cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Degenerate point/curve and curve/curve bisectors arising in medial axis computations for planar domains with curved boundaries

Abstract The medial axis of a planar domain is the locus of points having at least two distinct closest points on the domain boundary. Segments of the medial axes of domains with curved boundaries fall into the two broad categories of point/curve bisectors and curve/curve bisectors. Certain “degenerate” forms of these bisectors, of a different intrinsic nature than the general instances and requiring appropriate algorithm modifications, arise generically in medial-axes computations. These include (i) point/curve bisectors where the point lies on the curve; (ii) curve/curve bisectors where the two curves are identical, i.e., the self-bisector of a curve; and (iii) curve/curve bisectors for distinct curves that share (with various orders of continuity) a common endpoint . We elucidate the geometrical nature of these special bisector forms, and develop algorithms (or algorithm modifications) for computing them. Together with existing algorithms for generic bisectors, they comprise a full complement of basic tools required in medial-axis computations.
Transgender patient satisfaction following reduction mammaplasty.

Summary Aim To evaluate the outcome of reduction mammaplasty in female-to-male transgender patients. Method A 5-year retrospective review was conducted on all female-to-male transgender patients who underwent reduction mammaplasty. A postal questionnaire was devised to assess patient satisfaction, surgical outcome and psychological morbidity. Results Seventeen patients were identified. The senior author performed bilateral reduction mammaplasties and free nipple grafts in 16 patients and one patient had a Benelli technique reduction. Complications included two haematomas, one wound infection, one wound dehiscence and three patients had hypertrophic scars. Secondary surgery was performed in seven patients and included scar revision, nipple reduction/realignment, dog-ear correction and nipple tattooing. The mean follow-up period after surgery was 10 months (range 2–23 months). Twelve postal questionnaires were completed (response rate 70%). All respondents expressed satisfaction with their result and no regret. Seven patients had nipple sensation and nine patients were satisfied with nipple position. All patients thought their scars were reasonable and felt that surgery had improved their self-confidence and social interactions. Conclusion Reduction mammaplasty for female-to-male gender reassignment is associated with high patient satisfaction and a positive impact on the lives of these patients.
The effects of selective interruption and deprivation of sleep in the human newborn.

In two separate studies, newborn infants' responses to sleep stage deprivation were investigated. In the first study, neonates were selectively awakened from either REM or NREM sleep during 1 interfeeding sleep period and allowed to recover in an undistrubed second. In the 2nd study, infants were kept totally awake for 1 interfeeding period and allowed to sleep undisturbed during the next. The results indicate that selective sleep stage deprivation by manual awakenings was impossible to achieve during the newborn period. Rather, the infants were partially sleep deprived (both stages of sleep were reduced) with increased amounts of wakefulness. During the disturbance the interrupted sleep stage demonstrated considerable “tenacity.” During undisturbed recovery sleep, in both studies, total sleep time was markedly increased. NREM sleep demonstrated a greater tendency for preferential recovery than REM sleep.
Some differences in diurnal phase and amplitude variations for VLF signals

Abstract The daily change in illumination over a VLF propagation path produces a regular variation in the phase and amplitude of a received signal. Significant differences have been reported for such variations when measured at the same frequency over propagation paths of similar length but different orientation. Past attempts have been made to explain these observations in terms of stellar X-ray sources and a major variation in VLF propagation parameters at the magnetic equator. This paper shows that a minor azimuthal variation in the relative phase velocities of interfering waveguide modes propagating at night can account for the observations in some detail.
Load carriage induced alterations of pulmonary function

Load carriage systems supported by the trunk have been shown to decrease certain indices of pulmonary function. We investigated the hypothesis that these pulmonary function reductions are directly related to the backpack load carrier due to the mechanical constraint to imposes on the thoracic cage. To investigate this hypothesis, 5 young males with no pulmonary disorders were tested while standing upright carrying well-fitted 0, 10 or 30 kg loaded U.S. Army ALICE backpacks. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and 15 s maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV15) were measured. With increasing load, FVC and FEV1 progressively decreased reaching 6 and 6.7% decrements (p < 0.05), respectively, with the 30 kg load. The MVV15 was decreased (p <0.05) by about 8.4% with the 10 kg load, but did not demonstrate any further decrement with the 30 kg load. Analysis of flow-volume loops obtained with the 0 and 30 kg loads showed that the reduction of FVC was not associated with any decrement of peak inspiratory or expiratory flows. These results indicate a limitation on the ventilatory pump caused by load carriage which is directly related to the load carried and characteristic of restrictive disease of the respiratory system (reduced FVC and FEV1 with no decrement in FEV1/FVC).
Civil Society by Design: Donors, NGOs, and the Intermestic Development Circle in Bangladesh

Intermestic Development Circles and Institutional Convergence Donors and NGOs in Bangladesh Dynamics of Intermestic Development Circles The Marginalized: Civil Society, Mass Movements, and the State Conclusions and Implications for Theory and Policy Acronym List Bibliography Index
Open Market Operations, Interest Rates, and Deposit Growth

