cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control of Wake Structure Behind and Oscillating Airfoil

Abstract : The initiation, development, and shedding of vortices induced by sinusoidal airfoil motions were examined in the airfoil wake across a range of independent forcing parameters. Then, the interactions of these wakes with a following or trailing airfoil were studied. Coherent, phase-dependent, tandem vortex wake structures emerged from the shedding vorticity of the UPSTREAM OSCILLATING AIRFOIL. Consistent interactions of the vortex wake with a trailing airfoil were revealed with both the multiple-exposure, phase-locked, flow visualization measures and the time-dependent surface pressure measurements. Impingement of the tandem vortex wake upon the trailing airfoil produced unsteady pressure distributions resulting in very transient loading. Similar effects in unsteady loading were observed when an auto-rotating flat plate was used to create a vortex-dominated wake. These finding suggest that a consistent, structured wake produced by unsteady separation might be used to produce desired lift characteristics on a trailing, lifting surface. Keywords: Flow visualization, Dynamic loads, Vortices.
Development and application of a diffusional sampler for NO2

Abstract Within a span of less than 10 years a new type of quantitative air sampling device has been developed; it derives the power for the collection of the contaminant on the sorbent from the random motion of the gas molecules themselves rather than from an external source. This type of passive device is adaptable to either area or personal sampling. The advantages, including low cost, lack of maintenance, minimal space requirements, and lack of explosion or fire hazard, are of great importance in either type of sampling. Their very light weight is particularly advantageous in personal sampling. It should be borne in mind that these are samplers and usually not complete analytical systems. In most of the devices reported the final analysis is carried out in the laboratory as it is for active samplers. To be effective it is necessary that the sorbent be efficient and have sufficient capacity for collection of the contaminant, and that the samplers have sufficient shelf life before and after sampling to permit distribution to the field and return to the laboratory for final analysis.
Computer: Friend Or Foe

For more than thirteen years, the Missouri Automated Radiology System has served as the information management system for the Department of Radiology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. MARS has evolved into a standalone modular system touching upon all aspects of radiology management. Written in MUMPS, the software system is flexible and has been consistently upgraded so that it is currently "state-of-the-art". Many management lessons are discussed here. Perhaps most important of all, the radiology information system has envolved in into an instrument of policy. Whoever controls the system controls the department. There still exists a tug of war between the advocates of the central computer system and the users of the standalone system. With the advent of the image management system, which clearly is in the domain of radiology, it is apparent that proper function of the department requires a marriage of the information management system and the image, management system. Therefore, it is imperative that these highly professional activities be based within the department of radiology.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dose to the Bladder Neck Is the Most Important Predictor for Acute and Late Toxicity After Low-Dose-Rate Prostate Brachytherapy: Implications for Establishing New Dose Constraints for Treatment Planning

Purpose To identify an anatomic structure predictive for acute (AUT) and late (LUT) urinary toxicity in patients with prostate cancer treated with low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR) with or without external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Methods and Materials From July 2002 to January 2013, 927 patients with prostate cancer (median age, 66 years) underwent LDR brachytherapy with Iodine 125 (n=753) or Palladium 103 (n=174) as definitive treatment (n=478) and as a boost (n=449) followed by supplemental EBRT (median dose, 50.4 Gy). Structures contoured on the computed tomographic (CT) scan on day 0 after implantation included prostate, urethra, bladder, and the bladder neck, defined as 5 mm around the urethra between the catheter balloon and the prostatic urethra. AUT and LUT were assessed with the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version4. Clinical and dosimetric factors associated with AUT and LUT were analyzed with Cox regression and receiver operating characteristic analysis to calculate area under the receiver operator curve (ROC) (AUC). Results Grade ≥2 AUT and grade ≥2 LUT occurred in 520 patients (56%) and 154 patients (20%), respectively. No grade 4 toxicities were observed. Bladder neck D2cc retained a significant association with AUT (hazard ratio [HR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.04; P P =.014) on multivariable analysis. In a comparison of bladder neck with the standard dosimetric variables by use of ROC analysis (prostate V100 >90%, D90 >100%, V150 >60%, urethra D20 >130%), bladder neck D2cc >50% was shown to have the strongest prognostic power for AUT (AUC, 0.697; P P Conclusions Bladder neck D2cc >50% was the strongest predictor for grade ≥2 AUT and LUT in patients treated with LDR brachytherapy. These data support inclusion of bladder neck constraints into brachytherapy planning to decrease urinary toxicity.
BK channel activation: structural and functional insights

The voltage- and Ca 2+ -activated K + (BK) channels are involved in the regulation of neurotransmitter release and neuronal excitability. Structurally, BK channels are homologous to voltage- and ligand-gated K + channels, having a voltage sensor and pore as the membrane-spanning domain and a cytosolic domain containing metal binding sites. Recently published electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) and X-ray crystallographic structures of the BK channel provided the first glimpse into the assembly of these domains, corroborating the close interactions among these domains during channel gating that have been suggested by functional studies. This review discusses these latest findings and an emerging new understanding about BK channel gating and implications for diseases such as epilepsy, in which mutations in BK channel genes have been associated.
Little Bloch Functions, Symmetric Pluriharmonic Measures, and Zygmund's Dichotomy

We introduce special Riesz products on the complex sphere and prove Zygmund's dichotomy for such products. Given d∈Z+, this construction yields a d-pluriharmonic measure μ such that all slices of μ are singular and uniformly symmetric. In particular, there exist non-constant little Bloch inner functions in the complex ball. Further little Bloch applications are given.
Localization and function of cat carotid body nicotinic receptors.

