cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medical image sequence interpolation via hierarchical pel-recursive motion estimation

Reduction of exposure in a pulsed cardiac X-ray fluoroscopy system may be accomplished by interrupting exposure during slower phases of the cardiac cycle and filling in the missing frames by interpolation to restore the full frame rate. The authors present a novel interpolation method whereby the collected frames are decomposed into a multiresolution hierarchy and a pixel-recursive algorithm is employed from the lowest to highest resolution in the hierarchy to obtain estimates of the pixel displacements. The intensity changes between corresponding pixels are then interpolated to fill in the missing frames. The authors show a computer simulation of the method, where only 11 of the original 29 frames produce a natural, nearly artifact-free rendition of the sequence. >
Glycerol Lubricant: Potential Source of Error in Commercially Prepared Blood Specimen Tubes

Glycerol used to lubricate the rubber stoppers capping certain commercially prepared blood specimen tubes (Vacutainers*) is a source of error when glycerol determinations are performed on blood collected in these tubes. It is suggested that the lubricant utilized in commercial preparation of collection tubes be designated prominently on labels and that further use of glycerol as a lubricant be eliminated.
Phytogard® (K2HPO3) induces localized resistance in cauliflower to downy mildew of crucifers

Phytogardt, a formulation containing 58% potassium phosphonate (K 2 HPO 3 ) and 42% water was tested for its ability to protect cauli#ower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) from downy mildew of crucifers (Peronospora parasitica). A dose-response analysis was conducted and concentrations of 0.0, 0.5, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 and 10.0 ml/l of water were tested on seven-day old seedlings using the spray method. On 30-day old plants, concentrations of 7.0, 10.0 and 20.0 ml/l were tested using the same spray method. Results showed that when applied before or after inoculation, Phytogardt provided complete protection (no sporulation) of seedlings with concentrations of 7.0 ml/l or higher. On young plants, complete protection was obtained at 10 ml/l. It was also shown that the induced resistance was not systemic but lasted at least 15 days after treatment. However, when Phytogard was applied on roots of 30-day old plants, all leaf stages were completely protected probably due to the ascendant transport of the compound. In another experiment, it was shown that Phytogardt at 7 ml/l inhibits germination of 53% of the spores. SDS}PAGE gels colored with silver nitrate revealed that the protein pro"le of treated plants was not modi"ed by treatment with the compound. However, when the protein extracts were concentrated (10]), results obtained showed that b-1,3 glucanase activity and PR2 proteins were weakly induced. These results suggest that resistance induced by Phytogardt is probably strongly localized. ( 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Synthesis of 5,8‐dihydro‐5‐oxo‐2‐(3‐ or 4‐pyridinyl)‐pyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidine‐6‐carboxylic acids and the reinvestigation of the thermal cyclization of diethyl (2‐hydroxy‐4‐pyrimidinyl)amino‐methylenemalonate

Diethyl [2-(3- or 4-pyridinyl)-4-pyrimidinyl]aminomethylenemalonates 5 prepared by the reaction between 2-(3- or 4-pyridinyl)-4-pyrimidinamines 3 and diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate (4) were thermally cyclized to afford ethyl 5,8-dihydro-5-oxo-2-(3- or 4-pyridinyl)pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-6-carboxylates 6. The later were alkylated with ethyl iodide and then saponified to give 5,8-dihydro-8-ethyl-5-oxo-2-(3- or 4-pyridinyl)pyrido-[2,3-d]pyrimidine-6-carboxylic acids 2. Thermal cyclization of diethyl (2-hydroxy-4-pyrimidinyl)amino-methylenemalonate (8) gave ethyl 1,6-dihydro-4,6-dioxo-4H-pyrimido[1,6-a]pyrimidine-3-carboxylate (10) instead of ethyl 5,8-dihydro-2-hydroxy-5-oxopyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-6-carboxylate (9) as previously claimed.
A pseudospectral matrix element method for calculation of double diffusive layers near corners

Abstract A numerical simulation of the time evolving layered structure in a fluid supporting both temperature and salinity gradients was conducted in an L-shaped region where an initially stable salt-stratified fluid was disturbed by heating the wall containing the corner protruding into the flow. In order to resolve the interfacial gradient between each layer of the flow a recently developed pseudospectral-element matrix method using the primitive variable formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations was incorporated into a new implementation of the Schwarz alternating procedure for Navier-Stokes solutions which differs from the conventional technique. This new procedure directly employs the continuity equation at the edge of overlapped domains as the boundary condition for the pressure rather than a Dirichlet condition. A novel feature of this method is that it allows the use of a previously developed eigenfunction expansion of the pressure operator to reduce the original complex two-dimensional problem to a simple one-dimensional problem. The computational results show that not only are convective layers formed along the vertical wall above the corner but, surprisingly, the layer emanating from the corner region dominates the development of the upper and lower layers.
LEFT VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH ADULT CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE

As a result of advancements in surgical repair and treatment, there are an increasing number of patients with congenital heart disease surviving into adulthood. Continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have been infrequently used in those patients that develop end stage heart failure,
Representing Redskins: The Ethics of Native American Team Names

In the fall of 1999, as the Atlanta Braves were facing the New York Mets for the National League Pennant, I wrote an editorial for the Atlanta Constitution denouncing the Atlanta fan tradition of mimicking, with gesture and voice, a Native American war cry (or at least the Hollywood version thereof) (21). The experience proved to be an exhilarating introduction to the South, where I had arrived only months before. A right-wing radio personality spent much of the day calling me a “candy ass liberal.” Two days later in the newspaper’s letters section I was hailed as a pencil-necked-geek and told to get a job that didn’t require deep thinking. Whatever expectation I had that a reasonable argument would win over enough fans to put an end to the “tomahawk chop” proved to be greatly misguided. While its prominence has faded somewhat, no accompanying wave of moral regret has swept the city. And judging from the persistence of such offensive team names as Redskins and such dubious logos as that of the Cleveland Indian’s Chief Wahoo (who bears a striking resemblance to Little Black Sambo), one can hardly point to any change of zeitgeist on this issue. 1 If the experience of my editorial has made me somewhat less sanguine about the power of a good argument to change social practices, I nonetheless remain convinced that the alternative (silence) will forever be an even less attractive option. 2 What follows, then, is a more full account of why North American team names are ethically problematic. More than just offering an ethical argument, however, I wish also to examine a political issue: when faced with an offensive cultural practice, what are the options and obligations of the liberal democratic state? I take up the ethical issue in the following three sections, and in the final section reflect upon this political issue. Before beginning, two quick clarifications are in order. First, my concern here is philosophical, not legal. The current legal standing of Native team names has been discussed elsewhere (e.g., 3; 14; 22), and I make no attempt to add to what has been said there. Second, the issue under examination is the general appropriation of Native American identity, be it in the form of names, symbols or cultural practices. I think there are differences between a team name, a team logo and a mascot doing a war dance at halftime, and that these differences render some such
No genetic evidence for hybridization between Rio Grande sucker, Catostomus plebeius, and the introduced white sucker, Catostomus commersoni, in the Rio Grande

Hybridization with the introduced white sucker, Catostomus commerson, has been blamed in part for the decline of the Rio Grande sucker, C. plebeius, in the upper Rio Grande basin of Colorado and New Mexico but without convincing evidence. Here we report results from a genetic study of hybridization between the two species across their sympatric range in New Mexico. We used two nuclear microsatellite markers and one mitochondrial DNA marker to identify hybrids. These genetic methods detected no F1 or backcross hybrids in larvae, young-of-the-year or adults from the upper Rio Grande basin. This indicates that hybridization between the two species occurs rarely, if ever.
Interpolation Theorems for Resolution in Lower Predicate Calculus

The resolution principle is an inference rule for quantifier-free first-order predicate calculus. In the past, the completeness theorems for resolution and its refinements have been stated and proved for finite sets of clauses. It is easy (by Godel's Compactness Theorem) and of practical interest to extend them to countable sets, thus allowing schemata representing denumerably many axioms. In addition, some theorems similar to Craig's Interpolation Theorem are proved for deduction by resolution. In propositional calculus, the theorem proved is stronger, whereas in predicate calculus the theorems proved are in some ways stronger and in some ways weaker than Craig's theorem. These interpolation theorems suggest procedures which could be embodied in computer programs for automatic proof finding and consequence finding.
Changes in maternal middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity associated with general anesthesia in severe preeclampsia.

UNLABELLED In women with severe preeclampsia, significant increases in mean arterial pressures (MAP) are common after rapid induction of general anesthesia (GA) and tracheal intubation. The objectives of this prospective study were to assess the effects of the rapid induction-intubation technique on middle cerebral artery (MCA) flow velocity in severe preeclampsia and to examine the correlation between mean MCA flow velocity (Vm) and MAP. Eight women with severe preeclampsia (study group) and six normotensive women at term (control group) scheduled to undergo cesarean section under GA were studied. Before induction, patients in the study group received i.v. labetalol in divided doses to lower diastolic pressures to <100 mm Hg. Anesthesia was induced with pentothal 4-5 mg/kg, followed by succinylcholine 1.5 mg/kg to facilitate tracheal intubation. A transcranial Doppler was used to measure Vm. Both Vm and MAP were recorded before induction and every minute for 6 min after intubation. In the study group, after the administration of labetalol, MAP decreased from 129 +/- 9 to 113 +/- 9 mm Hg (P < 0.05), and Vm decreased from 59 +/- 11 to 54 +/- 10 cm/s (P < 0.05). After intubation, MAP increased from 113 +/- 9 to 134 +/- 5 mm Hg (P < 0.001), and Vm increased from 54 +/- 10 to 70 +/- 10 cm/s (P < 0.001). In the control group, while MAP increased significantly from 89 +/- 6 to 96 +/- 4 mm Hg (P < 0.05) after intubation, the concurrent increase in Vm from 49 +/- 5 to 54 +/- 7 cm/s was not significant. There was a significant positive pooled correlation between Vm and MAP (r = 0.5, P < 0.0006) in the study group but not in the control group (r = 0.24). After induction and intubation, both Vm and MAP values were significantly increased in the study group patients at all observation points compared with the control group patients. The findings indicate that Vm increases significantly after rapid-sequence induction of GA and tracheal intubation in women with severe preeclampsia, and there seems to be a direct relationship between MAP and Vm. IMPLICATIONS In women with severe preeclampsia, rapid-sequence induction of general anesthesia and tracheal intubation can cause severe hypertension. Our results indicate that the increase in blood pressure is associated with a significant increase in maternal cerebral blood flow velocity and that there is a significant correlation between these two variables.
Cytotoxicity of citrinin in cultured kidney epithelial cell systems

