cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of an embedded-feed type microstrip patch antenna for UHF radio frequency identification tag on metallic objects

The design of an embedded-feed type microstrip patch antenna, which can be mounted on metallic objects for radio frequency identification (RFID), is presented. The structure consists of an embedded feed with T-matching networks and a symmetrical radiating rectangular loop patch. The proposed antenna has no shorting plate or via hole and consists of a very thin structure of microstrip patch antenna compared with the conventional metallic tag antennas. The impedance of the presented antenna can be changed to match the impedance values of tag chips by using the T-matching network. The gain radiation pattern performance of the proposed antenna on metal surface is improved so that it can be used for a tag antenna mountable on metal surface in ultra-high frequency (UHF) band RFID applications. The antenna is analysed by full wave simulations, and experimental results are provided for the manufactured prototype.
Effort Levels in Contests: The Public-Good Prize Case

We examine the equilibrium individual players’, groups’, and total effort levels expended in a contest where groups compete with one another to win a group-specific public-good prize and the players choose their effort levels simultaneously and independently.
See potassium run

Nearly all cells have membranes spanned by potassium-conducting channel proteins, without which your nerves (and much else) simply wouldn't work. Ion permeation through these channels can now be seen in dazzling detail.
Dehydroaporphines: A protonation study

Abstract The representative dehydroaporphines dehydronuciferine ( 2 ), dehydrodicentrine ( 3 ) and dehydroocopodine ( 4 ) initially undergo both N-protonation and C-protonation (at C-7) in CF 3 COOH, the C-protonated immonium salts being formed almost completely under equilibration conditions. Applications of these observations to the synthesis of 7-deuteriodehydrodicentrine ( 7 ) and 6a,7,7-trideuterionuciferine ( 8 ) are described.
Learning To Teach Mathematics Differently: The Interaction between Coursework and Fieldwork for Preservice Teachers.

Understanding how preservice teachers integratecoursework and fieldwork as they learn to teach iscritical to understanding how to prepare teachers toimplement the kind of instruction envisioned bycurrent reforms in mathematics education. This articleexplores the connections that 3 preservice elementaryteachers made between their experiences as learners ofmathematics in a masters-level university methodscourse and their experiences as teachers ofmathematics in the fieldwork classroom. Three casestudies are presented in order to illustrate differentways that the experience of engaging in mathematicalinquiry influences the way in which elementarypreservice teachers construct their understanding ofthemselves as mathematics teachers. Taken together,the case studies suggest that we need to expand ourperspective as teacher educators to encompass learningfrom the fieldwork experience as well as preserviceteacher learning beyond the conclusion of thesemester. In particular, I conclude that the goals ofa methods course should include developing andnurturing particular habits of mind that helppreservice teachers learn from their own teaching.
Debt as a control device in transitional economies : the experiences of Hungary and Poland

The basic economic challenge in the transition from socialism to capitalism is creating incentive structures and institutions that promote enterprise change and restructuring. This is the motivation for most of the reforms debated during the transition - whether privatization, demonopolization, trade reform, or financial sector reform. Most research on corporate governance and privatization has focused on the role of owners - whether on the problems inherent in the separation of ownership and management (most Western literature) or on the need for true owners who represents the interests of capital (most literature on transition economies). But debt is also an important control device, as Western literature on corporate finance increasingly recognizes. The authors explore debt's role as a control device in transition economies, focusing especially on Hungary and Poland, which are relatively far along in the reform process. They ask, first, in what ways creditors exert control over firms in advanced market economies and how such control interacts with that exerted by equity holders. They then ask whether creditors in Central and Eastern European countries play similar roles and, if not, what roles they should play, and what can be done to give them the capacity and incentives to play those roles. They focus on three fundamental requirements for debt to function as a control device: information, proper incentives for creditors (including banks, suppliers, and government), and an efficient legal framework for debt collection (including collateral, workout, and bankruptcy regimes). While both countries are making progress in all three areas, there is still much to be done. Hungary and Poland illustrate only two of many approaches. Other transitional economies, such as the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Russia, are following different approaches that should be explored in future analysis.
Fundamental properties of rigid serial manipulators for control design

We investigate certain fundamental properties of serial-link mechanical manipulators, as related to the control design. The manipulator has rigid links with revolute and/or prismatic joints. These properties include the upper bounds of the inertia matrix, Coriolis and centrifugal terms, and gravitational term. As an illustrative example, a robust control is proposed based on this analysis. The generic properties are also readily applicable to other control designs.
The rescattering correction to the deuteron electrodisintegration

An evaluation of theS-wave rescattering correction for the deuteron electrodisintegration cross-section is discussed on the basis of a treatment previously proposed by one of the authors. It is shown that this correction is quite important for the determination of the neutron form factors. Experiments permitting the extension of the present treatment to theP-waves are suggested.
Study of Conditioner Abrasives in Chemical Mechanical Planarization

Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) has emerged as the central technology for polishing wafers in the semiconductor manufacturing industry to make integrated multi-level devices. Both chemical and mechanical processes work simultaneously to achieve local and global planarization. Although extensive research has been carried out to understand the various factors affecting the CMP process, many aspects remain unaddressed. One such aspect of CMP is the role of abrasives in the process of conditioning. Abrasives play an important role during conditioning to regenerate the clogged polishing pads. This research is focused on the study of abrasives in the process of conditioning with a focus on the size of abrasives. With diamond being widely used as an abrasive for conditioning the polishing pad, five different sizes of diamonds ranging from 0.25μm to 100μm were selected to condition the commercially available IC 1000 polishing pad. Properties like pad roughness and pad wear were measured to understand the effect of the abrasive size on the pad morphology and pad topography. In-situ ‘coefficient of friction’ was also monitored on the CETR bench top tester. The final impact was seen in the form of surface defects on the polished copper wafers using optical microscopy.
Composite sequence proteomic analysis of protein biomarkers of Campylobacter coli, C. lari and C. concisus for bacterial identification.

Protein biomarkers observed in the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectra (MALDI-TOF-MS) of cell lysates of three strains of Campylobacter coli, two strains of C. lari and one strain of C. concisus have been identified by ‘bottom-up’ proteomic techniques. The significant findings are as follows. First, the proteinbiomarkers identified were: PhnA-related protein, 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase (DmpI)-related protein, NifU-like protein, cytochrome c, DNA-bindingprotein HU, 10 kDa chaperonin, thioredoxin, as well as several conserved hypothetical and ribosomal proteins. Second, variations in the biomarker ion m/z in MALDI-TOF-MS spectra across species and strains are the result of variations in the amino acid sequence of the protein due to non-synonymous mutations of the biomarker gene. Third, the most common post-translational modifications (PTMs) were the removal of the N-terminal methionine and N-terminal signal peptides. However, in the case of the NifU protein (an iron–sulfur cluster transport protein), post-translational cleavage occurred from the C-terminus. Fourth, only the genomes of the C. coli strain RM2228 and C. lari strain RM2100 have been sequenced; thus, proteomic identification of the proteins of the other strains in this study relied upon sequence homology to the genomic sequence of these strains as well as the genomes of sequences of other Campylobacter strains. In some cases, the determination of the full amino acid sequence of a proteinbiomarker from a genomically non-sequenced strain was accomplished by combining non-overlapping partial sequences from proteomic identifications of genomically-sequenced strains that were of the same species (or of a different species) to that of the non-sequenced strain. The accuracy of this composite sequence was confirmed by both MS and MS/MS. It was necessary, in some cases, to perform de novo sequencing on ‘gaps’ in the composite sequence that were not homologous to any genomically-sequenced strain. In order to validate the composite sequence approach, composite sequences were further confirmed by subsequent DNA sequencing of the biomarker gene. Thus, using the composite sequence approach, it was possible to determine the full amino acid sequence of an unknown protein from a genomically non-sequenced bacterial strain without the necessity of either sequencing the biomarker gene or performing full de novoMS/MS sequencing. The sequence obtained could then be used as a strain-specific biomarker for analysis by ‘top-down’ proteomics techniques.
The Carnal Body: Representation, Performativity and the Rest of Us

The body has long been a concern of human knowledge; where it comes from, how it develops, how it works, what it means. Since the feminist political activism and academic scholarship of the late 1960s, at least, the body has had a resurging interest in the social sciences and humanities as a location through which Enlightenment notions of a mind/body dichotomy have held the female body captive. Out of this, how the body is ‘represented’ and how the body is ‘performed’ through the ways in which we talk about ourselves has theoretically pushed the body to the fore in much academic thought and inquiry. While gender and (soon following) sexuality has been the primary impetus for reevaluating the body and its relationship to power, the body can now be found in an array of other socio-political phenomena that render the body a site for exclusion, violence and marginality. Yet the elusiveness of the body and its difficulty at definition continues to provoke anxiety in scholars working through its problems. A recent contribution on ‘carnality’ seems to offer us a window into a more refined and nuanced understanding of the body, highlighting the inseparable interdependence between the corporeal material of the body and the subjective discourses that ‘matter forth’ the body. This essay examines the location of the body in geographical literatures and the social sciences and humanities by briefly outlining its (re)emergence in feminist literatures; locating its continuing development in geographical literatures; taking it through one particular prevailing theoretical debate (including a major geographical intervention through the work of Nigel Thrift); and supposing my own intervention working through Elizabeth Povinelli’s concept of ‘carnality’.
Edge Detection for Noise Image by Wavelet Transform and Mathematical Morphology

