cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Operational Analysis of Vertiport Surface Topology

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) concepts and technologies are being developed to safely enable operations of small, electric-powered or hybrid, pilot-optional, vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) passenger and cargo aircraft at vertiport facilities in urban and suburban environments. It is likely that many of the highest demand locations for vertiports will be in space constrained urban environments, requiring vertiport designs to maximize throughput within a compact surface footprint. This paper presents several generic vertiport topology design approaches and evaluates their relative surface area utilization and operational efficiency under different wind constrained configurations while meeting safety driven spacing constraints derived from heliport design standards and subject matter expert interviews.
Synthetic blood and blood products for combat casualty care and beyond.

ABSTRACT: Synthetic biology adopts an engineering design approach to create innovative treatments that are reliable, scalable, and customizable to individual patients. Interest in substitutes for allogenic blood components, primarily red blood cells and platelets, increased in the 1980s because of concerns over infectious disease transmission. However, only now, with emerging synthetic approaches, are such substitutes showing genuine promise. Affordable alternatives to donated blood would be of enormous benefit worldwide. Several approaches to replacing the oxygen-carrying function of red cells are under advanced investigation. Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers incorporate modifications to reduce the renal toxicity and nitric oxide scavenging of free hemoglobin. While use of earlier-generation hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers may be limited to circumstances in which blood transfusion is not an option, recent advances in chemical modification of hemoglobin may eventually overcome such problems. Another approach encases hemoglobin molecules in biocompatible synthetic nanoparticles. An alternative is the ex vivo production of red cells in bioreactors, with or without genetic manipulation, that offers the potential of a universal donor product. Various strategies to manufacture synthetic platelets are also underway, ranging from simple phospholipid liposomes encapsulating adenosine diphosphate and decorated with fibrinogen fragments, to more complex capsules with multiple receptor peptide sequences. Ex vivo production of platelets in bioreactors is also possible including, for example, platelets derived from induced pluripotent stem cells that are differentiated into a megakaryocytic lineage. Prior to clinical use, trials assessing synthetic blood components must evaluate meaningful safety and effectiveness outcomes in relatively large numbers of critically ill patients. Overcoming these challenges may be as much a hurdle as product design. This article reviews the state of the science of the synthetic biology approach to developing blood component substitutes.
Communication Strategies to Improve Medication Adherence: A Systematic Review of Literature

Less than optimal medication adherence is a persisting issue among many patient groups, resulting in poorer health outcomes along with increased strain on financial and time resources. However, communication strategies employed by clinicians may offer a simple, cost-effective method for improving medication adherence and health outcomes. This review of literature rendered search results from seven databases, resulting in 1,513 abstracts. A final sample of 44 studies was included to compare effectiveness of communication-based adherence strategies among various health conditions. After reviewing the full text of included studies, communication strategies were organized into four categories: patient reminders, collaborative communication, patient education, and counseling strategies. Although all of the strategies indicated some level of success, studies examining patient education components showed the most promise both in generalizability and results. This review’s results indicate that a need remains for quantitative research examining the effectiveness of these strategies to increase medical adherence.
Surface Roughness Effects on Self-Interacting and Mutually Interacting Rayleigh Waves.

Rayleigh waves are very useful for ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation of structural and mechanical components. Nonlinear Rayleigh waves have unique sensitivity to the early stages of material degradation because material nonlinearity causes distortion of the waveforms. The self-interaction of a sinusoidal waveform causes second harmonic generation, while the mutual interaction of waves creates disturbances at the sum and difference frequencies that can potentially be detected with minimal interaction with the nonlinearities in the sensing system. While the effect of surface roughness on attenuation and dispersion is well documented, its effects on the nonlinear aspects of Rayleigh wave propagation have not been investigated. Therefore, Rayleigh waves are sent along aluminum surfaces having small, but different, surface roughness values. The relative nonlinearity parameter increased significantly with surface roughness (average asperity heights 0.027–3.992 μm and Rayleigh wavelengths 0.29–1.9 mm). The relative nonlinearity parameter should be decreased by the presence of attenuation, but here it actually increased with roughness (which increases the attenuation). Thus, an attenuation-based correction was unsuccessful. Since the distortion from material nonlinearity and surface roughness occur over the same surface, it is necessary to make material nonlinearity measurements over surfaces having the same roughness or in the future develop a quantitative understanding of the roughness effect on wave distortion.
Medians and Resampling

