cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An improved push-pull cannula system for perfusing an isolated region of the brain.

Abstract This paper presents the modifications of an earlier method for perfusing a specific structure within the brain of an unanesthetized animal. Four improvements in the construction of the push-pull cannulae are described. By using a cannula assembly which is lowered into a permanent guide tube implanted stereotaxically, gliosis-free regions can be perfused at different depths. A single-channel push-pull pump replaces the use of gravity as the force for inflow to and outflow from the cannulae. The plungers of two syringes of identical volume move at a constant speed in a direction opposite to one another. Since inflow and outflow rates are constant, the development of a large expansion lesion at the cannula tips is avoided.
A Conceptual Overview of the Role of Beauty and Aesthetics in Science and Science Education

(2007). A Conceptual Overview of the Role of Beauty and Aesthetics in Science and Science Education. Studies in Science Education: Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 38-61.
Muscle forces predicted using optimization methods are coordinate system dependent

Abstract Optimization methods are widely used to predict in vivo muscle forces in musculoskeletal joints. Moment equilibrium at the joint center (usually chosen as the origin of the joint coordinate system) has been used as a constraint condition for optimization procedures and the joint reaction moments were assumed zero. This study, through the use of a three-dimensional elbow model, investigated the effect of coordinate system origin (joint center) location on muscle forces predicted using a nonlinear static optimization method. The results demonstrated that moving the origin of the coordinate system medially and laterally along the flexion–extension axis caused dramatic variations in the predicted muscle forces. For example, moving the origin of the coordinate system from a position 5 mm medial to 5 mm lateral of the geometric elbow center caused the predicted biceps force to vary from 12% to 46% and the brachialis force to vary from 80% to 34% of the total muscle loading. The joint reaction force reduced by 24% with this medial to lateral variation of the coordinate system origin location. This data revealed that the muscle forces predicted using the optimization method are sensitive to the coordinate system origin location due to the zero joint reaction moment assumption in the moment constraint condition. For accurate prediction of muscle load distributions using optimization methods, it is necessary to determine the accurate coordinate system origin location where the condition of a zero joint reaction moment is satisfied.
In Vitro Dissolution Testing with Flow-Through Method: A Technical Note

In vitro dissolution testing is important for providing process control and quality assurance, determination of stability release characteristics of the product over time, and facilitating certain regulatory determinations (e.g., absence of effect of minor formulation changes or of change in manufacturing site on performance). In the past two decades, the dissolution test has also been widely discussed to serve as an indicator of how the formulation will perform in vivo (1–3). Although basket and paddle methods are currently the most popular methods for many drug products, both methods are operated under closed finite sink condition and cannot mimic the conditions present in the digestive system. A flow-through method using the official USP 4 apparatus operated in open-loop mode is capable of maintaining a continuous flow of fresh dissolution medium, thus, maintaining infinite sink conditions (3–6). This operational mode provides an environment potentially closer to that of the digestive tract. Thus, this technique may offer advantages for establishing in vitro and in vivo correlations (IVIVCs). To compare dissolution testing under finite and infinite sink conditions, this study applied both paddle and flow-through methods for dissolution testing with disintegrating prednisone and nondisintegrating salicylic acid tablets. The closed- and open-loop configurations of the flow-through method were used to provide comparisons with the paddle method. In addition to studies based on the official USP dissolution apparatus, several authors have reported development of novel, multicompartment dissolution apparatus in their efforts to develop good IVIVCs (7–9; Hughes et al., private communication). The reported novel systems have potential to simulate in vivo condition such as gastric volume and pH, gastric emptying to the intestine, and intestinal volume and pH etc., which may give a good in vivo and in vitro correlation. However, these novel apparatus require special configurations or parts, which may be difficult to duplicate in other labs. This study applies the idea of a multicompartment dissolution apparatus but attempts to minimize modifications to the current official USP apparatus so as to facilitate adoption by other labs for application to their specific studies. In this study, the flow-through apparatus with open-loop configuration has been modified by adding a flow-through reservoir after the flow-through cell. This reservoir is maintained at intestinal pH. Disintegrating prednisone and nondisintegrating salicylic acid were used as test drugs.
Sustainability Quantification System: A quantitative approach to evaluate transportation sustainability in U.S.