Abstract Acetylcholine and nicotinic agents excite cat carotid body chemoreceptors and modify their response to natural stimuli. The present experiments utilized [125I]α-bungarotoxin ([125I]α-BGT) to localize within the chemosensory tissue the possible sites of action of exogenous and endogenous nicotinic cholinergic substances. In vitvo equilibrium binding studies of intact carotid bodies determined a Kd of 5.57 nM and a Bmax of 9.21 pmol/g of tissue. Chronic section (12–15 days) of the carotid sinus nerve (CSN) did not change the amount of displaceable toxin binding. In contrast, the specific binding was reduced by 46% following removal of the superior cervical ganglion. Light microscope autoradiography of normal, CSN-denervated and sympathectomized carotid bodies revealed displaceable binding sites concentrated in lobules of type I and type II cells. Treatment of carotid bodies with 50 nM α-BGT in vitro reduced by 50% the release of [3H]dopamine (synthesized from [3H]tyrosine) caused by hypoxia or nicotine, and also significantly reduced the stimulus-evoked discharges recorded from the CSN. The data suggest (1) an absence of α-BGT binding sites on the afferent terminals of the CSN and (2) that nicotinic receptors located within parenchymal cell lobules may modulate the release of catecholamines from these cells.
Thermal Treatment of Beads with Wax for Controlled Release

AbstractBeads prepared by extruder/marumerizer technology were formulated with water soluble drugs, microcrystalline cellulose and several waxy materials. The waxes (10 to 50% by weight) were included in an effort to slow drug release. Subsequent thermal treatment of these beads was applied. Beads were processed to determine the effect of varying wax level, excipient, active drug, and effect of heat treatment. In-vitro drug release profiles were evaluated for the untreated and thermal treated beads. In general, the simple incorporation of wax into the granulation did not provide the desired controlled release dissolution profile. Thermal treatment of the finished beads, however, resulted in products which behaved in a different manner during dissolution testing and in general provided slower release. Drug release was found to vary with the type and level of wax, drug, excipient, and the thermal treatment.
Development of injury prevention materials for people with low literacy skills.

OBJECTIVE: Children living in low income urban environments are at high risk for preventable injuries, which result in thousands of Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) visits every year. The development and evaluation of written injury prevention materials used in a PED-based intervention trial are presented. The purpose is to describe the development of injury prevention materials for people with low literacy skills, and explain literacy and comprehension abilities among a sample of parents from the PED. METHODS: Materials were developed using rules of plain language and with consideration of the needs of a low literacy population. Materials were assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid and Suitability Assessment of Materials. Literacy and comprehension abilities in a PED sample were tested using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) and the Cloze. RESULTS: REALM results for n=59 parents sampled from the PED indicated that 27% (n=16) read below 9th grade reading level. Cloze results demonstrate that materials were appropriate for 71% (n=21) when written for 8th grade reading level and 80% (n=23) when rewritten for 6th grade reading level. CONCLUSION: Others designing similar interventions can use these methods to develop interventions for low literacy populations. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: When developing injury prevention materials for use with PED populations, health professionals should consider reading ability, reading level, content, and design of materials. Language: en
Identification of minute amounts of metals and alloys by electrosolution and electrophoresis

A simple scheme is described for extraction from the surface of metals and alloys of minute amounts of material in a state suitable for direct electrophoretic separation and analysis. The techniques of electrophoretic separation and of identification of the metals after separation are discussed with reference to examples and illustrations. The technique is suited for the investigation of very small particles of metals and alloys.
Strengthening Connections: Functional Connectivity and Brain Plasticity

The ascendancy of functional neuroimaging has facilitated the addition of network-based approaches to the neuropsychologist’s toolbox for evaluating the sequelae of brain insult. In particular, intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) mapping of resting state fMRI (R-fMRI) data constitutes an ideal approach to measuring macro-scale networks in the human brain. Beyond the value of iFC mapping for charting how the functional topography of the brain is altered by insult and injury, iFC analyses can provide insights into experience-dependent plasticity at the macro level of large-scale functional networks. Such insights are foundational to the design of training and remediation interventions that will best facilitate recovery of function. In this review, we consider what is currently known about the origin and function of iFC in the brain, and how this knowledge is informative in neuropsychological settings. We then summarize studies that have examined experience-driven plasticity of iFC in healthy control participants, and frame these findings in terms of a schema that may aid in the interpretation of results and the generation of hypotheses for rehabilitative studies. Finally, we outline some caveats to the R-fMRI approach, as well as some current developments that are likely to bolster the utility of the iFC paradigm for neuropsychology.
Low-light-level properties of the phototransistor charge-storage mode

