice crystal-free unfertilized eggs

Studies of ice crystal-free eggs of the clam Spisula solidissima using freeze-substitution techniques are described. Formation of ice in cells may be avoided by removing sufficient intracellular water prior to freezing. After such treatment, most subcellular inclusions can be recognized and have dimensions similar to those seen after chemical fixation. Golgi regions, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, nuclear envelope, annulate lamellae, yolk and the vitelline membrane resemble their counterparts in chemically fixed eggs. Mitochondria, however, lack the space normally found between cristae walls, and the resulting structure resembles two unit membranes “back to back.” Several inclusions and structures not seen in chemically fixed eggs are described: light bodies are found in groups of two to eight near the Golgi regions; cores occur in the microvilli of the vitelline membrane, microtubules are found in the cytoplasm of the unfertilized egg and 220 to 250 A particles, which are not ribosomes, occur regularly arranged along microtubules.
Controlled formation of state selected SiO metastables using a new pyrolysis source

Abstract A controlled and readily reproducible thermolysis of silane (SiH 4 ) entrained in both an argon and helium carrier is used to form the precursor whose oxidation prepares long-lived yet readily monitored SiO b 3 Π metastables in high yeild. A simple yet novel pyrolysis-N 2 O oxidation source produces the b 3 Π metastables, yet no evidence is obtained for the formation of the lower-lying SiO a 3 Σ + state. This result, which is in sharp contrast to observations made when an oven generated, helium or argon entrained silicon beam is oxidized with N 2 O, suggests either an unusual symmetry constraint and selective reaction branching to the b 3 Π state or the highly efficient quenching of the a 3 Σ + state. This implies that a surprisingly similar quenching of the a 3 Σ + state must occur in distinctly different helium or argon diluted silane based environments. An analysis of the observed SiO A 1 Π- X 1 Σ + and b 3 Π- X 1 Σ + emission band systems produced with the silane based source demonstrates that the SiO b 3 Π state is formed apparently selectively in a ratio exceeding 2200 times that of the remaining SiO excited states. The results obtained with the present pyrolysis N 2 O source are contrasted to the continuous chemiluminescent emissions associated with thermalized silane-ozone and silane-oxygen reaction environments.v The current means of generating SiO metastables would appear to (1) allow the creation of a long path length medium for the efficient energy transfer pumping of visible chemical laser amplifiers and oscillators and (2) form the basis of a useful method for the control and efficient monitoring of SiO surface deposition processes.
Child Developmentaleducational Status in Kindergarten and Family Coping as Predictors of Parenting Stress: Issues for Parent Consultation

This study examined the relationship among three constructs that frequently form the basis for parent consultation in early intervention, parenting stress, family coping, and developmental/educatio...
ASPECTS OF FLOW-INDUCED VIBRATION

Phenomena associated with flow-induced transverse oscillation of an elastically mounted body are considered. The use of a recently introduced parameter that combines the effect of mass and elasticity—effective elasticity—is exploited to demonstrate the predictive value of the new approach and to provide insights into solution branching, the maximum amplitude of vibration, and modeling.
Emerging Evidence from Single-Subject Research in the Field of Deaf-Blindness

Professionals in the field of deaf-blindness are challenged to use instructional practices that have been tested using experimental methodology. Single-subject design has been examined as a form of...
Can you see the real me? Activation and expression of the "true self" on the Internet.

Those who feel better able to express their “true selves” in Internet rather than face-to-face interaction settings are more likely to form close relationships with people met on the Internet (McKenna, Green, & Gleason, this issue). Building on these correlational findings from survey data, we conducted three laboratory experiments to directly test the hypothesized causal role of differential self-expression in Internet relationship formation. Experiments 1 and 2, using a reaction time task, found that for university undergraduates, the true-self concept is more accessible in memory during Internet interactions, and the actual self more accessible during face-to-face interactions. Experiment 3 confirmed that people randomly assigned to interact over the Internet (vs. face to face) were better able to express their true-self qualities to their partners.
Current readings: surgical repair experience of congenital chest wall deformities.