Cytotoxicity of citrinin, a fungal metabolite and a common food contaminant, was evaluated in an established cell line, Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells and primary fetal bovine kidney (PFBK) cells. Citrinin is a known nephrotoxicant but produced a low order of cytotoxicity in cultured renal cells. A dose-dependent cytotoxic effect was observed at millimolar concentrations of the toxin. MDBK cells were more sensitive than the PFBK cells. The primary effect of this chemical was on the adherence of MDBK cells to the culture dish. Microscopic evaluation of morphologic changes indicated that cells elongated, flattened, swelled, and became rounded. The appropriateness of toxicity evaluation in culture systems in vitro is considered.
Visual Speech Detection Using an Unsupervised Learning Framework

This paper presents an unsupervised learning framework for visual speech detection. Bimodal GMM is used to model visual features, i.e., mouth region intensity, which varies during speech. Variation in the mouth region intensity is used for visual speech and non-speech classification. The GMM parameters are estimated using the EM algorithm. Performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated using a dataset consisting of 14 video clips containing almost 20, 000 frames. Performance of the proposed algorithm is also compared with existing state-of-the-art. Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves high detection and low false alarm rates.
Particle Track, X-ray, Thermal, and Mass Spectrometric Studies of Lunar Material.

Particle tracks in Apollo 11 samples are dominantly of cosmic ray and solar origin: primary galactic and solar flare particles, likely spallation recoil tracks, and possible solar-wind heavy particles. The energy spectrum of irongroup nuclei is inferred from track density gradients in surface layers, and a limit of -7 centimeter per year is deduced for the surface erosion rate. From cosmic ray tracks in rock and core samples it is clear that the lunar soil is stirred often during each few million years. X-rays reveal augite, anorthite, olivine, ilmenite, troilite, nonmeteoritic iron, and assorted glasses, but no major structural damage. Hydrogen, helium, and other gases in the fines are compatible with expected solar wind ratios.
False vacuum decay in generalized extended inflation

We study false-vacuum decay in context of generalized extended inflationary theories, and compute the bubble nucleation rates for these theories in the limit of G N → 0. We find that the time dependence of the nucleation rate can be exponentially strong through the time dependence of the Jordan—Brans—Dicke field. This can have a pronounced effect on whether extended inflation can be successfully implemented.
Gene disruption of learning and memory: a structure-function conundrum?

Abstract Recent gene knockout experiments in mice have revealed significant disruptions of learning, neurophysiology and, in some cases, neuroanatomy. These results already have contributed to our understanding of the neural substrates of cognitive function in vertebrates, but they also have raised concerns. Will disruptions of all genes involved with complex functions also produce structural defects? How can we study the consequences of gene disruption in adults without confusion from developmental abnormalities? If more than one structure or function is affected by a particular gene knockout, can we derive any causal relation between the various defects? Answers to such questions are suggested from a discussion of genetic analyses of Drosophila behavior.
Managerialist and Human Capital Explanations for Key Executive Pay Premiums: A Contingency Perspective

Managerialism is a theory that suggests that managers extract pay premiums by gaining control over their firms' compensation processes. Human capital theory suggests instead that pay premiums refle...
USE OF THE GAMMA DISTRIBUTION IN SINGLE-CLOUD RAINFALL ANALYSIS

Abstract This study is based on the radar-evaluated rainfall data from 52 south Florida cumulus clouds, 26 seeded and 26 control clouds, selected by a randomization procedure. The fourth root of the rainfall for both seeded and control populations was well fitted by a gamma distribution for probability density. The gamma distribution is prescribed by two parameters, one for scale and one for shape. Since the coefficient of variation of seeded and control cloud populations was the same, the shape parameters for the two gamma distributions were the same, while the seeded population's scale parameter was such as to shift the distribution to higher rainfall values than the control distribution. The best-fit gamma functions were found by application of the principle of maximum entropy. Specification of tractable distributions for natural and modified rainfall populations provides an important prerequisite for the evaluation of seeding effects by Bayesian statistics, a continuing objective in the Experimental M...
The franck-condon factor and the wigner distribution function