The phototransistor charge-storage or integration mode at low light levels is described accurately using a simple model. The base-emitter junction governs charge readout at low levels, causing very nonlinear circuit behavior. Sluggish transient response, increased sensitivity of output to transistor current gain, and a nonlinear transfer characteristic degrade phototransistor low-light-level behavior more severely than junction dark current.
Use of statistical analysis to formulate conceptual models of geochemical behavior: water chemical data from the Botucatu aquifer in São Paulo state, Brazil

Water chemical data from the Botucatu Sandstone aquifer in the Sao Paulo State part of the Parana Basin, Brazil, was evaluated using geochemical methods and two statistical analyses: cluster analysis and factor analysis. The results were used to develop a conceptual geochemical model, in which three geochemical regions were identified, and their chemical behavior was modeled. The characteristic chemicals, changing from the recharge area to the center of the basin, are: SiO2—(HCO3− and Ca2+)—(Na+, CO32−, and SO42−). The distribution of the chemicals is interpreted as controlled by different water–rock interaction processes in the different regions. In the recharge area, dissolution of alkali–feldspar minerals in the sandstone is the main reaction observed; in the mid-section of the basin, calcite dissolution results in high calcium and bicarbonate concentration; in the center of the basin, leakage from underlying layers becomes the governing factor.
“bumps and boobs”: fatness and women's experiences of pregnancy

Abstract The primacy of women's physical appearance in the modern Western world is well documented within the literature, but it is assumed that this is no longer significant during pregnancy. In this paper, I will argue that this supposition is based on scant empirical evidence and suggest that the reverse may be true. This paper is based on a qualitative research study, which draws on 40 in-depth interviews with 19 pregnant women in the West Midlands, UK. It explores their perceptions of fatness, weight, and body shape during pregnancy, and explores the extent to which their concerns reflect either a resistance to the asexualisation of the pregnant body or the continued oppression of women's embodiment. The paper concludes by arguing that pregnant women adopt a pragmatic approach of both selective resistance to asexualisation and selective compliance with the pressure to be slim.
Age, gender, and local geographic variations of viral etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in a hyperendemic area for hepatitis B virus infection

BACKGROUND There are etiologic variations of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in different geographic areas. Taiwan is a hyperendemic area for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection also plays an important role in HCC development in Taiwan. Identification of local HCV-endemic areas is important to keep HCV from spreading. This study investigated the etiologic variations of HCC in different geographic areas of Taiwan. METHODS The authors evaluated the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV) status of 284 patients (232 male, 52 female) with HCC. They also evaluated the gender ratio and mean age of these patients. RESULTS The mean age of HBsAg positive patients was significantly lower than the mean age of HBsAg negative patients (52.6 ± 12.3 vs. 61.3 ± 11.2 years) (P < 0.05). The male-to-female ratio was 4.5:1 for all HCC patients, 7:1 for HBsAg positive HCC patients, and 2.8:1 for anti-HCV positive HCC patients. In Chaiyi County in southern Taiwan, the prevalence of anti-HCV in male HCC patients was 52%, significantly greater than that of Taiwan as a whole (27.6%) (P = 0.07). However, the prevalence of anti-HCV in male HCC patients in Taipei County in northern Taiwan was 8.7%, significantly less than that of Taiwan as a whole (P = 0.043). Of a total of 65 Chiayi-based HCC patients, 55.4% were anti-HCV positive and 46.2% were HBsAg positive. In the Chiayi area, results of multiple logistic regression showed that the HCC patients who were age 60 years or older or who were living in the city area both had highly HCV-related disease. CONCLUSIONS The mean age of patients with HBV-related HCC was significantly lower than that of patients with non-HBV-related HCC. The male-to-female ratio for patients with HBV-related HCC was significantly higher than that of patients with HCV-related HCC. The authors identified an area of Taiwan in which HCV-related HCC was prevalent. Cancer 1999;86:1143–50. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Isolation and characterization of μ-calpain, m-calpain, and calpastatin from postmortem muscle. I. Initial steps

