cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photoreceptor differentiation of isolated retinal precursor cells includes the capacity for photomechanical responses.

Abstract Isolated retinal precursor cells, grown without pigment epithelial or glial cells and in the absence of intercellular contacts, develop a complex set of photoreceptor-specific properties, including polarized structural and molecular organization and opsin immunoreactivity. We report here that these isolated embryonic photoreceptors are also capable of responding to light. Sequential photography showed that 50% of the photoreceptors grown in a light cycle elongate when exposed to light and contract in response to darkness. A smaller population (20%) showed the opposite response. Responses of individual cells could be observed during several sequential light cycles and resemble photomechanical movements in vivo [Ali, M. A. (1971) Vision Res. 11, 1225-1288]. The differentiation program expressed by isolated precursor cells, therefore, includes the capacity for highly complex functional activities that require light sensitivity. These observations raise challenging questions regarding the nature of the chromophore and pigments that mediate light-regulated behaviors of cultured photoreceptors.
Improved current filament control during Zener diode zapping

Abstract The filament-based failure is investigated in this work by experiment and 3D TCAD simulations in Zener diodes used as one-time-programmable (OTP) memories. Different zapping mechanisms with their inherent electrical and physical signatures are identified and elucidated. Moreover, a new trenched Zener structure is fabricated and tested in order to provide static current filaments as well as to minimize the power to generate them.
Analysis of Vesicular Basalts and Lava Emplacement Processes for Application as a Paleobarometer/Paleoaltimeter: A Discussion

Sahagian et al. (2002a, 2002b) have developed a methodology for determining paleoelevations of highlands using observed vesicularities of lava flows. Since vesicular lavas preserve a record of paleoatmospheric pressure during the time of emplacement, they can be used to directly infer paleoelevations. Their model could act as a powerful tool, particularly in view of the uncertainties induced by other methods. As their data suggest, elevations could be estimated within ∼400 m. However, their work also raises the issue of emplacement of pahoehoe lobes and flows. Sahagian et al. (2002a, 2002b) state that only flows with a simple emplacement history can be used to estimate paleoelevations from paleopressures. Critical to their model is the flow thickness at the time the bubbles at the top and bottom of the flow solidified. It is important that the upper and lower 10 cm or so of the flow solidified after the flow reached its final thickness. The question is whether the flow or flow lobe presently observable in the field was originally emplaced with the same thickness or whether it has undergone endogenous growth or deflation. To infer flow emplacement history, Sahagian et al. (2002a, 2002b) rely on a comparison of the observed vesicularity profile with “ideal” vesicularity (fig. 1 in Sahagian et al. 2002a), as discussed by Sahagian (1985) and Sahagian et al. (1989). According to them, multiple layers of small vesicles in a relatively thick flow are suggestive of inflation, while a vesicle profile similar to that in their figure 1 (Sahagian et al. 2002a) suggests a simple, noninflated mode of emplacement. They did not provide information about the vesicularity profiles of the flows used in their
Optimization applied to the design of an energy-efficient building

There are several public domain, and numerous proprietary, computer programs that provide detailed simulations of the heating and cooling requirements for a building. Such programs are often used to evaluate changes in the design of a building that are made to decrease its energy requirements. A user is considered to be working in a trial-and-error mode if each execution of the program provides no formal guidance for the next change. This work reports on an investigation of the imbedding of such an energy analysis program into an optimization structure. Such an arrangement would enable a user to specify a set of architectural and construction parameters and the limits within which they might vary, and from this to determine the parameters that yield a local minimum in thermal load and the sensitivity of this load to changes in these parameters.
PATTERNS OF HEMOPOIETIC RESPONSE TO CONTINUOUS WHOLE-BODY IRRADIATION.

Massive splenic erythropoiesis developed in rats during continuous exposure to gamma radiation at a rate of 70 r per day. The erythropoiesis was first seen between the fifth and sixth week of irradiation. It was not accompanied by bone-marrow recovery. Granulocytopoiesis and thrombopoiesis as well as erythropoiesis were noted in the spleen and in the bone marrow at 12 to 13 weeks of continuous irradiation. The general problem of development of radioresistant or tolerant hemopoietic cells and the role of the spleen in radioinduced erythropoiesis were discussed.
The role of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide in mast cell-dependent inflammatory processes.