Classical statistical theory provides powerful tools for estimating population means from samples and for establishing error ranges for desired confidence levels, and these were presented in Chapters 8 and 9. If outliers in a sample interfere with using the mean, the same tools can be applied to estimate the trimmed mean. If the asymmetrical shape of a sample (skewness) interferes with using the mean, transformations can be applied as a correction, and this makes it possible to proceed with significance testing, as we will see in Chapters 11–15. While this works fine for significance testing, it puts the measurements on a scale that is not intuitive and makes it difficult to talk about them straightforwardly. It would just not be at all easy to talk meaningfully about estimates of, say, the mean logarithm of site area in two periods. The median may be a more useful index of center in such a case, and the best estimate of the median in a population is the median in the sample. There is, however, no abstract theoretical basis for establishing error ranges for this estimated median at any particular confidence level because there is no theoretical way to determine the center, spread, or shape of the special batch (or sampling distribution) of the median as there is for the mean. The contribution of exploratory data analysis to this difficulty was to recognize that the special batch can be approximated by resampling, or repeatedly selecting samples from the sample itself.
Restructuring the Documents Function at a Major Research Library

The establishment of a new Documents Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign combining technical and public services functions is described. Planning, implementation, benefits, and problems encountered are outlined. Automated systems now available and those planned for the UIUC Library permit the new Documents Library to accomplish the processing efficiencies of centralization while still providing the advantages of decentralized access.
Pneumatic otoscopy in healthy full-term infants.

Pneumatic otoscopy was performed on 81 healthy full-term babies during the first 72 hours of life and at routine well-baby follow-up visits. Only 14 of 115 (12%) of the eardrums visualized during the first three days of life moved briskly to insufflation as compared with 29 of 65 (44%) and 50 of 71 (71%) by 3 weeks and 10 weeks of age, respectively. A pink color was noted in 38 of 115 (33%) and redness in five of 115 (4%) of the eardrums examined during the first 72 hours of life, whereas 64 of 71 (90%) of the tympanic membranes appeared gray by age 10 weeks. Tympanic membrane dullness, decreased light reflex, and diminished translucence, occurred in greater than 90% of the infants during the first three days of life and declined to 26% or less by 4 months of age. The data suggest that limited mobility, changes in color, poor luster, and relative opacity of the tympanic membrane occur in healthy neonates and may reflect physiologic changes unique to the newborn period.
User-sensitive text summarization thesis summary

Text summarization has emerged as an increasingly established field over the course of the past ten years. We may soon reach a stage where researchers will be able to design, and provide everyday users with, robust text summarization systems. Users of text summarization are many and range from the Internet surfers lacking the time to locate and digest all the latest news available on the web to scientists unable to keep pace with the burgeoning number of technical publications who must, nonetheless, be familiar with the latest findings in their fields. Given texts to summarize, there is no a priori criteria for determining relevance for the summary. When humans summarize texts, they identify relevant information that they think will be of interest to the readers. Summarization is not only a function of the input documents but also of the reader’s mental state: who the reader is, what his knowledge before reading the summary consists of, and why he wants to know about the input texts. This fact has been long acknowledged by both the psycho-linguistic and the computational-linguistic communities. However, both communities agree that trying to model the reader’s mental state is far too complicated, if not entirely impossible. Given this dilemma, most of the computational linguistic research in summarization has assumed that the “reader variable” is a constant and has focused on defining a general notion of salience, valid for all readers. In my thesis, I investigate strategies to take user characteristics into account in the summarization process. Acquiring a user model is by itself a wide subject of research. I do not focus on ways to acquire a user model, and I assume that there is an existing user model in my framework. Rather, my focus is on the challenges entailed in incorporating knowledge about the user into summarization strategies and providing the user with a text relevant to his needs. In my work, two types of user tailoring are examined: individualized, i.e., the specific facts in which the reader is interested, and class-based, i.e., the degree of expertise of the reader. My research framework consists of PERSIVAL, a digital library that provides tailored access to medical technical literature for both physicians and patients. When treat-
Limiting path exploration in BGP

Slow convergence in the Internet can be directly attributed to the "path exploration" phenomenon, inherent in all path vector protocols. The root cause for path exploration is the dependency among paths propagated through the network. Addressing this problem in BGP is particularly difficult as the AS paths exchanged between BGP routers are highly summarized. In this paper, we describe why path exploration cannot be countered effectively within the existing BGP framework, and propose a simple, novel mechanism - forward edge sequence numbers - to annotate the AS paths with additional "path dependency" information. We then develop an enhanced path vector algorithm, EPIC, shown to limit path exploration and lead to faster convergence. In contrast to other solutions, ours is shown to be correct on a very general model of Internet topology and BGP operation. Using theoretical analysis and simulations, we demonstrate that EPIC can achieve a dramatic improvement in routing convergence, compared to BGP and other existing solutions.
Computer Programming for Structured Modeling

This chapter discusses computer programming for structured modeling. It describes a framework for the structure of modeling programs and explains how to implement a CMP model within that framework. A program can be divided into three distinct sections: (1) the conceptual section, (2) the math section, and (3) the numerics section. The conceptual section supports the user's conceptual model. It maintains data structures describing the objects being modeled, interacts with the user, and so forth. The math section embodies mathematical models, and contains various data elements and structures that represent the mathematical objects and equations. The numerics section is responsible for numerical solution of specific equations and problems. The conceptual section of a program defines a formalized conceptual model, based on user input. The conceptual section creates a mathematical model based on the conceptual model, using items from the math section. For posed problems, the appropriate mathematical problems are created based on the mathematical model.
The Virginia and Federal Rules of Evidence: A Concise Comparison with Commentary (Introduction and Selected Excerpts)