Evidence has indicated that mu-calpain, m-calpain, and calpastatin have important roles in the proteolytic degradation that results in postmortem tenderization. Simple assays of these 3 proteins at different times postmortem, however, has shown that calpastatin and mu-calpain both rapidly lose their activity during postmortem storage, so that proteolytic activity of mu-calpain is nearly zero after 3 d postmortem, even when assayed at pH 7.5 and 25 degrees C, and ability of calpastatin to inhibit the calpains is 30% or less of its ability when assayed at death. m-Calpain, however, retains much of its proteolytic activity during postmortem storage, but the Ca(2+) requirement of m-calpain is much higher than that reported to exist in postmortem muscle. Consequently, it is unclear how the calpain system functions in postmortem muscle. To clarify this issue, we have initiated attempts to purify the 2 calpains and calpastatin from bovine semitendinosus muscle after 11-13 d postmortem. The known properties of the calpains and calpastatin in postmortem muscle have important effects on approaches that can be used to purify them. A hexyl-TSK hydrophobic interaction column is a critical first step in separating calpastatin from the 2 calpains in postmortem muscle. Dot-blot assays were used to detect proteolytically inactive mu-calpain. After 2 column chromatographic steps, 5 fractions can be identified: 1) calpastatin I that does not bind to an anion-exchange matrix, that does not completely inhibit the calpains, and that consists of small polypeptides <60 kDa; 2) calpastatin II that binds weakly to an anion-exchange matrix and that contains polypeptides <60 kDa; all these polypeptides are smaller than the native 115- to 125-kDa skeletal muscle calpastatin; 3) proteolytically active mu-calpain even though very little mu-calpain activity can be detected in zymogram assays of muscle extracts from 11- to 13-d postmortem muscle; this mu-calpain has an autolyzed 76-kDa large subunit but the small subunit consists of 24-, 26- and a small amount of unautolyzed 28-kDa polypeptides; 4) proteolytically active m-calpain that is not autolyzed; and 5) proteolytically inactive mu-calpain whose large subunit is autolyzed to a 76-kDa polypeptide and whose small subunit contains polypeptides similar to the proteolytically active mu-calpain. Hence, loss of calpastatin activity in postmortem muscle is due to its degradation, but the cause of the loss of mu-calpain activity remains unknown.
A Method of Measuring Low-Velocity Vertical Flow

Abstract A method of measuring very low updraft velocities (<1 m sec−1) in vertical wind tunnels is presented. It consists of observing the collision and coalescence of two equal radii droplets. The fall velocity of the resultant droplet is shown to be uniquely related to the updraft velocity. The apparatus used to implement the method is described.
A hydroxyl-dependent silver method for nerve axoplasm.

Axoplasm is selectively impregnated by the following steps: (1) fixation in 10% formalin or in 10% formalin with added sucrose, 15%, and concentrated NH4OH, 1%, for 1-7 days; (2) frozen sections; (3) extraction of the sections in 95% ethyl alcohol, absolute alcohol, xylene, and 95% ethyl alcohol and absolute alcohol, 1 hr each; (4) distilled water, 3 changes of 10 min each; (5) 20% AgNO3 (aq.) at 25°C, 30 min; (6) distilled water, 3 changes of 1-2 sec each; (7) 6.9% K2CO3, 1 hr; (8) water, 3 changes of about 1 min each; (9) 0.2%AuCl3, 2 min; (10) distilled water; (11) 5% Na2S2O3, 2 min; (12) washing, clearing and mounting. This procedure is proposed as a simplified stain for axoplasm, with other tissue components remaining unstained. The few reagents necessary suit this method for histochemical investigation of the mechanism of silver staining.
REVIEW ■ : Molecular Basis of Congenital Myasthenic Syndromes: Mutations in the Acetylcholine Receptor

The congenital myasthenic syndromes include end-plate (EP) acetylcholinesterase deficiency, presynaptic abnormalities affecting the evoked release or size of transmitter quanta, and acetylcholine (ACh) receptor (AChR) channelopathies stemming from a kinetic abnormality and/or deficiency of AChR. A kinetic abnor mality predicts, and AChR deficiency may predict, one or more mutations in an AChR subunit gene. These clues have led to the identification of 53 mutations in different subunits of AChR in 55 kinships of the congenital myasthenic syndromes. The mutations either increase or decrease the response to ACh, produce AChR deficiency, or both. In the slow-channel syndromes, prolonged opening episodes of AChR cause cationic overloading of the EP and an EP myopathy; the mutations occur in different subunits and different domains of the subunits and have dominant positive effects. The M1 and M2 mutations slow channel closure, increase apparent affinity for ACh, and variably enhance desensitization, and the ex...
Square peg in a round hole: Electronic information and the federal depository library program

Abstract Rapid technological advances have brought the relevance of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) into question. Technology has advanced to the point that government information is so easy to distribute electronically, that it is seemingly available everywhere. Documents librarians, and increasingly other librarians as well, must come to terms with how to handle the flood of electronic government information from a wide variety of sources while at the same time coping with the changes wrought by a fading FDLP. The slow and uneven response of the Government Printing Office (GPO) to accelerating technology and electronic information, in part due to congressional and information policy impediments and in part due to its own reluctance to move beyond its traditional printing role, says much about the FDLP's current situation and what it will mean to be an electronic depository. This article examines the history of electronic products in the depository program, the redefinition of dissemination of government information in an electronic environment, the roles for the non-depository government information services, and what the future may hold for public access to government information in all formats.
Better, Faster, Stronger: Government Reinvention in the 1990s

The 1990s have been a period of intense reanalysis of what government does and of how it does it. As a result, public-sector organizations at the national, state, and local level are changing the way they do business to enhance performance, improve productivity, and champion customer service. This research analyzes the effects of reinventing government on selected public agencies. In general, survey respondents think reinvention activities have contributed to the development of more productive, more cost-conscious organizations offering enhanced services and improved performance. Regression results suggest that a number of different factors contribute to that thinking. These factors include the reasons that the governmental unit undertook reinvention activities and the internal and external actors involved in designing the reinvention.
Beef cattle body temperature during climatic stress: a genome-wide association study.