Introduction, 431. — I. The basic free reserves model, 433. — II. An expanded free reserves model, 436. — III. Estimating deposit growth, 442. — IV. Some alternative hypotheses, 449. — Concluding comment, 453.
A long‐term, high‐resolution record of surface water iron concentrations in the upwelling‐driven central California region

[1] Seven years of observations of surface water iron concentrations in the Monterey Bay region of central California reveal a consistent annual cycle dominated by the injection of high concentrations of particulate iron each spring. A companion study of the water column near the upwelling center at the north end of the bay clearly indicates a sedimentary source for the iron. Local river discharge, during winter storm events, results in the deposition of a fine-grained sediment “fluff” layer along the shelf. The initial rapid shoaling of isotherms at the onset of upwelling in spring brings water from the fluff layer to the surface. Concentrations of iron in both surface and source waters are then quickly diminished although upwelling intensifies, bringing the highest concentration of nitrate to the surface ∼3 months later. The concentration of a number of constituents measured in bottom water samples collected during the companion study strongly suggests that the rapid decrease in surface water iron concentrations is due to the depletion of the fluff layer following initial isotherm shoaling. The decoupling of iron and nitrate supply sets up the potential for iron limitation. However, on the basis of average Fe/NO3 ratios, we conclude that the region is not often iron limited. Iron limitation was apparent only one summer at the offshore station. Summer chlorophyll concentrations are highly correlated to dissolvable (unfiltered) iron concentrations, evidence in support of the role of particulate iron in meeting the ecosystem's iron requirements.
JUDAS IN YORK: MASTERS AND SERVANTS IN THE LATE MEDIEVAL CYCLE DRAMA

(2002). JUDAS IN YORK: MASTERS AND SERVANTS IN THE LATE MEDIEVAL CYCLE DRAMA. Exemplaria: Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 317-350.
De novo designed protein transduction domain mimics from simple synthetic polymers.

Protein transduction domains (PTDs) that readily transverse cellular membranes are of great interest and are attractive tools for the intracellular delivery of bioactive molecules. Learning to program synthetic polymers and oligomers with the appropriate chemical information to capture adequately the biological activity of proteins is critical to our improved understanding of how these natural molecules work. In addition, the versatility of these synthetic mimics provides the opportunity to discover analogs with superior properties compared with their native sequences. Here we report the first detailed structure–activity relationship of a new PTD family of polymers based on a completely abiotic backbone. The synthetic approach easily allows doubling the density of guanidine functional groups, which increases the transduction efficiency of the sequences. Cellular uptake studies on three different cell lines (HEK 293T, CHO, and Jurkat T cells) confirm that these synthetic analogs are highly efficient novel ...
ESR Relaxation Studies on Orbitally Degenerate Free Radicals. I. Benzene Anion and Tropenyl

Careful continuous saturation measurements, which include corrections for nonuniform microwave and modulating fields, have been used to examine, at different temperatures, the ESR linewidths and saturation behavior of the benzene anion in a tetrahydrofuran: dimethoxyethane solvent and the tropenyl radical in molten bitropenyl. It has been found that the ratios of the longitudinal to transverse electron‐spin relaxation times (T1 / T2) for these free radicals in solution are about 1.1 ± 0.1 for the benzene anion below − 60°C and for tropenyl at 165°C. Analysis of the results has shown that at 9.1 GHz, g‐tensor, anisotropic dipolar, and spin–rotational relaxation mechanisms do not contribute appreciably to the observed times. The anomalously small relaxation times associated with these radicals have been attributed to effects involving the degenerate ground states of these radicals. The spin‐relaxation behavior of peroxylamine disulfonate anion in aqueous solution has also been studied.
Gray-scale median of the atherosclerotic plaque can predict success of lumen re-entry during subintimal femoral-popliteal angioplasty

Objective This study assessed whether the duplex ultrasound (DUS)–derived gray-scale median (GSM) of the most six distal portion of the occluded femoral-popliteal arterial segment can predict success of lumen re-entry for subintimal angioplasty. Methods During the last 3 years, 108 patients (62% men) with a mean age of 73 ± 10 years underwent 116 primary attempted DUS-guided subintimal angioplasties of the femoral-popliteal segment. Preprocedural B-mode DUS images of the plaque at the most distal occlusion segment were digitalized and normalized using Photoshop (Adobe, San Jose, Calif) software and standard criteria (gray level, 0 to 5 for lumen blood and 185 to 190 for the adventitia on a linear scale of 0 to 255). Overall GSM of the plaque segment about 2 cm long, immediately before the planned re-entry point to the true arterial lumen, was used for retrospective correlation with procedure success and other clinical indicators. Results Mean plaque GSM for all cases was 22.5 ± 12.6 (range, 3 to 60). The overall success rate of subintimal angioplasty procedures was 85%. Mean plaque GSM for 99 successful cases (18.4 ± 7.8) was significantly lower than for 17 cases (46.4 ± 8.1) where we failed ( P 35, in 71% of 24 cases with GSM >20, and in 50% of 34 cases with GSM >25. There was no statistically significant difference ( P = .45) between plaque GSM in 64 patients with diabetes (23.3 ± 13.5) compared with 52 nondiabetic patients (21.5 ± 11.4). Similarly, plaque GSM was not statistically different ( P = .9) in 52 patients with renal insufficiency (22.7 ± 13.2) compared with 64 patients with normal creatinine levels (22.4 ± 12.2). At the 6-month follow-up, no statistically significant difference was found between mean GSM (17.8 ± 7.8) in 47 stenosis-free cases compared with mean GSM (18 ± 6.8) in 22 cases where severe restenosis (>70%) or reocclusion was identified by DUS scan ( P = .4). Conclusions Plaque echogenicity represented by DUS-derived GSM can be used to predict the success of primary subintimal femoral-popliteal angioplasties.
Poly[(nitrato‐κO)tris(μ3‐1H‐1,2,4‐triazolato)dizinc(II)]: a three‐dimensional coordination polymer

