cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy Variations in Diffusive Cavity Growth

The assignment of boundary values for the chemical potential and the calculation of energy release rates for the growth of creep cavities along grain boundaries by self-diffusion are discussed. It is assumed that the boundaries are flat and that surface and gran-boundary diffusion are the dominant transport mechanisms. As matter diffuses from the void surface into and along the grain boundary, misfit residual stresses are induced to alleviate the high stress concentration ahead of the cavity apex. As a result, it is shown that the contribution of strain energy terms to the chemical potential can be neglected in typical cases. Also, contrary to the Griffith crack extension model, the energy dissipation incurred by diffusive removal of material from the cavity surface and deposition in the grain boundary is a major term in the energy transfers associated with cavity growth. The primary energy sink in diffusive cavity growth arises from the work done by the grain-boundary normal stress when matter is inserted in the near-tip region by diffusion, and not from the loss of strain energy of matter that is removed from the cavity at its tip or from a work of bond separation. Thermodynamic restrictions on the angle formed bymore » the void surfaces at their apex, where they join the grain boundary is described. The derivation of boundary values for the chemical potential is carried out in a manner appropriate for arbitrarily large but elastic distortions of material near the cavity tip and, by contrast to most previous work in the area. Rigorously the effects of surface tension, as distinct from surface energy, is included.« less
Embassies burning: toward a near-real-time assessment of social media using geo-temporal dynamic network analytics

Effective crisis response requires rapid assessment of a situation in order to form actionable plans. Social media and traditional media are critical to this assessment. This paper describes a rapid ethnographic approach for extracting information from Twitter and news media and then assessing that information using dynamic network analysis techniques. Text mining high-dimensional network analytics and visualization are combined to provide an integrated approach to assessing large dynamic networks. This approach was used as the Benghazi consulate and the Egyptian embassy were attacked in 2012. This near-real-time assessment was set against a backdrop of ongoing data collection associated with the Arab Spring countries. This ongoing collection provided a baseline for Libya and Egypt against which the new data could be assessed. Herein, the outcome of that near-real-time assessment, the tools used, the lessons learned, and the results discovered are described. The same approach was used in other crisis events including SuperStorm Sandy, the Kenyan elections, from which examples are also drawn. We find that to be effective such analytics require the use of multiple media, deep dives into specific secondary issues, and a high-level assessment of not just who is doing what, but who is providing what information. Finally, we show the criticality of baseline data for interpreting the behavior during a crisis.
Conversion of monensin from an ionophore to an inhibitor of Na+ uptake by SV3T3 membrane vesicles as a function of Na+ concentration

Monensin is a Na+ ionophore in membrane vesicles from SV3T3 cells; but its ability to stimulate Na+ flux is inhibited by increasing concentrations of Na+. At greater than 20-mM Na+, monensin inhibits Na+ uptake by the vesicles. Cs+ and NH4+ also cause monensin to inhibit Na+ uptake, but general alterations in ionic strength do not convert the ionophore to an inhibitor. Monensin does not cause Na+ loss during collection of the vesicles on filters; nor is inhibition the result of the vesicle lumen being made alkaline by H+ loss in exchange for Na+. The specificity for cation and ionophore indicates that a precise interaction between the cation, ionophore, and membrane is required for inhibition.
Modeling high temperature desulfurization in a fixed-bed reactor

Abstract A time-dependent, isothermal, heterogeneous model has been used to describe the high temperature reaction of H 2 S with a metal oxide sorbent in a fixed-bed reactor. Plug flow of reacting gas is assumed, and individual pellets react according to the unreacted core model. Five bench-scale desulfurization tests using two sorbent formulations with inlet H 2 S concentrations ranging from 500 to 14,100 ppmv have been modeled. One parameter, the effective diffusivity within a single pellet, was adjusted to match the experimental H 2 S breakthrough results. This made possible an independent prediction of the axial sulfur distribution at the conclusion of the test which compared quite well with experimental sulfur analyses. Experimental results from a large-scale reactor were also matched using an effective diffusivity determined from the bench-scale analysis.
The effects of the US Food Stamp Program on the dietary quality of parents and their teenagers and children1

Although previous research finds that participation in Food Stamp Programs increases the nutrient availability of low-income households, examination of the dietary quality of parents, their teenagers (aged 13–18 years), and their children (aged 1–12 years) indicates that participation has no effect on dietary quality of any of these groups. Examination of data from the Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals and Diet and Health Surveys, conducted in the USA, 1994–96, indicates that although transfer payments in the Food Stamp Program might improve quality of life in other areas by freeing income otherwise spent on food, the receipt of food assistance does not improve dietary quality. The findings show that children tend to eat healthier diets than their parents or teenage siblings. Implications are suggested regarding the use of transfer payments to improve the dietary quality of persons living in poverty.
Distortion-invariant target detection using shifted-reference joint transform correlator