Cattle are reared in diverse environments and collecting phenotypic body temperature (BT) measurements to characterize BT variation across diverse environments is difficult and expensive. To better understand the genetic basis of BT regulation, a genome-wide association study was conducted utilizing crossbred steers and heifers totaling 239 animals of unknown pedigree and breed fraction. During predicted extreme heat and cold stress events, hourly tympanic and vaginal BT devices were placed in steers and heifers, respectively. Individuals were genotyped with the BovineSNP50K_v2 assay and data analyzed using Bayesian models for area under the curve (AUC), a measure of BT over time, using hourly BT observations summed across 5-days (AUC summer 5-day (AUCS5D) and AUC winter 5-day (AUCW5D)). Posterior heritability estimates were moderate to high and were estimated to be 0.68 and 0.21 for AUCS5D and AUCW5D, respectively. Moderately positive correlations between direct genomic values for AUCS5D and AUCW5D (0.40) were found, although a small percentage of the top 5 % 1-Mb windows were in common. Different sets of genes were associated with BT during winter and summer, thus simultaneous selection for animals tolerant to both heat and cold appears possible.
The Local Articulation of Policy Conflict: Land Use, Environment, and Amerindian Rights in Eastern Amazonia

The Brazilian government has promoted development in Amazonia for over forty years. Nevertheless, improvement of rural conditions has been limited. Although tropical deforestation has been the premier concern in discussions about Amazonia, this article focuses instead on the human dimensions of development and the apparent failings of social policy in the region. In so doing, the article argues that what we observe today represents the consequence of conflicting development strategies, brought about by shifting national priorities that were influenced, in part, by international pressures. The article makes this argument by first presenting an overview of development strategies pursued since the mid-twentieth century, followed by a description of shifting national priorities linked to pressures from the international community regarding indigenous rights and environmental concern. Finally, this article presents a GIS-based case study focused on the state of Para, demonstrating the spatial articulation of c...
Children with SLI use argument structure cues to learn verbs.

Across two tasks, children's use of argument structure cues to learn verbs was tested. In Task 1, we examined children's use of cues to interpret novel verbs while viewing single action scenes. In ...
Comparing Laser‐Induced Fluorescence Measurements and Computer Models of Low Pressure Flame Chemistry

Laser-induced fluorescence measurements in low pressure flames, including hydrogen atom profiles, are examined as crucial tests of models of combustion chemistry. Both absolute and relative spatial profiles of reactive intermediate concentrations are useful for comparison. Careful temperature measurements for use as model input are emphasized. Radial OH LIF profiles in flames below 10 torr show an expanding flame which must be properly treated in model calculations. Diluted flames at pressures above 30 torr provide a preferred one-dimensional fluid flow.
Pressure exerted by odontic periapical lesions.

Abstract Odontic periapical lesions can cause pain of varying intensities, and the degree of pain is determined by several factors. One of these—the pressure exerted by odontic lesions—can be measured directly. A study of mongrel dogs reveals that the pressure exerted by such lesions tends to follow the quantity of body fluid in the edematous animal and that the administration of a diuretic tends to reduce the quantity of fluid produced and to lower the pressure exerted by intrabony lesions.
Mesoporous Nitrogen-Doped Carbon-LiSICON Glass Ceramics as High Performance Cathodes in Solid-State Lithium–Oxygen Batteries

Abstract : Here we report the use of N-C blend with 20 wt% LAGP (composite 3) in the cathode of a solid-state lithium-oxygen cell with superior discharge cell capacity compared to the cell performance with composite 1 and composite 2. The improvement in cell performance is due to the superior electrochemical activity of composite 3 for the reduction of oxygen and the higher ionic conductivity of LAGP to transport lithium ions in the composite matrix.
Nikon EB stepper: its system concept and countermeasures for critical issues

The imaging concept of electron projection lithography (EPL) with silicon stencil reticle is explained. A silicon membrane thickness of 1 - 4 micrometer is suitable for the reticle. A scattering contrast of greater than 99% is expected. Nikon EB stepper's dynamic writing strategy of discrete exposure on a sub-field by sub-field basis with deflection control of the electron beam is explained. The basic system configuration of EB stepper is introduced. Examples of error budget for CD variation and Overlay/Stitching are shown. Nikon's policy for countermeasures for critical issues such as proximity effect correction, sub-field/complementary stitching and wafer heating influence are explained. For extensibility down to 70 nm and below, both exposure tool and reticle should be improved.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Reply to Halpern and Coren

A convincing case for longevity differences between right- and left-handers remains to be made. The new, positive archival data cited by D. F. Halpern and S. Coren (1993) must be interpreted cautiously, as they themselves elsewhere acknowledge, in the light of other new and negative archival data. More significantly, a new prospective study comparing death rates within same-age cohorts-the only valid way to assess mortality differences-corroborates prior reports that rail to show a right-hander advantage. Finally, the evidence Halpern and Coren present for additional categories or «risk factors» purportedly associated with left-handedness is as problematic as that presented in their original article
A Scleroderma-like Syndrome with Fasciitis, Myositis, and Eosinophilia