Summary: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen oxide species (RNOS), including nitric oxide, are produced in cells by a variety of enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms. At high levels, both types of oxidants are used to kill ingested organisms within phagocytes. At low levels, RNOS may diffuse outside cells where they impact the vasculature and nervous system. Recent evidence suggests that low levels of ROS produced within cells are involved in cell signaling. Along with these physiological roles, many pathological conditions exist where detrimental high-level ROS and RNOS are produced. Many situations in which ROS/RNOS are associated also involve mast cell activation. In innate immunity, such mast cells are involved in the immune response toward pathogens. In acquired immunity, activation of mast cells by cross-linking of receptor-bound immunoglobulin E causes the release of mediators involved in the allergic inflammatory response. In this review, we describe the principle pathways for ROS and RNOS generation by cells and discuss the existence of such pathways in mast cells. In addition, we examine the evidence for a functional role for ROS and RNOS in mast cell secretory responses and discuss evidence for a direct relationship between ROS, RNOS, and mast cells in mast cell-dependent inflammatory conditions.
Low‐impact development boosts groundwater recharge

In San Francisco, as with other places, climate change is threatening to upset the balance the city has struck with the local hydrology. Precipitation in Northern California has already been increasing in winter and decreasing in summer, and projected changes to the behavior of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation hint at more of the same.
Hemodynamic, fluid, and electrolyte changes during sodium depletion in conscious dogs.

SummaryHemodynamic, fluid and electrolyte changes were studied during sodium depletion and repletion in six conscious dogs. Blood pressure (BP), plasma renin activity (PRA), heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), and plasma volume (PV) were determined on 3 separate days in sodium replete conscious animals, similarly during sodium depletion, and again after sodium repletion. During sodium depletion, HR increased from 73 to 91 beats/min (P < 0.01). CO fell from 2.32 liters/min to 1.87 liters/min (P < 0.01). SV decreased from 32.6 ml to 21.7 ml (P < 0.01). Peripheral resistance (PR) increased from 41.5 to 49.2 mm Hg (liters/min)−1 (P < 0.01). BP was unchanged. PRA increased from 0.83 to 7.51 ng angiotensin I/ml/hr (P < 0.01). During the 8 days of sodium depletion, water intake was elevated on 6 days, urine volume was elevated on 5 days, and water balance was positive on 3 days. With sodium and volume repletion, all functions returned to control levels. The results demonstrate that sodium d...
Some numerical considerations in the simulation of low-Ma number hydrogen/air mixing layers

In this work numerical simulations of hydrogen/air mixing are conducted which demonstrate the generation of spatial pressure gradients arising from the diffusion of species (hydrogen versus air) of high molecular weight disparity. Convective velocities arising as a result of the spatial gradients have been evaluated with respect to molecular weight ratio between stratified layers in coflow and stationary diffusion layers. The implications of results for the spatially-constant thermodynamic pressure assumption for low-Mach-number flows are discussed. Additionally, the impact of the choice of diffusion model on the results has been assessed.
How Dissociated Are Implicit and Explicit Racial Attitudes? A Bogus Pipeline Approach:

The current study examined the implicit and explicit attitudes of White Americans toward African-Americans. A variation of the Bogus Pipeline procedure was employed to determine if the apparent dissociation between implicit and explicit measures of racial attitudes that is reported in previous research might be exaggerated. The results indicated that the relationship between implicit and explicit attitudes was only significant under Bogus Pipeline conditions, while implicit and explicit attitudes were largely dissociated when they were measured under normal circumstances. Thus, it appeared that as the motivation to accurately report explicit attitudes increased, the implicit-explicit relationship strengthened and the dissociation between implicit and explicit racial attitudes was substantially reduced. The results indicate that Whites' implicit and explicit attitudes toward African-Americans may not be as greatly dissociated as some theories of racial attitudes have presumed.
Omega-3 fatty acid is a potential preventive agent for recurrent colon cancer.

Increasing evidence supports the contention that many malignancies, including sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC), are driven by the self-renewing, chemotherapy-resistant cancer stem/stem-like cells (CSCs/CSLCs) underscoring the need for improved preventive and therapeutic strategies targeting CSCs/CSLCs. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA), have been reported to inhibit the growth of primary tumors, but their potential as a preventive agent for recurring cancers is un-explored. The primary objectives of this investigation are to examine whether eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; one of the ω-3 PUFA) synergizes with FuOx (5-FU+Oxaliplatin), the backbone of colon cancer chemotherapy, and (b) whether EPA by itself or in combination with conventional chemotherapy prevents the recurrence of colon cancer via eliminating/suppressing CSCs/CSLCs. FuOx-resistant (chemo-resistant; CR) colon cancer cells, highly enriched in CSCs, were utilized for this study. While EPA alone was effective, combination of EPA and FuOx was more potent in (a) inhibiting cell growth, colonosphere formation and sphere-forming frequency, (b) increasing sphere disintegration, (c) suppressing the growth of SCID mice xenografts of CR colon cancer cells, and (d) decreasing pro-inflammatory metabolites in mice. Additionally, EPA + FuOx caused a reduction in CSC/CSLC population. The growth reduction by this regimen is the result of increased apoptosis as evidenced by PARP cleavage. Furthermore, increased pPTEN, decreased pAkt, normalization of β-catenin expression, localization and transcriptional activity by EPA suggests a role for PTEN/Akt axis and Wnt signaling in regulating this process. Our data suggest that EPA by itself or in combination with FuOx could be an effective preventive strategy for recurring CRC.
An alert notification facility for RFID event repositories