A new pattern recognition system is proposed using multiple phase-shifted-reference fringe-adjusted joint transform correlation technique. The algorithm involves four different phase-shifted versions of the reference image, which eliminates all unwanted correlation terms and produces a single cross-correlation signal corresponding to each potential target. A fringe-adjusted filter is designed to generate a delta-like correlation peak with high discrimination between the signal and the noise. In addition, the detection performance is made invariant to different spatial distortions by incorporating a synthetic discriminant function, which is created from a set of training images of the reference object. The target detection system is also designed for recognition of multiple targets belonging to multiple reference objects simultaneously in the given input scene and hence provides a real-time class-associative decision on the presence of any target. The proposed technique is investigated using computer simulation with binary as well as gray images in various complex environments where it performs excellent in every case.
The reaction of fatty acyl thiolesters with proteins.

The enzyme fraction precipitated from rat liver cell sap at pH 5 catalyzes the formation of fatty acyl coenzyme A thiolesters. During the incubation, about 3% of the labeled fatty acid appears covalently bound to protein. The fatty acyl CoA esters were the intermediates in the reaction. The covalent linkage of the fatty acid to the protein was not enzymatic, since labeled palmityl CoA reacted directly with protein. Proof for the covalent nature of the binding was obtained in three ways: (a) the label was not removed by a series of solvent extractions which removed free fatty acid or fatty acyl CoA, (b) labeled palmityl peptides were isolated from peptic digests of labeled protein, (c) peptides isolated from protein labeled with [1-14C]palmitate were not decarboxylated by azide in the Schmidt reaction. Covalent labeling of the pH 5 enzyme protein was extensive only with fatty acids above 10 carbon atoms. Acetyl CoA gave less than 10% of the reaction given by palmityl CoA. These results suggested a preliminary binding of the hydrocarbon tail of the CoA esters with hydrophobic regions of the protein. Evidence for the involvement of protein hydroxyl and amino groups in the reaction was obtained. Reduction of pronase peptides of protein labeled with palmitic acid with LiAlH4 gave rise to labeled cetyl alcohol. SH Groups were not involved as judged by the failure of neutral hydroxylamine to remove the label and by the fact that gamma globulin, which has no free SH groups, was capable of reacting. Acid or alkaline hydrolysis at 100° removed less than half of the label, suggesting the presence of amide bonds. Blockage of amino groups by forming the picryl derivative of the protein greatly reduced the extent of the reaction.
Dendroclimatic Relationships of Post Oak Across a Precipitation Gradient in the Southcentral United States

Abstract Post oak is a dominant species along the prairie border in the southcentral United States where upland forests gradually merge into the grasslands of the Southern Plains. These vegetation changes coincide with a sharp decrease in mean annual precipitation. Increment core studies at more than 50 sites from southern Texas to central Missouri indicate that old-growth post oak forests are still widespread, probably because these typically small, poorly formed trees were not systematically logged. Analysis of five tree-ring chronologies located across the precipitation gradient indicates that post oak radial growth is directly related to precipitation and inversely related to temperature for several months during and preceding the growing season. Post oak chronologies tend to become more variable and climate sensitive westward toward the prairie border, consistent with the decline in rainfall and the westward decrease in forest cover, species diversity, and tree size. This increase in climate sensitiv...
The Effect of Unmet Expectations among Adults Presenting with Physical Symptoms

In this prospective cohort study, patients who sought care for physical symptoms and did not leave the encounter with an unmet expectation were found to be more likely to be satisfied with their ca...
Powerful simulated-annealing algorithm locates global minimum of protein-folding potentials from multiple starting conformations

Protein-folding potentials, designed with the explicit goal that the global energy minimum correspond to crystallographically observed conformations of protein molecules, may offer great promise toward calculating native protein structures. Achieving this promise, however, depends on finding an effective means of dealing with the multiple-minimum problem inherent in such potentials. In this study, a protein-foldingpotential test system has been developed that exhibits the properties of general protein-folding potentials yet has a unique well-defined global energy minimum corresponding to the crystallographically determined conformation of the test molecule. A simulated-annealing algorithm is developed that locates the global minimum of this potential in four of eight test runs from random starting conformations. Exploration of the energy-conformation surface of the potential indicates that it contains the numerous local minima typical of protein-folding potentials and that the global minimum is not easily located by conventional minimization procedures. When the annealing algorithm is applied to a previously developed actual folding potential to analyze the conformation of avian pancreatic polypeptide, a new conformer is located that is lower in. energy than any conformer located in previous studies using a variety of minimization techniques.
CMOS photodetectors/receivers for smart-pixel based photonic systems