In the title compound, [Zn2(C2H2N3)3(NO3)], there are two unique Zn atoms, both with site symmetry m. One forms a ZnN3O tetra­hedron and the other a ZnN6 octa­hedron. One and a half 1H-1,2,4-triazolate ligands, with the half-ligand located on a mirror plane, and a disordered nitrate anion complete the asymmetric unit of the structure. The polymeric connectivity is three-dimensional.
The ‘moral duty’ of public covenanting in the ante-bellum United States: New-World exigencies, Old-World response

Two small traditionally Calvinist denominations which united in 1858 to create the United Presbyterian Church of North America failed to merge in the early 1820s. In the earlier talks, significant doctrinal similarities highlighted irreconcilable points of difference among these American churches built largely by Irish immigrants. Negotiators especially differed over covenanting. Sharply differing doctrinal emphases helped define denominational distinctions in appealing to immigrants and their children as they considered competing strategies of assimilation into American life.
Patient Symptomatology in Anal Dysplasia

Importance High-resolution anoscopy (HRA) is becoming increasingly advocated as a method of screening for anal dysplasia in high-risk patients. Objective To describe, through HRA findings, the association between patient symptomatology and anal dysplasia among patients at high risk for anal dysplasia. Design, Setting, and Participants Univariable and multivariable analyses were conducted of data from a prospectively maintained HRA database on all patients undergoing HRA with biopsy from November 1, 2011, to March 13, 2014, at a tertiary care HRA clinic. Data included demographics, medical history and comorbidities, HIV status and related measures (CD4 cell counts, HIV viral load, and use of highly active antiretroviral therapy), sexual orientation (when available), patient symptoms at initial presentation, physical examination findings, anal Papanicolaou (Pap) smear findings. Main Outcomes and Measures High-resolution anoscopy diagnosis of high- vs low-grade dysplasia or no dysplasia. Results One hundred sixty-one HRA biopsy specimens (mean [SEM], 1.77 [0.11] biopsy specimens per patient) were obtained from 91 patients (mean [SEM] age, 45.7 [1.2] years; 61 men [67%]; 47 black patients [52%]; and 70 human immunodeficiency virus–positive patients [77%]). Twenty-seven patients (30%) had high-grade dysplasia, 26 had low-grade dysplasia (29%), and 38 had no dysplasia (42%). The majority of patients (63 [69%]) were asymptomatic (anal pain, 11 [12%]; bleeding, 14 [15%]; and pruritus, 10 [11%]). Forty-one patients (45%) presented with anal pain (odds ratio, 5.25; 95% CI, 1.44-21.82;P = .02), and patients with either high- or low-grade dysplasia were more likely to present with anal lesions on physical examination compared with patients without dysplasia (odds ratio, 4.34; 95% CI, 1.78-11.20;P = .002). Multivariable analysis suggested that anal pain was independently associated with high-grade dysplasia (odds ratio, 6.42; 95% CI, 1.18-43.3;P = .03). Conclusions and Relevance Anal dysplasia is a silent disease that is frequently asymptomatic. However, patients with anal pain, anal lesions, and other high-risk factors are at increased risk of having high-grade anal dysplasia. These patients may benefit from routine screening with HRA.
Zaprudered: the Kennedy assassination film in visual culture

On 22 November 1963, 59-year-old Abraham Zapruder balanced himself precariously atop a stone abutment by a grassy knoll overlooking Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. His secretary stood behind him, st...
Comparison of components of the testis interstitium with testosterone secretion in hamster, rat, and guinea pig testes perfused in vitro.