RFID event data repositories such as EPCglobal's EPC information services (EPCIS) contain valuable information that is not only useful for ad-hoc data analysis but also for on- demand information needs according to the publish-subscribe paradigm. The EPCIS standard defines a query control interface that allows running queries against events and master data stored in the EPCIS repository according to a time schedule when the query is (repeatedly) executed. However, this asynchronous query mode is not ideal for some types of information needs. For example, the request "Let me know immediately whenever a certain type of item has not returned to a secure location within a specified time interval" can be expressed more effectively by a dedicated alert and notification system. We discuss a framework for defining alerts of arbitrary complexity and its integration into an EPCIS implementation.
A parallelizable SOR-like method: Systems with plus-shaped and linear spectra

Abstract The classical SOR method replaces an invertible (cyclic) linear system (In− B)x=f with a family of systems (I n − B ω )x= f ω where, for some optimal scalar ω=ωb, the spectrum of Bωb is circular—the eigenvalues of B are linearly placed, falling on the real line. Moreover, the spectral radius of Bωb is less than that of B. Similarly, this paper explores a tensor mechanism which converts (more general) systems (In−B)x=f to equivalent systems (I 2n − B ) x = f where the spectrum of B may be “plus-shaped,” the spectrum of B is circular, and x =col[0,x] . As in the SOR theory, the spectral radius of B is less than that of B. Among other things, we recapture the results of the SOR theory, improve on some known results, and extend our theory directly to matrices In−B which need not be symmetric yet have real (plus- and minus-valued) eigenvalues.
The Optical Properties of a Polished Uranium Surface and its Epitaxial Oxide, and the Rate of Oxide Growth Determined by Spectrophotometry

Wide-band reflectrometry and ellipsometry have been used to determine the optical properties n and k of freshly polished uranium and of the epitaxial oxide layer, and also the rate of oxide growth in air. Results for uranium metal as well as for epitaxial oxide are compared with single wavelength ellipsometry literature values.
Adaptive gain equalizer in high-index-contrast SiON technology

An adaptive gain equalization filter is presented. The filter is based on the resonant coupler principle, a cascade of power couplers and delay lines. Reconfigurability and tuning is achieved by varying coupling strength and delay line length via the thermo optic effect. A device consisting of seven delay line stages was realized in high-index-contrast silicon-oxynitride technology. This device flattens the ASE spectrum of an EDFA to a ripple of less than 0.5 dB over 35 nm. The on-chip losses are 2 dB.
RBF Dipole Surface Evolution

The level set method can implement a wide variety of shape modeling operations (e.g. offsetting, skeletonization, morphing, blending, smoothing, sharpening, embossing, denoising, sculpting, growing, texturing and fitting) simply by specifying a corresponding speed function that controls the growth of an evolving voxel isosurface. The problem is that the basic level set method is implemented on a fixed resolution grid, which limits the utility of these shape modeling operations. We instead represent surfaces with a collection of radial basis function dipole pairs, and derive the motion of these dipoles to implement a surface propagation similar to the level set method but on a smooth, arbitrary resoluton model. We demonstrate the utility of this approach with new level set methods for surface fitting, blending and center redistribution for RBF dipole models.
Using cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis with GeneXpert

To the Editor: We read with interest the systematic review by C. Denkinger and co-workers on the use of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay for diagnosing extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) [1], particularly in light of World Health Organization (WHO) endorsement of Xpert MTB/RIF and its recent policy statement on extrapulmonary TB [1–3]. Given the severe clinical course and high mortality associated with TB meningitis, combined with the lack of TB culture capacity in much of the developing world, WHO has endorsed testing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with the automated Xpert MTB/RIF assay as a first-line test over conventional microscopy in patients with suspected TB meningitis [2]. This policy recommendation came as a “strong …
Private Prayer and Optimism in Middle-Aged and Older Patients Awaiting Cardiac Surgery

Purpose: This study investigated the use of private prayer among middle-aged and older patients as a way of coping with cardiac surgery and prayer’s relationship to optimism. Design and Methods: The measure of prayer included three aspects: (a) belief in the importance of private prayer, (b) faith in the efficacy of prayer on the basis of previous experiences, and (c) intention to use prayer to cope with the distress associated with surgery. The sample was 246 patients awaiting cardiac surgery. The first in-person interview was administered 2 weeks before surgery and optimism was measured the day before surgery by telephone. Results: Private prayer predicted optimism, along with older age, better socioeconomic resources, and healthier affect. Neither measures of general religiosity nor any type of prayers used by patients were associated with optimism. Implications: Suggestions were made for clinicians to improve spiritual assessment and care, and for researchers to address spiritual coping in clinical situations.
From contours to regions: An empirical evaluation