The design, characterization and evaluation of CMOS based silicon photodetectors/photoreceivers suitable for smart-pixel based applications are presented. Implemented with a conventional CMOS fabrication process, these photodetectors/receiver circuits can be reliably fabricated for smart-pixel based photonic information processing systems that combine the parallelism associated with optics and the data processing capabilities associated with CMOS logic. Several different CMOS based photodetector structures including p-n junction detectors and bipolar phototransistors are presented. Simulation results indicate that the p-n junction detectors will provide photocurrents in the range of nanoamps with rise/fall times on the order of picoseconds. Although slower response is expected with the phototransistor structure, the optoelectronic gain increases the photocurrent to the microamps range. In addition to fabrication and evaluation of individual photodetectors, we present the design and evaluation of high gain photoreceiver array. Based on a standard 1.2 micrometer CMOS fabrication process the monolithic photodetector/receiver circuit includes a bipolar phototransistor, a three-stage current amplifier and a differential amplifier that produces output at digital logic levels. The photoreceiver with high gain and adjustable threshold has a wide dynamic range. For a reference voltage of 3.2 V, the optical power threshold has been measured at less than 1 nW. A page-oriented optical data detection is demonstrated using a 5 X 5 smart-pixel photoreceiver array.
Propagation of Rayleigh, Scholte and Stoneley waves along random boundaries

Abstract The effect of boundary roughness on the propagation of Rayleigh, Scholte and Stoneley waves is analysed under the assumption of the wavelength being much larger than the roughness scale of the interface. The scattering of the fundamental interface waves is represented by systems of plane waves in both neighbouring half-spaces; the formulas for amplitudes of these waves are determined using the perturbation method. The phase velocity of the interface waves is analysed by an approximate technique and is found to increase with the growing boundary roughness for all three types of interface waves.
Multidetector photopolarimeters for industrial optical sensing and metrology

Considerable progress has been achieved recently in the development of new ellipsometric and polarimetry sensors that meet the requirements of an industrial environment. In particular, multidetector instruments, such as the four-detector photopolarimeter (FDP or Stokes meter), are particularly suited for fast, on-line, and real-time monitoring of industrial processes because of their simplicity, ruggedness, and absence of moving parts. We review some of these recent developments with reference to the semiconductor, steel-making, and optical- coating industries as examples.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dual alterations of thalamic nociceptive activity by stimulation of the periaqueductal gray matter.

Abstract Effects produced by electrical stimulation of the mesencephalic periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) on single nociceptive neurons of the somesthetic thalamus were studied in rats anesthetized with α-chloralose and urethane. Stimulation of the PAG excited the nociceptive neurons, and, although the probability of firing them with a single pulse was low, trains of pulses increased their preexisting activity considerably and lastingly. Poststimulus spike density histograms of the activity evoked by stimulation of the sciatic nerve displayed several peaks which have been analyzed previously. In brief, a short-latency, high-count peak was related to the intensity of stimulation (I peak); three to four long-latency, low-count peaks were characteristic of nociception (modality, or M peaks). PAG stimulation modified mainly the M peaks. With stimulation of the caudal portion of the PAG, fusion of the M peaks was observed and persisted. With stimulation of its rostral portion each M peak was augmented. At several PAG sites, however, increasing the stimulus frequency and pulse-train duration converted the augmentation effect into fusion of the M peaks. Thalamic neurons that relay tactile afferents were not fired by stimulation of the PAG, although after such a stimulation they began to fire spontaneously. These results parallel the dual behavioral effects previously observed with PAG stimulation. When repeated trains of pulses were used, analgesia was induced that outlasted the period of stimulation. However, with stimulation of the rostral PAG, behavioral agitation and lowering of the nociceptive thresholds were observed. It is likely that augmentation of the M peaks represents central sensitization to noxious stimulation, and fusion of the M peaks represents a conversion of pain into less pain-like sensations. These effects may be mediated via a pathway that connects the PAG with the ventrobasal and the parafascicular nuclei of the thalamus.
Paget-Schroetter Syndrome A Review of Effort Thrombosis of the Upper Extremity From a Sports Medicine Perspective

Paget-Schroetter is a rare diagnosis in the general population; however, it is more common in younger, physically active individuals. Clinicians must be familiar with the symptoms, physical examination, and initial imaging and treatment to expedite care and prevent possible life-threatening complications. Urgent referral to a regional specialist may improve the opportunity for thrombolysis to restore blood flow through the subclavian vein and to decrease the chance of pulmonary embolus, recurrent thrombosis, or need for vein grafting, as well as to improve the time to return to full activity (athletics and/or manual labor).
Deuterium ion fluxes to probes in the PLT edge plasma

Abstract Using secondary ion mass spectrometry and nuclear reaction analysis, we have measured deuterium trapped in carbon samples exposed to deuterium discharges in PLT. From these data we infer that the fluxes range from 2 × 10 15 to 3 × 10 17 cm −2 s −1 , and the energies range from 60 to 225 eV. Studies have been made on the effect of gas puffing and plasma position
Measuring The Shape Of The Vocal Tract: An Application Of MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques can be used to obtain basic dimensional data on vocal tract shapes, areas and volumes that are needed for the development of computational models of speech articulation and for aeroacoustic studies of sound production in the vocal tract. Sequences of MR images of tract shapes have been obtained from two subjects in the axial, coronal and sagittal planes while they produced sustained vowels. Three-dimensional (3-D) measurements of the tract shapes responsible for the vowel sounds of these subjects have been made by computer and then used to synthesize artificial vowels. A comparison of the acoustic features of the artificial vowels with the subjects' natural vowel productions provides an opportunity to test the accuracy of the 3-D measurements and/or acoustic theory.
N-OH Torsional Frequencies of Some Hydroxylamines

