cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drug release from laminated polymeric films prepared from aqueous latexes.

Laminated films comprised of a drug-containing reservoir layer and a drug-free, rate-controlling membrane were prepared from aqueous latexes and investigated as an alternative drug delivery system to polymeric films cast from organic solvents. The reservoir layer was prepared by casting and drying the latex [copolymer of poly(ethylacrylate-methylmethacrylate) esters-Eudragit NE 30D (NE 30D)] containing the dissolved drugs (chlorpheniramine maleate, propranolol HCI, or salicylic acid). Monolithic solutions (salicylic acid–NE 30D) or dispersions (chlorpheniramine maleate or propranolol HCI-NE 30D) were formed, depending on the solubility of the drug in the polymer matrix. Zero-order drug release was achieved by laminating a second, drug-free latex film onto the reservoir layer. The rate-controlling membrane was either attached to, or cast directly onto the reservoir. The release rate was independent of loading for the monolithic dispersions, but dependent on loading for the monolithic solution. Release rates were enhanced by the addition of a hydrophilic polymer, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, to the rate-controlling membrane. An inverse relationship was observed between the release rate and membrane thickness. The rate-controlling membrane, cast from organic polymer solutions, had a denser structure, resulting in slower drug release when compared with latex-cast laminates.
The RHIC magnet system

Abstract The magnet system of the collider consists of superconducting dipole, quadrupole and correction magnets for guiding and focusing the beams through the regular arcs of the machine lattice as well as into collision at the six interaction points. It is designed to allow operation in the energy range 30–100 GeV/ u . Operation with either equal or unequal ion species in the colliding beams is possible, imposing a ratio of up to 2.5:1 in the magnetic fields of the two rings. There are 1740 superconducting magnets in the machine. They were designed to meet stringent requirements on field quality, reproducibility, and long-term reliability while being inexpensive to produce. Wherever feasible, production of magnets and components was carried out in industry, always with build-to-print designs. After several years of operation, no magnet has failed and the magnet system has proven reliable and functional.
Kinetic studies of kiton red S photodecomposition under continuous working and flash photolytic conditions

Abstract Dilute solutions of Kiton Red S (10−4 − 10−3 M) in ethanol were subjected to photolysis under continuous working (CW) and flash photolytic conditions. The rate expression for degradation of this xanthene dye was determined by means of quantitative IR analysis. Under CW conditions it was found that the rate was independent of the dye concentration, but was dependent on the concentration of oxygen dissolved in solution. The rate of degradation was accelerated by oxygen. It is suggested that, under these conditions, a molecular form of oxygen is the agent responsible for dye degradation. Under flashed conditions the rate of dye degradation was again found to be independent of dye concentration. In this case the oxygen acted as an inhibitor of the degradation process. Also it was discovered that, when light of wavelength less than 240 nm was filtered out, no dye decomposition occurred. In this case it is suggested that, under the influence of light of wavelength shorter than 240 nm, the oxygen is dissociated into atomic oxygen which is the agent responsible for degradation. However, solvent excitation is also a factor under these conditions.
The Medical Management of Clinical Endocardial Fibroelastosis

Fifty-six patients with the clinical diagnosis of primary endocardial fibroelastosis have been reviewed. There was an over-all mortality rate of 44 per cent and a long-term survival of 56 per cent. Of 31 long-term survivors, 27 are without cardiac symptomatology or cardiomegaly. The method and rationale of therapy are reviewed.
Mental models of high reliability systems

Weick, K.E., 1989. Mental models of high reliability systems. Industrial Crisis Quarterly, 3: 127142.
New Data on the Delateralization of Ḍād and its merger with Ẓā’ in Classical Arabic: Contributions from Old South Arabic and the Earliest Islamic Texts on Ḍ / Ẓ Minimal Pairs

The history of the phoneme ḍād and its merger with the phoneme ẓā’ has proven enigmatic. By presenting data from Old South Arabian speech communities and lexical data from the Islamic tradition, this article brackets a period of ḍād / ẓā’ free variation between the fourth and mid-eighth centuries ce. These data support the theory that the pre-Islamic and early Islamic Arabic speech community was divided into two segments in respect to the ḍād / ẓā’ relationship: a group that pronounced both separately and produced the lettered tradition of the Qur’ān, and some that did not distinguish between the two phonemes. This article presents data from the earliest Arabic texts on ḍād / ẓā’ minimal pairs, those of Abu ‘Umar al-Zāhid (d. 345/957) and al-Ṣāḥib Ismā‘īl Ibn ‘Abbād (d. 385/995). These texts also provide glimpses into how the Islamic lexical tradition explained the historical link between the two phonemes.
Temperature Dependence of the Third-Order Elastic Constants of SrTi O 3