Components of the testis and cytoplasmic organelles in Leydig cells were quantified with morphometric techniques in hamster, rat, and guinea pig. Testosterone secretory capacity per gram of testis and per Leydig cell in response to luteinizing hormone (LH) (100 ng/ml) stimulation was determined in these three species from testes perfused in vitro. Numerous correlations were measured among structures, and between structures and testosterone secretion, to provide structural evidence of intratesticular control of Leydig cell function. Testosterone secretion per gm testis and per Leydig cell was significantly different in the three species: highest in the guinea pig, intermediate in the rat, and lowest in the hamster. The volume of seminiferous tubules per gm testis was negatively correlated, and the volumes of interstitium. Leydig cell, and lymphatic space per gm testis were positively correlated with testosterone secretion. No correlations were observed between volumes of blood vessels, elongated spindle-shaped cells, or macrophages per gm testes and testosterone secretion. The average volume of a Leydig cell and the volume and surface area of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) and peroxisomes per Leydig cell were positively correlated, and the volume of lysosomes and surface area of inner mitochondrial membrane per Leydig cell were negatively correlated with testosterone secretion. No correlations were observed between volume and surface area of rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), Golgi apparatus, and lipid, and volume of ribosomes, cytoplasmic matrix, and the nucleus with testosterone secretion per Leydig cell. These results suggest that Leydig cell size is more important than number of Leydig cells in explaining the difference in testosterone-secreting capacity among the three species, and that this increase in average volume of Leydig cell is associated specifically with increased volume and surface are of SER and peroxisomes. An important unresolved question is what is the role of peroxisomes in Leydig cell steroidogenesis.
Expanding renewable energy access with pro-poor public private partnerships in the developing world

The provision of energy services through renewable energy is capital intensive and requires significant upfront costs compared to conventional energy technology. In most of cases, government investments and public budgets have proved insufficient to expand access to electricity and modern energy in rural areas in a sustainable manner. There is a great need for mobilizing financial resources to expand local energy services delivery in the developing world. Pro-poor public–private partnerships are one of the best mechanisms to supplement and overcome government budgetary constraints for widening access to energy services, especially to the poor, as they can allocate project-risks between the public and private sector. This article explores eight case studies throughout the world of where pro-poor public private partnerships for renewable energy have expanded access to energy services for those most in need of them.
Antimicrobial treatment of pertussis

Patients with culture-positive pertussis in the paroxysmal state of the disease were treated with ampicillin, oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol, or erythromycin. No significant difference was noted in the subsequent course of illness when compared with that in untreated control patients. Ampicillin-treated patients remained culture positive for periods comparable to that in untreated control patients. Treatment with erythromycin, oxytetracycline, or chloramphenicol eliminated pertussis organisms from patients within a few days. Treatment with one of these drugs may thus render patients with pertussis, noninfectious. For this purpose, erythromycin appears to be the most effective of the 3 drugs studied. This drug may also be effective in prophylaxis against pertussis in exposed susceptible individuals, and in aborting or attenuating the illness when given to patients in the early preparoxysmal stage of the disease. Patients treated with pertussis hyperimmune globulin were compared with patients who were not but who had otherwise comparable treatment. There was no significant difference in the subsequent clinical course of illness or the time lapse before disappearance of pertussis organisms from the nasopharynx in the two groups.
HARNACK TYPE INEQUALITY : THE METHOD OF MOVING PLANES

A Harnack type inequality is established for solutions to some semilinear elliptic equations in dimension two. The result is motivated by our approach to the study of some semilinear elliptic equations on compact Riemannian manifolds, which originated from some Chern–Simons Higgs model and have been studied recently by various authors.
Design and evaluation of persuasive technology to encourage healthier typing behaviors

A software system was designed and implemented using an integrated set of persuasive approaches to encourage healthy typing behaviors that are often recommended for combating Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). The system encourages users to avoid excessive typing speeds, to set up and use typing shortcuts, and to take regular breaks from typing. The design and integration of a foot-operated input device that interoperates with the software system is also presented. Forty-three undergraduate students completed a laboratory procedure that used a between-groups experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of the system at persuading users to avoid typing at speeds that exceed a defined threshold as well as at persuading users to use predefined keyboard shortcuts (for example typing cpt as a shortcut for captain). Results indicated that providing users with feedback when they exceeded a typing speed threshold decreased the number of times they exceeded that threshold. Similarly, results indicated that providing users with feedback when they missed an opportunity to use a typing shortcut decreased the total number of shortcut usage opportunities missed.
Triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels in iron-deficient, hypertriglyceridemic rats

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to examine the role and status of thyroid hormone in iron-deficient hypertriglyceridemic rats. In Experiment I, male weanling rats were fed 6 diets containing 2 levels of dietary iron [6 ppm(−Fe) and 240 ppm(+Fe)] and 3 combinations of fats [14% beef tallow +1% safflower oil(B), 7.5% beef tallow +7.5% safflower oil(BS) and 15% safflower(S)]. After 3 weeks, rats receiving −Fe diets had elevated triglyceride (TG) and depressed triiodothyronine(T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels in serum, regardless of the fat source. No difference in the post-heparin lipolytic activity could be detected after 6 weeks of dietary treatment between rats fed +Fe and −Fe diets. Feeding the BS+Fe diet to the BS−Fe rats for 1 week brought their serum TG, T3, and T4 to levels similar to those of rats fed the BS+Fe diet for 7 weeks. In Experiment II, male weanling rats were fed B diets containing 6 levels of dietary iron (3, 6, 10, 15, 30, and 60 ppm) for 4 weeks. Weekly determinations of packed cell volume(PCV), serum T3, T4, and TG were made. PCV, serum T3 and T4 levels increased as dietary iron content increased. The relationship between serum TG level with dietary iron level or PCV was quadratic, curvilinear. Data also suggest that part of the iron effect on serum TG level is thyroid hormone related.
Decision Support Systems and Collection Management