Recently the far infrared spectra of alcohols, phenols, and oximes and aldoximes have been recorded for dilute solutions of these compounds in cyclohexane. For all of these molecules the hydroxyl torsional vibrations were found to result in intense bands, relative to the bands arising from the low frequency skeletal vibrations. In the spectra of aliphatic alcohols the hydroxyl torsional vibrations occur at 210 ± 10 cm−1, but for phenol the frequency is 310 cm−1. The difference in frequencies reflects the different shapes of the potential functions and barrier heights for hydroxyl group internal rotation in the two classes of molecules.
What is the obligation of the medical profession in the distribution of health care

Abstract Justice requires that health care facilities and physicians (and other providers) be available to meet health care needs. These obligations are primarily social. They constrain the institutions through which providers are trained and through which incentives to work in various specialities and locations are arranged. Individual physicians come to have particular obligations concerning the delivery of care through their responses to these institutions, not through the direct appeal to principles of distributive justice. It is argued that many institutional arrangements for distributing physicians in accordance with the requirement of justice violate no basic liberties, contrary to some libertarian views.
CHANGES IN TRYPSIN INHIBITORY ACTIVITY IN SOME SOYBEAN VARIETIES DURING MATURATION AND GERMINATION

Trypsin inhibitory activity (TIA) of 4 varieties (var) of soybeans was measured. Values (mg/g soybean) represent TIA extracted under conditions employed and are equivalent to a weighed amount of crystallized soybean trypsin inhibitors (TI). As the beans matured, the amount of TIA in the extract increased Dare variety had the sharpest increase, 13.4-27.5 mg/g. Mean mdg of TI for Kanrich was 22.5; Verde, 21.7; Soylima, 17.5; and Dare, 21.8. Dehulled beans held 2.5 min in boiling water had 97–98% of the extractable TIA destroyed. Rinsing beans in water removed up to 10.2% TIA. Removing the testa from unrinsed beans reduced TIA up to 4.3%. Decorticated, rinsed cotyledons remined 50.9% (Soylima) to 80.6% (Verde) of the extractable TIA. Beans which were soaked, germinated 3 days and rinsed twice daily lost up to 13.2% TIA.
High speed anisotropic etching of Pyrex® for microsystems applications

Abstract We report high speed etching of glass (Pyrex® 7740) substrates using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactive ion etching (RIE) process employing sulfur hexafluoride/argon (SF6/Ar) based chemistry. Electroplated Ni over a patterned Cr/Au seed layer was used as the hard mask for etching. Detailed process characterization was performed by varying the process parameters which include substrate temperature, ICP power, substrate power, operating pressure, distance of substrate holder from ICP source and composition and flow rates of the etching gases. An rms surface roughness of 1.97 nm at a high etch rate of 0.536 μm/min was achieved by process optimization. We used least square fit to find the direction of maximum variance in the process parametric space and to reduce the dimensionality of the process parametric space. The etch rate was then linearly related to a new variable termed as the etch rate number.
A laboratory procedure to evaluate the acid producing potential of coal associated rocks

Abstract Pre-mine planning to minimize or eliminate the production of acid mine drainage (AMD) necessitates that the acid producing potential of each of the lithic units encountered in mining be evaluated. Presently used techniques to predict acid production are generally inadequate primarily because they are based upon unsubstantiated assumptions and because they do not provide the capability of determining the rate at which acid will be produced. This paper describes an experimental bench top procedure which will determine the rate and amount of acid that a rock will produce upon being exposed to the atmosphere. This procedure has been verified by predicting the acid production response of a 350 ton simulated backfill of coal associated rocks exposed to natural weathering conditions with better than 90% confidence.
Uncoordinate regulation of collagenase, stromelysin, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases genes by prostaglandin E2: selective enhancement of collagenase gene expression in human dermal fibroblasts in culture.