Major advancements have been made in the surgical repair of congential chest wall deformities. This review highlights selected readings of the experience in correction of pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum. In particular, it summarizes the current standard of care and outcomes of new and modified procedures for patients with chest wall deformities.
Exact graph-reduction algorithms for network reliability analysis

Consideration is given to the problem of analyzing the reliability of a network, specifically, the probability that a given set of critical nodes within the network can communicate, given the failure probabilities for component nodes and links. An exact graph-reduction algorithm is presented for solving the k-terminal reliability problem with node failures on an arbitrary network. k-terminal reliability means that a specific set of k target nodes must be able to communicate with one another. The authors model the network by an undirected probabilistic graph whose vertices represent the nodes and whose edges represent the links. >
List decoding algorithms for certain concatenated codes

We give ecient (polynomial-time) list-decoding algorithms for certain families of errorcorrecting codes obtained by \concatenation". Specically, we give list-decoding algorithms for codes where the \outer code" is a Reed-Solomon or Algebraic-geometric code and the \inner code" is a Hadamard code. Codes obtained by such concatenation are the best known constructions of error-correcting codes with very large minimum distance. Our decoding algorithms enhance their nice combinatorial properties with algorithmic ones, by decoding these codes up to the currently known bound on their list-decoding \capacity". In particular, the number of errors that we can correct matches (exactly) the number of errors for which it is known that the list size is bounded by a polynomial in the length of the codewords.
Carbon Nanotube Thermal Pastes for Improving Thermal Contacts

The use of 0.6 vol.% single-walled carbon nanotubes in a poly(ethylene glycol)-based dispersion gave a thermal paste that was as effective as solder for improving thermal contacts. A thermal contact conductance of 20 × 104 W m−2 K−1 was attained. An excessive amount of nanotubes (e.g. 1.8 vol.%) degraded the performance, because of conformability loss. The nanotubes were more effective than hexagonal boron nitride particles but were less effective than carbon black, which gave a thermal contact conductance of 30 × 104 W m−2 K−1.
Quantitative genetic analysis of biomass and wood chemistry of Populus under different nitrogen levels

The genetic control of carbon allocation and partitioning in woody perennial plants is poorly understood despite its importance for carbon sequestration, biofuels and other wood-based industries. It is also unclear how environmental cues, such as nitrogen availability, impact the genes that regulate growth, biomass allocation and wood composition in trees. We phenotyped 396 clonally replicated genotypes of an interspecific pseudo-backcross pedigree of Populus for wood composition and biomass traits in above- and below-ground organs. The loci that regulate growth, carbon allocation and partitioning under two nitrogen conditions were identified, defining the contribution of environmental cues to their genetic control. Sixty-three quantitative trait loci were identified for the 20 traits analyzed. The majority of quantitative trait loci are specific to one of the two nitrogen treatments, demonstrating significant nitrogen-dependent genetic control. A highly significant genetic correlation was observed between plant growth and lignin/cellulose composition, and quantitative trait loci co-localization identified the genomic position of potential pleiotropic regulators. Pleiotropic loci linking higher growth rates to wood with less lignin are excellent targets to engineer tree germplasm improved for pulp, paper and cellulosic ethanol production. The causative genes are being identified with a genetical genomics approach.
Piecewise monotone filtering with small observation noise: Numerical simulations

A discrote time model for nonlinear filtering with small observation noise is considered in this paper. The observation function is assumed to be piecewise monotone with finitely many intervals of monotonicity. A sequential quadratic variation test is used to detect intervals of monotonicity of the observation function. It is shown that the original nonlinear model can be approximated by a simple linear model in the sense that the difference of the associated test statistic processes is small. Then, a diffusion process is used to approximate the linear model test statistic process. Therefore, the test statistic process for the original problem can be approximated by a diffusion process. Consequently, the associated confidence intervals and the mean decision time can be estimated and written explicitly in terms of the error probabilities. Finally, numerical simulation results are reported.
Productivity, Mortality, and Population Trends of Wolves in Northeastern Minnesota

Population parameters, mortality causes, and mechanisms of a population decline were studied in wolves ( Canis lupus lycaon ) from 1968 to 1976 in the Superior National Forest. The main method was aerial radio-tracking of 129 wolves and their packmates. Due to a decline in white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ), the wolf population decreased during most of the study. Average annual productivity varied from 1.5 to 3.3 pups per litter, and annual mortality rates from 7 to 65 percent. Malnutrition and intraspecific strife accounted equally for 58 percent of the mortality; human causes accounted for the remainder. As wolf numbers began to decline, pup starvation became apparent, followed by lower pup production, and then by increased intraspecific strife. At higher densities, adult pack wolves were the most secure members of the population, but as the population declined, they became the least secure because of intraspecific strife.