Libraries have used Decision Support Systems (DSS) to track performance, monitor the results of innovation, identify problems and opportunities, evaluate alternative options, and conduct strategic planning. Until recently, DSS have been underutilized as a collection management tool. This paper explores the potential for and obstacles to computer-based systems for decision support in collection management.
Race, blood, disease and citizenship: the making of the Haitian-Americans and the Haitian immigrants into ‘the others’ during the 1980s–1990s AIDS crisis

This article traces the ‘otherisation’ of US denizens of Haitian descent during the 1980s and 1990s, subsequent to their incorporation into the ‘4-H club’ as ‘Haitians’, regardless of their citizenship. It argues that by collapsing the categories Haitian-Americans and Haitian immigrants into ‘Haitians’ and by accusing this collectivity of bringing HIV/AIDS to the United States, the US medical and political leadership and sectors of the media nullified the Haitian-Americans’ US citizenship and maligned both groups’ identity, promoting their alienation from the larger US population. It concludes with a plea to reframe the concept of citizenship and reassess the normative notion of belonging to the US nation-state.
Health-related quality of life after treatment for localized prostate cancer

Background. In men with prostate cancer, objective assessments of disease progression and survival time have dominated the published literature. Recently, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has also been studied as medical outcome in these men. HRQOL measures focus on the daily aspects of patients' lives that are often overlooked in traditional medical research. HRQOL outcomes can provide valuable information for physicians and patients deciding on therapy for localized prostate cancer. Methods. In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, 528 men, including 214 treated for clinically localized prostate cancer and 273 age-matched comparison subjects without prostate cancer, completed HRQOL surveys. Data were collected on general and disease specific HRQOL with established and newly developed psycho-metrically sound instruments. Results. No differences were seen among patient groups in comparisons of general or cancer specific HRQOL. Significant group differences were seen in prostate-targeted measures of dysfunction that included urinary, bowel, and sexual domains. Comparison subjects reported significant dysfunction in the urinary and bowel areas. Conclusions. HRQOL outcomes are important to men with prostate cancer. Although many patients experience specific treatment-related dysfunctions, their overall quality of life tends to remain unchanged. Because many older men lack perfect sexual potency, complete urinary dryness, or symptom-free bowels, regardless of whether they have been treated for prostate cancer, outcomes must be interpreted in this context. Both general HRQOL and disease-targeted measures must be used to assess medical outcomes in men treated for localized prostate cancer. Cancer 1995 ; 75 :2000-3.
Femtosecond dynamics of valence-bond isomers of azines: transition states and conical intersections

In this Letter, we report the ultrafast dynamics of isomerization and ring opening of azines, using femtosecond-resolved mass spectrometry. The experimental results and theoretical DFT/ab initio calculations elucidate the reaction mechanism and indicate the crucial role of conical intersections in driving these forbidden, ground-state processes. The global motion, initiated by fs wavepackets, is an important concept for nonradiative and reactive processes in polyatomics.
Examination of Coupling between an Upper-Tropospheric Cloud System and Synoptic-Scale Dynamics Diagnosed from Wind Profiler and Radiosonde Data

Abstract The evolution of synoptic-scale dynamics associated with a middle and upper tropospheric cloud event that occurred on 26 November 1991 is examined. The case under consideration occurred during the FIRE Cirrus-II Intensive Field Observing Period held in Coffeyville, Kansas, during November–December 1991. Using data from the wind profiler demonstration network and a temporarlly and spatially augmented radiosonde array, emphasis is given to explaining the evolution of the kinematically derived ageostrophic vertical circulations and correlating the circulation with the forcing of an extensively sampled cloud field. This is facilitated by decomposing the horizontal divergence into its component parts through a natural coordinate representation of the flow. Ageostrophic vertical circulations are inferred and compared to the circulation forcing arising from geostrophic confluence and shearing deformation derived from the Sawyer–Eliassen equation. It is found that a thermodynamically indirect vertical ci...
A pyrolysis mechanism for ammonia

The mechanism of NH 3 pyrolysis was investigated over a wide range of conditions behind reflected shock waves. Quantitative time-history measurements of the species NH and NH 2 were made using narrow-linewidth laser absorption. These records were used to establish an improved model mechanism for ammonia pyrolysis. The risetime and peak concentrations of NH and NH 2 in this experimental database have also been summarized graphically. Rate coefficients for several reactions which influence the NH and NH 2 profiles were fitted in the temperature range 2200 K to 2800 K. The reaction and the corresponding best fit rate coefficients are as follows: NH 2 +H→NH+H 2 with a rate coefficient of 4.0×10 13 exp(−3650/RT) cm 3 mol −1 s −1 , NH 2 +NH→N 2 H 2 +H with a rate coefficient of 1.5×10 15 T −0.5 cm 3 mol −1 s −1 and NH 2 +NH 2 →NH+NH 3 with a rate coefficient of 5.0×10 13 exp(−10000/RT) cm 3 mol −1 s −1 . The uncertainty in rate coefficient magnitude in each case is estimated to be ±50%. The temperature dependences of these rate coefficients are based on previous estimates. The experimental data from four earlier measurements of the dissociation reaction NH 3 +M→NH 2 +H+M were reanalyzed in light of recent data for the rate of NH 3 +H→NH 2 1+H 2 , and an improved rate coefficient of 2.2×10 16 exp(−93470/RT) cm 3 mol −1 s −1 in the temperature range 1740 to 3300 K was obtained. The uncertainty in the rate coefficient magnitude is estimated to be ±15%
Statistical forecasting of repetitious dome failures during the waning eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, February-April 1990