The degradative effects of interleukin-1 (IL-1) on the extracellular matrix of connective tissue are mediated primarily by metalloproteinases and prostaglandins. Clinical observations suggest that these effects can be prevented, to some extent, by the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. We have examined the role of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in IL-1-induced gene expression by human skin fibroblasts in culture. Incubation of confluent fibroblast cultures with varying concentrations (0.01–1.0 μg/ml) of PGE2 led to a dose-dependent elevation of collagenase mRNA steady-state levels, the promoter activity, and the secretion of the protein, whereas relatively little effect was observed on stromelysin and TIMP gene expression. Exogenous PGE2 had no additive or synergistic effect with IL-1 on collagenase gene expression. Furthermore, commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (indomethacin, acetyl salicylic acid and ibuprofen), at doses which block prostaglandin synthesis in cultured fibroblasts, failed to counteract IL-1-induced collagenase and stromelysin gene expression, nor did they affect TIMP expression. Although the effects of PGE2 did not potentiate those of IL-1 on collagenase gene expression in vitro, one could speculate that massive production of PGE2 by connective tissue cells in vivo in response to inflammatory mediators such as IL-1 or tumor necrosis factor-α, could lead to sustained expression of collagenase in connective tissue cells after clearance of the growth factors.
Multiple Signals Are Required for α2,6-Sialyltransferase (ST6Gal I) Oligomerization and Golgi Localization

A single amino acid difference in the catalytic domain of two isoforms of the alpha2,6-sialyltransferase (ST6Gal I) leads to differences in their trafficking, processing, and oligomerization. The STtyr isoform is transiently localized in the Golgi and is ultimately cleaved and secreted, whereas the STcys isoform is stably localized in the Golgi and is not cleaved and secreted. The stable localization of STcys is correlated with its enhanced ability to oligomerize. To test the hypothesis that multiple signals can mediate Golgi localization and further evaluate the role of oligomerization in the localization process, we evaluated the effects of individually and simultaneously altering the cytosolic tail and transmembrane region of the STcys isoform. We found that the localization, processing, and oligomerization of STcys were not substantially changed when either the core amino acids of the cytosolic tail were deleted or the sequence and length of the transmembrane region were altered. In contrast, when these changes were made simultaneously, the STcys isoform was converted into a form that was processed, secreted, and weakly oligomerized like STtyr. We propose that STcys oligomerization is a secondary event resulting from its concentration in the Golgi via mechanisms independently mediated by its cytosolic tail and transmembrane region.
Wideband NLO polymer modulators

Wideband modulators based on organic nonlinear optical (NLO) polymers are reviewed. The material properties, design guidelines, fabrication, and performance of a modulator with a > 40 GHz of 3 dB electrical bandwidth in an organic NLO polymer are reported.
Medical Causes of Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB), defined as a symptom complex consisting of urgency, with or without urge incontinence, in the absence of urinary tract infection or other obvious pathology, is a diagnosis affecting millions of Americans and patients around the world and is associated with significant secondary morbidity and mortality. The economic burden and prevalence of OAB is increasing in the United States, and its underlying etiology can be attributed to multiple factors. In addition to aging, pelvic floor weakness and bladder outlet obstruction, a number of medical conditions can lead to the symptoms of overactive bladder. Recognition and proper management of associated medical conditions can lead to improved patient outcomes and decreased expenditure of healthcare resources.
The weak link in Zimbabwe's agricultural miracle 1980‐1990: A case study of Masvingo Province resettlement projects

Since independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has been able to sustain and increase agricultural output in all the major crops, namely maize, wheat, tobacco and cotton. This achievement has been regarded as a major ‘miracle’ abroad. This paper argues that the colonial agricultural policy laid down the framework and a system of incentives which encouraged the growth of a prosperous and productive commercial farming class. While the European element predominated, a black master farmer class was encouraged and nurtured. It is the deliberate exclusion of this master farmer class, and government's failure to expand it that may prove to be the major weakness of post‐independence resettlement policy.
Field-grown Cotton Exhibits Seasonal Variation in Photosynthetic Heat Tolerance without Exposure to Heat-stress or Water-deficit Conditions

Thermotolerance acclimation of photosystem II to heat and drought is well documented, but studies demonstrating developmental impacts on heat tolerance in field-grown plants are limited. Consequently, climatic variables, estimated canopy temperature, predawn leaf water potential (ΨPD), and the temperature responses of maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), variable fluorescence (Fv/F0), quantum yield of electron transport (φEο) and efficiency of PSI electron acceptor reduction (REο/ABS) were characterized for Gossypium hirsutum at three sample times during the growing season (21 June, 2 July and 18 July 2013) under well-watered conditions. The temperature decreasing a given photosynthetic parameter 15% from the optimum is referred to as T15 and served as a standardized measure of heat tolerance. Ambient and estimated canopy temperatures were well within the optimal range for cotton throughout the sample period, and leaves were verified well watered using ΨPD measurements. However, T15 varied with sample date (highest on July 2 for all parameters), being 2 °C (Fv/F0) to 5.5 °C (φEο) higher on July 2 relative to June 21, despite optimal temperature conditions and predawn leaf water potential on all sample dates. These findings suggest that even under optimum temperature conditions and water availability, heat tolerance could be influenced by plant developmental stage.
Coplink: a case of intelligent analysis and knowledge management