It is much more complex and difficult for edge detection of noise image compared to edge detection of normal image，the analysis and study of edge detection of noise image has universal significance and practical value. Wavelet transform possesses good time-frequency localization characteristic and multi-scale analytical ability, mathematical morphology is a new subject based on set theory, which is very suitable for analyzing and describing geometrical feature of signal. Combining the advantages of wavelet transform and mathematical morphology, the paper proposes an edge detection algorithm, which mainly focused on noise image. For edge detection based on mathematical morphology, constructs an anti-noise operator of edge detection by improving existing operators and employs different direction linear structure elements; edge detection based on mathematical morphology can reserve details of edge effectively, ensure the continuity and integrity of edge detected. Experimental results show the proposed algorithm can suppress the interference of different density and different types of noise more effectively in comparison with several classical edge detection algorithm, thus improving the detection accuracy and robustness for different images.
Conservativity of nested relational calculi with internal generic functions

Abstract Queries in nested relational calculus are independent of the depth of set nesting in the intermediate data, even in the presence of aggregate functions. We prove that this continues to be true if the calculus is augmented with any internal generic family of functions.
Liquid supercoolings and droplet cooling rates of remelted argon-atomized Fe-30Ni powder particles

Individual particles of argon-atomized Fe-30Ni powder are electrodynamically levitated and remelted by a CO2 laser pulse. The thermal history of each droplet during remelting and solidification is monitored by single-color radiation pyrometry at each of three wavelengths (850, 750, and 550 nm). Experiments are done in an atmosphere of either air or nitrogen. The average supercooling of six experiments performed in nitrogen is 298 K with a standard deviation of 14 K. This value is of the same order as several others reported in the literature using bulk levitation and emulsification techniques. The average supercooling of seven experiments performed in air is 163 K with a standard deviation of 20 K. The difference suggests that oxides are forming in the air-remelting experiments and catalyzing nucleation at relatively low supercoolings. The average cooling rate of the liquid droplets prior to solidification in nitrogen is 1.5 × 105 K/s. This measured cooling rate is somewhat higher than that predicted by Newtonian heat flow modeling, and the difference is attributed to radiative losses not considered in the Newtonian model. The measured cooling rate is used to estimate the total heat transfer coefficient characterizing cooling of a small metal droplet in a quiescent gas atmosphere. A lower bound of 1.5 × 106 K/s on the droplet heating rate during recalescence and a minimum average liquid/solid interfacial velocity during recalescence of 0.1 m/s are estimated.
A unified model for hysteresis in ferroic materials

This paper provides a unified modeling framework for ferroelectric, ferromagnetic and ferroelastic materials operating in hysteretic and nonlinear regimes. Whereas the physical mechanisms which produce hysteresis and constitutive nonlinearities in these materials differ at the microscopic level, shared energy relations can be derived at the lattice, or mesoscopic, scale. This yields a class of models which are appropriate for homogeneous, single crystal compounds. Stochastic homogenization techniques are then employed to construct macroscopic models suitable for nonhomogeneous, polycrystalline compounds with variable effective fields or stresses. This unified methodology for quantifying hysteresis and constitutive nonlinearities for a broad class of ferroic compounds facilitates both material characterization and subsequent model-based control design. Attributes of the models are illustrated through comparison with piezoceramic, magnetostrictive and thin film SMA data.
Flight-Test Results of Propulsion-Only Emergency Control System on MD-11 Airplane

A large, civilian, multiengine transport MD-11 airplane control system was recently modie ed to perform as an emergency backup controller using engine thrust only. The emergency backup system, referred to as the propulsion-controlled aircraft (PCA)system, would be used if a majorprimary e ight control system fails. To allow for longitudinal- and lateral-directional control, the PCA system requires at least two engines and is implemented through software modie cations. A e ight-test program was conducted to evaluate the PCA system high-altitude e ying characteristics and to demonstrate its capacity to perform safe landings. The cruise e ight conditions, several low approaches, and four landings without any aerodynamic e ight control surface movement were demonstrated; however, only one landing is presented. Results that show satisfactory performance of the PCA system in the longitudinal axis are presented. Test results indicate that the lateral-directional axis of the system performed well at high altitude but was sluggish and prone to thermal upsets during landing approaches. Flight-test experiences and test techniques are also discussed, with emphasis on the lateral-directional axis because of the dife culties encountered in e ight test.
A retrospective clinical analysis of medical treatments used for symptomatic relief of Raynaud's phenomenon in children at Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital, UK

Background Literature on treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) in the paediatric age group is scarce, and practice varies. We completed a retrospective analysis of patients with RP treated by paediatric rheumatologists at Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital to assess clinical response to medical treatments including calcium channel blockers (nifedipine and amlodipine) and Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) patches.
Cellular proliferation in prostatic adenocarcinoma as assessed by bromodeoxyuridine uptake and Ki‐67 and PCNA expression