We propose a generic grouping algorithm that constructs a hierarchy of regions from the output of any contour detector. Our method consists of two steps, an oriented watershed transform (OWT) to form initial regions from contours, followed by construction of an ultra-metric contour map (UCM) defining a hierarchical segmentation. We provide extensive experimental evaluation to demonstrate that, when coupled to a high-performance contour detector, the OWT-UCM algorithm produces state-of-the-art image segmentations. These hierarchical segmentations can optionally be further refined by user-specified annotations.
Zinc Maintains Prophase I Arrest in Mouse Oocytes Through Regulation of the MOS-MAPK Pathway

Meiosis in mammalian females is marked by two arrest points, at prophase I and metaphase II, which must be tightly regulated in order to produce a haploid gamete at the time of fertilization. The transition metal zinc has emerged as a necessary and dynamic regulator of the establishment, maintenance, and exit from metaphase II arrest, but the roles of zinc during prophase I arrest are largely unknown. In this study, we investigate the mechanisms of zinc regulation during the first meiotic arrest. Disrupting zinc availability in the prophase I arrested oocyte by treatment with the heavy metal chelator N,N,N',N'-tetrakis-(2-pyridylmethyl)-ethylenediamine (TPEN) causes meiotic resumption even in the presence of pharmacological inhibitors of meiosis. We further show that the MOS-MAPK pathway mediates zinc-dependent prophase I arrest, as the pathway prematurely activates during TPEN-induced meiotic resumption. Conversely, inhibition of the MOS-MAPK pathway maintains prophase I arrest. While prolonged zinc insufficiency ultimately results in telophase I arrest, early and transient exposure of oocytes to TPEN is sufficient to induce meiotic resumption and bypass the telophase I block, allowing the formation of developmentally competent eggs upon parthenogenetic activation. These results establish zinc as a crucial regulator of meiosis throughout the entirety of oocyte maturation, including the maintenance of and release from the first and second meiotic arrest points.
Direct determination of trace elements in graphite matrices using modulated glow discharge atomic absorption spectrometry

The trace element concentrations in high-purity graphites were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) with the use of a modulated glow discharge atomizer. Glow discharge power was modulated at 50 Hz to enhance sensitivity and to permit time-resolved atomic absorption measurements. The influence of discharge operating parameters including current, pressure, and plasma sampling on the analytical performance of this technique was investigated. This analytical technique was evaluated in terms of stability, sensitivity, reproducibility, and accuracy. The method of standard additions was used to determine the impurity levels of the standard graphite matrix. Linear analytical calibration curves were constructed for four elements of interest in samples of nulear-grade graphite. Detection limits for these elements were calculated to be in the tens of parts-per-billion range for graphite matrices.
Factors in the selection of a teleradiology provider in the United States.

Commercial teleradiology is well established in the US. There are many factors to consider when engaging a teleradiology provider. One of the basic questions is what do you expect to gain from it? ...
Transient nuclear Prospero induces neural progenitor quiescence.

Stem cells provide tissues in the body with a continuing source of new cells, both when the tissues are first developing and when they are growing or repairing in adulthood. A stem cell can divide to create either another stem cell, or a cell that will mature into one of many different cell types. Neuroblasts are a type of brain stem cell and can divide to create two new cells: another neuroblast that will continue to replicate itself and a cell called a ganglion mother cell that will go on to produce two mature cells for the nervous system. Moreover, when a neuroblast divides, it splits unequally, so that certain molecules end up predominantly in the ganglion mother cell—including a protein called Prospero. Once partitioned into the ganglion mother cell, the Prospero protein enters the nucleus, where it switches off ‘stem cell genes’ and switches on ‘neuron genes’ so the ganglion mother cell can form the mature neurons of the brain. Thus, neuroblasts must keep Prospero out of the nucleus to maintain stem cell properties, whereas ganglion mother cells must move Prospero into the nucleus to form neurons. Now, Lai and Doe discover a new way that the Prospero protein is used to control stem cell biology. Neuroblasts, like all stem cells, can enter periods where they go dormant or quiescent—that is, they temporarily stop generating ganglion mother cells. By analyzing which proteins are present in neuroblasts during this transition to quiescence, Lai and Doe discovered that the Prospero protein was briefly detected, at low levels, in the nucleus of the neuroblast just before it became dormant. To see whether this ‘low-level pulse’ of nuclear Prospero is linked to the cell entering a dormant state, Lai and Doe investigated two types of mutant fly in which neuroblasts become dormant either earlier or later than in normal flies. A low-level pulse of nuclear Prospero still precisely matched the start of the dormant state in both mutants. When the Prospero protein was removed altogether, the neuroblasts failed to become dormant, and instead continued dividing. Lai and Doe propose that different levels of Prospero distinguish three different fates for neuroblasts. Neuroblasts self-replicate when Prospero is kept out of the nucleus, become dormant when exposed to low level nuclear Prospero, and produce the mature cells of the brain when nuclear Prospero levels are high. Exactly how the intermediate levels of nuclear Prospero trigger the dormant state remains a question for future work, as is the question of whether the related mammalian protein, called Prox1, has a similar function. Understanding how stem cells switch between cell division and quiescence is important for developing effective stem cell-based therapies. It could also help us understand cancer, as cancer cells go through similar periods of inactivity, during which they do not respond to many anti-tumor drugs.
Commentary: steady-state series-system availability