Law enforcement agencies across the United States have begun to focus on innovative knowledge management technologies to aid in the analysis of criminal information. The use of such technologies can serve as intelligence tools to combat criminal activity by aiding in case investigation or even by predicting criminal activity. Funded by the National Institute of Justice, the University of Arizona's Artificial Intelligence Lab has teamed with the Tucson Police Department (TPD) to develop the Coplink Concept Space application, which serves to uncover relationships between different types of information currently existing in TPD's records management system. A small-scale field study involving real law enforcement personnel indicates that the use of Coplink Concept Space can reduce the time spent on the investigative task of linking criminal information as well as provide strong arguments for expanded development of similar knowledge management systems in support of law enforcement.
Impaired residents: identification and intervention

Abstract Purpose To describe the effect of a psychologist on faculty staff supporting impaired residents to successful program completion in general surgery. Methods Since 1996, the Department of Surgery has had a staff psychologist on faculty who works closely with the Trauma service. Duties include provision of patient and family therapies (representing a revenue-generating activity for the department), in-services for staff stress management, research, and community education activities. As resident performance issues have arisen, the psychologist has been instrumental in early identification of and referral for underlying issues affecting resident behavior. Results From 1996 to October 2001, 12 residents (2 with multiple referrals) have been identified with significant psychological issues impairing performance. The various psychological problems include depression, anger control issues, and addictions; required interventions have included referrals for therapeutic counseling, recommendations for career change, and therapeutic counseling combined with pharmacotherapy. Fellow residents referred 4 of the 12 residents to the psychologist for possible evaluation, and the remaining 8 had referral initiated by performance concerns. Conclusions Significant psychological problems can impair resident performance and possible training program completion. Early identification and intervention by a professional psychologist on faculty can provide support for increased opportunity to complete residency training.
Relation Between Hydraulic Conductivity and Texture in a Carbonate Aquifer: Observations

Based on analysis of over 300 injection-pressure tests and their assignment to logged stratigraphic intervals, it is argued that the Silurian dolomite aquifer in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, behaves as both a fractured and porous medium. This paradox is resolved by examining the aquifer's individual stratigraphic units and their respective sedimentologic characteristics. Like many carbonates, the aquifer contains shoaling upward sequences and cycling through a variety of depositional environments and textures. Most of the stratigraphic units are fine-grained mudstones, but interbeds with porous coarsegrained packstones and grainstones are also present. The packstone and grainstone units have unimodal distributions of hydraulic conductivity with geometric means between 10 4 and 10 3 cm/sec. The high matrix porosity masks any effects of jointing in these deposits, and they behave as porous high conductivity media. In contrast, hydraulic conductivities within the mudstones are bimodal, with one mode of very low matrix conductivities and a second higher mode controlled by jointing. Mudstone conductivities increase logarithmically with joint frequency, but never attain the magnitude of the values for the coarse-grained units. Because the geometric mean hydraulic conductivities of the porous units are up to 1000 times greater than the thicker mudstones, the aquifer's bulk hydraulic conductivity is controlled by the thinner porous zones. Therefore, as a whole, the aquifer behaves as a porous medium even though most of the section is fracture-dominated. Only the large number of hydraulic conductivity measurements isolated within specific stratigraphic units has allowed recognition of the importance of porous medium conditions in this aquifer. Because upward shoaling sequences are common within carbonates, a similar combination of porous and fractured medium conditions may be present, but unnoticed, in other carbonate aquifers. Investigators working in dolomites with minimal tectonic deformation should be particularly alert for porous medium effects.
Relationship Theory: An Historical Development in Psychology Leading to a Teleological Image of Humanity

It is argued that relationship theory is a reflection of modern developments in causal theory, away from Newtonian efficient causation to formal causation in the theories of subatomic physics. Mechanistic psychological explanation has foundered on the fact that there are no underlying efficient causes to be found to account for the ultimate patterning of behaviours into relationships. Psychologists no longer need to `reduce' descriptions of personal relationships to underlying efficient-cause determinants. Theories of personal relationship are fundamentally teleological in assumption and descriptive style. It is shown how the formal-cause conception is a necessary but not sufficient ingredient to telic description. Final causation is required to capture human teleology, and thanks to dialectical reasoning we have a way of accounting for such agential behaviour. The paper closes with a survey of logical learning theory, which is offered in this context as a useful teleological formulation in the descriptio...
Multidimensional elastic waves excited by oscillating domain walls

Abstract Magnetoelastic excitations with a fine structure in the 50kHz range have been observed in the study of the domain wall resonance (DWR) in magnetic garnet thin films. DWR excites standing transverse elastic waves which have a resonance frequency given by f= nv 2d , where f is the frequency, n is an integer, v=3.5×10 5 cm/sec is the transversal velocity of the elastic wave, and d=0.05 cm is thickness of the film/substrate system. A fine structure associated with each of these modes has been identified as due to two dimensional bulk elastic waves by using a set of parallel microstrip lines. The dispersion relation of these elastic waves is ω 2 = v 2 ( k 2 1 + k 2 2 ), where ω is the radial frequency, k 1 and k 2 are the wave vectors in the orientation perpendicular and parallel to the sample surface respectively. In the case of k 1 ⪢k 2 , f= f 0 +v 2 k 2 2 f 0 , where f 0 is the resonance when k 2 =0. The experimental results are in excellent agreement with this model. A linear dispersion, observed when using a shorted slot-line structure, is understood as the excitation of three dimensional modes due to the complex structure of the slot-line and the sample geometry.
Market-based resource control for mobile agents