Sustainable practices have become the cornerstone of the transportation sector, and widely adopted by many states’ transportation agencies. Sustainable practices have now become the edifice of the transportation sectors but the adoption of such practices is not fast enough to overcome the ever-increasing global demand for resources. There are numerous sustainable policies, rating systems, and most of them follow similar approaches and formats that outline the sustainability factors. This paper proposes a quantitative approach to measure and evaluate sustainable performance of the transportation sector. The paper makes an extensive analysis on carbon emissions when treated by total population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The evaluation focuses on the transparency of sustainability through measurement and quantification of sustainability rather than to develop standard compliance approaches. These measurement and quantification approaches would allow transportation agencies to measure and thus reduce their footprints. BACKGROUND The scope of sustainable transportation is emerging into reality as a part of broader scheme of transportation. It is emerging as an epitome of global sustainability growth and aims at integrating resource conservation through transportation. Transportation influences all aspects of the economy, environment and society and generates long-term impacts on humanity (Dearing, 2000). Sustainability in transportation addresses the basic needs of societies such as safety and in a manner consistent with the health of human and ecosystem through transportation infrastructure. Sustainable transportation indicators are critical to measure the sustainability of transportation policies and practices. Amekudzi (2005) presented the sustainable transportation frameworks through thorough literature search, and placed the indicators into three categories: linkages-based, impact based and influence oriented. Litman (2006) included indicators that are separated into economic, social and environmental categories. Gudmundsson (2000) developed an understanding on how transportation planning is adopted in the U.S. and Canada and identified the indicators used to benchmark sustainable transportation performances. Segnestam (1999) examined the
Melancholia, Ambivalent Presence and the Cost of Gender Commentary on Paper by Meg Jay

I would like to engage three aspects of Jay's argument: first, I want to suggest that there is an important distinction to be made between melancholia and depression, and that Butler's melancholy gender depends on this distinction, which emphasizes the social and political dimensions of melancholia. Second, Jay diagnoses the theory of melancholy gender with a troubling ambivalence; I contend that this ambivalence is central to the logic of Butler's argument, and to the processes of melancholia and gendered identification, and that this ambivalence is also purposefully manifest in Freud's text. Third, Jay's piece makes a call for conceptual disarticulation in the register of foreclosure as it relates to prohibited homosexual object choice. This desire for disarticulation and anxiety about homosexual undecidability leads to the collapse of gender, sex and sexual orientation, and the result of this collapse is an ambiguous subject who emerges as reheterosexualized and normatively gendered.
Pediatric Asthma Care in US Emergency Departments Current Practice in the Context of the National Institutes of Health Guidelines

Objectives: To determine whether US emergency department care for pediatric asthma conforms to the National Institutes of Health guidelines and whether the guidelines are likely to be adopted in clinical practice. Design: Mail survey conducted from January to April 1992, and stratified by hospital type (children's, public, and community). Settings: Emergency departments of US hospitals. Participants: Simple stratified random sample of emergency department directors from 376 sampled hospitals. Measurements: Self-reported data on emergency department pediatric asthma care, and knowledge and attitudes about the National Institutes of Health guidelines. Data are reported as mean (±SE). Results: Sixty-eight percent of the surveyed emergency department directors responded. During 1991, there were an estimated 1.6 million visits for pediatric asthma care. Asthma accounted for 16.9% (±9.0%) of all pediatric emergency department visits. Only 2.1% (±1.0%) reported the use of written protocols or guidelines, with significant variation by hospital type. Sixty-seven percent (±3.0%) reported the use of pulse oximetry. Eighty percent reported the use of β-agonists by inhalation as the initial treatment. Only 44.7% (±2.9%) reported the use of steroids if there was a poor response to the initial treatment. An estimated 45.5% (±3.9%) of respondents had heard of the guidelines at the time of this survey; approximately 24% reported that they had read the guidelines. Most respondents reported that the guidelines were credible, clear and concise, and likely to be adopted in their emergency department. Conclusions: These data suggest that reported pediatric asthma care in US emergency departments differs substantially from the National Institutes of Health guidelines, with considerable variation by hospital type. The guidelines appear to provide an acceptable tool for emergency departments to use in assessing their pediatric asthma care. However, in light of the lack of evidence that the guidelines will improve outcomes, the impact of national guideline adoption remains unclear. (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1995;149:893-901)
Twist-4 nuclear parton distributions from photoproduction.

We analyze anomalous nuclear enhancement in the photoproduction of jets as a higher-twist process in perturbative QCD. We use the Fermilab E683 data on dijet momentum imbalance to estimate the size of the relevant twist-4 parton distributions. We find that twist-4 matrix elements are of the order of 0.05-0.1 ${\mathrm{GeV}}^{2}$ times typical twist-2 parton distributions. We discuss a physical interpretation of the nuclear enhancement as a measure of the average net transverse color force on an off-shell parton moving through nuclear matter, and give an order-of-magnitude estimate for the typical squared transverse field strengths encountered by a fast moving parton.
A New Ultrafast Photodetector with High Efficiency and High Saturation Power

Waveguide photodetectors have received a great deal of interest recently because they overcome the bandwidth-efficiency trade-off in conventional surface-illuminating p-i-n photodetectors [ 1][2]. Bandwidth-efficiency products exceeding 100 GHz have been predicted for these devices. The main disadvantage of waveguide-type photodetectors is the low optical coupling efficiency from optical fibers. Thus the increase of the internal quantum efficiency was often offset by the low coupling efficiency. A multimode waveguide structure has been proposed to improve the input coupling efficiency from 40% to 68%, while maintaining a bandwidth of 50 GHz [2]. However, the absorption efficiency of high-order modes is low because of mode mis-match. In addition, the coupling efficiency becomes very sensitive to misalignment.
Twist viscosity of mixtures of low molar mass nematics