Prostatic carcinomas vary in their biological potential, even when stratified by grade and stage. Measurement of cellular proliferation by various methods has been shown to correlate with outcome for several human cancers, including prostatic carcinoma. Uptake of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd), a thymidine analogue, has been accepted as a measure of cellular proliferative rate. However, the technique is somewhat complex, requiring incubation with fresh tissue. We compared cellular proliferation as measured by BrdUrd uptake with two more simple immunohistochemical methods in 44 prostatic adenocarcinoma specimens and correlated the results with standard clinical parameters. The tissue was obtained via needle biopsy, channel transurethral resection, and radical prostatectomy. Specimens were incubated in vitro with BrdUrd and then fixed and paraffin embedded. Sections were immunohistochemically stained with antibodies to BrdUrd, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and Ki-67. At least 1,000 cells were scored, and a labeling index (LI) was calculated (number of positive cells/total number of cells). The mean LI determined by all three indices was low (BrdUrd = 3.0, PCNA = 7.0, Ki-67 = 3.4), consistent with the knowledge that prostatic tumors grow slowly. In 36 patients who had not been treated at the time of analysis, the LI as determined by all three methods correlated well with clinical stage and pathological grade. Furthermore, the LIs discriminated between those with tumor confined to the prostate and those with extension to the seminal vesicles, lymph nodes, or bone (P = 0.003, 0.004, 0.008 for BrdUrd, PCNA, and Ki-67, respectively). The LIs for PCNA and Ki-67 correlated well with that for BrdUrd (r = 0.84; r = 0.85), while the LIs for Ki-67 and PCNA correlated slightly less well with each other (r = 0.78). PCNA and Ki-67 expression appear to reflect essentially the same biological process as BrdUrd uptake. Either can substitute for BrdUrd as a measure of cellular proliferation, and Ki-67 seems to offer the fewest technical problems.
Stress, Anxiety, Somatic Complaints, and Voice Use in Women With Vocal Nodules

Psychosocial factors long have been associated with the development of hyperfunctional voice disorders such as vocal nodules. However, experimental evidence concerning the role of these factors in ...
Epistasis analysis between homologous recombination genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae identifies multiple repair pathways for Sgs1, Mus81-Mms4 and RNase H2

The DNA repair genes SGS1 and MUS81 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are thought to control alternative pathways for the repair of toxic recombination intermediates based on the fact that sgs1Δ mus81Δ synthetic lethality is suppressed in the absence of homologous recombination (HR). Although these genes appear to functionally overlap in yeast and other model systems, the specific pathways controlled by SGS1 and MUS81 are poorly defined. Epistasis analyses based on DNA damage sensitivity previously indicated that SGS1 functioned primarily downstream of RAD51, and that MUS81 was independent of RAD51. To further define these genetic pathways, we carried out a systematic epistasis analysis between the RAD52-epistasis group genes and SGS1, MUS81, and RNH202, which encodes a subunit of RNase H2. Based on synthetic-fitness interactions and DNA damage sensitivities, we find that RAD52 is epistatic to MUS81 but not SGS1. In contrast, RAD54, RAD55 and RAD57 are epistatic to SGS1, MUS81 and RNH202. As expected, SHU2 is epistatic to SGS1, while both SHU1 and SHU2 are epistatic to MUS81. Importantly, loss of any RNase H2 subunit on its own resulted in increased recombination using a simple marker-excision assay. RNase H2 is thus needed to maintain genome stability consistent with the sgs1Δ rnh202Δ synthetic fitness defect. We conclude that SGS1 and MUS81 act in parallel pathways downstream of RAD51 and RAD52, respectively. The data further indicate these pathways share common components and display complex interactions.
The (nano) entrepreneur's dilemma.

Emerging technologies need to be developed responsibly if their benefits are to outweigh any potential risks. Yet do entrepreneurs really have the luxury of grappling with future consequences from the get-go, asks Andrew D. Maynard.
Studies on the endocrine control of post-emergence ovarian maturation in Manduca sexta☆

Abstract The moth, Manduca sexta , normally feeds as an adult and its eggs are not usually mature until several days after adult ecdysis. When either the brain or corpora allata (CA) are extirpated from female pupae, the resulting adults are unable to complete post-emergence egg maturation. In these animals, the fat body remains as a relatively large mass of tissue rather than being drastically reduced in size as occurs in normal moths. Reversal of the above syndrome in allatectomized animals can be accomplished by implantation of CA into pupae or injection or external application of juvenile hormone (JH) extracts to the newly ecdysed adults. Injection of ecdysone was ineffective. Implantation of a brain into a brainless pupa partially restored post-emergence egg maturation, whereas injection of JH appeared to be even more effective. Studies were also conducted on the substrate composition of fat body and egg mass of control and experimental moths. The data suggest the necessity of separate brain and corpus allatum hormones for complete egg maturation.
Arithmetic theta lifting and L-derivatives for unitary groups, II

We study cuspidal automorphic representations of unitary groups of 2n variables with ϵ-factor −1 and their central L-derivatives by constructing their arithmetic theta liftings, which are Chow cycles of codimension n on Shimura varieties of dimension 2n−1 of certain unitary groups. We give a precise conjecture for the arithmetic inner product formula, originated by Kudla, which relates the height pairing of these arithmetic theta liftings and the central L-derivatives of certain automorphic representations. We also prove an identity relating the archimedean local height pairing and derivatives of archimedean Whittaker functions of certain Eisenstein series, which we call an arithmetic local Siegel–Weil formula for archimedean places. This provides some evidence toward the conjectural arithmetic inner product formula.
Thermochemistry of uranium compounds XIII. Standard enthalpies of formation at 298.15 K of α-uranium oxide tetrafluoride (UOF4) and uranyl fluoride (UO2F2) Thermodynamics of (uranium + oxygen + fluorine)☆