Comparisons of federal and state evidence rules can be immensely helpful to attorneys, judges, and law students who are often well versed in one set of rules, but not the other. As a result, book-length federal-to-state rule comparisons exist for most major United States jurisdictions. Virginia has until now been a notable exception. For each rule of evidence, this book sets out the full text of the federal and corresponding Virginia rule, followed by a “Comparison and Commentary” section that (1) analyzes salient distinctions between the text of the federal and Virginia rule; (2) describes how those differences operate in application; and (3) highlights distinctions between the rules in application that may not be apparent from the rules’ text. The “Comparison and Commentary” section also flags areas where the Virginia codifiers arguably went beyond Virginia case law in creating the codified rules, creating uncertainty as to the controlling evidence rule. Finally, the “Comparison and Commentary” sections reference (and reprint) a number of Virginia statutes that touch on evidentiary principles, but are either not completely captured within the relevant evidence rule or are not referenced at all in the Virginia evidence codification.Apart from its more obvious utility, the book's exploration of distinctions between two longstanding, deeply considered evidence codes also highlights important policy choices made by the evidence rule makers in the respective jurisdictions.
Not a Laughing Matter: The Value of Leisure in Education

Pieper, Josef. (1963) Leisure: The Basis of Culture. (Alexander Dru, Trans.). San Francisco: Ignatius Press. (Original work published 1952).
Corticosteroid-dependent cycloheximide-evoked increase of sucrase and maltase in the jejunum of suckling rats.

Abstract Cycloheximide (20–60 μg/100 g body wt), a posttranslational inhibitor of protein synthesis, evoked a precocious increase of sucrase (β- d -fructofuranoside fructohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.26) and maltase (α- d -glucoside glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.20) activities in the jejunum of suckling rats 48 and 72 h later. Adrenalectomy prevented completely the cycloheximide-evoked increase of maltase activity and substantially blocked the evoked increase of sucrase activity. Simultaneous administration of a low dose of cortisone acetate (0.5 mg/100 g body wt) and cycloheximide (30 μg/100 g body wt) to adrenalectomized suckling rats produced a higher increase of specific and total activities of sucrase than did the administration of cortisone alone. Maltase was affected only in specific activity. Cycloheximide (30 μg/100 g body wt) was without effect when used with a high dose of cortisone acetate (2 mg/100 g body wt). Actinomycin D (25 μg/100 g body wt) did not inhibit the cycloheximide-evoked increase of sucrase and maltase; the cortisone acetate (1 mg/100 g body wt) evoked increase was inhibited by actinomycin D.
Proposal for molecular mechanism of thionins deduced from physico-chemical studies of plant toxins

We propose a molecular model for phospholipid membrane lysis by the ubiquitous plant toxins called thionins. Membrane lysis constitutes the first major effect exerted by these toxins that initiates a cascade of cytoplasmic events leading to cell death. X-ray crystallography, solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies, small angle X-ray scattering and fluorescence spectroscopy provide evidence for the mechanism of membrane lysis. In the crystal structures of two thionins in the family, alpha(1)- and beta-purothionins (MW: approximately 4.8 kDa), a phosphate ion and a glycerol molecule are modeled bound to the protein. (31)P NMR experiments on the desalted toxins confirm phosphate-ion binding in solution. Evidence also comes from phospholipid partition experiments with radiolabeled toxins and with fluorescent phospholipids. This data permit a model of the phospholipid-protein complex to be built. Further, NMR experiments, one-dimensional (1D)- and two-dimensional (2D)-total correlation spectroscopy (TOCSY), carried out on the model compounds glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) and short chain phospholipids, supported the predicted mode of phospholipid binding. The toxins' high positive charge, which renders them extremely soluble (>300 mg/mL), and the phospholipid-binding specificity suggest the toxin-membrane interaction is mediated by binding to patches of negatively charged phospholipids [phosphatidic acid (PA) or phosphatidyl serine (PS)] and their subsequent withdrawal. The formation of proteolipid complexes causes solubilization of the membrane and its lysis. The model suggests that the oligomerization may play a role in toxin's activation process and provides insight into the structural principles of protein-membrane interactions.
THE WISKOTT-ALDRICH SYNDROME: A GENETIC DEFECT FUNCTIONALLY EXPRESSED IN MARROW STEM CELL DERIATIVES