Measurements of the twist viscosity, γ1(DLS) and twist elastic coefficient, K22(DLS) by electric-field-dependent dynamic light scattering (EFDLS) are reported for low molar mass nematics (LMMNs) 4′-heptyl-4-cyanobiphenyl (7CB) and 4′-octyl-4-cyanobiphenyl (8CB), and their binary mixtures at several temperatures in the nematic state. The results are compared with values (γ1(Rheol)=α3–α2) computed from rheological measurements of the Leslie viscosities α2 and α3. For the binary mixtures, at each temperature, the measured twist viscosity γ1(DLS) and corresponding twist elastic constant K22(DLS) show approximately a linear additive dependence on concentration. The calculated twist viscosity, γ1(Rheol), agrees with γ1(DLS) for the pure components, but is significantly smaller for the binary mixtures. Our observations appear to be consistent with a recent report of a discrepancy between values of the tumbling parameter λ, determined using a small-strain oscillatory optical technique, vs those measured by a rheological method. These results suggest that, in the rheological measurements at large strains, the rate of director rotation for mixtures may be affected by a flow-induced change in structure, e.g., shear-induced biaxiality.
Controlled pollination transfer of a nuclear male-sterile gene from a diploid to a tetraploid watermelon line.

A recessive male-sterility (ms) gene was transferred from a diploid to a tetraploid watermelon (Citrullus lanatus(Thunb.) Matsum and Nakai) line through a series of controlled pollinations. Progeny testing and morphological characteristics confirmed the development of tetraploid lines containing the ms gene. The possible use of this gene transfer system in the improvement of tetraploid watermelon cultivars and the use of male-sterile tetraploids in the production of seedless triploid watermelons is discussed.
Lessons from ‘Project Whirlwind’: A talented team produced many computer “firsts,” and added new chapters to R&D management texts

Describes the history of the project to build a computer of pioneer design in 1945, on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Who Owns Native Culture

The author proposes alternative strategies for defending the heritage of vulnerable native communities without blocking the open communicatin essential to the life of pluralist democracies. The book is a lively, accessible introduction to questions of cultural ownership, group privacy, intellectual property, and the recovery of indigenous identities.
Study of performance degradations in DC-DC converter due to hot carrier stress by simulation

Abstract The hot carrier effects on the 0.25 μm high voltage LDMOS has been examined by the accelerated stress experiment. Although the model parameters changed slightly, the switching performances degraded significantly, which have been simulated with the compact models extracted from the test devices by ICCAP. A full bridge DC-DC converter with the compact models was proposed in Cadence SpectreRF. The simulated results show that the efficiency of the full bridge DC-DC converter degraded significantly due to the hot carrier effects.
The Plasma Science and Innovation Center Interfacing Group

The Interfacing Group of the Plasma Science and Innovation Center (PSI-Center), – http://www.psicenter.org facilitates simulations of collaborating Emerging Concept (EC) experiments. This includes helping set up new simulations for experiments, assisting in comparison of simulations with experimental data, acquiring and disseminating information about simulations to PSI-Center computational groups, and acting as a conduit of information between experiments. The Interfacing Group also administers a local development computational cluster and network.
Active pushing versus passive fetal descent in the second stage of labor: a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To compare perinatal outcomes among women with epidural anesthesia who were encouraged to push at complete dilatation with those who had a period of rest before pushing began. METHODS: After a power analysis to determine appropriate sample size (based upon an α error rate of .05% and 80% power), a prospective randomized trial of 252 women with epidural anesthesia was conducted. Patients were randomized to a rest period or immediate pushing at complete dilatation. Variables measured included rate of fetal descent, length of time of pushing, the number and type of fetal heart rate decelerations, Apgar scores, arterial cord pH values, perineal injuries, type of delivery, length of second stage, maternal fatigue, and endometritis. RESULTS: When a period of rest was used before pushing, we found a longer second stage, decreased pushing time, fewer decelerations, and, in primiparous women, less fatigue compared with control patients. Apgar scores, arterial cord pH values, rates of perineal injury, instrument delivery, and endometritis were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: Delayed pushing was not associated with demonstrable adverse outcome, despite second-stage length of up to 4.9 hours. In select patients, such delay may be of benefit.
Peano dynamics as a model for ergodic and strange nonchaotic behaviour

Abstract The note outlines a scenario for a two-dimensional dynamic system to possess strange nonchaotic behaviour in the presence of a two frequency quasi periodic forcing. Implications for ergodicity are also discussed.
Capturing the Effects of Unlike Neighbors in Single-Assembly Calculations