The second-harmonic generation technique has been used to measure the combinations of third-order elastic constants ${C}_{111}$, $\frac{1}{4}({C}_{111}+3{C}_{112}+12{C}_{166})$, and $\frac{1}{9}({C}_{111}+6{C}_{112}+12{C}_{144}+24{C}_{166}+2{C}_{123}+16{C}_{456})$ relative to the room-temperature values over the temperature interval 106-300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K for strontium titanate single crystals. They are observed to exhibit even larger variations than the second-order constants. The observed decrease in ${C}_{111}$ near the 102.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K phase transition supports earlier observations that the crystal undergoes spontaneous strain in the [100] direction. Based on the assumption that the Cauchy relations extended to third-order elastic constants are valid above the phase transition, all six of the third-order constants are determined as a function of temperature.
Low pressure and low temperature gallium arsenide homoepitaxy employing in-situ generated arsine

Removed from the deposition region, an upstream hydrogen microwave plasma etches a surface of solid arsenic located downstream to generate arsenic hydrides. The latter are used with trimethylgallium (TMGa) to achieve low temperature (400–490° C) and low pressure (750 mTorr) homoepitaxial GaAs films. No active or afterglow plasma exists in the growth region. The homoepitaxial growth activation energy of 62 kcal/mole is consistent with the heterogeneous decomposition of TMGa in the absence of arsine. Precursor V-III ratios as low as 0.25 are used to achieve homoepitaxial films, but with high levels of carbon impurities (1019 to mid 1020 cm−3). Carbon incorporation increases at low V-III ratios (0.25 to 0.5) for increasing temperatures with an activation energy of 23 kcal/mole. As the V-III ratios are increased above 1.0, the carbon incorporation activation energy decreases slightly to 15 kcal/mole.
Interaction of solar wind with the magnetopause-boundary layer and generation of magnetic impulse events

The transport of mass, momentum, energy and waves from the solar wind to the Earth's magnetosphere takes place in the magnetopause-boundary layer region. Various plasma processes that may occur in this region have been proposed and studied. In this paper, we present a brief review of the plasma processes in the dayside magnetopause-boundary layer. These processes include (1) flux transfer events at the dayside magnetopause, (2) formation of plasma vortices in the low-latitude boundary layer by the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and coupling to the polar ionosphere, (3) the response of the magnetopause to the solar wind dynamic pressure pulses, and (4) the impulsive penetration of solar wind plasma filaments through the dayside magnetopause into the magnetospheric boundary layer. Through the coupling of the magnetopause-boundary layer to the polar ionosphere, those above processes may lead to occurrence of magnetic impulse events observed in the high-latitude stations.
A Nearly Four-Year Longitudinal Study of Search-Engine Poisoning

We investigate the evolution of search-engine poisoning using data on over 5 million search results collected over nearly 4 years. We build on prior work investigating search-redirection attacks, where criminals compromise high-ranking websites and direct search traffic to the websites of paying customers, such as unlicensed pharmacies who lack access to traditional search-based advertisements. We overcome several obstacles to longitudinal studies by amalgamating different resources and adapting our measurement infrastructure to changes brought by adaptations by both legitimate operators and attackers. Our goal is to empirically characterize how strategies for carrying out and combating search poisoning have evolved over a relatively long time period. We investigate how the composition of search results themselves has changed. For instance, we find that search-redirection attacks have steadily grown to take over a larger share of results (rising from around 30% in late 2010 to a peak of nearly 60% in late 2012), despite efforts by search engines and browsers to combat their effectiveness. We also study the efforts of hosts to remedy search-redirection attacks. We find that the median time to clean up source infections has fallen from around 30 days in 2010 to around 15 days by late 2013, yet the number of distinct infections has increased considerably over the same period. Finally, we show that the concentration of traffic to the most successful brokers has persisted over time. Further, these brokers have been mostly hosted on a few autonomous systems, which indicates a possible intervention strategy.
THE SHIFTING MEANING OF GOVERNANCE: PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY OF THIRD SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS IN AN EMERGENT GLOBAL REGIME