Three of four non-related boys presented with thrombocytopenia, eczema, bloody diarrhea and frequent infections. The fourth initially had thrombocytopenia only, was splenectomized, and subsequently developed repeated infections and eczema. Immunoglobulins were variably abnormal. Antibody production to bacteriophage OX 174 (a protein antigen) was abnormal with low primary and severely impaired secondary response. No IgG antibody was formed. Lymphocyte transformation with non-specific mitogens and allogeneic cells was significantly impaired and the number of E-rosettes diminished. Volumetric size of platelets was reduced to 50%. Except in the splenectomized patient, autologous platelet survival time was normal. In all patients, in vivo and in vitro platelet function when corrected for platelet size was normal. Since megakaryocyte mass was adequate, thrombocytopenia must result from ineffective thrombocytopoesis. Red blood cell (RBC) size was also reduced. The abnormal B and T-cell function, the ineffective platelet production and decreased size of platelets and RBC in this X-linked disease suggests that a single genetic defect is expressed functionally in all stem cell derivatives.
The survivor technique and the cost frontier: A nonparametric approach

Abstract The survivor technique provides a market selection method of identifying the most cost efficient scale of a firm in an industry. Some nonparametric extensions of this technique are considered here, which are based on estimating a cost frontier and then characterizing an intertemporal growth path for efficient firms in the industry. A dynamic process for entry and exit of firms can be suitably modeled in this framework of competitive industry equilibrium, where positive profits invite new entry (increased market share of firms following the optimal scale) and negative profits force exit of old firms (decreased market share).
The amygdala accountant: new tricks for an old structure.

What drives us to pursue distant, more valuable goals over more proximate, lesser ones? Counter to what you might expect, this type of advanced goal-directed planning and foresight in primates may involve the amygdala. In a reward savings task, neurons in the amygdala track the length and subjective value of internally generated plans.
Human Cytomegalovirus IE1 and IE2 Proteins are Mutagenic and Mediate ``Hit-And-Run" Oncogenic Transformation in Cooperation with the Adenovirus E1A Proteins

Some epidemiological studies have suggested a possible link between human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and various malignancies, and HCMV has been shown to transform cultured cells. However, viral DNA is not detected in most transformants, and the mechanism by which HCMV might contribute to oncogenesis has remained obscure. Here we show that the HCMV immediate early 1 and 2 genes can cooperate with the adenovirus E1A gene to generate transformed foci of primary baby rat kidney cells. HCMV gene expression is transient and viral DNA is not present in clonal cell lines derived from the transformed foci. We find that the HCMV immediate early proteins are mutagenic, and we propose that HCMV has the potential to contribute to oncogenesis through a “hit-and-run” mechanism, by inducing mutations in cellular genes.
The North American border cooperation model: Local challenges for a security agenda

Abstract The economic integration of North America has deepened with the creation of NAFTA. Border interdependence has created mechanisms that are cementing the mutual interaction that border cities have with each other. Yet, the emerging new policies of U.S. homeland security will require important adjustments in border areas and in the interaction with Mexico and Canada. This essay examines the challenges of border towns in coping with demands related to security and how these issues are presented by their news media. Security policies represent a paradigm shift of border interaction that illustrates that the relationship between the U.S. with Mexico and Canada is entering a new stage of complex interdependence. To ensure proper implementation, Mexico will need to make significant structural adjustments and lessons from the Canada‐U.S. relation that may serve as templates are explored.
Injection of an Alpha-Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone Expression Plasmid is Effective in Suppressing Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis

Purpose The neuropeptide, alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), is an endogenous antagonist of inflammation. Injections of α-MSH peptide into inflamed tissues have been found to be very effective in suppressing autoimmune and endotoxin mediated diseases. We evaluated the potential to suppress ocular autoimmune disease (uveitis) by augmenting the expression of α-MSH through subconjunctival injections of naked adrenocorticotropic hormone amino acids 1-17 (ACTH1-17) plasmid.
Group process interpretations in liaison psychiatry nurse groups

Nurse groups are generally viewed as supportive adjuncts to other forms of liaison psychiatry interventions. Recent developments in systems approaches to liaison psychiatry suggest that such groups may be used to alter the values, norms, and behavior of a unit system since nurses are viewed as the culture bearers and socializers of units. Examining the group process in weekly meetings offers an opportunity to expose covert group norms. Group process interpretations assist the nurses in establishing therapeutic norms and result in an altered socialization process. Of the five units in which this approach was attempted, three reported successful results throughout the unit system. Various issues in applying group process interventions are discussed, including: the establishment of resistance, conditions of success and failure, and other therapeutic elements in such groups.
Daily immediate early gene expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of male and female Octodon degus