We present recent improvements in assembly-level calculations for reactor analysis, including modifications that support core-level analysis by quasi-diffusion. Our main focus is on accurately approximating the effects that neighboring assemblies have on the few-group cross sections, assembly discontinuity factors, form factors, and other transport parameters of a given assembly. We show that we can do this by using albedo boundary conditions that are estimated with low computational cost. We also present an efficient way to tabulate these effects to permit accurate interpolation by the core-level algorithm. We describe our algorithms and present results from several difficult test problems containing mixed-oxide and UO{sub 2} assemblies. Our methodology significantly reduces the largest errors made by present-day methodology. For example, in our test problems it reduces the maximum pin-power error by a factor of {approx}5.
Involutory functions and Moore-Penrose inverses of matrices in an arbitrary field

Let F be a field, and M be the set of all matrices over F. A function ƒ from M into M, which we write ƒ(A) = As for A∈M, is involutory if (1) (AB)s = BsAs for all A, B in M whenever the product AB is defined, and (2) (As)s = A for all A∈M. If ƒ is an involutory function on M, then As is n×m if A is m×n; furthermore, Rank A = Rank As, the restriction of ƒ to F is an involutory automorphism of F, and (aA + bB)s = asAs + bsBs for all m×n matrices A and B and all scalars a and b. For an A∈M, an A∈M is called a Moore-Penrose inverse of A relative to ƒ if (i) AAA = A, AAA = A and (ii) (AA)s = AA, (AA)s = AA. A necessary and sufficient condition for A to have a Moore-Penrose inverse relative to ƒ is that Rank A = Rank AAs = Rank AsA. Furthermore, if an involutory function ƒ preserves circulant matrices, then the Moore-Penrose inverse of any circulant matrix relative to ƒ is also circulant, if it exists.
Fertilizer rate and β-galactosidase and peroxidase activity in pepper fruit at different stages and years of harvest

β-galactosidase and peroxidase are enzymes reported to have roles in pepper maturation. Fertilizer rate may affect activity of these enzymes in fruit maturing on the plant. Nine pepper cultivars, five non-pungent and four pungent, were fertilized at two rates in field plots in 1997 and 1998 at Lane, OK, USA. Fruit were harvested at mature green, turning, and red color developmental stages, and assayed for β-galactosidase and peroxidase activity. Overall fruit β-galactosidase activity increased as fertilizer rate increased, and was highest in red fruit. Fertilizer rate and fruit developmental stage did not affect peroxidase activity in 1997, but peroxidase activity was highest in red fruit in 1998. Enzyme activity appeared to be cultivar dependent, and patterns differed in both years. Activities of both enzymes were higher at the red stage in many of the non-pungent peppers than in pungent peppers. These data suggest that increased fertilizer affects the activity of at least one enzyme in fruit maturing on the plant. Cultural practices affecting enzyme activity may be used to modify concentrations of components in plants that are important for human consumption.
Brain cholesterol. XI. A review of biosynthesis in adult mice

During the past decade, our laboratory has been involved in studying the biosynthesis of brain cholesterol under various conditions. As a result of these studies, we feel that the hypothesis of metabolic stability of cholesterol in adult life is untenable. Our data suggest that there are several compartments of sterol metabolism ranging from extremely fast to metabolically very slow. It is our hypothesis that (a) brain function is more nearly associated with fast turnover compartments than with metabolically slow ones; (b) these compartments can be altered by a variety of stress conditions.
EXPERIMENTAL LOBSTER RANCHING IN MASSACHUSETTS

Artificial shelters were deployed in the shallow waters of Massachusetts Bay in an attempt to stabilize and increase lobster catches. Shelters constructed with concrete-filled tires proved to be well suited for small-scale ranching operations. Only two people were needed to make and deploy the shelters, and the capital costs were low. The animals quickly occupied shelters on sandy bottoms but not on rocky ones, and when fish wastes were provided as food in the former habitats, an increase was noted in trap captures. However, stable populations could not be maintained in the experimental areas for the lobsters were found to be continually moving. In October and November a general offshore trend was noted and tagged lobsters moved from a depth of 10 m to approximately 20 m.
Bile duct cancer.

Bile duct cancer, although not among the common tumors, still accounts for more than 4,000 deaths a year in the United States. Clinicians caring for these patients are faced with difficulties in diagnosis, even with the best of modern imaging techniques, and if the tumor is not resectable (as is true for about 75 percent of all patients), the mean survival time is only a few months. Endoscopic diagnostic and therapeutic techniques have improved markedly. As with other malignant tumors, biliary cancer is best managed by a multidisciplinary team approach.
Astrophysics: Making black holes from scratch

The means by which supermassive black holes form and grow have remained largely unclear. Numerical simulations show that the collision of massive galaxies can naturally lead to the creation of these objects.
Substrate Damage Modeling for Advanced Turbine System Airfoils