Abstract A solution-calorimetric study has yielded the following standard enthalpies of formation: ΔH f °( UOF 4 c ,α,298.15 K )=−(1924.6±2.4) kJ · mol −1 and ΔH f °( UO 2 F 2 c ,298.15 K )=−(1654.8±2.1) kJ · mol −1 . The following quantities (at 298.15 K) have been estimated: S°( UOF 4 , c ,α)=(195±5) J·K −1 · mol −1 ; ΔH f °( U 2 O 3 F 6 , c )=−(3580±10) kJ·mol 1 ; and S°( U 2 O 3 F 6 , c )=(3550±10) J·K −1 · mol −1 The thermodynamics of the following reactions have been analyzed: 2 UOF 4 ( c )= UO 2 F 2 ( c )+ UF 6 ( g ) , 3 UOF 4 ( c )= U 2 O 3 F 6 ( c )+ UF 6 ( g ) , U 3 O 5 F 8 ( c )= 5 2 UO 2 F 2 ( c )+ 1 2 UF 6 ( g )
Emergency department experience with sudden death: a survey of survivors.

Sudden death in the emergency department occurs frequently. Intervention by ED support staff may have a significant impact on the survivor's grief response. This study was undertaken to assess sudden death survivors' perceptions and satisfaction with their ED experience, as well as to identify potential weaknesses in their management. Family members of 66 patients who died in the ED from January 1980 to March 1985 were surveyed by telephone interview regarding the care they, as survivors, received while in the ED. Forty-seven of 66 (71%) were satisfied, 19 of 66 (29%) believed that their family received average or worse than average care. Thirty-seven of 66 (56%) survivors viewed the deceased in the ED; five regretted this. Twentynine survivors did not view; seven (24%) had regrets. Participants were questioned about attitudes expressed by the ED staff. Most responses were favorable, but a significant number thought the staff cold, unsympathetic, and not reassuring. Areas of apparent survivor dissatisfaction are discussed.
BK Polyomavirus Subtype III in a Pediatric Renal Transplant Patient with Nephropathy

BK polyomavirus (BKV) is an emerging pathogen in immunocompromised individuals. BKV subtype III is rarely identified and has not previously been associated with disease. Here we provide the whole-genome sequence of a subtype III BKV from a pediatric kidney transplant patient with polyomavirus-associated nephropathy.
THE ACCURACY OF THE MULTINOMIAL LOGIT MODEL AS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE MULTINOMIAL PROBIT MODEL OF TRAVEL DEMAND

Abstract The multinomial probit model of travel demand is considerably more general but much less tractable than the better-known multinomial logit model. In an effort to determine the effects of using the relatively simple logit model in situations where the assumptions of probit modeling are satisfied but those of logit modeling are not, the accuracy of the multinomial logit model as an approximation to a variety of three-alternative probit models has been evaluated. Multinomial logit can give highly erroneous estimates of the choice probabilities of multinomial probit models. However, logit models appear to give asymptotically accurate estimates of the ratios of the coefficients of the systematic components of probit utility functions, even when the logit choice probabilities differ greatly from the probit ones. Large estimation data sets are not necessarily needed to enable likelihood ratio tests to distinguish three-alternative probit models from logit models that give seriously erroneous estimates of the probit choice probabilities. Inclusion of alternative-specific dummy variables in logit utility functions cannot be relied upon to reduce significantly the errors of logit approximations to the choice probabilities of probit models whose utility functions do not contain the dummies.
Computer generation of generalized Wheland polynomials

Abstract Generalized Wheland polynomials enumerate the valence structures of different degrees of excitation. As such they are structural invariants which may be of interest in discussions of similarities and differences among unsaturated compounds. Brute force enumeration of valence structures is already impractical for graphs having n = 10 vertices (e.g. naphthalene C 10 H 8 ). Here we outline a computer program which enumerates valence structures of any degree of excitation. The results are illustrated on linear chains, cycles, and smaller benzenoid systems. Some properties of the derived polynomials are discussed. The recursive relation for the generalized Wheland polynomials is given. Because of the nonpolynomial character of the problem the computer application is practical only for graphs having n = 16 and less vertices.
The in vivo anabolic actions of prostaglandins in bone

Since the prostaglandins in bone in vivo review by Norrdin et al. 53 important advances have been made. In this mini-review, we will update the findings on route of administration; sites of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE2)-induced woven and lamellar bone formation; transient and steady-state responses; the consequence of discontinuing treatment; the maintenance of PGE2-induced bone formed; and the effects of two cycles of combined ovariectomy (ovx), PGE 2, and bisphosphonate (Ris) on/off treatment. We will employ our knowledge of local distribution of osteoblast lineage ce l l s 9"30"40'56'59 and the skeletal adaptation of mechanical usage "information highway" of Frost t5"16 to build a model for the anabolic action of PGE 2 that is applicable to all bone anabolic agents, and to use this model to explain many of our experimental findings that previously did not make sense. 28 These are but two explanations, yet others are possible. Last, we will list several items needing more research before proceeding to the clinic.
Loss of information due to compression of medical images