Excerpt Recent reports (1, 2) have identified patients who had eosinophilia, hypergammaglobulinemia, and pain and swelling of the extremities with diffuse thickening and inflammation of the fascia ...
Hospital admissions for pneumonia more likely with concomitant dental infections

Objective The objective of this study is to determine if the presence of dental infection is associated with an increased likelihood of hospital admission following an emergency department (ED) visit among patients diagnosed with pneumonia. We hypothesized that the presence of a dental infection may worsen the clinical symptoms in ED patients diagnosed with pneumonia and are using hospital admission as a marker of worsening clinical severity.
Windblown Dust on Mars

The wave of darkening in the Martian springtime, which some say may have a biological explanation, can be explained in terms of windblown dust.
New estimates of the large-scale Arctic atmospheric energy budget

[1] New estimates of the current energy budget of the north polar cap (the region north of 70°N) are synthesized by combining data from new atmospheric reanalyses and satellite retrievals. For the period 2000–2005, monthly means from the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) satellite data set are considered to provide the most reliable top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiation budget. The remaining components of the energy budget, comprising of the energy storage, horizontal convergence of energy, and the net surface flux between the atmospheric and subsurface columns, are compiled using data from the Japanese 25 Year Reanalysis Project (JRA) and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) /National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Reanalysis (NRA). The annual cycles of energy budget components for the polar cap are fairly consistent between the JRA and NRA, but with some systematic differences. JRA depicts an annual mean surface flux of 14 W m−2 (upward), compared to only 5 W m−2 in NRA. Most of this disparity appears to be due to differences in sea ice and albedo. Horizontal atmospheric energy flux divergence calculated using mass-corrected flux values contains artifacts leading to unphysical results. We argue that backing out the energy flux convergence as a residual from the net surface heat flux and time change in energy storage from each reanalysis, and the TOA radiation budget from CERES, provides for more physically realistic results in the Arctic. Monthly mean anomalies of budget terms, used to examine conditions leading to the extreme seasonal sea ice extent minimum of September 2005, point to the importance of albedo feedback.
Discontinuous finite element discretizations for the SN neutron transport equation in problems with spatially varying cross sections

Abstract We examine the accuracy of arbitrary degree discontinuous finite element spatial discretizations of the S N particle transport equations with cross sections that are continuous functions of space. For cell-wise constant cross section problems in purely absorbing materials, it has previously been shown that using arbitrary degree DFEM with quadrature-based mass matrix lumping techniques can result in fully accurate schemes with strictly positive angular flux outflows in 1-D slab geometry. We adapt these quadrature-based, or “self-lumping”, schemes to problems with arbitrarily varying spatial cross sections and incorporate the cross-section spatial dependence into the definition of the mass matrices. We compare two approaches to deal with the cross-section spatial dependence. The first approach approximates the true cross section as a cell-wise constant that preserves the cell-average cross-section value. The second method uses self-lumping quadrature to evaluate the exact cross section at quadrature points. Regardless of DFEM trial space degree, approximating a spatially varying cross section with a cell-wise constant cross section results in schemes that are at most second-order accurate in space. Additionally, we demonstrate that assuming a cell-wise constant cross section generates interaction rate profiles that have highly non-physical, non-monotonic discontinuities. Using the self-lumping technique to account for cross-section spatial variation with Gauss or Lobatto quadrature yields fully accurate DFEM schemes for problems with spatially varying cross section. Self-lumping schemes that evaluate the cross section at quadrature points do not exhibit non-physical interaction rate profiles. Unfortunately, only a self-lumping linear DFEM with Lobatto quadrature is guaranteed to produce strictly positive angular flux outflow in a pure absorber when accounting for cross-section spatial variation. Robustness and convergence order comparisons are first carried out using a pure absorber test problem. The cross-section spatial variation is chosen such that an analytical solution can be obtained. Next, we study the spatial effects of isotopic concentration changes during fuel depletion. The depletion problem confirms the accuracy results of the pure-absorber problem.
Characteristics of the formation of the platelet lipoxygenase product from endogenous arachidonic acid.