The Department of Energy (DOE) is developing advanced hydrogen-fired and oxy-fueled turbine technologies that are projected to operate with turbine inlet temperatures (TIT) of 1425°C and 1760°C, respectively. At these temperatures, the airfoil will require not only internal cooling, but also stable thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) in order to achieve extended service operation in these advanced high steam-containing environments. We previously developed a computational methodology, based on three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) and damage mechanics, for predicting the evolution of creep in the hydrogen-fired and oxy-fueled airfoils. This methodology has been extended to fatigue damage evolution. Currently, the model allows for the interaction between creep and fatigue damage. Simulation results will be presented that visualize creep and fatigue damage for hydrogen-fired and oxy-fuel airfoils. Additionally, the influence of dynamic changes in the TBC microstructure and phase composition with operational time will be discussed relative to all projected damage mechanisms.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Detection of growth fraction in tumors by Ki67 monoclonal antibody in cytologic smears: A prospective study of 40 cases

The monoclonal antibody (MAb) Ki67 detects a nuclear antigen in cycling tumor cells. Quantitation of proliferating cells is helpful in predicting the recurrence and metastatic potential of tumors as previously reported. We conducted a prospective study on 40 benign and malignant tumors by performing Ki67 immunocytochemical stains on cytologic smears and their corresponding frozen tissues. Quantitation of Ki67 positive cells was done by counting 300 cells in 5-7 high-power fields in cytologic smears and tissues. Only nuclear or nucleolar immunostaining was considered positive for MAb Ki67. The number of Ki67 positive tumor cells in cytologic smears correlated well with Ki67 positive cells from corresponding tissues. On the average, cytologic smears showed 1.9% higher Ki67 positivity in malignant tumors as compared to their corresponding frozen tissues (P < 0.001). The Ki67 positivity in malignant tumors was found to be significantly higher when compared with benign tumors (P < 0.001). We conclude that cytologic smears can be used for the determination of growth potential in tumors by MAb Ki67. Additionally, cytologic preparations can be used during intraoperative consultations when adequate tissue is not available for the above mentioned study.
Linewidth of c-axis plasma resonance in Josephson-coupled superconductors.

We derive equations which describe the interaction of the phase collective mode with vortex oscillations in multilayer superconductors with Josephson interlayer coupling. Using these dynamic equations for the phase difference between neighboring layers and pancake coordinates we calculate the linewidth of the c-axis plasma resonance in the vortex glass phase when a magnetic field is applied along the c axis. Three mechanisms contribute to the linewidth: interlayer tunneling of quasiparticles, inhomogeneous Josephson interaction in the presence of randomly positioned vortices (inhomogeneous broadening), and dissipation of the plasma mode into vortex oscillations. The phase collective mode is mixed with vortex oscillations in the linear approximation via the Josephson interaction when pancakes are positioned randomly along the c axis due to pinning and thermal fluctuations. Analyzing experimental data for the plasma resonance linewidth in a Bi-2:2:1:2 superconductor we conclude that in magnetic fields below 7 T the linewidth is determined mainly by inhomogeneous broadening. This leads to a nearly temperature-independent linewidth which is inversly proportional to the magnetic field. At higher fields or lower pinning the dissipation of the plasmon into vortex oscillations may become the dominant mechanism of line broadening. In this case the linewidth weakly depends on the magnetic field. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Interfacial behavior of polymer electrolytes

Abstract Evidence is presented concerning the effect of surfaces on the segmental motion of PEO-based polymer electrolytes in lithium batteries. For dry systems with no moisture the effect of surfaces of nanoparticle fillers is to inhibit the segmental motion and to reduce the lithium ion transport. These effects also occur at the surfaces in composite electrodes that contain considerable quantities of carbon black nanoparticles for electronic connection. The problem of reduced polymer mobility is compounded by the generation of salt concentration gradients within the composite electrode. Highly concentrated polymer electrolytes have reduced transport properties due to the increased ionic cross-linking. Combined with the interfacial interactions this leads to the generation of low mobility electrolyte layers within the electrode and to loss of capacity and power capability. It is shown that even with planar lithium metal electrodes the concentration gradients can significantly impact the interfacial impedance. The interfacial impedance of lithium/PEO–LiTFSI cells varies depending upon the time elapsed since current was turned off after polarization. The behavior is consistent with relaxation of the salt concentration gradients and indicates that a portion of the interfacial impedance usually attributed to the SEI layer is due to concentrated salt solutions next to the electrode surfaces that are very resistive. These resistive layers may undergo actual phase changes in a non-uniform manner and the possible role of the reduced mobility polymer layers in dendrite initiation and growth is also explored. It is concluded that PEO and ethylene oxide-based polymers are less than ideal with respect to this interfacial behavior.
Low back muscle force prediction using activity surfaces and switching curves

An approach is described that displays the individual muscle force due to external loads as a surface called the muscle activity surface (MAS) in a multidimensional loading space. The independent loading variables spanning this space are determinants of the external loading in the lumbar plane of interest, thus decoupling the broad question of muscle load distribution from the specific details of a given loading task. The MAS of a given muscle yields the full muscle response to the external loading. It shows a threshold phenomenon, a preference for symmetric tasks, and a monotonic dependence on the flexion moment. >
Snap buckling of delaminated composites under pure bending