Diurnal and nocturnal species have different patterns of general activity, sleep-wake rhythms, and endocrine rhythms, but the mechanisms underlying these differences are not clear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that rhythms in immediate early gene (IEG) products in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of a diurnal rodent (Octodon degus) reflect their diurnal chronotype. We also compared male and female degus with respect to temporal patterns of expression of one of these gene products, Fos-related Antigen (FRA). Animals were killed across the light:dark cycle, brains were collected, and sections through the SCN were stained for FRA (females and males) or c-Fos and Calbindin (males only) using immunocytochemistry. An additional set of females placed in constant darkness was pulsed with light (or not) during the subjective day or night. Labeled cells in the SCN were counted in all animals. In males, c-Fos/FRA positive (+) cell counts in the dorsomedial SCN were low after lights-on and peaked around the time of lights-off (ZT 13, ZT 0=lights-on). Effect size analyses indicated that females have a 24 h rhythm in FRA expression that is shifted relative to that of males. Light pulses in the subjective day and night produced area-specific changes in IEG expression in females that differs from that reported for males. Overall, these studies reveal the pattern of immediate early gene expression in the SCN of degus is not the same in males and females, and that it differs from the one seen in other species, both nocturnal and diurnal.
Ultrastructure of mammalian spermiogenesis. I. A tubular complex in developing sperm of the cottontop marmoset Sequinus oedipus

A transitory tubular structure termed a tubular complex appears at the proximal end of the principal piece in mid-spermiogenesis of the cottontop marmoset. The structure is formed by tubules 300–330 A in diameter which are arranged both perpendicular to and helically around the axial filament complex. Disappearance of the structure occurs concomitantly with middle piece formation.
Variation in the Subcellular Localization and Protein Folding Activity among Arabidopsis thaliana Homologs of Protein Disulfide Isomerase.

Protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs) catalyze the formation, breakage, and rearrangement of disulfide bonds to properly fold nascent polypeptides within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Classical animal and yeast PDIs possess two catalytic thioredoxin-like domains (a, a′) and two non-catalytic domains (b, b′), in the order a-b-b′-a′. The model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, encodes 12 PDI-like proteins, six of which possess the classical PDI domain arrangement (AtPDI1 through AtPDI6). Three additional AtPDIs (AtPDI9, AtPDI10, AtPDI11) possess two thioredoxin domains, but without intervening b-b′ domains. C-terminal green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions to each of the nine dual-thioredoxin PDI homologs localized predominantly to the ER lumen when transiently expressed in protoplasts. Additionally, expression of AtPDI9:GFP-KDEL and AtPDI10: GFP-KDDL was associated with the formation of ER bodies. AtPDI9, AtPDI10, and AtPDI11 mediated the oxidative folding of alkaline phosphatase when heterologously expressed in the Escherichia coli protein folding mutant, dsbA−. However, only three classical AtPDIs (AtPDI2, AtPDI5, AtPDI6) functionally complemented dsbA−. Interestingly, chemical inducers of the ER unfolded protein response were previously shown to upregulate most of the AtPDIs that complemented dsbA−. The results indicate that Arabidopsis PDIs differ in their localization and protein folding activities to fulfill distinct molecular functions in the ER.
Characterization of the Viscoelasticity of Molding Compounds in the Time Domain

Although polymer-based materials are widely used in microelectronics packaging and viscoelasticity is an intrinsic characteristic of polymers, viscoelastic properties of polymeric materials are often ignored in package stress analyses due to the difficulty in measuring these properties. However, it is necessary to consider the viscoelastic behavior when an accurate stress model is required. Viscoelastic properties of materials can be characterized in either the time or the frequency domain. In this study, stress relaxation experiments were performed on a molding compound in the time domain. A thermorheologically simple model was assumed to deduce the master curve of relaxation modulus using the time–temperature equivalence assumption. A Prony series expansion was used to express the material’s relaxation behavior. Two methods to determine the Prony pairs and shift factors were compared. After they were determined, the master curve at a reference temperature was shifted to every measured temperature for comparison with experimental data.
Monoclonal antibodies to equine IgM improve the sensitivity of West Nile virus-specific IgM detection in horses

West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic pathogen of global importance. In horses with neurological signs, detection of WNV-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) in serum is widely used to identify clinical cases of WNV encephalitis. Here, we describe the development of two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to equine IgM which were used in a WNV IgM-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Their performance was compared to an established assay based on polyclonal anti-IgM. Check test serum samples from the National Veterinary Service Laboratory (NVSL) were used to evaluate the performance of the three anti-IgM antibodies. The anti-IgM 1-22 mAb correctly identified all NVSL samples. Both the polyclonal antibody and monoclonal anti-IgM 2B-63 identified eight out of ten samples correctly. The three assays were then compared using serum samples from clinically healthy animals (n=33) and horses with neurological signs (n=21). High Spearman rank correlations (0.76-0.86) were found among the ELISA results. Inter-test agreements (weighted kappa) for assay interpretation resulted in strong agreement (0.95) of the results obtained by the mAbs and moderate agreements when monoclonal and polyclonal anti-IgM-based assays were compared. To determine the analytical sensitivities of anti-WNV IgM detection, serial dilutions of WNV IgM-positive serum samples were analyzed. The highest sensitivity was obtained by using the anti-IgM 1-22 mAb to capture IgM from equine serum. In conclusion, the use of monoclonal anti-IgM antibodies can improve the sensitivity of IgM detection in the acute phase of WN disease.
Unusual hydrocarbon chain packing mode and modification of crystallite growth habit in the self-assembled nanocomposites zinc-aluminum-hydroxide oleate and elaidate (cis- and trans- [Zn2Al(OH)6(CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)7COO-)] and magnesium analogues