Mobile agents are programs that can migrate from machine to machine in a heterogeneous, partially disconnected network. As mobile agents move across a network, they consume resources. We discuss a system for controlling the activities of mobile agents that uses electronic cash, a banking system, and a set of resource managers. We describe protocols for transactions between agents. We present fixed-pricing and dynamic-pricing policies for resources. We focus on and analyze the sealed-bid second-price auction as a mechanism for dynamic pricing.
11α- and 11β-Hydroxyprogesterone, Potent Inhibitors of 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase, Possess Hypertensinogenic Activity in the Rat

Abstract The progesterone derivatives 11α- and 11β-hydroxyprogesterone are potent inhibitors of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (isoforms 1 and 2) in vitro and can confer mineralocorticoid activity on corticosterone in the rat in vivo. 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase metabolizes active glucocorticoids to their inactive 11-dehydro products and protects renal mineralocorticoid receptors from the high circulating levels of endogenous glucocorticoids. 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase has been suggested to be important not only in the control of renal sodium retention but also of blood pressure. To assess the possible blood pressure–modulating effects of 11α- and 11β-hydroxyprogesterone, we infused these substances into both intact and adrenalectomized Sprague-Dawley rats continuously for 14 days. Both 11α- and 11β-hydroxyprogesterone caused a significant elevation in blood pressure within 3 days, an effect that persisted throughout the 14-day infusion. The hypertensive effects of 11α-hydroxyprogesterone were abolished by adrenalectomy and significantly attenuated when 11α-hydroxyprogesterone was infused together with the specific mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist RU28318. In an additional series of experiments, 11α-hydroxyprogesterone significantly amplified the hypertensive effects of corticosterone in adrenalectomized spontaneously hypertensive rats but had no effects by itself in this experimental animal. These results demonstrate that both 11α- and 11β-hydroxyprogesterone are potently hypertensinogenic in the rat and that this activity depends on an intact adrenal and at least in part on the activation of mineralocorticoid receptors. 11β-Hydroxyprogesterone, and similar endogenous progesterone metabolites that inhibit 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, may be involved in the pathology of certain hypertensive states.
Development and large scale benchmark testing of the PROSPECTOR_3 threading algorithm.

This article describes the PROSPEC- TOR_3 threading algorithm, which combines various scoring functions designed to match structurally re- lated target/template pairs. Each variant described was found to have a Z-score above which most identi- fied templates have good structural (threading) align- ments, Zstruct (Zgood). 'Easy' targets with accurate threading alignments are identified as single tem- plates with Z > Zgood or two templates, each with Z > Zstruct, having a good consensus structure in mutually aligned regions. 'Medium' targets have a pair of tem- plates lacking a consensus structure, or a single tem- plate for which Zstruct < Z < Zgood. PROSPECTOR_3 was applied to a comprehensive Protein Data Bank (PDB) benchmark composed of 1491 single domain proteins, 41-200 residues long and no more than 30% identical to any threading template. Of the proteins, 878 were found to be easy targets, with 761 having a root mean square deviation (RMSD) from native of less than 6.5 A. The average contact prediction accu- racy was 46%, and on average 17.6 residue continuous fragments were predicted with RMSD values of 2.0 A. There were 606 medium targets identified, 87% (31%) of which had good structural (threading) alignments. On average, 9.1 residue, continuous fragments with RMSD of 2.5 A were predicted. Combining easy and medium sets, 63% (91%) of the targets had good thread- ing (structural) alignments compared to native; the average target/template sequence identity was 22%. Only nine targets lacked matched templates. More- over, PROSPECTOR_3 consistently outperforms PSI- BLAST. Similar results were predicted for open read- ing frames (ORFS) <200 residues in the M. genitalium, E. coli and S. cerevisiae genomes. Thus, progress has been made in identification of weakly homologous/ analogous proteins, with very high alignment cover- age, both in a comprehensive PDB benchmark as well as in genomes. Proteins 2004;56:502-518.
Interferon-Free Regimens for Chronic Hepatitis C: Barriers Due to Treatment Candidacy and Insurance Coverage

Background Recently developed interferon- and ribavirin-free regimens to treat hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) have low side effect profile accompanied by high efficacy.
Congruences and the Chinese Remainder Theorem

We extend the idea of congruences to polynomials with coefficients in a field. The properties of congruences for polynomials are very similar to those for congruences for integers. In particular, the Chinese remainder theorem is valid for polynomials. We develop the ideas in this chapter, and give some applications of the Chinese remainder theorem in the next.
Shake-It-Up: health promotion and capacity building for people with spinal cord injuries and related neurological disabilities.