Abstract Delaminated composites under pure bending can undergo snap buckling under certain conditions of applied bending load and geometrical configuration. The phenomenon is demonstrated experimentally and is investigated theoretically by an energy procedure. The geometric non-linearities are included in the formulation. First, a theoretical analysis is performed to model the behavior of the system and define the conditions for snap buckling. The predicted buckling loads are then compared with experimentally obtained data from pure bending loading of Kevlar epoxy specimens with internal delaminations. Good agreement is obtained between the experimental and theoretical results.
Two-dimensional block diagonal LMS adaptive algorithm

This paper is concerned with the development of a two-dimensional (2-D) adaptive filtering using block diagonal least mean squared (BDLMS) method. In this adaptive filtering scheme, the image is scanned and processed block by block in a diagonal fashion, and the filter weights are adjusted once per each block rather than once per each pixel. As a result, this method takes into account the correlations of the pixels along both vertical and horizontal directions. The properties of this 2-D adaptive filter, including convergence behavior, adaptation speed, and adaptation accuracy, have been studied. Simulation results are presented which indicate the effectiveness of the 2-D BDLMS when used for image enhancement and estimation applications.
Ulnar Neuropathy Among Active Workers Based Upon Hand Diagram Ratings

Abstract Background Limited studies have estimated the prevalence of ulnar neuropathy (UN) in the workplace. Hand diagrams have been demonstrated to have a good sensitivity and specificity when attempting to identify patients with UN. Objective To determine the prevalence and associated risk factors for UN among active workers based on results of a hand diagram, and to determine the reliability of hand diagram scoring. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Seven different industrial and clerical work sites. Methods A total of 501 active workers were screened. Subjects completed a hand diagram and the Job Content Questionnaire, and had ergonomic assessment of their job. Each hand diagram was scored independently by 2 raters. Main Outcome Measures Rating of the hand diagram for UN. Results Interrater reliability of scoring the hand diagram for UN was very high. The estimated prevalence of UN was 3.6%. Suspected UN was associated with positioning of the elbow but not by contact stress at the elbow or force at the hand. Smokers had a lower prevalence, but smokers with suspected UN had higher-pack year histories. Workers with suspected UN had a greater sense of job insecurity and lower job satisfaction rating. Conclusions Hand diagram rating has a high interrater reliability. Suspected UN has a relatively high prevalence among active workers in comparison to prior estimates of the prevalence of UN among the general population and is not strongly associated with ergonomic factors.
Urethral polyp presenting as interlabial mass in young girls

We describe two young girls who presented with an interlabial mass. Histologic examination of each excised mass revealed a benign urethral polyp covered with transitional and squamous epithelium. Urethral polyps should be included in the differential diagnosis of an interlabial mass in young female patients.
Parents as Religious School Teachers: A Survey of Participants in the Avocational Teacher Project at Congregation Kehillat Israel.

Abstract This paper presents findings from a survey given to avocational teachers at Congregation Kehillat Israel in Lansing, Michigan at the beginning and end of a three‐year project designed to recruit and prepare volunteer teachers for the religious school. The survey sought to learn about participants' Jewish educational background, their motivation for joining the project, their experiences as avocational teachers, and the impact of the project on them and on the religious school. Findings reveal that participants joined the program to improve the education of their children and to enhance their own Jewish learning. They valued the opportunity to work with co‐teachers but found teaching more challenging than expected. Overall the project improved the quality of the religious school and enriched the lives of the avocational teachers.
Toward effective utilization of timing exceptions in design optimization

Timing exceptions in IC implementation processes, especially timing verification, help reduce pessimism that arises from unnecessary timing constraints by masking non-functional critical paths. Ideally, timing exceptions should always be helpful for quality of results (QOR) metrics such as area or number of timing violations, and for design turnaround time (TAT) metrics such as tool runtime and number of design iterations.We expect this positive impact since timing exceptions reduce the number of constraints that the design optimization must satisfy.
Intracavitary ultrasound phased arrays for prostate thermal therapies: MRI compatibility and in vivo testing.

A 62 element MRI-compatible linear phased array was designed and constructed to investigate the feasibility of using transrectal ultrasound for the thermal therapeutic treatment of prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. An aperiodic design technique developed in a previous study was used in the design of this array, which resulted in reduced grating lobe levels by using an optimized random distribution of unequally sized elements. The element sizes used in this array were selected to be favorable for both grating lobe levels as determined by array aperiodicity and array efficiency as determined by width to thickness ratios. The heating capabilities and MRI compatibility of the array were tested with in vivo rabbit thigh muscle heating experiments using MRI temperature monitoring. The array produced therapeutic temperature elevations in vivo at depths of 3–6 cm and axial locations up to 3 cm off the central axis and increased the size of the heated volume with electronic scanning of a single focus. The ability of this array to be used for ultrasound surgery was demonstrated by creating necrosed tissue lesions in vivo using short high-power sonications. The ability of the array to be used for hyperthermia was demonstrated by inducing therapeutic temperature elevations for longer exposures. Based on the acoustic and heating performance of this array, it has the potential to be clinically useful for delivering thermal therapies to the prostate and other target volumes close to body cavities.
Successive cournot-nash industries