Abstract The Franck-Condon factor for transitions between different electronic states is expressed in terms of the Wigner distribution function. The various cases for quasiperiodic and stochastic type classical motion are considered.
Notes On the Behavior of the Salamander Taricha Torosa, Under the Influence of Carbon Dioxide

Experiments conducted on the newt Taricha torosa, under influence of high CO 2 content of the water, showed that no escape response is stimulated by the high CO 2 , but instead, death results. It is therefore concluded that lowered oxygen tensions in the water (as shown by other workers) is more important as a stimulus for respiratory failure in newts than is high CO 2 concentrations. This is probably because the CO 2 content of natural waters does not normally accumulate to very high concentrations.
Mercerization of sisal fibers: Effect of tension on mechanical properties of sisal fiber and fiber-reinforced composites

Abstract Sisal fibers were mercerized, under tension and no tension, to improve their tensile properties and interfacial adhesion with soy protein resin. Mercerization of fibers under tension is known to minimize fiber shrinkage and to lower the microfibrillar angle by aligning them along the fiber axis. Mercerization improved the fracture stress and Young’s modulus of the sisal fibers while their fracture strain and toughness decreased. Mercerized sisal fiber-reinforced composites with soy protein resin showed improvement in both fracture stress and stiffness by 12.2% and 36.2%, respectively, compared to the unmercerized fiber-reinforced composites. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photomicrographs of the composite fracture surfaces showed shorter fibrils protruding in the mercerized fiber-reinforced composites resulting in better sisal fiber/soy adhesion. Changed fiber surface properties were also responsible for better adhesion.
Perceived Uncertainty and Firm Performance in SMEs The Role of Personal Networking Activities

In this article we propose and test a model of the effects of perceived environmental uncertainty on personal networking activities and firm performance, utilizing a sample of owner-managers from 1...
Cluster validation: An integrative method for cluster analysis

Clustering is a widely used to discover underlying patterns and groups in data and there is a need to validate the quality of clusters generated by the numerous clustering algorithms in use. The need for cluster validitation arises from the fundamental definition of unsupervised learning. As clustering is an unsupervised learning process, the prediction of correct number of clusters is a hurdle which can be cleared by using cluster validity indices to assess the quality of the clusters. We have developed a tool for cluster validation as a part of GOAPhAR, a web based tool that integrates from disparate sources, information regarding gene annotations, protein annotations, identifiers associated with probe sets, functional pathways, protein interactions, gene Ontology and publicly available microarray datasets. Our cluster validity tool calculates three indices to indicate clustering quality viz. the Silhouette, Dunn's and Davies-Bouldin indices and outputs them to the user. The values of these indices can be used to judge the quality of clustering and to optimize the process of selecting an appropriate clustering algorithm and number of clusters. The tool is freely available at http://bioinformatics.kumc.edu/goaphar/
A Role for the FEAR Pathway in Nuclear Positioning during Anaphase

In budding yeast, cells lacking separase function exit mitosis with an undivided nucleus localized to the daughter cell. Here we show that the inability to separate sister chromatids per se is not sufficient to cause the daughter preference. Rather, separase affects nuclear positioning as part of the Cdc14 early anaphase release (FEAR) pathway. The role of the FEAR pathway in nuclear positioning is exerted during anaphase and is not shared by the mitotic exit network. We find that the nuclear segregation defect in FEAR mutants does not stem from nonfunctional spindle poles or the absence of cytoplasmic microtubules. Instead, the concomitant inactivation of sister chromatid separation and the FEAR pathway uncovered a mother-directed force in anaphase that was previously masked by the elongating spindle. We propose that at anaphase onset, the FEAR pathway activates cytoplasmic microtubule-associated forces that facilitate chromosome segregation to the mother cell.
Congenital diverticulum of the left ventricle.

Abstract The clinical and hemodynamic features in a three-year-old boy with a congenital muscular diverticulum of the left ventricle associated with omphalocele, diaphragmatic hernia, and pyloric stenosis are presented. Preoperative angiocardiograms showed no obstruction to outflow from the diverticulum, the mechanism previously postulated as contributing to the spontaneous rupture and death reported in over half of the patients with this lesion. An intraventricular conduction delay noted on preoperative electrocardiograms disappeared after successful surgical removal of the diverticulum.
Multinational Corporation and National Regulation: An Economic Audit

Intensified internal social needs and changed expectations of the role of government obligate governments everywhere today to accept responsibility for an increasing number of economic and social objectives. National economic goals are defined and policies devised to further these goals. As a principal agent of economic change, the multinational corporation (MNC) is frequently the target of these economic policies. However, the multinational corporation has its own objectives and concerns. With its numerous alternatives and greater flexibility in reallocating resources, the MNC will usually respond differently to government policies than will purely domestic corporations. Yet all too often governments misunderstand the nature of the multinational corporation and devise regulatory policies which have unanticipated, even undesirable, consequences. A vicious cycle then ensues as governments attempt to regulate MNC behavior still further.
Narrative writing in children and adolescents: examining the literate lexicon

Purpose This study was designed primarily to examine the use of abstract nouns and metacognitive verbs in the narrative writing of school-age children and adolescents. Method Three groups of typica...
Convergence of Catalytic Antibody and Terpene Cyclase Mechanisms: Polyene Cyclization Directed by Carbocation-π Interactions.