Abstract The waning phase of the 1989–1990 eruption of Redoubt Volcano in the Cook Inlet region of south-central Alaska comprised a quasi-regular pattern of repetitious dome growth and destruction that lasted from February 15 to late April 1990. The dome failures produced ash plumes hazardous to airline traffic. In response to this hazard, the Alaska Volcano Observatory sought to forecast these ash-producing events using two approaches. One approach built on early successes in issuing warnings before major eruptions on December 14, 1989 and January 2, 1990. These warnings were based largely on changes in seismic activity related to the occurrence of precursory swarms of long-period seismic events. The search for precursory swarms of long-period seismicity was continued through the waning phase of the eruption and led to warnings before tephra eruptions on March 23 and April 6. The observed regularity of dome failures after February 15 suggested that a statistical forecasting method based on a constant-rate failure model might also be successful. The first statistical forecast was issued on March 16 after seven events had occurred, at an average interval of 4.5 days. At this time, the interval between dome failures abruptly lengthened. Accordingly, the forecast was unsuccessful and further forecasting was suspended until the regularity of subsequent failures could be confirmed. Statistical forecasting resumed on April 12, after four dome failure episodes separated by an average of 7.8 days. One dome failure (April 15) was successfully forecast using a 70% confidence window, and a second event (April 21) was narrowly missed before the end of the activity. The cessation of dome failures after April 21 resulted in a concluding false alarm. Although forecasting success during the eruption was limited, retrospective analysis shows that early and consistent application of the statistical method using a constant-rate failure model and a 90% confidence window could have yielded five successful forecasts and two false alarms; no events would have been missed. On closer examination, the intervals between successive dome failures are not uniform but tend to increase with time. This increase attests to the continuous, slowly decreasing supply of magma to the surface vent during the waning phase of the eruption. The domes formed in a precarious position in a breach in the summit crater rim where they were susceptible to gravitational collapse. The instability of the February 15–April 21 domes relative to the earlier domes is attributed to reaming the lip of the vent by a laterally directed explosion during the major dome-destroying eruption of February 15, a process which would leave a less secure foundation for subsequent domes.
Characteristics of a finite-length MHD traveling-wave cylindrical accelerator or generator.

Previous work in MHD a.c. electrodeless generators has shown that a major portion of the losses are due to fringing effects related to the small number of wavelengths of the device. This theoretical study determines quantitatively the electrical efficiency of a cylindrical accelerator or generator of length comprising any integral or fractional number of wavelengths of the primary coil windings. The analysis employs the classical MHD equations and takes advantage of the usual simplifying assumptions. In the second part of the paper, a solution is presented which determines the correction coils necessary to eliminate first-order fringing losses. It has been found that, if the phase velocity of the magnetic field is greater than the fluid velocity, i.e., an accelerator, fringing may cause the device to act as a Joule heater rather than an accelerator. Indeed, for very small slips, most of the energy goes into Joule heating. For negative slip the device is a true generator, except for a region where the slip is small. Performance maps are presented which show, for a given radius and length, the electrical efficiency of the device as a function of the slip, whether it behaves as an accelerator, a Joule heater, or a generator. Numerical results also are shown for the aforementioned maps when correction coils are employed to elimiate first-order fringing losses in the device.
Larval trematode antagonism: Principles and possible application as a control method

Abstract The main features of trematode antagonism are reviewed briefly, and results of recent field experiments to test whether trematode antagonism can be used for control of trematode infections are discussed. These results show that it is easy to control trematode infections by dispersing large numbers of eggs of a dominant parasite in relatively small bodies of water. Such release may produce a multiple effect: (1) intertrematode antagonism; (2) considerable decrease in the snail population due to higher mortality and parasitic castration of infected snails; and (3) a microsporidan epidemic caused by a hyperparasite, affecting rediae and sporocysts and leading to suppression of cercarial production. Any one or a combination of the three effects may achieve control of the target species. The usefulness of this biological control method depends largely on whether dominant parasites can be found that fulfill the requirements for large-scale application and on whether other factors interfere with antagonism or prevent snails from becoming infected with the dominant speices. A good dominant trematode should be strongly antagonistic to the target species, have a wide geographic distribution, develop rapidly in the snail and cause complete castration, be easily maintained in the laboratory, and preferably be capable of infecting the snail hosts in their various habitats. Development of efficient methods of dispersing eggs and more field experiments are necessary to determine the advantages and limitations of this method.
Effects of buffer gases on the infrared multiphoton dissociation of C2H4DCl: A chemical clock to explore highly excited molecules