We report a novel packing mode specific to the cis unsaturated hydrocarbon chain in the title compound, a self-assembled layered double hydroxide - surfactant hybrid nanomaterial, and its influence on crystallite morphology and structure. The kink imposed by the cis double bond in oleate leads to partial overlap between chains on adjacent layers, with incomplete space filling, in contrast to the more usual (and more efficient) mono- and bilayer packings exhibited by the trans analogues. Incorporation of surfactant into the growing crystallite leads to a reversal of the usual LDH growth habit and results in crystallite shapes featuring ribbonlike sheets. The thermal decomposition behavior of the as-prepared organic/inorganic nanocomposites in air and N-2 is described.
Brain Research Strategies for Physical Educators.

(2004). Brain Research Strategies for Physical Educators. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 75, No. 1, pp. 31-36.
Institutional Review Board Guidance on Pediatric Research: Missed Opportunities

Objective To examine whether and how institutional review boards (IRBs) are using their web-sites to provide guidance to investigators conducting pediatric research. Study design We studied guidance on pediatric research from IRB web-sites at the 25 US medical schools, plus affiliated hospitals, research centers, and public health schools, and the top National Institutes of Health-funded (>$5 million) children's hospitals with separate IRBs. We also included 1 IRB that was not otherwise eligible because other IRBs use its web-based research ethics training program. Our final study population was 39 IRB web-sites. Results IRB web-sites generally provide basic information about pediatric research. However, few IRBs discuss important ethical issues on which the regulations are silent. Moreover, some IRBs provide incorrect advice about the regulations. More detailed IRB guidance may help pediatric investigators think through ethical issues and protect children in clinical research. Helpful approaches we identified include checklists and “points to consider,” concrete examples to illustrate regulatory requirements, and discussion of areas of controversy. Conclusion Few IRBs present the kind of detailed guidance that investigators might need to ensure ethically designed protocols. IRBs should revise their web-sites to ensure that they provide accurate, comprehensive, and sufficiently detailed guidance.
Strategic Maneuvering in Healthcare Technology Markets: The Case of Emdeon Corporation

Healthcare technology markets have been recently identified as potential investment targets. Having survived a major environmental shock, the dot.com bust, firms in the healthcare technology industry are presently experiencing an impressive revenue growth. In this study, we investigate the strategies of Emdeon Corporation, a healthcare technology firm whose e-business model provides clues for achieving a sustained revenue growth and profitability. We trace the current sustainability of Emdeonâ€™s e-business model to a related diversification strategy that the firmâ€™s upper management has pursued via mergers and acquisitions (M&As). We also address the motivation behind current restructuring of Emdeonâ€™s e-business model. We argue that maturation of diversified e-business models leads to the transformation of individual segments into distinct entities focusing on specific technology markets.
TREATMENT of TOMATO LYE PEELING WASTEWATER BY FERRIC CHLORIDE COAGULATION and FILTRATION

The suspended solids, soluble and insoluble COD, and particle size were measured for lye peeling wastewater from the tomato industry. The wastewater was treated by conventional coagulation techniques using ferric chloride as a coagulant. Acidification and carbonation were compared as methods to lower the pH. Jar testing was done using a pH level of 9-13 and coagulant levels of 8. 6-51 mg/L The most effective coagulation was achieved at a coagulant dose of 26 mg/L at a pH level of 9 resulting in an average residual turbidity reduction of 92%. Coagulation significantly reduced the insoluble solids (60%), but had no significant effect on dissolved organic matter, thus total COD was only decreased by 14.5%. Filtration had no effect on the suspended or dissolved solids in wastewater.
Dynamics of Thermal Field and Powder Sublimation in an Inductively Heated AlN Bulk Crystal Growth Process

In this paper, an integrated model considering induction heating, transient heat transfer and crystal growth has been developed to study dynamic response of temperature and powder sublimation in an aluminum nitride (AlN) growth system. The electromagnetic field and induction heat generation are calculated by the Maxwell equations. Transient temperature distribution in the growth chamber is simulated by energy equation accounting for conduction/radiation within and between various components. In order to provide proper temperature control during sublimation growth, dynamic responses of temperature and temperature difference of the bottom and top external surfaces of the growth crucible to power variation and coil position movement are simulated. Finally the crystal and powder shapes as a function of time are predicted and compared with dynamic experimental observation.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Design and implementation of a parallel processing Viterbi decoder using FPGA