Abstract Successive Cournot-Nash industries yield a higher final price the more concentrated at each stage and the less completely vertically integrated, they are but will not remain incompletely vertically integrated if mergers are costless.
Direct Dimethyl Ether Fuel Cell with Much Improved Performance

Due to several apparent advantages over methanol, dimethyl ether (DME) has been viewed as a promising alternative fuel for direct fuel cell technology. Similar to methanol, DME oxidation requires a surface oxidant, such as OH, for the removal of adsorbed CO. Consequently, the reaction occurs at much faster rates on binary PtRu catalysts than Pt alone. In this work, PtRu catalysts with a wide variety of Pt-to-Ru ratios were systematically studied in the direct DME fuel cell (DDMEFC) operating at 80 °C. A Pt50Ru50 catalyst was found to perform the best at high and middle voltages, while a Pt80Ru20 catalyst performed best at low voltages. DDMEFC operation conditions, such as DME flow rate, anode back pressure, DME-to-water molar ratio, and membrane thickness, were also studied in order to maximize the cell performance. A maximum power density of 0.12 W cm−2 obtained in this work exceeds the highest reported DME performance. In comparison with the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), the optimized DDMEFC performs better at cell voltages higher than 0.55 and 0.49 V with feed concentrations of methanol of 0.5 and 1.0 M, respectively.
Managerial perspectives of the shorter workweek in Georgia manufacturing firms

At present, great opposition exists among Georgia's 50 largest manufacturing firms toward the adoption of the shorter workweek. More than twice as many (61 percent) of the managers opposed it as favored it (26.7 percent), with a representative number (12.3 percent) indifferent to the idea. This opposition appears to be based upon anticipated problems in the areas of scheduling, communication difficulties, costs, and employee considerations.
Circadian Rhythm of Cortisol is Altered in Postsurgical Patients

Although the existence of a circadian periodicity of plasma corticosteroid levels is well documented in man, few studies have been performed in surgical patients relating alterations in the circadian rhythmicity of adrenocortical function to surgical procedures. The present study used frequent sampling techniques to examine the effects of varying types of surgery on the secretory pattern of adrenocorticosteroids. In 10 patients, 36–65 yr old, blood was drawn from a superficial vein every 20 min for 2 24-h periods: 1 beginning 48 h before surgery, the other beginning 48 h after surgery. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the degree of severity of their surgery: a low trauma group not requiring laparotomy (n = 4), and a high trauma group which required laparotomy (n = 6). Cortisol was measured by RIA, and computer analysis revealed a postoperative rise in plasma cortisol levels which persisted from 48–72 h after surgery and could be significantly correlated with the severity of surgery. The ep...
Near total eclipse of the aortic valve: an echocardiographic penumbra caused by a mechanical mitral valve prosthesis and its clinical implications.

b u l 47-YEAR-OLD woman with severe mitral stenosis resulting from chronic rheumatic disease, massive calcification of he posterior mitral annulus and subvalvular structures, and less rominent calcification of the anterior mitral annulus underwent a itral valve replacement with a 27-mm ATS bileaflet mechanical alve (ATS Medical Inc, Minneapolis, MN) after extensive deridement and patch reconstruction of the annulus using bovine ericardium. A transesophageal echocardiogram conducted after eparation from cardiopulmonary bypass revealed normal mitral alve prosthesis function, a minor posterior perivalvular leak, and bsence of aortic regurgitation in the conventional 5-chamber and ong-axis views of the aortic valve using Doppler color flow apping. Despite the apparent success of the surgical procedure,
An Investigation of High Performance, Short Thrust Augmenting Ejectors

The design of air-to-air, thrust augmenting ejectors having short curved wall diffuses utilizing boundary layer control is discussed. The design is achieved by an inverse method which uses the vorticity at the diffuser inlet as a flow parameter in the analysis. Three diffusers having ejector length-to-mixing chamber diameter ratios of approximately 6:1 and mixing chamber inlet area-to-primary nozzle area ratios of 20:1 and 40:1 were designed and tested. A new high level of performance was analytically predicted and achieved experimentally. Comparisons between predicted and observed performances, velocity distributions and pressure distributions are presented.
An outer membrane porin protein modulates phage susceptibility in Edwardsiella ictaluri.