Transmission of medical image data is subject to stringent requirements because of the large size of the images that are used. An appropriate compression algorithm could greatly reduce archival requirements and the time and cost of transmission. Investigation into compression algorithms has shown that the lossless variety gives a compression of about three to one. An alternative algorithm, such as a full-frame discrete cosine transform followed by lossless encoding, yields more compression but incurs a cost in terms of a deterioration of image quality. We wish to determine the threshold of compression, using this algorithm, beyond which significant deterioration of diagnostic quality is observed. Contrast-detail analysis has been used to describe aspects of the total imaging-observer performance of computed tomography, digital radiography, and standard film-screen systems. A radiographic phantom made of plastic and containing holes of varying diameter and depth is used to create appropriate images. These images are used to conduct a threshold visibility experiment with the participation of several human observers. The result is expressed in a contrast-detail curve. We report on the application of contrast-detail analysis to phosphor plate or computed radiography images in order to document the deterioration caused by compression.
Global lower bounds for flow shops with multiple processors

Abstract Flow shop with multiple processors (FSMP) scheduling involves sequencing jobs in a flow shop where, at any processing stage, there exists one or more identical processors. Any methodology to determine the optimal makespan for this type of problem is NP-complete. This necessitates the use of sub-optimal heuristic methods to address problems of moderate to large scale. This paper presents global lower bounds on FSMP makespan problems which may be used to assess the quality of heuristic solutions when the optimal solution is unknown.
Hybridization of ionic levels at metal surfaces

We investigated the hybridization of He{sup +}, Li{sup 2+}, and Be{sup 3+} ionic levels and the creation of surface resonances for nuclear charges Z=2,thinsp3, and 4 near an Al surface. Starting from a two-center basis set expansion with hydrogenic wave functions on the ion site and jellium wave functions in the metal half space, we calculate the self-energy for ion-surface system in the fixed-ion approximation. We obtain convergence by using a rather small set of bound ionic states. This ideally suits this method for the generation of adiabatic basis states that can be used in time-dependent close-coupling calculations for slow ion-surface collisions. We compare our resonance energies and widths with other theoretical approaches, discuss electronic density profiles, and analyze resonances in terms of Stark states. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Plasma renin activity in the emergency department and its independent association with acute myocardial infarction

Elevated plasma renin activity (PRA) is associated with increased risk of future myocardial infarction (MI) in ambulatory hypertensive patients. The present study evaluated the relationship of PRA to the diagnosis of acute MI in patients presenting to an emergency department with suspected acute MI. PRA was measured upon entry to the emergency department, before any acute treatment, as part of the standard evaluation of 349 consecutive patients who were hospitalized for suspected MI. Diagnosis of acute MI was confirmed in 73 patients, and ruled out in 276. They did not differ in age (65.9 +/- 2 v 66.1 +/- 1 years), systolic (143 +/- 4 v 140 +/- 2 mm Hg), or diastolic (81 +/- 2 v 81 +/- 1 mm Hg) pressures. Median PRA was 2.7-fold higher in acute MI (0.89 v 0.33 ng/L/s; P < .001). In a multivariate analysis controlling for other cardiac risk factors and prior drug therapy, PRA as a continuous variable was the predominant independent factor associated with acute MI (P < .0001), followed by white race (P = .002) and history of hypertension (P = .047). The height of the PRA level upon entry to the emergency department was directly and independently associated with the diagnosis of acute MI. These new findings extend earlier reports because they encompass acute MI patients, include both hypertensive and normotensive patients, and control for potentially confounding variables. Based on these observations, a randomized clinical trial is warranted to determine whether measurement of PRA in acute MI could refine the process by which treatments are applied.
Gastrointestinal dysfunction and disaccharide intolerance in children infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

Because gastrointestinal dysfunction is a major problem in children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, we utilized breath hydrogen measurements to determine the relationship between disaccharide malabsorption and gastrointestinal dysfunction in HIV-infected children. We found a strong association between lactose intolerance and persistent diarrheal disease in this population ( p
Racial Innocence: Performing American Childhood from Slavery to Civil Rights

Robin Bernstein's engrossing analysis of the entwined discourses of childhood, race, and performance in Racial Innocence recalled for me the well-known lines from Corinthians: “When I was a child, ...
Trends in cloudiness in the arctic since 1920

Abstract Long term (~ 50 year period) trends in cloudiness in terms of number of cloudy days per month at seven Arctic stations were investigated. Trends seem to be more pronounced in the Alaskan Arctic and Greenland, and less pronounced in the Norwegian Sea. There was no evidence found for monotonic increasing cloudiness which could have been related to a growing industrial activity.
Business Models for Monetizing Internet Applications and Web Sites: Experience, Theory, and Predictions