Computation of steady-state series-system availability depends on specific assumptions made about the nonfailed components during the system failure. Sherwin recently made the case that the steady-state availability in a series-system is not calculated using the product rule. This commentary offers a clarification by illustrating 2 cases of steady-state series-system availability that frequently arise in reliability engineering. The product rule is valid for steady-state series-system availability under the circumstances: nonfailed components (viz, electrical components) continue to age "normally" during the repair of the failed component. Therefore, in computing steady-state availability of series-systems, it is important for practitioners to determine whether the nonfailed components continue to age "normally" (case-1) or do not age (case-2). It is also shown that for n/spl ges/2, case-1 steady-state availability of the series-system is smaller than case-2 steady-state series-system availability, and is the same for n=1.
The Effect of Organizational and Environmental Factors on Police Misconduct

This study analyzes the association between police organizational and environmental factors and police misconduct using data derived from the new National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting...
Synoptic Assessment of Repletion and Residual Water Dynamics in a Coastal Lagoon by Thermal Remote Sensing: Great Machipongo Lagoon (Hog Island Bay), Virginia, USA

Coastal lagoons are prominent features along many of the worlds sand coasts. Unlike estuaries, a large amount of lagoon volume is exchanged via tidal draining and repletion. We sought to quantify the repletion and residual water volumes in a coastal lagoon using satellite remote sensing. In the Great Machipongo Lagoon approximately 53% of the basin capacity drains out with each ebb tide, leaving a residual volume of about 47%. While the repletion footprint indicates the area of the lagoon that is completely flushed with each tide, residual water flushes at a much slower rate. The footprint of repletion water at full tide covers about 30% of the outer part of the lagoon. A fraction of the residual water is entrained into the repletion water mass along the plume frontal boundary. This allows a relatively small percent of the residual water to be exchanged with the coastal ocean. Thermal responses in ASTER imagery indicate zonation as well as areas of continuous mixing of repletion and residual waters. Comparison of remote sensing data with the tidal volume suggests that about 2-4% of the residual water mass is entrained along the frontal boundary during each tidal cycle and flushing of the residual water mass takes about 25-50 tidal cycles. The overall approach portends further application of thermal satellite remote sensing for monitoring estuarine and lagoon flushing and repletion.
Suboptimal control of linear systems with state and control inequality constraints

A suboptimal controller based upon on-line quadratic programming is described. Theoretical results are presented to show that such a controller is optimal under the assumption that there are no constraints on the computation time. Finally, an implementation of a suboptimal controller that takes such constraints into account is described.
Mapping form and function in the human brain: the emerging field of functional neuroimaging in cortical malformations

Malformations of cortical development (MCDs) are increasingly being recognized as a common cause of epilepsy in cases previously felt to be cryptogenic. MCDs occur when the normal process of cerebral cortical development is disrupted, and include disorders of neuronal proliferation, migration, and organization. Many have a genetic basis and the genes responsible for some MCDs have been identified. MCDs represent a unique and valuable substrate in functional brain mapping studies, since as developmental lesions they provide complementary information to studies performed on patients with acquired brain lesions. In recent years an increasing number of functional neuroimaging methods, including positron emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and functional magnetic resonance imaging, have been applied to patients with MCDs. In this review we highlight some of the prominent findings in this emerging field by presenting the functional neuroimaging characteristics of selected MCDs.
Fukushima Nuclear Accident Report Calls for More Focus on Threats From Extreme Events

Nuclear plant licensees and their regulators “must actively seek out and act on new information about hazards that have the potential to affect the safety of nuclear plants.” That is the overarching lesson from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan, according to a 24 July report issued by a committee of the U.S. National Research Council.
the changing proportion of Maya Indian and Ladino in the population of Guatemala, 1945–19691

Revised Maya Indian and Ladino population figures give a new look at the changing proportion of these two groups in the national population of Guatemala. The Maya have decreased 10.3 percent (57.3percent to 47 percent) in a twenty-eight year period. The acculturation of Maya to Ladino is the primary factor for this changing proportion, and the greater Indian death rate is the secondary factor.
Specification-based incremental testing of object oriented systems

Inheritance allows us to build OO systems incrementally. In order to exploit the full potential of inheritance, we also need to be able to test systems incrementally. We present a specification-based testing technique in which the specification and tests for a derived class are obtained incrementally from those of its base class.
Controlled flocculation of coarse suspensions by colloidally dispersed solids I: Interaction of bismuth subnitrate with bentonite