Observations are reported of the effect of the buffer gases He, Ne, and CF4, in the pressure range of 0–30 torr, on the branching ratio [HCl]/[DCl] of the unimolecular decomposition The ratio R = kH/kD has been measured in high-pressure thermal decomposition (670–1100 K) and was shown to give a unique measure of the internal energy of the decomposing molecules and hence, with RRKM theory and pressure fall-off data, a time scale for their decomposition. Applying the thermal data to the photolysis leads to the conclusion that excitation and decomposition are produced by the laser spike (high intensity, 70 ns FWHM) and also at a slower rate by the larger, less intense tail (1.6 μs). Added buffer gases quench the latter, leaving the former which, from measurements of R, is shown to correspond to excitations of 115 ± 15 kcal/mol and lifetimes of ∼30 ps. No bond breaking is seen despite the high energies, in accord with theoretical expectations. The results require an enhanced rate of photon absorption by the highly excited molecules, which are about hundredfold greater than that observed for 300 K molecules. Data are also reported for C2H2F2 and the secondary multiphoton photolysis of the ethylenes produced. Effects of beam geometry and wavelength are explored.
Honeycomb and k -fold Hermite subdivision schemes

We construct Hermite subdivision schemes for hexagon tiling and quadrisection/√3 refinement, which have applications in free-form surface design. Such subdivision schemes operate in such a way that when a "jet" of Hermite data is attached to each of the vertices in a coarse hexagon filing, the subdivision rule is capable of defining Hermite data attached to the vertices of successively refined hexagon tilings, in such a way that the data converges to a smooth limit function which has Hermite data consistent with that generated by the subdivision process. Such a "vertex-based scheme on hexagon tiling" can be thought of as a "face-based schemes on triangular tiling". This simple connection allows us to put the construction under the mathematical framework of subdivision operators and refinement equations.Along the way, we introduce a general concept called k-fold Hermite subdivision, and analyze its properties with the help of the strong convergence theory of refinement equation. The case of k = 2, together with an appropriate symmetry condition, can be used to handle the construction of honeycomb Hermite subdivision schemes. In particular, our framework allows us to construct smoother versions of two interesting honeycomb subdivision schemes in the literature.
Interfacing lipid bilayer nanodiscs and silicon photonic sensor arrays for multiplexed protein-lipid and protein-membrane protein interaction screening.

Soluble proteins are key mediators of many biochemical signaling pathways via direct interaction with the lipid bilayer and via membrane-bound receptors. Components of the cell membrane are involved in many important biological processes, including viral infection, blood clotting, and signal transduction, and as such, they are common targets of therapeutic agents. Therefore, the development of analytical approaches to study interactions at the cell membrane is of critical importance. Herein, we integrate two key technologies, silicon photonic microring resonator arrays and phospholipid bilayer nanodiscs, which together allow multiplexed screening of soluble protein interactions with lipid and membrane-embedded targets. Microring resonator arrays are an intrinsically multiplexable, label-free analysis platform that has previously been applied to studying protein–protein, protein–nucleic acid, and nucleic acid–nucleic acid interactions. Nanodiscs are protein-stabilized lipid assemblies that represent a conv...
Optical Brighteners Provide Baculovirus Activity Enhancement and UV Radiation Protection

Abstract Fluorescent brighteners increase insect viral activity and provide protection against UV inactivation. The relative amount of viral UV protection has not previously been determined due to the dual nature of these compounds. In this study, two distinct viral–host systems, a nuclear polyhedrosis virus of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) infecting its homologous host and a nuclear polyhedrosis virus of the alfalfa looper (Autographa californica) infecting the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni), were treated with various regimes of UV light from 0.5 to 120 min and fluorescent brightener 28 and were subsequently assayed with and without fluorescent brightener 28. A comparison of LC50s from the various treatments produced similar viral bioassay profiles in both systems. The fluorescent brighteners protected insect viruses from UV inactivation and enhanced residual activity of active virus. For the gypsy moth virus, the enhancement was 214-fold for its homologous host and for theA. californicavirus, the enhancement was 41-fold forT. ni.
“Squishy” problems and quantitative methods

The edited text of a talk on potential hazards in the application of quantitative methods to “squishy” problems without well-defined structure, of the type frequently encountered in government policy and decisionmaking. Squishy problems are defined, and a three-level conceptual model of analysis which displays the relative roles of logical inference and qualitative human judgment is described. Two ways in which people use models of all types, as a surrogate for the substantive problem (e.g., Newtonian mechanics as a surrogate for “real” mechanics), and as a perspective on the problem (e.g., two-dimensional perspective drawing) are described and contrasted, and some of the implications of the difference for the analysis of squishy problems are discussed.
Developing mercury control technology for coal-fired power plants - from concept to commercial reality