A tandem cationic cyclization cascade similar to a terpenoid cyclase reaction is catalyzed by antibody HA5-19A4. The 2.7-A resolution crystal structure of the Fab-hapten complex reveals convergence with the same catalytic strategy employed by a terpenoid cyclase: both serve as templates that enforce the productive conformation of a flexible polyene substrate, and both stabilize carbocation intermediates through cation-π interactions with multiple aromatic residues in their active sites.
Molecular Insights into Diphenylalanine Nanotube Assembly: All-Atom Simulations of Oligomerization

Self-assembling peptides represent a growing class of inexpensive, environmentally benign, nanostructured materials. In particular, diphenylalanine (FF) self-assembles into nanotubes with remarkable strength and thermal stability that have found use in a wide variety of applications, including as sacrificial templates and scaffolds for structuring inorganic materials and as interfacial "nanoforests" for superhydrophobic surfaces and high-performance supercapacitors and biosensors. However, little is known about the assembly mechanisms of FF nanotubes or the forces underlying their stability. Here, we perform a variety of molecular dynamics simulations on both zwitterionic and capped (uncharged) versions of the FF peptide to understand the early stages of self-assembly. We compare these results to simulations of the proposed nanotube X-ray crystal structure. When comparing the zwitterionic and uncharged FF peptides, we find that, while electrostatic interactions steer the former into more ordered dimers and trimers, the hydrophobic side chain interactions play a strong role in determining the structures of larger oligomers. Simulations of the crystal structure fragment also suggest that the strongest interactions occur between side chains, not between the charged termini that form salt bridges. We conclude that the amphiphilic nature of FF is key to understanding its self-assembly, and that the early precursors to nanotube structures are likely to involve substantial hydrophobic clustering, rather than hexamer ring motifs as has been previously suggested.
Role of amino acids in regulating RNA formation.

Received February 5, i962 Growing bacterial cells adjust their RNA level by a mechanism which affects the rate of synthesis of ribosomal RNA (Kjeldgaard, Maalde, and Schaechter, 1958; Neidhardt and Magasanik, 1960; Kjeldgaard, 1961). This mechanism is not completely understood, but it apparently does not operate by varying the enzymatic capacity of the cell to make RNA (Fraenkel and Neidhardt, 1961). Two recent communications have focused attention on the well-known dependency of bacterial RNA synthesis on amino acids. Kurland and Maalde (1962) have extensively studied the effect of chloramphenicol on RNA synthesis and have proposed that RNA synthesis is regulated by the internal amino acid concentration in a repression-like mechanism in which transfer RNA acts as a repressor and amino acid adenylate as an inducer. Stent and Brenner (1962) have suggested essentially the same mechanism on the basis of their finding that a single genetic locus controls the dependency of RNA synthesis on amino acids. A cell altered at this locus (and termed "amino acid independent") will, if starved of any essential amino acid, continue to synthesize RNA in the absence of protein synthesis. This behavior is in contrast to that of auxotrophs derived from the wild type, which cease RNA production upon exhausting their amino acid supply. Mutants of this kind, which synthesize RNA independently of amino acid supply, offer the possibility of assessing the
Teaching computers to talk right

The author discusses the use of default hierarchies to allow for the rules and exceptions in pronouncing English words and names correctly. She explains a default hierarchy of rules as a system of knowledge representation that combines the advantages of expert systems and neural networks. Their architecture and training are described. >
Soil nitrate accumulations following nitrogen-fertilized corn in Pennsylvania

Devenir des nitrates issus de la fertilisation des cultures de mais (Zea mays) dans le sol et les eaux souterraines
Effect of diethyldithiocarbamate on the respiration of active and blocked embryonic cells.

Summary and Conclusion1. A study has been made on the effects of sodium diethyldithiocarbamate on the oxygen consumption of mitotically active and blocked embryonic cells of the embryo of the grasshopper, Melanoplus differentialls.2. No significant differences in response of the active and blocked cells to the reagent are noted.3. In general, diethyldithiocarbamate produces stimulation in low doses and in high doses an initial inhibition followed by a marked stimulation in the oxygen intake of embryonic cells.4. Partial recovery from high initial doses of the reagent occurs.5. Copper salts are markedly antagonized when in the presence of the carbamate.
Inversion and political purpose in the old English Judith

(1982). Inversion and political purpose in the old English Judith. English Studies: Vol. 63, No. 4, pp. 289-293.
Measurement of favorable residual stresses in polycarbonate