Almost all attempts to date to monetize Internet applications targeted at individuals have focused on natural extensions of traditional media or traditional retailing. Most are either some form of consumer-focused advertising or of consumer-focused e-commerce. And yet the Net is far more powerful than traditional media on one hand, and far more liberating and thus inappropriate as an alternative to traditional media on the other. There are numerous potential online business models that are not based on advertising. This paper explores several such areas and divides them into two basic categories, those that sell some product, experience, content, or service and earn revenues from the sale, and those that provide access to consumers and charge for access. It further divides each of these major categories into subcategories, and for each subcategory reviews current experience, places it in the context of the relevant literature in competitive strategy, and uses that theory to make predictions. The paper concludes with strategic recommendations for corporations as well as with suggestions for further research.
Multielectron photochemistry of quadruply bonded metal-metal complexes

Abstract The structural, electronic, and oxidation-reduction properties of multiply bonded metal-metal ( ) dimers presage a rich excited state chemistry for these complexes. Our work has emphasized photochemical pathways that utilize ( ) dimers to promote overall multielectron transformations. Multielectron photochemistry can only be achieved by correctly manipulating the molecular and electronic structures of these dimers such that one-electron pathways are circumvented. We now present a summary of the strategy used for the rational design of ( ) multielectron photochemical schemes.
Preserving Last Copies in a Virtual Collection

The consortium of New Jersey academic libraries, known as VALE NJ, has undertaken a collaborative project to track last copies of print titles which are of value to academic researchers. The VALE NJ Virtual Last Copy Collection identifies and tracks last-copy books statewide, preventing possible loss of valuable research resources and optimizing use of limited state higher education funding. This article describes the project, its history and implementation, and possible future directions.
Digital image processing for measurement of residence time distribution in a laboratory extruder

A non-labor intensive, non-destructive method based on image processing was developed to measure residence time distribution in a laboratory extrusion process. The a∗ value (of L∗a∗b∗ color space) was measured using image processing instead of a colorimeter to determine concentration of tracer in the product. The method was faster and less subject to human error. The a∗ values obtained by the two methods correlated well with r2 > 0.98 and MSE < 4.70. The parameters of the residence time distribution (RTD) were found to be similar. Effects of screw speed and barrel temperature on RTD as determined by the image processing method correlated well with the previously reported results. Increases in screw speed and temperature resulted in decreases in the mean residence time and increases in degree of mixing. A 3 × 2 factorial design with screw speeds of 80, 120 and 160 rpm and barrel temperatures of 120 and 160 °C was used for the experiment.
Improved semiclassical calculation of energy expectation values for diatomic molecules

Abstract Semiclassical expressions for the expectation values of the kinetic and potential energies of a diatomic molecule are derived using a modified quantization condition. Application of this treatment to the 1 Σ + g state of H 2 results in improved numerical agreement with the accurate quantal expectation values.
Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) recruits osteoclast precursors by inducing chemotaxis, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity, and collagen transmigration.

Signals targeting OCs to bone and resorption sites are not well characterized. A chemoattractant receptor (CXCR4), highly expressed in murine OC precursors, mediated their chemokine (SDF-1)-induced chemoattraction, collagen transmigration, and MMP-9 expression. Thus, bone vascular and stromal SDF-1 may direct OC precursors into bone and marrow sites for development and bone resorption. Introduction: Although chemokines are essential for trafficking and homing of circulating hematopoietic cells under normal and pathological conditions, their potential roles in osteoclast (OC) recruitment or function are generally unknown. CXCR4 and its unique ligand, stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), critically control the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-dependent targeting of hematopoietic cells into bone and within the marrow microenvironment. Therefore, SDF-1/CXCR4 may regulate OC precursor recruitment to sites for development and activation. Methods: Chemokine receptor mRNA expression was analyzed during OC formation induced by RANKL in murine RAW 264.7 cells. SDF-1 versus RANKL effects on chemotaxis, transcollagen migration, MMP-9 expression and activity, OC development, and bone resorption were evaluated in RAW cells or RAW-OCs. Results: CXCR4 was highly expressed in RAW cells and downregulated during their RANKL development into bone-resorptive RAW-OCs. SDF-1, but not RANKL, elicited RAW cell chemotaxis. Conversely, RANKL, but not SDF-1, promoted RAW-OC development, TRAP activity, cathepsin K expression, and bone pit resorption, and SDF-1 did not modify these RANKL responses. Both SDF-1 and RANKL increased MMP-9, a matrix-degrading enzyme essential for OC precursor migration into developing bone marrow cavities, and increased transcollagen migration of RAW cells in a MMP-dependent manner. SDF-1 also upregulated MMP-9 in various primary murine OC precursor cells. Because RANKL induced a higher, more sustained expression of MMP-9 in RAW cells than did SDF-1, MMP-9 may have an additional role in mature OCs. Consistent with this, MMP-9 upregulation during RANKL-induced RAW-OC development was necessary for initiation of bone pit resorption. Conclusions: SDF-1, a chemokine highly expressed by bone vascular endothelial and marrow stromal cells, may be a key signal for the selective attraction of circulating OC precursors into bone and their migration within marrow to appropriate perivascular stromal sites for RANKL differentiation into resorptive OCs. Thus, SDF-1 and RANKL likely serve complementary physiological functions, partly mediated through increases in MMP-9, to coordinate stages of OC precursor recruitment, development, and function.
Regulation, unique gene organization, and unusual primary structure of carbon fixation genes from a marine phycoerythrin-containing cyanobacterium