Purpose: This is a description of a model demonstration project called Project Shake-It-Up. This project promotes the health and empowerment of people with spinal cord injuries and related neurological disabilities. It also builds the capacity of community organizations that provide services to this population. Methods: Participants are involved in interactive seminars concerning health and advocacy on topics like nutrition and being assertive with healthcare providers. They take part in physical and recreational activities such as sea kayaking, kite-flying and hand cycling. Case coordinators support their project participation and personal goal attainment. Results: Community organizations and university researchers developed a successful partnership. Individual members of the first cohort supported one another and benefited physically and psychologically. Conclusions: Project-Shake-It-Up provides positive initial signs of the value of combining the resources of universities and community agencies. Working together, these organizations can develop distinctive, multi-faceted programmes to support the health and empowerment of people with spinal cord injuries and other related neurological disabilities.
CO surface diffusion on platinum fuel cell catalysts by electrochemical NMR

Abstract We report on surface CO diffusion processes in relation to properties of nanoparticle Pt and Pt/Ru fuel cell catalysts. The COad diffusion was studied by the use of 13C electrochemical nuclear magnetic resonance (EC-NMR) spectroscopy. Measurements were carried out in the temperature range 253–293 K, where the solution side of the nanoparticle–electrolyte interface is liquid, in contrast to previous measurements, in ice. We offer a concerted view of the effect of particle size and surface coverage on COad diffusion, and find that both are important. We also found that the diffusion parameters were influenced by the variations in the distribution of chemisorption energies on particles of different sizes, and by the CO–CO lateral interactions. On all Pt nanoparticle surfaces investigated, we conclude that CO surface diffusion is too fast to be considered as the rate-limiting factor in methanol reactivity. The addition of Ru to Pt increases the surface diffusion rates of CO, and there is a direct correlation between the Fermi level local density of states (Ef-LDOS) of the 2π* molecular orbital of adsorbed CO and the activation energy for surface diffusion. These results are of interest since they improve our knowledge of surface dynamics of molecules at electrochemical interfaces, and may help to formulate better models for the electrooxidation of adsorbed CO on nanoparticle surfaces.
Roll Back Malaria? The scarcity of international aid for malaria control

The WHO announced the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) movement in 1998, with the goal of halving malaria deaths by 2010, and halving again by 2015. It is widely agreed that reaching this goal requires a major increase in international aid funding for malaria control, to a budget of perhaps $1.5 – $2.5 billion annually. To ascertain whether progress is being made, we compiled data self-reported by the donors to the Development Assistance Committee of OECD, and also to ourselves directly. We find that, in fact, the total amount of international aid dedicated to malaria control, from the 23 richest donor countries plus the World Bank, remains in the range of $100 million annually – a figure that is virtually unchanged since the start of RBM. This lack of progress toward increasing funding very seriously threatens RBM and demands that WHO regularly audit and report on malaria control funding, with the certainty that RBM will fail to meet its deadline of 2010 if this is not done.
Design of nonlinear least-squares velocity estimation algorithms for automotive vehicles

Active safety systems for automotive vehicles rely on estimates of the unmeasured vehicle velocity vector. This velocity vector is easily estimated using kinematic equations if the wheels do not slip on the road, but it is precisely in situations involving significant wheel slip that an accurate estimate of the velocity vector is most needed. This paper presents a velocity estimation algorithm for automotive vehicles that exploits dynamic equations to avoid any use of zero wheel slip assumptions in its implementation, and it requires only those sensors already installed in vehicles equipped with active safety systems. The proposed estimation algorithm is based on a nonlinear least-squares formulation for approximate inversion of the system's state-to-measurement map.
Practical differential profiling

Comparing performance profiles from two runs is an essential performance analysis step that users routinely perform. In this work we present eGprof, a tool that facilitates these comparisons through differential profiling inside gprof. We chose this approach, rather than designing a new tool, since gprof is one of the few performance analysis tools accepted and used by a large community of users.
Protective effects of anti-C5a peptide antibodies in experimental sepsis.

SPECIFIC AIMSOur recent studies of experimental sepsis, induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in rats, showed that anti-C5a antibody protects against the lethal effects of sepsis. The main a...
Reasons for Living and Alcohol Use Among College Students

Heavy alcohol consumption is prevalent on many college campuses and alcohol use has been linked to suicidal behavior. The present study examined reasons for living in 287 college students with varying levels of risk for alcohol-related problems. With the exception of the moral objections subscale of the Reasons for Living Inventory, significant relationships were not detected between alcohol use risk levels and reasons for living. The field is ripe for additional studies examining alcohol use and suicide in the college population, and results will likely lead to improved interventions to decrease the occurrence of suicidal behaviors.