Research in this laboratory has been directed toward the production and effects of beneficial residual stresses in plastics. Such stresses have been shown to have a dramatic effect on the impact strength and fatigue life of polycarbonate samples. For example, thermal quenching, in water or liquid nitrogen, of samples heated above their glass-transition temperature, resulted in an increase in the mean fatigue life of the material by as much as 20 times over that of annealed material. This increase is attributed in large part to the introduction of compressive stresses on the surfaces of the samples. This paper concentrates on methods used to measure residual stresses in the surface of the material and on the variation of these stresses with time after treatment. Three measurement techniques are described: (1) material slicing, (2) photoelastic fringe displacement and (3) the ASTM hole-drilling method. The advantages, limitations and comparative results of these three methods are described and analyzed.
System for the analysis and visualization of large 3D anatomical trees

Modern micro-CT and multi-detector helical CT scanners can produce high-resolution 3D digital images of various anatomical trees. The large size and complexity of these trees make it essentially impossible to define them interactively. Automatic approaches have been proposed for a few specific problems, but none of these approaches guarantee extracting geometrically accurate multi-generational tree structures. This paper proposes an interactive system for defining and visualizing large anatomical trees and for subsequent quantitative data mining. The system consists of a large number of tools for automatic image analysis, semi-automatic and interactive tree editing, and an assortment of visualization tools. Results are presented for a variety of 3D high-resolution images.
Perfusion MR imaging and proton MR spectroscopic imaging in differentiating necrotizing cerebritis from glioblastoma multiforme

We describe a lesion with the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of a glioblastoma mutiforme and demonstrate how perfusion MRI and proton MR spectroscopic imaging can be used to differentiate necrotizing cerebritis from what appeared to be a high-grade glioma. A 43-year-old woman presented to her physician complaining of progressive visual disturbance and headache for several weeks. Conventional MRI demonstrated a parietal peripherally enhancing mass with central necrosis and moderate to severe surrounding T2 hyperintensity, suggesting an infiltrating high-grade glioma. However, advanced imaging, including dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI (DSC MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI), suggested a nonneoplastic lesion. The DSC MRI data demonstrated no hyperperfusion within the lesion and surrounding T2 signal abnormality, and the MRSI data showed overall decrease in metabolites in this region, except for lactate. Because of the aggressive appearance to the lesion and the patients' worsening symptoms, a biopsy was performed. The pathologic diagnosis was necrotizing cerebritis. After the commencement of steroid therapy, imaging findings and patient symptoms improved. This report will review the utility of advanced imaging for differentiating inflammatory from neoplastic appearing lesions on conventional imaging.
Phylogeography and Genetic Variability of the Freshwater Mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) Ellipse, Venustaconcha ellipsiformis (Conrad 1836), and Bleeding Tooth, V. Pleasii (Marsh 1891)

Abstract: Following the retreat of the last Pleistocene glaciers ∼10,000 years before present, aquatic organisms re-colonized previously uninhabitable regions from various glacial refuges. Glaciations had major impacts shaping patterns of genetic diversity and population structure for organisms throughout North America. Knowledge of genetic population structure is critical for successful conservation programs involving an increasingly threatened freshwater fauna. Due to variations in life history and ecology, species-specific planning may be the most effective method for preserving rare or threatened species. The Ellipse mussel (Venustaconcha ellipsiformis) and its congener the Bleeding Tooth mussel (V. pleasii) are species of conservation concern through much of their respective ranges in the Midwestern United States. The Ellipse is found in small to medium rivers from the northern Ozark highlands north to the Upper Mississippi River drainage and into tributaries of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Mitochon...
Flame size, heat release, and smoke points in materials flammability ☆

The concept of using the flame size as a surrogate for heat release rate (HRR) has been explored. A technique for simultaneously obtaining the HRR, flame size (height and area), and the smoke point of the flame solely from visual images has been developed. The technique has been demonstrated on gaseous flames (methane, propane, ethylene, and propylene) and explored for five burning solid polymers. Estimations of the flame area from images of the stoichiometric contour based on the CH chemiluminescent region of the flames yielded a good linear correlation with measured HRR, valid for all of the gaseous and solid compounds tested, for burning rates above or below the smoke point. In contrast, flame heights and luminous images (i.e., from soot emission) were confounded by differing behavior above and below the smoke point.
Control of a one-link arm by burst signal generators

The focus of this paper is the study of stability and point-to-point movement of a one-link arm. The sagittal arm has two musculotendon actuators, two neural oscillators that generate burst signals as motoneuron inputs, and spindles and Golgi tendon organs for extrinsic reflex feedbacks. It is shown that coactivation leads to intrinsic position and velocity feedback, and that the tendons introduce intrinsic force and rate of force feedback. In addition, the integrating effects of the tendons are studied when the actuator is constructed from a large number of identical fibers that are excited by alpha signals whose arrival times at the fiber are randomly distributed. Each of the musculotendon actuators receives two input signals -- a burst signal analogous to alpha inputs and a conventional analogue signal that represents fusimotor input to the spindles. The process of combining burst signals and conventional analogue signals is studied. Simulation results show that the movement of the system with burst signals as inputs has overshoot and speed similar to the system with analogue signals.
Communication performance of a message passing MIMD computer