Convolution encoder and Viterbi decoder are widely used in many communication systems due to the excellent error control performance. This paper deals with the design and implementation of convolution encoder and Viterbi decoder using Field Programmable Gate Array. By analysis the algorithm of Viterbi decoder, the paper explores a practical method to design a parallel processing Viterbi decoder. It means trace back and decoder can simultaneously work in order to improve the processing speed. The experimental results show that this method is feasible, and some of the implementation issues related to the Viterbi decoder, such as branch metric unit, add compare select, memory unit and trace back have also been discussed.
Deposition of Sporopollenin on Lamellae of Unit Membrane Dimensions

THERE are several reports of a lamellar inner part of the exine of pollen grains1–8. The number of species examined is small, but the sampling of plant families is wide enough to conclude that the deposition of sporopollenin in some kind of lamellar form is probably characteristic for at least the inner unornamented part of the exine of pollen grains.
Isolated organ perfusion does not result in systemic microembolization of tumor cells.

Background: Isolated organ perfusion with hyperthermia and melphalan with or without tumor necrosis factor-a has been effectively used to treat regionally confined, unresectable malignancies of both the limb and liver. Many patients, however, will eventually relapse at distant sites. We used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to determine whether significant tumor microembolization occurs in patients undergoing isolated limb perfusion (ILP), isolated hepatic perfusion (IHP), or hepatic resection. Methods: Primers specific for the human tyrosinase gene or carcinoembryonic antigen gene were designed for RT-PCR to screen melanoma or colon adenocarcinoma, respectively. RNA from human melanoma lines (Pmel and 1286) and human colon adenocarcinoma lines (H508 and HT29) were used to generate positive control cDNA. Normal human blood was inoculated with tumor cells at concentrations that ranged from 10 22 to 10 5 tumor cells/ml of blood to define the sensitivity. Systemic and perfusate blood samples were drawn from 15 patients (8 patients underwent IHP, 5 patients underwent ILP, and 2 patients underwent resection) before the start of the operation, immediately before and during the perfusion, and postoperatively. Mononuclear cell fractions were separated from the blood samples and RNA was extracted for the RT-PCR assay. Standard primers for human b-actin were used to confirm that cDNA was generated after the RT reaction. Results: RT-PCR assay sensitivity was determined to be 10 tumor cells/ml of whole blood. Of the 8 IHP patients, 6 had colon metastases and 2 had ocular melanoma metastases to the liver. All 5 ILP patients had in transit melanoma of the extremity. Two patients with colon metastases to the liver were found to have resectable disease. There were no detectable circulating tumor cells in the systemic circulation either preoperatively or postoperatively in all 15 patients that were screened. Conclusions: RT-PCR is a highly sensitive method of detecting tumor cells in perfusate or blood. Manipulation of the limb or liver followed by resection or isolated hyperthermic perfusion does not cause detectable release of circulating tumor cells. The late development of distant metastases observed in many of these patients does not correlate with the ability to measure circulating tumor cells during regional therapy.
Two-fluid modeling of bubbly flows around surface ships using a phenomenological subgrid air entrainment model

Abstract The quantitative prediction of bubbly flow around a maneuvering surface ship is critical in determining its hydrodynamic performance and its acoustic and optical signatures. It is a challenging multiscale problem that relies heavily on subgrid models of turbulence and air entrainment. In this manuscript we analyze this problem using a phenomenological air entrainment model that predicts the location and rate of air entrainment around a surface ship. This subgrid model was coupled with a two-fluid Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes (RaNS) bubbly flow model and used to evaluate the flow field around a naval surface ship in straight ahead and turning motions. For straight ahead motion the predicted void fraction distributions aft of the stern were compared with experiments at three different ship speeds and good agreement was found. The qualitative differences in the location of the air entrainment and the resulting bubbly flow between straight ahead and steady turning motions were discussed and compared with experimental observations at sea. To our knowledge this study presents the first quantitative numerical prediction of void fraction distributions around a full-scale surface ship, well matching the experimental measurements.
Guiding principles for vortex flow controls

In the practice of vortex flow controls, the most important factor is that the persistency and obstinacy of a concentrated vortex depend on its stability and dissipation. In this paper, the modern nonlinear stability theory for circulation-preserving flows is summarized, and the dissipation for general viscous flows is analyzed in terms of the evolution of total enstrophy. These analyses provide a theoretical base for understanding relevant physics of vortex flows, and lead to some guiding principles and methods for their controls. Case studies taken from various theoretical and/or experimental works of vortex controls, due to the present authors as well as others, confirm the feasibility of the recommended principles and methods.
Nutrient dynamics in the lower Mississippi River floodplain: Comparing present and historic hydrologic conditions