The concentration of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) formed in rat platelets aggregated by collagen suspension increased continuously during a 115-min incubation period, whereas the concentration of TXB2 or PGF2α reached the maximum within 3 min and stayed at the plateau for the remaining incubation period. These data indicate that platelet lipoxygenase is not completely inactivated as is cyclooxygenase by the oxidizing agent. Platelets of essential fatty acid deficient (EFAD) rats resuspended in plasma of control rats produced more 12-HETE than platelet-rich plasma (PRP) of EFAD rats, whereas platelets of control rats resuspended in plasma of EFAD rats formed less 12-HETE than PRP of control rats. However, the concentration of TXB2 or PGF2α produced was not changed in both cases implying that platelet cyclooxygenase preferentially utilizes arachidonic acid (AA) derived from platelet lipids. Radioactivity of phosphatidylcholine (2-arachidonyl-1-14C) suspended in the plasma of PRP was incorporated into 12-HETE but not to TXB2, indicating again that only lipoxygenase can utilize AA derived from plasma phospholipids. The significance of this observation is that the effects of platelet lipoxygenase products, although their physiological roles are not known, would be much more persistent than cyclooxygenase products after platelets are stimulated or aggregated in vivo.
Aflatoxin B1 adsorption by clays from water and corn meal

Abstract Aflatoxins are toxic compounds found in grains and other food crops infested by Aspergillus fungi. Aflatoxins B 1 and M 1 are recognized carcinogens for animals and humans. Clay additives have been used to pelletize and improve the flow characteristics of animal feeds. Reduced aflatoxicosis in animals is an extra benefit of clay additives. Clay additive use has also been examined for reducing human aflatoxicosis. In this study, aflatoxin B 1 (AfB1) adsorption by reference clays and activated carbon (AC) will be compared to a commercial clay additive, Novasil, that lessens aflatoxicosis in animals. The n -alkylammonium expansion identified Novasil as a low-charge montmorillonite. AC and the montmorillonites, Novasil, SWy-2, and SAz-1 adsorbed ∼ 200 g/kg AfB1 from water, whereas, sepiolite (SepSp-1) adsorbed only ∼ 60 g/kg. For AfB1 adsorption from aqueous corn meal, a 60% methanol extraction was used. Retention of AfB1 from corn meal by all samples was much less (
Selective tomographic imaging of patients with new-onset seizure disorders.

OBJECTIVE Significant benefit could be realized by developing a clinical decision rule for new-onset seizure victims that would be capable of discriminating between patients having relevant structural lesions visible on computed tomographic (CT) imaging and those who do not. This study sought to determine whether a reliable decision rule could be developed using a limited number of clinical and demographic characteristics. METHODS Chi-squared recursive partitioning was applied in a secondary analysis of the EMERGEncy ID NET database of new-onset seizure victims. Variables in this database (age, sex, race, ethnicity, seizure type, history of HIV or cysticercosis, and presence or absence of lateralizing neurologic findings or altered mentation) provided the partitioning variables, while CT imaging results provided outcome measures. The study sought to develop a decision rule with 100% sensitivity for detecting any intracranial lesions, and a separate rule with 100% sensitivity for detecting lesions of emergent concern. RESULTS A decision rule using age > or = 65 years, lateralizing neurologic findings, altered mentation, high risk or known HIV infection, history of cysticercosis, and Hispanic ethnicity showed a sensitivity of 91.9% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 88.8% to 94.9%] in detecting individuals who had any tomographic finding. This rule had a sensitivity of 90.1% (95% CI = 83.4% to 96.7%) in detecting individuals with emergent tomographic findings. CONCLUSIONS Recursive partitioning failed to produce a decision rule capable of reliably identifying new-onset seizure patients who have important lesions identified on CT. Future attempts to formulate such an instrument may need to include additional variables. In the interim, physicians should use liberal tomographic imaging in evaluating patients who present with new-onset seizures.
ERRATUM: TIME REVERSAL IN NEUTRINO OSCILLATIONS

In our recent work[1] we estimated time reversal violations (TRV) for a number of projects that detect neutrino oscillations. Since none of these facilities have both electron and muon neutrino beams, tests of TRV are not possible. We suggested a new experiment for the MINOS[2] project, with baseline L=735 km, to employ another detector at baseline 2L, which could measure TRV, as with a 10% e-mu conversion at distance L, there would be a 1% increase of the original flavor at 2L, which could be detected. However, we neglected the curvature of the earth. An essential part of the calculation in Ref[1] is the interaction V as the neutrino beam moving through earth interacts with electron. As a result, V=0 for the L to 2L distance, as shown in Fig. 1 If a detector were to be placed at 1470 km, as in the proposed L-2L experiment, it would have to be installed about 1.3 km above ground, position 2. Our new proposed experiment is shown in Fig. 1, in which the neutrino beam is aimed at a new detector at the surface of the earth 735 km past the Soudan mine (position 3 in the figure), only a small deviation from the present MINOS neutrino beam. Since position 3 is very similar to that of the MINOS near detector at FNAL[2], this detector would be much easier and less expensive to construct than that proposed in Ref[1]. There would be a 1% increase in the electron neutrino probability that one would obtain with the 10% muon neutrino flux at the position of the Soudan mine. We conclude that this would be a means for the measurement of time reversal violation with neutrino oscillations.
Educational trends from census data