Deflocculated suspensions of coarse powders tend to cake as the individual particles settle out and form compact, cohesive sediments. Limited flocculation results in looser sediments because the settled-out flocs incorporate large amounts of the liquid suspending medium. Controlled flocculation of bismuth subnitrate suspensions was achieved by the addition of small amounts of bentonite. The interaction of the coarse, positively charge bismuth subnitrate particles in aqueous suspension with negatively charged, colloidally dispersed bentonite was investigated by measuring electrophoretic mobility, sedimentation volume, and viscosity. Gradual addition of bentonite dispersion to bismuth subnitrate suspensions first reduced the zeta-potential of the bismuth subnitrate particles from +28 mv to zero, then inverted it, and finally caused it to level off at -20 mv for bismuth subnitrate-bentonite weight ratios below 200. Owing to the much greater specific surface area of bentonite, the surface of the bismuth subnitrate lath-shaped crystals was completely covered by 0.5% of its weight in clay platelets. Adhesion was promoted by electrovalences between surface bismuthyl ions and cation-exchange sites of the clay and by secondary valences. The charge neutralization of bismuth subnitrate by bentonite was a heterocoagulation process: the addition of small amounts of the clay flocculated the bismuth subnitrate suspensions and eliminated caking. While the zeta-potential of the bismuth subnitrate particles leveled off when their surface was saturated with bentonite platelets, sedimentation volume and viscosity continued to increase when the clay concentration was increased further while maintaining the bismuth subnitrate concentration constant. The excess, nonadsorbed bentonite formed the characteristic house-of-cards structure, incorporating the bentonite-coated bismuth subnitrate particles as cornerstones.
How I Manage Knee Dislocations

Knee dislocations are rare injuries once thought to be seen only once in an orthopedic surgeon's career. With increasing incidence, because of better recognition and survival of high-energy trauma, an orthopedic surgeon is more likely to see and should be wary of a knee dislocation. Our experience is unique in that the authors (RCS, DCW, and GT) maintain an academic sports medicine practice but also deal with complex trauma at a level I trauma center. We believe this provides us experience with both low-energy (sports related) and high-energy mechanisms, which has influenced our publications. Each knee dislocation takes on a different character, and the approach can be very different depending on each patient and mechanism of injury. We share with the reader our approach to both low-energy and high-energy knee dislocations.
Understanding microinteractions as applied research opportunities for information designers

Designers and communicators who work in computational spaces often consider the “big picture” of information design. This approach requires researchers to scrutinize the complex nature of human discourse. They must also study the interactions with, and relationships to, technology as people speak with and write to one another. Humans communicate and computers operate within multilayered organizations or inside other complex information environments, so it is not surprising that these investigations of communication are frequently multifaceted. Big picture research is characterized by various research methodologies. One popular example is the case study model of organizational knowledge management and communication practices that include thoughtful considerations of designers, products, audiences, and sociopolitical contexts. Such case studies may be designed to catalyze practical improvements within an organization as well as generate new ideas and theories about information design. While useful in many ways, this popular, expansive category of applied research has led to a gap in knowledge and an opportunity for additional focusing. This gap has emerged because more narrowly focused design details within these environments are left unconsidered or are insufficiently analyzed. Details like these are important since they generate insights into particular patterns of user activity. These insights add to a comprehensive understanding of the holistic experience of users as they interact with products and software. For example, applied research studying information communication practices as they
Control of Nondeterministic Discrete Event Systems for Simulation Equivalence

This paper studies supervisory control of discrete event systems subject to specifications modeled as nondeterministic automata. The control is exercised so that the controlled system is simulation equivalent to the (nondeterministic) specification. Properties expressed in the universal fragment of the branching-time logic can equivalently be expressed as simulation equivalence specifications. This makes the simulation equivalence a natural choice for behavioral equivalence in many applications and it has found wide applicability in abstraction-based approaches to verification. While simulation equivalence is more general than language equivalence, we show that existence as well as synthesis of both the target and range control problems remain polynomially solvable. Our development shows that the simulation relation is a preorder over automata, with the union and the synchronization of the automata serving as an infimal upperbound and a supremal lowerbound, respectively. For the special case when the plant is deterministic, the notion of state-controllable-similar is introduced as a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of similarity enforcing supervisor. We also present conditions for the existence of a similarity enforcing supervisor that is deterministic.
Bayesian prediction and adaptive sampling algorithms for mobile sensor networks

In this paper, we formulate a full Bayesian approach for spatio-temporal Gaussian process regression under practical conditions such as measurement noise and unknown hyperparmeters (particularly, the bandwidths). Thus, multi-factorial effects of observations, measurement noise and prior distributions of hyperparameters are all correctly incorporated in the computed predictive distribution. Using discrete prior probabilities and compactly supported kernels, we provide a way to design sequential Bayesian prediction algorithms that can be computed (without using the Gibbs sampler) in constant time as the number of observations increases. Both centralized and distributed sequential Bayesian prediction algorithms have been proposed for mobile sensor networks. An adaptive sampling strategy for mobile sensors, using the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation, has been proposed to minimize the prediction error variances. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
Micromachined scanning confocal optical microscope