Abstract The performance of a parallel program executed on a message passing MIMD computer is determined mainly by the efficiency of the communication among the processors and the efficiency of the calculation carried out in each processor. In this paper we present the results of the experiments related to the efficiency of the communication of a T800 transputer based system. The results of these experiments are used to determine the basic hardware parameters for the communication capabilities of the system. Such parameters are the asymptotic rate of data transfer (r∞) and the message length required to obtain half the asymptotic rate ( n 1 2 ). These performance results will help us to evaluate new implementations or new architectures.
Interphase Materials by Forced Assembly of Glassy Polymers

When two immiscible polymers are brought into intimate contact, highly localized mixing of polymer chains creates an “interphase” region. We have fabricated materials that are entirely interphase by forced assembly of two immiscible polymers. Assemblies of thousands of alternating layers of two polymers, with individual layer thickness on the nanometer size scale of the interphase, were created by layer multiplying coextrusion. The properties of the interphase materials were probed with conventional tools of polymer analysis. In this study, the effect of interaction strength was examined with assemblies that combined an amorphous polyester with a series of styrene−acrylonitrile copolymers that varied in acrylonitrile content from 0 to 30 wt %. Continuous, uniform layers were directly observed using atomic force microscopy. Interphase thickness was extracted from the layer thickness dependence of oxygen permeability. The interphase thickness showed the predicted dependency on the χ parameter and correlated...
The benthic biological conditions of Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbors: Results of 28 years of investigations and monitoring

Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbors were a grossly polluted body of water at the time of the initiation of benthic biological studies in 1951. Industrial, domestic and storm wastes were emptied into these waters with little or no treatment. The inner harbor waters contained little or no dissolved oxygen and much of the benthos was azoic or possessed a stressed community. However, the outer harbor water mass contained adequate dissolved oxygen, and the benthos supported a rich fauna dominated by many species of polychaetes. A pollution abatement program was initiated in 1968, and today many former wastes have been eliminated or are being diverted to treatment plants for processing. The benthic fauna changed markedly and rapidly following this environmental clean-up. Peaks in population were reached throughout the harbor in 1973–1974 which was followed by a slight decline then stability. An oil tanker explosion, pre-treatment of fish-cannery wastes then diversion of these wastes to a sewage treatment plant, and a change from primary to secondary treatment of sewage brought about changes in the benthic fauna. In the latter instance, benthic population of polychaetes, fish populations and the number of birds feeding within the area decreased significantly.
Snake bites in children

LOUDED BY SUPERSTITION and mystery, confused by multiple methods of treatment, the physician faced with a child bitten by a poisonous snake rarely has a clear-cut approach toward management. For centuries (as in the Western movies) apart from a prayer and magic potions the suggested treatment was the application of a tight tourniquet, a good “shot of whiskey,” and suction to the wound. With the development of polyvalent antivenin and a better understanding of the pathophysiology of envenomation, more effective methods of treatment evolved. It has been estimated that approximately 7000’ people are bitten by poisonous snakes annually in the United States, usually on an extremity. Most occur in males between the years of 5-19. The majority are reported from the Southwest Central Area of the United States. It is the aim of this paper to present the methods of management used in the treatment of children at the Driscoll Foundation Children’s Hospital after envenomation by the rattlesnake (C. atrox) and the cottonmouth moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma). Apart from the coral snake, all North American poisonous snakes are pit vipers. The western diamondback rattlesnake in South Texas, may attain lengths of up to 8 ft. Its bite can cause loss of digits, extremities, crippling, and, occasionally, death. The venom is made up of 5-15 enzymes, 3- 12 nonenzymatic proteins, and several other substances, making them among the most complex poisons.2,3 The predominant effects of the Crotalus venom are rapid destruction of local tissues, changes in the cardiovascular system, and alterations in blood coagulation and cells. Capillary permeability may be altered leading to loss of plasma and blood into the extravascular space. Hematuria, melena, hematemesis and hemoptysis can occur. Red blood cells become swollen (sphering) and there may be a dramatic drop in the platelet count.4 The prothrombin and bleeding times may be prolonged. In severe cases, pulmonary edema, intrapulmonary hemorrhage, and bleeding into the peritoneum, kidneys, and heart may develop. Bradykinin. released by the effect of venom on tissues, can cause pooling in the major blood vessels of the chest and lungs leading to sudden collapse and death. The combined effects of destruction of the endothelial lining of blood vessels, hemolysis, and intravascular thrombosis probably play a major role in the development of renal failure and anuria. All venoms contain hyaluronidase, the
Quantum nondemolition filters