ABSTRACT In the context of the global transmission of organizational forms and public values, the traditional boundaries of governance that have relied on legal and organizational measures of answerability are no longer adequate for the meaning of public accountability. With the growing involvement of third sector organizations in governance (through contracting, mobilizing, advocacy, and developmental activities), the traditional meaning of accountability is shifting towards an emergent accountability regime. To identify the global scope of the regime, the paper utilizes a framework of multiple accountability – recently articulated for the nonprofit organizations of the North, and extends its scope to include the accountabili ty expectations and experiences of the non-governmental organizations in the South.
Recent developments in nuclear instrumentation

Some of the newer developments in the field of nuclear instrumentation at General Electric's Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory are discussed. A description is given of typical reactor monitoring and protective instrument systems, as well as the auxiliary instruments for neutron physics experiments.
Generalization of polarized spin excitations for asymmetric dimeric systems

Through the use of Heisenberg spin-spin interactions, we provide analytical representations for inelastic neutron scattering eigenstates and excitation cross sections of the general ${S}_{1}\ensuremath{-}{S}_{2}$ spin dimeric systems. Using an exact diagonalization approach to the spin Hamiltonian, we analyze various spin coefficients to provide general representations for the neutron scattering cross sections of two interacting spins. We also provide a generalized method for the determination of ${S}_{z}$-polarized excitations, which produces an approximation for the spin excitations within an applied $z$-axis magnetic field. These calculations enhance the general understanding of the interactions between two individual or compound spin systems, which can help provide insight into condensed matter systems such as molecular magnets, quantum dots, and spintronic systems, as well as particle physics investigations into quark matter and meson interactions.
An alternative approach to generalized complementarity.

Abstract An interaction viewpoint is defined for looking at natural systems. This viewpoint is seen to be connected with quantum mechanical uncertainty and measurement theory. A connection is then shown between quantum mechanical uncertainty and the workability of Grunbaum's “infinity machines”. Finally the workability of infinity machines is related to Elsasser's “generalized complementarity”. The net result is to show that generalized complementarity is not distinct from complementarity in atomic physics but has its roots in the same place, i.e. quantum mechanical measurement theory. A model system which permits some quantification of these notions is presented.
Alanine or aspartic acid substitutions at serine23/24 of cardiac troponin I decrease thin filament activation, with no effect on crossbridge detachment kinetics.

Abstract Ala/Asp substitutions at Ser23/24 have been employed to investigate the functional impact of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) phosphorylation by protein kinase A (PKA). Some limitations of previous studies include the use of heterologous proteins and confounding effects arising from phosphorylation of cardiac myosin binding protein-C. Our goal was to probe the effects of cTnI phosphorylation using a homologous assay, so that altered function could be solely attributed to changes in cTnI. We reconstituted detergent-skinned rat cardiac papillary fibers with homologous rat cardiac troponin subunits to study the impact of Ala and Asp substitutions at Ser23/24 of rat cTnI (RcTnI S23A/24A and RcTnI S23D/24D). Both RcTnI S23A/24A and RcTnI S23D/24D showed a ∼36% decrease in Ca2+-activated maximal tension. Both RcTnI S23A/24A and RcTnI S23D/24D showed a ∼18% decrease in ATPase activity. Muscle fiber stiffness measurements suggested that the decrease in thin filament activation observed in RcTnI S23A/24A and RcTnI S23D/24D was due to a decrease in the number of strongly-bound crossbridges. Another major finding was that Ala and Asp substitutions in cTnI did not affect crossbridge detachment kinetics.
Application of CR-39 track detector for detection of protons; 3He & 4He ions

ABSTRACT We report here the successful detection of 10-MeV protons, 70-MeV 3He ions, and 52-MeV 4He ions in CR-39 plastic track detector. The normalized track etching rate as a function of residual range for these particles has been obtained. Our results suggest that the response of CR-39 track detector to protons, 3He ions and 4He ions in these energy bands can be represented as a function of z2effβ−2(l+0.05&nβ2γ2-0.05β2). We conclude that CR-39 will register tracks of perpendicularly-incident particles with Z/β as low as 8. The implications of these results with particular reference to detection of light-ion flux in the neutron beams used for cancer therapy are discussed. Our results also indicate that clear discrimination would be possible between 3He ions and 4He ions in these energy bands.
Energy security and climate change — Myths and realities