Alterations to the lower Mississippi River-floodplain ecosystem to facilitate commercial navigation and to reduce flooding of agricultural lands and communities in the historic floodplain have changed the hydrologic regime. As a result, the flood pulse usually has a lower water level, is of shorter duration, has colder water temperatures, and a smaller area of floodplain is inundated. Using average hydrologic conditions and water temperatures, we used established nitrogen and phosphorus processes in soils, an aquatic ecosystem model, and fish bioenergetic models to provide approximations of nitrogen and phosphorus flux in Mississippi River flood waters for the present conditions of a 2-month (mid-March to mid-May) flood pulse and for a 3-month (mid-March to mid-June), historic flood pulse. We estimated that the soils and aquatic biota can remove or sequester 542 and 976 kg nitrogen ha−1 during the present and historic hydrologic conditions, respectively. Phosphorus, on the other hand, will be added to the water largely as a result of anaerobic soil conditions but moderated by biological uptake by aquatic biota during both present and historic hydrologic conditions. The floodplain and associated water bodies may provide an important management opportunity for reducing downstream transport of nitrogen in Mississippi River waters.
The toxicity of one-hour silver exposures to early-life stages of the surf Spisula solidissima (Dillwyn)

Abstract Early life stages of Spisula solidissima (1-, 4-, 8- and 12-h post-fertilization) were exposed to various concentrations of silver in solution (0, 4, 8, 24, 44, 124 and 278 μg liter −1 ) for 1 h. An additional group of 1-h post-fertilized eggs was treated with 0, 4, 11 and 24 μg liter −1 silver continuously for 48h. Results indicate that younger embryos are more susceptible to Ag. Exposure of one-hour-old embryos to silver for only 1 h gives results similar to a continuous 48-h exposure to the same concentration of Ag. The calculated EC 50 for 48-h continuously exposed embryos was similar to the EC 50 for 1-h post-fertilized embryos that were exposed to silver for only 1 h.
Lp estimates of boundary integral equations for some nonlinear boundary value problems

Recently, Galerkin and collocation methods have been analyzed for boundary integral equation formulations of some potential problems in the plane with nonlinear boundary conditions, and stability results and error estimates in theH 1/2-norm have been proved (Ruotsalainen and Wendland, and Ruotsalainen and Saranen). We show that these results extend toL p setting without any extra conditions. These extensions are proved by studying the uniform boundedness of the inverses of the linearized integral operators, and then considering the nonlinear equations. The fact that inH 1/2 setting the nonlinear operator is a homeomorphism with Lipschitz continuous inverse plays a crucial role. Optimal error estimates for the Galerkin and collocation method inL p space then follow.
A Reappraisal of the Period Spectral Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to revive interest in the periodogram approach to time series analysis which, at present, is only of historical interest and is seldom used. During the late 1940's, when it was realized that the smoothed periodogram could be used to estimate the spectral density of a stationary time series, the method was impractical because of the amount of computations. This is no longer the case, but not realized by many applied workers. In this paper the smoothed periodogram is considered from the point of view of its spectral window. The results are compared with two standard spectral windows by a method which avoids defining a bandwidth. The spectral windows are normalized so that they have the same variance, and plotted. The user can then choose the window which best suits his needs. Rejection filtering, trigonometric regression and cross-spectra analysis are discussed. An example is given in which the spectra and cross-spectrum of a bivariate time series are estimated.
FtsZ ring: the eubacterial division apparatus conserved in archaebacteria

FtsZ is a tubulin-like protein that is essential for cell division in eubacteria. It functions by forming a ring at the division site that directs septation. The archaebacteria constitute a kingdom of life separate from eubacteria and eukaryotes. Like eubacteria, archaebacteria are prokaryotes, although they are phylogenetically closer to eukaryotes. Here it is shown that archaebacteria also possess FtsZ and that it is biochemically similar to eubacterial FtsZs. Significantly, FtsZ from the archaebacterium Haloferax volcanii is a GTPase that is localized to a ring that coincides with the division constriction. These results indicate that the FtsZ ring was part of the division apparatus of a common prokaryotic ancestor that was retained by both eubacteria and archaebacteria.
Solutions to h(t) = 1/μ(0)

Proofs are given for the existence and uniqueness of solutions to h(t) = l/μ(0) for monotonic hazard rates, h(t).
A binary integer programming approach for simultaneous machine-part grouping in cellular manufacturing systems

Abstract This paper presents the development of a comprehensive model and the identification of a suitable solution technique for evaluating the effectiveness of simultaneous part-machine groupings in cellular manufacturing systems. The objective function of the model is formulated as maximizing a unified measure of effectiveness evaluated as a weighted sum of fractions representative of the (negative of) total moves and in-cell utilizations. All of the operational constraints associated with setting-up a cellular manufacturing system are included in the model. These represent processing time requirements of parts on machines, sequence of operations, non-consecutive operations scheduled to be performed on the same machine, machine capacities, and the limitation set on the maximum number of machines that can be assigned to a cell. The model assumes that the desired number of manufacturing cells can be determined a priori by the management of the parts manufacturing company. The original model, formulated as a quadratic binary programming model, is subsequently converted into a linear binary programming model. The model is implemented by solving an example problem chosen from published literature, and the solution obtained is proven to be superior to that obtained from previous models.