We have constructed a miniature confocal optical microscope for monochromatic imaging that uses single-mode fiber illumination and a two-phase off-axis zone plate objective lens. The scanning mechanism consists of two micromachined silicon torsional scanning mirrors with orthogonal axes of rotation. The objective lens is made of fused silica and has a N.A. of 0.24 at lambda = 0.6328 microm, with a 1.0-mm working distance. The device is side looking, with die dimensions of 1.2 mm x 2.5 mm x 6.5 mm. We have measured 1.0-microm resolution over a 100-microm field of view.
Origins of sparse aperture imaging

Sparse aperture imaging has its roots in the work on optical interferometry by Fizeau and Michelson over one-hundred years ago, and the development of radio astronomy nearly fifty years later. In their quest for higher angular resolution at meter wavelengths radio astronomers were forced to seek alternatives to filled aperture telescopes. Radio interferometers, as these instruments are called, measure the complex visibility, which is the Fourier transform of the source brightness distribution. The earliest instruments measured only the amplitude of the visibility, and it was several years before phase measurements became routine. Both the amplitude and phase of the visibility are needed to produce images of a complex source by Fourier inversion. It wasn't until the 1970s and 1980s that the technology was available to allow modern optical stellar interferometers to be built. This paper traces the history of sparse aperture imaging from early radio measurements to the current generation of ground-based optical interferometers, and discusses their general principles of operation.
Inflation, Employment, and the Dutch Disease in Oil-Exporting Countries: A Short-Run Disequilibrium Analysis

The author uses nontraded goods and labor shortages in the Gulf countries, the decline of the traded goods sector in oil producers (''Dutch Disease''), and the absence of employment benefits of higher oil revenues in Latin American oil producers. Higher oil revenues can be likened to a transfer putting pressure on non-oil traded (NT) goods prices and drawing resources out of the T sector. The slope of the wage indexation line determines whether classical unemployment or repressed inflation results. Various policy measures are analyzed. 3 references, 8 figures.
Can developing women produce primitive art? And other questions of value, meaning and identity in the circulation of Janakpur art.

In this article, I examine the values and meanings that adhere to objects made by Maithil women at a development project in Janakpur, Nepal - objects collectors have called 'Janakpur Art'. I seek to explain how and why changes in pictorial content in Janakpur Art - shifts that took place over a period of five or six years in the 1990s - occurred, and what such a change might indicate about the link between Maithil women's lives, development, and tourism. As I will demonstrate, part of the appeal for consumers of Janakpur Art has been that it is produced at a 'women's development project' seeking to empower its participants. And yet, the project's very successes threaten to displace the producers (and what they produce) from their perceived qualities/identities as 'traditional' and 'primitive,' thereby bringing into question the authenticity of the 'art' they produce. The conundrum begs this question: can developing women produce primitive art?.
Progesterone and Estrogen Secretion by Cultured Monkey Ovarian Cell Types: Influences of Follicular Size, Serum Luteinizing Hormone Levels, and Follicular Fluid Estrogen Levels

Rhesus monkeys were laparotomized before and during the LH surge, and the thecal layer, stroma, and granulosa cells were removed and cultured for 8 days, separately or together, in the presence or absence of 5 × 10-7 M testosterone. In each experiment (n = 30), estrogen and progesterone were measured in the follicular fluid and serum immediately before follicular harvest. The oocyte was harvested from the largest (presumed preovulatory) follicle present; its degree of maturity was determined using a stereomicroscope, followed by culture of the oocyte for 2 days. Follicles containing granulosa cells which failed to attach and grow, or degenerated oocytes (at the time of harvest or degenerated in culture) were not used and were designated atretic. After initiation of the LH surge, there was a significant rise in follicular fluid progesterone and estrogen levels, with estrogen levels reaching a peak at the time of the LH surge. One day after the LH surge, follicular fluid and serum estrogen levels dropped sh...
Team Building in Multidisciplinary Client-Sponsored Project Courses

Experience working in multidisciplinary teams is important both to prepare Computer Science (CS) students for industry and to improve their communication with teammates from disciplines other than their own. This article describes the evolution and results of collaborations among three courses: an undergraduate CS course about user interface design and implementation, an undergraduate Scientific and Technical Communication (STC) course about usability and instructions writing, and a graduate CS/Human Factors course about user-interface evaluation and usability testing. Students from all three courses work with scientists to complete the scientist-sponsored citizen science Android applications (apps). Students from the undergraduate CS and STC courses form multidisciplinary teams to design and implement apps, while the graduate students consult with the teams by evaluating and user-testing the apps. The collaboration's effectiveness was assessed using student surveys, interviews, and evaluations of student work. This article compares the collaboration within the teams and the coordination with the scientists across two years of activities in order to determine the effectiveness of course modifications. The article concludes with recommendations for improving the collaboration within teams and the coordination with clients in multidisciplinary course projects.
Immediate and 1 week effects of laterally wedge insoles on gait biomechanics in healthy females