Humanity faces two extraordinary challenges, even more existential in nature than terrorism. These are energy security and climate change. The latter is often blamed on fossil energy use which accounts for over 86% of world's consumption of modern marketed resources. On the climate change ledger, droughts, floods and wild fires have already impacted many regions. Sea level rise due to melting ice caps has already devoured several islands and entire nations are in peril potentially producing hundreds of millions of climate refugees. To compound matters, nearly three billion of the world's poorest, nearly 40% of world's population, have little or no access to modern energy sources, or to resources to acquire them. They rely on traditional biomass energy sources for a subsistence living and bear the brunt of climate change. • Do the solutions proposed for energy security and climate change make complete sense or are we doomed? • Specifically, this presentation will explore the following: • Can the world really do without fossil fuels? If not, how viable will the novel fossil fuel technologies be in reducing CO2 footprint in the long run without causing collateral damage? • Are the so-called “clean”energy sources ready to replace fossil fuels in the foreseeable future? • How clean and safe are the CO2-free energy source options? For example, shouldn't the Fukushima nuclear disaster cause a pause, is the rush to electric cars well-informed, and how concerned should one be with the toxic compounds utilized in manufacturing solar panels? • What role can energy-use efficiency play in addressing the twin challenges? • Is energy independence a “pipe dream?” • Can the three billion people reliant on traditional energy sources simply emulate the West or do they have to chart their own course? • What role will technology play in addressing the twin challenges?
Radial Flow Filtration for Super-compactible Cakes

Pressure filtration of super-compactible cakes is characterized by negligible increases in both the liquid flow rate and the average percentage of cake solids when the applied pressure drop is above a critical value, which is defined as the critical pressure drop ΔpcR (Tiller, F.M.; Li, W.P. Strange behaviour of super-compactible filter cakes. Chem. Process. 2000, 63 (9), 49) (Tiller, F.M.; Li, W.P. Determination of the critical pressure drop for filtration of super-compactible cakes. Water Sci. Technol. 2001, 44 (10), 171). When operation pressure is beyond ΔpcR, there will be little effect of pressure on either flow rate or the average % cake solids. Lack of understanding of the strange behavior will lead to problems in design and operation of solid/liquid separation systems. In this paper, theory and numerical calculation of radial flow pressure filtration of super-compactible cakes will be presented. Flow rate and average % cake solids as functions of pressure at different cake thickness are calculate...
The greenhouse effect and global change: review and reappraisal

The Popular Vision of the world influenced by increasing concentrations of infrared‐absorbing trace gases is one of ecological disaster brought about by rapidly rising temperatures, sea level, and evaporation rates. This Vision developed from a penultimate suite of climatic models, which have since drastically reduced their estimates of prospective warming. Further, temperature histories suggest that considerably more warming should have taken place in the Northern Hemisphere than has been observed, and that nighttime, rather than daytime temperatures show relative warming. A nighttime warming may be benign and perhaps beneficial because evaporation rates do not change appreciably. The recalcitrance of the Northern Hemisphere to go along with the premature “carbon dioxide in/disasterous warming out” scenario may be explained by compensating sulfate emissions, which also cause acid rain. Finally, in the absence of a world catastrophe or a major energy breakthrough, it is doubtful that we can even hope to s...
ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS HOIST SCHEDULING FOR ELECTROPLATING FACILITIES

Hoist scheduling in electroplating operations has long been considered a key factor for improving the production rate. It has recently been recognized that hoist scheduling can also play an important role in waste minimization. In this work, a new hoist scheduling method is introduced for simultaneously achieving both the economic and environmental goals. A two-step dynamic optimization algorithm is introduced for identifying an optimal hoist schedule that can minimize the quantity and toxicity of wastewater streams from an electroplating line without loss of production rate. To improve computational efficiency, an engineering approach is adopted to reduce the number of binary decision variables in the optimization problem. An application to an actual electroplating process shows a significant reduction of both chemical and water consumption, which equates to a simultaneous realization of wastewater reduction and increase of profits.
Issues in Urban School District Leadership: Professional Development