Entre 1910 y 1960 hubo un aumento de caei 24 milliones de personas de 5 a 19 anos de edad matriculadas en escuelas. Se calcula que casi la mitad (45 por ciento) de este aumento se ha debido a tasas mas elevadas de asistencia escolar, en tanto que el resto se debe al crecimiento de la poblacion. En la actualidad, casi iodos de los ninos en edad correspondiente a la escuela primaria, y cuya salud lo permite, estan matriculados en escuelas. El retraso con respecto al grado ha disminuido en forma substantial. Aun cuando las tasas de asistencia en los niveles inferiores a la escuela superior son mayores en el caso de mujeres que en el de hombres, mas elevadas en el caso de blancoe que en el caso de negros, y mayores en el caso de poblaciones urbanas que en el coso de poblaciones rurales, la magnitud de estas diferencias ha tendido a disminuir. La mayor parte de la reduccion de estas diferencias se refleja en la extensionde la educacion publica gratuita a todos los segmentos de la poblacion, tanto en el coso de escuelas primarias como secundarias. En el caso de la asistencia a escuelas superiores sin embargo, las diferencias por razon de raza, sexo y residencia son todavia muy grandes y han disminuido muy poco y en algunos casos parecen haber aumentado. La tendencia en el nivel educacional de los adultos despues de 1910 a estado hacia arriba con las mayoria de los indicadores sugirriendo una accelevacion durante las decadas mas reciente. Los blancos y losqueno lo son han hecho pregresos importantes, pero la disparidad en anos deescolaridad esta grande entre las razas.
A course on microprocessor-based control systems

A course on microprocessor-based control systems in which an associated laboratory provides hands-on experience for concepts introduced in lectures is described. Laboratory experiments emphasize a variety of electromechanical and thermofluid control systems. Students begin at the gate and transistor level, progress through assembly software development, and finish by implementing data acquisition and control software on particular devices. The course is taught to both senior undergraduate students and first-year graduate students. >
Further understanding factors associated with grade retention: Birthday effects and socioemotional skills

Abstract Young-for-grade kindergarteners experience a disproportionate risk of retention compared to their old-for-grade peers. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten cohort dataset, this study investigated whether socioemotional skills mediated the association of age with kindergarten retention. Multilevel logistic regression models tested whether certain positive (e.g., interpersonal skills, approaches to learning) and negative (e.g., externalizing behavior) socioemotional skills were related to the likelihood of grade repetition, while controlling for academic abilities and student demographic variables. Findings showed that the relatively youngest kindergarteners were approximately five times more likely to be retained compared to the oldest student and that a child's approach to learning (e.g., attentiveness, task persistence) contributed as much as a child's academic abilities in relation to the likelihood of repeating a grade.
Bispectral diffraction imagery. I. The bispectral optical transfer function

An integral representation of the bispectral optical transfer function, 〈T(α1)T(α2)T(−α1 − α2)〉, has been obtained in terms of the spatially random wave-front aberrations induced by the turbulent atmosphere and the deterministic wave-front aberrations of an optical system with an exit pupil in the shape of a slit (narrow rectangular aperture). Representative numerical calculations have been carried out for focused and defocused nonaberrated optical systems as well as for systems suffering from third-order coma. The phase of the bispectral transfer function is identically zero for the former cases but not for the latter case. The resultant contour plots of equal phase are shown and discussed.
Solid + liquid phase equilibria, excess enthalpies, and enthalpies of fusion in (2,3-dimethyl-2,3-butanediol + water)

Abstract The solid + liquid phase diagram has been determined for 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-butanediol (pinacol) + water. Congruently melting solid hydrates form with the formulas [C(CH 3 ) 2 OH] 2 · 6H 2 O and approximately [C(CH 3 ) 2 OH] 2 · H 2 O. The melting temperatures are 318.78 K and 315.18 K, respectively. D.s.c. was used to determine the enthalpy of fusion of pure [C(CH 3 ) 2 OH] 2 (14.7 kJ · mol −1 ) and of the 1–6 hydrate (67.6 kJ · mol −1 ). Difficulty in achieving equilibrium prevented an accurate determination of the enthalpy of fusion of the 1-1 hydrate. Titration calorimetry was used to determine H m E at 320 and 325 K for {(1− x )[C(CH 3 ) 2 OH] 2 + x H 2 O}. The above results were combined with enthalpies of fusion and heat capacities from the literature for water to obtain the ΔH m at 318.78 K for the formation of [C(CH 3 ) 2 OH] 2 · 6H 2 O(s) from the solid glycol and solid water. The value obtained, −(12.5 ± 0.5) kJ · mol −1 , indicates considerable energy stabilization due to the formation of the hydrate. The 1–6 hydrate system shows excellent promise for thermal energy storage.
Perspectives from the field of early childhood special education.

Purpose Positive academic outcomes for young children with special education needs can best be facilitated when a combination of professionals including speech-language pathologists (SLPs), general education teachers, occupational and physical therapists, and early childhood special educators (ECSEs) work together. However, it can be challenging to read across disciplines to maintain expertise within the domain of early childhood education because each profession has specialized intradisciplinary terminology. This clinical forum provides an up-to-date summary of the field of early childhood special education, with articles from experts from related professions describing current issues and trends in the field. Method This prologue introduces the concepts of universal design, differentiated instruction, and embedded learning opportunities. The prologue also outlines the roles, responsibilities, and accountability of professionals who work in early childhood special education. Conclusion SLPs can work towar...