Bacteriophages ΦeiAU and ΦeiDWF are lytic to the catfish pathogen Edwardsiella (Edw.) ictaluri. The Edw. ictaluri host factors that modulate phage–host interactions have not been described previously. This study identified eleven unique Edw. ictaluri host factors essential for phage infection by screening a transposon mutagenized library of two Edw. ictaluri strains for phage-resistant mutants. Two mutants were isolated with independent insertions in the ompLC gene that encodes a putative outer membrane porin. Phage binding and efficiency of plaquing assays with Edw. ictaluri EILO, its ompLC mutant and a complemented mutant demonstrated that OmpLC serves as a receptor for phage ΦeiAU and ΦeiDWF adsorption. Comparison of translated OmpLCs from 15 Edw. ictaluri strains with varying degrees of phage susceptibility revealed that amino acid variations were clustered on the predicted extracellular loop 8 of OmpLC. Deletion of loop 8 of OmpLC completely abolished phage infectivity in Edw. ictaluri. Site-directed mutagenesis and transfer of modified ompLC genes to complement the ompLC mutants demonstrated that changes in ompLC sequences affect the degree of phage susceptibility. Furthermore, Edw. ictaluri strain Alg-08-183 was observed to be resistant to ΦeiAU, but phage progeny could be produced if phage DNA was electroporated into this strain. A host-range mutant of ΦeiAU, ΦeiAU-183, was isolated that was capable of infecting strain Alg-08-183 by using OmpLC as a receptor for adsorption. The results of this study identified Edw. ictaluri host factors required for phage infection and indicated that OmpLC is a principal molecular determinant of phage susceptibility in this pathogen.
Relationship Between School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports and Academic, Attendance, and Behavior Outcomes in High Schools

Attendance, behavior, and academic outcomes are important indicators of school effectiveness and long-term student outcomes. Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), such as School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS), have emerged as potentially effective frameworks for addressing student needs and improving student outcomes. Much of the research on SWPBIS outcomes has taken place at the elementary and middle school levels, leaving a need for a more thorough examination of outcomes at the high school level. The purpose of this study was to explore the links between implementation of SWPBIS and academic, attendance, and behavior outcome measures across a large sample of high schools from 37 states. Despite some of the difficulties of SWPBIS implementation at the high school level, evidence suggests positive relationships between SWPBIS implementation and outcomes in behavior and attendance for high schools that implement with fidelity.
First Report of Leaf Spot Caused by Phytophthora taxon Pgchlamydo on Evergreen Nursery Stock in California.

As part of the Phytophthora ramorum testing program from 2005 through 2007, a Phytophthora sp. was isolated on PARP-CMA medium (4) at the CDFA lab in Sacramento, CA, from the margin of necrotic spots and tissue suffering from dieback on Arctostaphylos sp. (manzanita), Camellia spp., Laurus nobilis (bay), Buxus sempervirens (boxwood), Rhododendron sp., Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree), and Sequoia sempervirens (coast redwood). Isolates were collected from Shasta, Contra Costa, San Diego, Solano, Santa Cruz, Alameda, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Monterey, and Los Angeles Counties. Isolates from A. unedo tissue on PARP medium produced apapillate, obovate sporangia 25 to 80 × 15 to 40 μm (48.0 × 26.9 μm average) and a few isolates produced intercalary and terminal chlamydospores at 22°C (30 to 46 μm diameter, 38.9 μm average). The internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of rDNA was amplified from four isolates using ITS1 and ITS4 primers as described by White et al. (3) and the amplicons sequenced (GenBank Access...
The Brief Implicit Association Test

The Brief Implicit Association Test (BIAT) consists of two blocks of trials with the same four categories and stimulus-response mappings as the standard IAT, but with 1/3 the number of trials. Unlike the standard IAT, the BIAT focuses the subject on just two of each block's four categories. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated that attitude BIATs had satisfactory validity when good (but not bad) was a focal category, and that identity IATs had satisfactory validity when self (but not other) was a focal category. Experiment 2 also showed that a good-focal attitude BIAT and a self-focal identity BIAT were psychometrically similar to standard IAT measures of the same constructs. Experiment 3 presented each of six BIATs twice, showing that procedural variables had no more than minor influences on the resulting implicit measures. Experiment 4 further demonstrated successful use of the BIAT to measure implicit stereotypes.
The First Preliminary Waves of the California Earthquake of June 6, 1932

On the morning of June 6, 1932, at 44 minutes past midnight the region about Humboldt Bay was severely shaken by an earthquake which attained a maximum intensity of VIII on the Rossi-Forel scale. One death and a number of injuries were caused by the shock. It was felt as far north as Coos Bay, as far south as San Jose, and as far east as Sierra County. Records from the following stations were collected for a study of the earthquake: Ukiah, Berkeley, Tinemaha, Santa Barbara, Pasadena, Riverside, La Jolla, Bozeman, and Tucson.
Applying a robust design approach to improve online systems engineering education

The goal of robust design is to develop a system that performs optimally under a broad range of varying conditions including environmental conditions. A robust design is one that seeks to perform the ideal function while being insensitive to variations in environmental noise - uncontrollable factors that exist outside of the system, yet impact the ability of the system to perform the ideal function. This paper introduces a robust design framework for online systems engineering education and demonstrates its use. Combining observation and experimental design concepts, the framework is applied to the challenge of improving online course design by investigating the impact of the pedagogy used to deliver course lectures and discuss course content on student satisfaction and learning. The goal is to identify an approach for optimizing the student's learning experience and their development of system engineering competency knowledge by analyzing the student's self-perceived gain in competency knowledge related to system concepts and architectures, in a context where the students' age and years of systems engineering experience vary.