This article examines the academic frameworks and theoretical concepts presented to students pursuing graduate degrees in educational administration and planning to begin or continue careers in urb...
The interfacial strength of carbon nanofiber epoxy composite using single fiber pullout experiments

Carbon nanotubes and nanofibers are extensively researched as reinforcing agents in nanocomposites for their multifunctionality, light weight and high strength. However, it is the interface between the nanofiber and the matrix that dictates the overall properties of the nanocomposite. The current trend is to measure elastic properties of the bulk nanocomposite and then compare them with theoretical models to extract the information on the interfacial strength. The ideal experiment is single fiber pullout from the matrix because it directly measures the interfacial strength. However, the technique is difficult to apply to nanocomposites because of the small size of the fibers and the requirement for high resolution force and displacement sensing. We present an experimental technique for measuring the interfacial strength of nanofiber-reinforced composites using the single fiber pullout technique and demonstrate the technique for a carbon nanofiber-reinforced epoxy composite. The experiment is performed in situ in a scanning electron microscope and the interfacial strength for the epoxy composite was measured to be 170 MPa.
A real-time technique for optical alignment of telescopes with segmented optics

While telescopes with segmented optics (currently Keck and HET and in the future GTC, CELT, GSMT, NGST, etc) present extra challenges in terms of optical alignment, they also present the opportunity for using an alignment technique not available to telescopes with monolithic optics. We present a technique for aligning telescope secondary mirrors utilizing the segmented nature of the primary. The data required is gathered in direct image mode and can be collected from science instrument detectors (as compared to a wavefront sensor). From this data aberrations (focus and coma) are calculated from which secondary piston and tip/tilt (or decenter) corrections are determined. In addition, tip/tilt corrections for each of the primary mirror segments can also be calculated. Furthermore, other aberrations are available to determine other alignment or support issues including differentiating secondary tip/tilt from decenter, focal surface tilt, and instrument aberrations. This technique has been used nightly on the Keck I and II telescopes over the last 8 years and has made a significant improvement in image quality.
Is age an independent predictor of early and late mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Abstract purpose: To determine whether advancing age is an independent predictor of increased mortality following acute myocardial infarction or simply a marker for more extensive cardiac disease, a higher prevalence of comorbid conditions, and/or differences in therapeutic approach. patients: A total of 261 consecutive patients with documented acute myocardial infarction admitted to a university teaching hospital during a 1-year interval. methods: Seventy-four variables were analyzed to determine univariate predictors of inhospital and 1-year post-discharge mortality. Multiple linear regression models were constructed to determine independent predictors of early and late mortality after adjusting for baseline and therapeutic differences between younger and older patients. results: Compared with patients less than 70 years (n = 124), patients greater than or equal to 70 years (n = 137) were more likely (all p conclusion: After adjusting for multiple baseline and therapeutic differences between older and younger patients, age per se remains a strong independent predictor of both inhospital and 1-year post-discharge mortality rates in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Foam flow through a transparent rough-walled rock fracture

Abstract This paper presents an experimental study of nitrogen, water and aqueous foam flow through a transparent replica of a natural rough-walled rock fracture with a hydraulic aperture of roughly 30 μm. It is established that single-phase flow of both nitrogen and water is well described by analogy to flow between parallel plates. Inertial effects caused by fracture roughness become important in single-phase flow as the Reynolds number approaches 1. Foam exhibits effective control of gas mobility. Foam flow resistances are approximately 100–540 times greater than those of nitrogen over foam qualities spanning from 0.60 to 0.99 indicating effective gas-mobility control. Because previous studies of foam flow have focused mainly upon unfractured porous media, little information is available about foam flow mechanisms in fractured media. The transparency of the fracture allowed flow visualization and demonstrated that foam rheology in fractured media depends upon bubble shape and size. Changes in flow behavior are directly tied to transitions in bubble morphology.
Synthesis of a Pattern Generation Mechanism for Gait Rehabilitation