A continuous-time filter is formulated for a physical system modeled as an infinite-dimensional bilinear system. Efforts focus on a quantum system with Hamiltonian operator of the form H 0 + u(t) H 1 where H 0 is the Hamiltonian of the undisturbed system, H 1 couples the system to an external classical field, and u(t) represents the time-varying signal carried by this field. An important problem is to determine when and how the signal u(t) can be extracted from the time development of the measured value of a suitable system observable C. There exist certain observables, called quantum nondemolition observables (QNDO), which have the property that their expected and measured values coincide. The invertibility problem has been posed and solved for these quasiclassical observables. Since one is addressing an infinite-dimensional bilinear system, the domain issue for the operators H 0, H 1 and C becomes nontrivial. An additional complication is that the input observable C is in general time dependent. Having derived conditions for invertibility, necessary and sufficient conditions are developed for an observable to qualify as a QNDO. If an observable meets both sets of criteria, it is said to constitute a quantum nondemolition filter (QNDF). By construction, the associated filtering algorithm separates cleanly into the choice of output observable (a QNDO) and the choice of procedure for processing measurement outcomes. This approach has the advantage over previous schemes that no optimization is necessary. QNDF’s may see practical application in the demodulation of optical signals and the detection and monitoring of gravitational waves.
Less invasive aortic surgery: the minilaparotomy technique.

Abstract Background. This study evaluated a less invasive technique for exposure of the infrarenal aorta and its impact on the treatment of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) or aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD), or both. Methods. Forty patients with AAA (26), aneurysmal extension into the iliac arteries (6), or AIOD (8) were prospectively selected for minilaparotomy aortic exposure and repair using a small periumbilical midline incision (≤10 cm); intra-abdominal, nondisplaced retraction of the small bowel; and conventional hand-sewn vascular anastomoses. Perioperative comparisons with a contemporary group of AAA patients treated with long, open midline incision and extracavitary small bowel retraction were made. Results. There was no significant difference between the minilaparotomy and open surgical control groups for operating room time; intraoperative, perioperative morbidity; or mortality. Significant differences were documented between the minilaparotomy and the control group with regard to stay in the intensive care unit (days; 1.0 ± 1.2 versus 1.8 ± 1.5); return to general diet (days; 3 ± 1.3 versus 4.7 ± 2.8); and length of stay (days; 4.9 ± 1.8 versus 7.3 ± 3.4). Conclusions. Minilaparotomy exposure is safe and effective for treatment of infrarenal AAA and AIOD. This technique maintains quality outcome while reducing postoperative ileus, hospital stay, and resource utilization. (Surgery 2000;128:751-6.)
Welfare dependence within and across generations

A central question in the debate about the effects of welfare programs is whether their intended positive results--providing needed resources to recipients and their children--outweigh any unintended negative results--for example, the breaking up of families, reduction in work effort, or the fostering of a welfare "culture" that is passed on from parent to child. Recent research shows that although work effort is affected adversely by the generosity of welfare programs, effects on family structure appear quite weak, most welfare experiences are relatively short, and the majority of women who grew up in homes heavily dependent on welfare do not rely on those programs when they are young adults.
Efficient Web-based retrieval of radiographic images using a new multi-scale tree vector quantization in the wavelet domain

Efficient retrieval of digital medical images over the Internet for worldwide users in a platform-independent manner is becoming essential in clinical research and education nowadays. Due to the large size of most X-ray images, traditionally the images are sub-sampled for viewing at a smaller size and with reduced quality. We present a new and efficient way of encoding and decoding large X-ray images for Internet users without any appreciable reduction in image quality and no reduction in size by a high-fidelity vector quantizer in the wavelet domain. As opposed to a 16:1 reduction in size by sub-sampling, this new technique decreases the file size to over 100:1 with insignificant loss and no reduction in size in the decoded image viewed by Web users anywhere. In addition to traditional vector quantization in the wavelet domain, a new scheme for generating the vectors from images is used. In the proposed scheme, a wavelet transform is obtained by a lifting scheme, and the vectors are generated over a multi-scale wavelet domain by relating wavelet coefficients from coarser to finer resolution. Such a multi-resoultion tree for scalar quantization is well-known but it has never been used in vector quantization.
Secondary neuroprotective effects of hypotensive drugs and potential mechanisms of action

Primary open-angle glaucoma, a long-term degenerative ocular neuropathy, remains a significant cause of vision impairment worldwide. While many risk factors have been correlated with increased risk for primary open-angle glaucoma, intraocular pressure (IOP) remains the only modifiable risk factor and primary therapeutic target. Pharmacologic therapies are administered topically; these include α2-agonists, β-antagonists, prostaglandin analogs and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Some of these topical medications exhibit secondary neuroprotective effects independent of their effect on IOP. This review covers the possible mechanisms of neuroprotection stimulated by drugs currently marketed for the lowering of IOP, based on known literature. While the neuroprotective properties of many glaucoma pharmaceuticals are promising from an experimental standpoint, key challenges for the development of new clinical practices include unknown systemic side effects, limited methods of drug delivery to the retina and optic ...