It is estimated that approximately 45% of the U.S. population will develop knee osteoarthritis, a disease that creates significant economic burdens in both direct and indirect costs. Laterally wedged insoles have been frequently recommended to reduce knee abduction moments and to manage knee osteoarthritis. However, it remains unknown whether the lateral wedge will reduce knee abduction moments over a prolonged period of time. Thus, the purposes of this study were to (1) examine the immediate effects of a laterally wedged insole in individuals normally aligned knees and (2) determine prolonged effects after the insole was worn for 1 week. Gait analysis was performed on ten women with and without a laterally wedged insole. After participants wore the wedges for a week, a second gait analysis was performed with and without the insole. The wedged insole did not affect peak knee abduction moment, although there was a significant increase in knee abduction angular impulse after wearing the insoles for 1 week. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in vertical ground reaction force at the instance of peak knee abduction moment with the wedges. While the laterally wedged insole used in the current study did not alter knee abduction moments as expected, other studies have shown alterations. Future studies should also examine a longer acclimation period, the influence of gait speed, and the effect of different shoe types with the insole.
Electrocardiographic Characterization of Cardiac Hypertrophy in Mice that Overexpress the ErbB2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase.

Electrocardiography is an important method for evaluation and risk stratification of patients with cardiac hypertrophy. We hypothesized that the recently developed transgenic mouse model of cardiac hypertrophy (ErbB2tg) will display distinct ECG features, enabling WT (wild type) mice to be distinguished from transgenic mice without using conventional PCR genotyping. We evaluated more than 2000 mice and developed specific criteria for genotype determination by using cageside ECG, during which unanesthetized mice were manually restrained for less than 1 min. Compared with those from WT counterparts, the ECG recordings of ErbB2tg mice were characterized by higher P- and R-wave amplitudes, broader QRS complexes, inverted T waves, and ST interval depression. Pearson's correlation matrix analysis of combined WT and ErbB2tg data revealed significant correlation between heart weight and the ECG parameters of QT interval (corrected for heart rate), QRS interval, ST height, R amplitude, P amplitude, and PR interval. In addition, the left ventricular posterior wall thickness as determined by echocardiography correlated with ECG-determined ST height, R amplitude, QRS interval; echocardiographic left ventricular mass correlated with ECG-determined ST height and PR interval. In summary, we have determined phenotypic ECG criteria to differentiate ErbB2tg from WT genotypes in 98.8% of mice. This inexpensive and time-efficient ECG-based phenotypic method might be applied to differentiate between genotypes in other rodent models of cardiac hypertrophy. Furthermore, with appropriate modifications, this method might be translated for use in other species.
Dynamic Loading of Dental Amalgam and Effects Upon Electrochemistry and Microstructure

The stress vs. cycles (S-N) behavior for four amalgams is reported. At 10 cycles/min and for 37 degrees C air and artificial saliva environments, linear regression lines fit the data with high correlations between 10(2) and 10(4) cycles. Significance at 50% exists between the environments and with saliva decreasing failure resistance. The open circuit potential (OCP), the OCP-time transients at constant anodic currents, and the cyclic voltammetry all exhibit changes with loading. With static loading the OCP decreases, while with dynamic loading the OCP exhibits a sinusoidal pattern and a pattern with two maxima and two minima after the loading has progressed and which continues up until failure. The maximum anodic current in voltammetry increases with continual potential cycling (or load cycling), while decreases when performed without loading. The application of anodic currents to the amalgams has, however, not significantly reduced the number of cycles to failure, nor has the application of cathodic currents increased the number of cycles. Rearrangement and coalesence of voids takes place with loading and with microcracking forming preferentially between them. Crack propagation occurs predominantly within the gamma-1 matrix.
Bearing Capacities by Plasticity Theory

The two basic equations of plastic equilibrium in a soil mass are solved by a numerical scheme proposed by Sokolovski, for the case of bearing capacity failure of a strip footing under plane strain conditions. A new scaling technique, first proposed by Sokolovski and amplified in detail in this paper, shows that the bearing capacities of strip footings can be conveniently calculated without using the conventional Terzaghi bearing capacity factors, N c , N γ , N q . The Terzaghi equation for bearing capacities is shown to be non-conservative when the proper strain angle of internal friction is used. Previous conclusions that experimental results showed the Terzaghi prediction values to be conservative are misleading because a triaxial compression angle of internal friction was used in a plane strain formula.