The US Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, under the Office of Fossil Energy's Innovations for Existing Plants (IEP) Program, has managed full-scale field tests of mercury (Hg) control technologies at nearly 50 US coal-fired power plants over the past 7 years. The high performance observed during many of these field tests, coupled with the reliability of Hg control system operations, has given coal-fired power plant operators the confidence to begin deploying technology. As of April 2008, nearly 90 full-scale activated carbon injection (ACI) systems, a signature technology of the IEP Program, have been ordered by US coal-fired power generators. These contracts represent over 44 gigawatts of coal-fired electric generating capacity. The ACI systems have the potential to remove more than 90% of the Hg in most applications, at a cost that can dip below $10,000 per pound of Hg removed.
Flexure fatigue of 10 commonly used denture base resins

Summary The flexure fatigue properties of 10 denture base resins (four different types) were tested. Each specimen underwent two-way testing in a water bath maintained at 37 ° ± 1 °C. A load of 3,650 gm was applied at 342 flexures per minute until the specimen broke. The resin types listed in order of increasing resistance to flexure fatigue are polymethylmethacrylate (PMM) pour resins, PMM thermosetting resins, vinyl resins, and a PMM grafted resin. Although small sample size and scatter of results limit broad application of this data, it is of some significance that the grafted resin Lucitone 199 tended to withstand repeated flexure when compared to the other resins.
PCR biases distort bacterial and archaeal community structure in pyrosequencing datasets.

As 16S rRNA gene targeted massively parallel sequencing has become a common tool for microbial diversity investigations, numerous advances have been made to minimize the influence of sequencing and chimeric PCR artifacts through rigorous quality control measures. However, there has been little effort towards understanding the effect of multi-template PCR biases on microbial community structure. In this study, we used three bacterial and three archaeal mock communities consisting of, respectively, 33 bacterial and 24 archaeal 16S rRNA gene sequences combined in different proportions to compare the influences of (1) sequencing depth, (2) sequencing artifacts (sequencing errors and chimeric PCR artifacts), and (3) biases in multi-template PCR, towards the interpretation of community structure in pyrosequencing datasets. We also assessed the influence of each of these three variables on α- and β-diversity metrics that rely on the number of OTUs alone (richness) and those that include both membership and the relative abundance of detected OTUs (diversity). As part of this study, we redesigned bacterial and archaeal primer sets that target the V3–V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene, along with multiplexing barcodes, to permit simultaneous sequencing of PCR products from the two domains. We conclude that the benefits of deeper sequencing efforts extend beyond greater OTU detection and result in higher precision in β-diversity analyses by reducing the variability between replicate libraries, despite the presence of more sequencing artifacts. Additionally, spurious OTUs resulting from sequencing errors have a significant impact on richness or shared-richness based α- and β-diversity metrics, whereas metrics that utilize community structure (including both richness and relative abundance of OTUs) are minimally affected by spurious OTUs. However, the greatest obstacle towards accurately evaluating community structure are the errors in estimated mean relative abundance of each detected OTU due to biases associated with multi-template PCR reactions.
Null distribution of the sum of squared z-transforms in testing complete independence

Brien et al. (1984, Biometrika, 71, 545–554; 1988, Biometrika, 75, 469–476) have proposed, illustrated and discussed advantages of using Fisher's z-transforms for analyzing correlation structures of multinormal data. Chen and Mudholkar (1988, Austral. J. Statist., 31, 105–110) have studied the sum of squared z-transforms of sample correlations as a test statistic for complete independence. In this paper Brown's (1987, Ann. Probab., 15, 416–422) graph-theoretic characterization of the dependence structure of sample correlations is used to evaluate moments of the test statistic. These moments are then used to approximate its null distribution accurately over a broad range of parameters, including the case where the population dimension exceeds the sample size.
The history of the discovery of the cigarette-lung cancer link: evidentiary traditions, corporate denial, global toll.

Lung cancer was once a very rare disease, so rare that doctors took special notice when confronted with a case, thinking it a once-in-a-lifetime oddity. Mechanisation and mass marketing towards the end of the 19th century popularised the cigarette habit, however, causing a global lung cancer epidemic. Cigarettes were recognised as the cause of the epidemic in the 1940s and 1950s, with the confluence of studies from epidemiology, animal experiments, cellular pathology and chemical analytics. Cigarette manufacturers disputed this evidence, as part of an orchestrated conspiracy to salvage cigarette sales. Propagandising the public proved successful, judging from secret tobacco industry measurements of the impact of denialist propaganda. As late as 1960 only one-third of all US doctors believed that the case against cigarettes had been established. The cigarette is the deadliest artefact in the history of human civilisation. Cigarettes cause about 1 lung cancer death per 3 or 4 million smoked, which explains why the scale of the epidemic is so large today. Cigarettes cause about 1.5 million deaths from lung cancer per year, a number that will rise to nearly 2 million per year by the 2020s or 2030s, even if consumption rates decline in the interim. Part of the ease of cigarette manufacturing stems from the ubiquity of high-speed cigarette making machines, which crank out 20 000 cigarettes per min. Cigarette makers make about a penny in profit for every cigarette sold, which means that the value of a life to a cigarette maker is about US$10 000.