Gait training is a major part of neurological rehabilitation. Robotic gait training systems provide paraplegic patients with consistent, labor-saving, and adjustable physical therapy over traditional manual trainings. However the high cost and social-technical concerns on safe operation currently limit their availability to only a few large rehabilitation institutions. This paper describes the synthesis of a linkage mechanism for gait pattern generation in a sagittal plane. The synthesis of the mechanism starts with the definition of a closed ankle trajectory obtained from normative gait data. The synthesis process we developed includes (1) construction of the desired ankle trajectory, (2) formulation of an objective function to be used for linkage optimization, (3) development of a procedure for transforming an initial guess to a starting set of design variables for optimization, and (4) development of a point-matching process needed for implementation. A set of stature-referenced parameters was successfully produced for a crank-rocker mechanism to generate the desired gait path. A simple linkage mechanism can be used as the pattern generator in a gait training system, and the presented process has been used to synthesize a linkage for a specific gait pattern.
L- and S-band low-noise cryogenic GaAs FET amplifiers

The authors present the results of the construction and testing of three cryogenic low-noise GaAs FET amplifiers, based on a National Radio Astronomy Observatory design, to be used in a detector for the axion, a hypothetical particle. The amplifiers are centered on 1.1 GHz, and 2.4 GHz, have a gain of approximately 30 dB in bandwidths of 300 MHz, 225 MHz, and 310 MHz, and have minimum noise temperatures of 7.8 K, 8 K, and 15 K, respectively. >
Ecological Psychology: Replacing the Medical Model Paradigm for School-Based Psychological and Psychoeducational Services

Traditional medical model service delivery systems have facilitated the creation of nationwide mental health and education pandemics for children and youth. The characteristics and shortcomings of medical model approaches leading to these problems are explicated, including the focus of services on individuals rather than populations, relying almost exclusively on remediation rather than prevention and early intervention, unintentionally creating a severe shortage of service providers, and providing treatments that lack sufficient efficacy. An ecological model of human behavior and service delivery is presented as an alternative that embodies the potential to address these problems and successfully address the mental health and education pandemics we currently face. It is concluded that a paradigm shift toward an ecological model is both essential and long overdue.
Mantle heterogeneity beneath eastern California from magnetotelluric measurements

[1] A 300 km long magnetotelluric profile across the Great Valley, Sierra Nevada, and California Basin and Range reveals minimum resistivity differences of 1 order of magnitude at depths from Moho at 30–35 km to depths greater than 200 km. Horizontal wavelengths of 25 km are seen for these changes at depths shallower than 100 km, and the Isabella high seismic wave speed anomaly is present in the section between depths of 100 and 200 km as a minimum tenfold resistivity increase. A transformation from electrical resistivity to temperature and melt fraction using a petrological model and laboratory measurements reveals that partial melt is relatively uncommon and confined primarily to depths between 30 and 100 km. The remainder of the observed resistivity variation is attributed to lateral variations in temperature. Predicted melt fractions match those inferred from Miocene-Quaternary xenoliths, but modeled temperatures are ∼200°C higher than inferred from thermobarometric analyses of the xenoliths. Possible causes for this discrepancy include an incorrect starting material for the petrological model, exotic conductive phases, higher conductivity due to oxidation state and/or iron content, and diffusion of ions through the solid matrix. I show that hydrogen diffusion or higher oxygen concentrations are plausible explanation for the higher model temperatures. Less than 200 ppm H/106 Si in olivine would increase the conductivity of the matrix sufficiently to allow temperatures inferred from the resistivity section to match those from the xenoliths. A possible source of the hydrogen would be fragments of sinking, metasomatized mantle lithosphere that melted during Cenozoic delamination.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disorder in the USA and worldwide. There are significant differences in the epidemiology, phenotype, and genetics of AD in different racial and ethnic subgroups. In particular, patients of African descent have been found to have higher prevalence of AD in the USA and England, whereas Hispanic Americans have lower prevalence of AD. Further, African Americans have been found to have more severe disease and more comorbid allergic disorder. Patients of African descent appear to have different genetic risk factors, with less loss-of-function filaggrin 1 mutations and more filaggrin 2 mutations than patients of Northern or Eastern European origin. Finally, AD has different clinical phenotypes in African Americans, which clinicians need to recognize for the proper diagnosis and assessment of AD.
Enhanced confinement in the MST reversed-field pinch