Marine phycoerythrin-containing cyanobacteria are major contributors to the overall productivity of the oceans. The present study indicates that the structural genes of the carbon assimilatory system are unusually arranged and possess a unique primary structure compared to previously studied cyanobacteria. Southern blot analyses of Synechococcus sp. strain WH7803 chromosomal DNA digests, using the ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) large subunit gene from Synechococcus sp. strain PCC6301 as a heterologous probe, revealed the presence of a 6.4 kb HindIII fragment that was detectable at only low stringency. Three complete open reading frames (ORFs) were detected within this fragment. Two of these ORFs potentially encode the Synechococcus sp. strain WH7803 rbcL and rbcS genes. The third ORF, situated immediately upstream from rbcL, potentially encodes a homologue of the ccmK gene from Synechococcus sp. strain PCC7942. The deduced amino acid sequences of each of these ORFs are more similar to homologues among the β/γ purple bacteria than to existing cyanobacterial homologues and phylogenetic analysis of the Rubisco large and small subunit sequences confirmed an unexpected relationship to sequences from among the β/γ purple bacteria. This is the first instance in which the possibility has been considered that an operon encoding three genes involved in carbon fixation may have been laterally transferred from a purple bacterium. Analysis of mRNA extracted from cells grown under diel conditions indicated that rbcL, rbcS and ccmK were regulated at the transcriptional level; specifically rubisco transcripts were highest during the midday period, decreased at later times during the light period and eventually reached a level where they were all but undetectable during the dark period. Primer extension analysis indicated that the ccmK, rbcL and rbcS genes were co-transcribed.
The El Niño Cycle: A Natural Oscillator of the Pacific Ocean—Atmosphere System

Research conducted during the past decade has led to an understanding of many of the mechanisms responsible for the oceanic and atmospheric variability associated with the El Nino—Southern Oscillation (ENSO). However, the reason for one of the fundamental characteristics of this phenomena, its quasi-periodicity, has remained unclear. Recently available evidence from a number of sources now suggests that the ENSO "cycle" operates as a natural oscillator based on relatively simple couplings between the tropical atmospheric circulation, the dynamics of the warm upper layer of the tropical ocean, and sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific. This concept and recent field evidence supporting the natural coupled oscillator hypothesis are outlined.
Computation of Two-Dimensional, Viscous Nozzle Flow

The calculation of viscous nozzle flows can be accomplished by either solving the inviscid-core and viscous-boundary-layer equations separately or by solving the viscous equations for the entire flowfield. In the inviscid-core, boundary-layer approach, the assumption is made that the boundary layer is thin when compared to the nozzle diameter. However, for Reynolds numbers on the order of 10/sup 3/ based on the throat diameter, this assumption is questionable. On the other hand, while the viscous equation approach is physically desirable, the computations tend to be rather lengthy. Therefore, the object of this research was to modify an efficient inviscid code, to solve the viscous equations. This new code, called VNAP (Viscous Nozzle Analysis Program), is then used to calculate the flow in a chemical laser nozzle. This numerical solution is compared with both the inviscid-core, boundary-layer solution and experimental data.
A Growing Troubling Triad: Diabetes, Aging, and Falls

There is a significant and troubling link between diabetes (DM) and falls in the elderly. Individuals with DM are prone to fall for reasons such as decreased sensorimotor function, musculoskeletal/neuromuscular deficits, foot and body pain, pharmacological complications, and specialty (offloading) footwear devices. Additionally, there is some concern that DM patients are prone to have more severe problems with falls than non-DM individuals. Fractures, poorer rehabilitation, and increased number of falls are all concerns. Fortunately, efforts to mitigate falls by DM patients show promise. A number of studies have shown that balance, strength, and gait training may be utilized to successfully reduce fall risk in this population. Furthermore, new technologies such as virtual reality proprioceptive training may be able to provide this reduced risk within a safe training environment.
Auditory-visual and temporal-spatial integration as determinants of test difficulty

Perceptual tests were administered to children during the summer before they entered first grade. Some tests required comparison of visual with auditory stimuli, and other tests required comparison of temporally patterned with spatially patterned stimuli. Several tests involved both of these kinds of perceptual comparison, while other tests involved neither. Mean error scores on the various tests indicated that spatial patterns are perceived or remembered more readily than temporal patterns. Neither auditory-visual nor temporal-spatial integration, however, appears more difficult than similar comparisons involving no integrations.