Summary form only given. The Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) reversed-field pinch is a toroidal, ohmically-heated, magnetic fusion research device capable of plasma currents of I 700 kA and plasma temperatures of several hundred eV. Recent MST discharges have exhibited energy confinement times, /spl tau//sub E/, that are 2-3 times greater than normal. An important benchmark of the MST's performance, /spl tau//sub E/=(total plasma energy)/(input ohmic heating power) and is about 1 ms in normal discharges. /spl tau//sub E/ is limited by transport of energy and particles out of the plasma core due primarily to fluctuations in the structure and magnitude of the internal magnetic field. The dominant magnetic fluctuations are sawtooth events, so-named for the shape of their waveform in many plasma parameters. Sawteeth arise due to overpeaking of the current-density profile on the magnetic axis. During each sawtooth, the total plasma energy decreases, and the ohmic heating power increases, resulting in a sharp drop in /spl tau//sub E/. Recently, discharges with sawtooth-free periods have been achieved, resulting in enhanced confinement. One method of preventing sawteeth is to actively drive current in the edge plasma. This flattens the normally-peaked current-density profile. The best results with this method have been achieved with careful conditioning by solid-target boronization of the plasma-facing inner wall of the vacuum vessel.
Point set surface editing techniques based on level-sets

In this paper we articulate a new modeling paradigm for both local and global editing on complicated point set surfaces of arbitrary topology. In essence, the proposed technique leads to a novel point-set methodology that can unify the topological advantage of the level-set methods and the simplicity of point-sampled surfaces. Any user-specified region of a point set surface in our system can be embedded into a grid-based level-set framework. The super-imposed grid structure enables both powerful local surface editing and global scalar-field free-form deformation anywhere across the point-sampled geometry. Furthermore, the underlying level-set representation, coupled with the concept of digital topology, greatly facilitates the topological modification of the sculpted point-set geometry whenever necessary during shape deformation. We have developed a variety of editing toolkits that can allow users to directly manipulate the point-set surface through interactive sketching, smoothing, embossing, and global free-form deformations with ease. We demonstrate the usefulness and efficacy of our prototype system for the point-sampled geometry via many examples
Aspergillus fumigatus metabolism: Clues to mechanisms of in vivo fungal growth and virulence

Aspergillus fumigatus is a saprophytic fungus commonly found in soil and compost piles. In immunocompromised patients it takes on a sinister form as a potentially lethal opportunistic human pathogen. We currently have a limited understanding of the in vivo growth mechanisms used by A. fumigatus during invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). The ability of A. fumigatus to adapt to various microenvironments encountered during growth in the human host may explain why A. fumigatus is the most frequently occurring opportunistic pathogenic mold. The transcriptional and metabolic responses to changing microenvironments found in the mammalian lung require the activation of pathways implicated in resistance to unique stresses. Thus, the production of primary metabolites in vivo may give clues to the critical pathways used by A. fumigatus to cause disease in human hosts. We recently have identified primary metabolites in the mammalian lung typically associated with fungal growth under hypoxic environments suggesting that A. fumigatus may encounter low oxygen tensions during IPA. These and other studies on A. fumigatus metabolism are the focus of this review.
Contextual cuing based on spatial arrangement of color.

Previous studies have demonstrated that, in visual search, repetition of a target’s “context” significantly improves search performance (contextual cuing; Chun & Jiang, 1998). Context in those studies was defined as either spatial configuration or featural combination. In the present work, we demonstrate that repeating the spatial arrangement of object colors (conjunction of spatial configuration and featural combination) also leads to contextual cuing (Experiment 1). Experiments 2 and 3 rule out the possibility that the contextual cuing we find in Experiment 1 is caused only by the spatial configuration of color patches. Experiment 4 rules out the possibility that it is caused only by featural combination. Experiments 5 and 6 demonstrate that color-arrangement-based contextual cuing is an unconscious process. Experiments 7 and 8 demonstrate that contextual cuing seems to be more effective on chromatic (hue) variation than on achromatic (luminance) variation. In sum, our results demonstrate that contextual cuing is not merely associated learning in separate domains; it is a more integrated process than has perhaps been appreciated.
Time Deformation, Continuous Euler Processes and Forecasting

. A continuous Euler model has time-varying coefficients. Through a logarithmic time transformation, a continuous Euler model can be transformed to a continuous autoregressive (AR) model. By using the continuous Kalman filtering through the Laplace method, this article explores the data application of a continuous Euler process. This time deformation of an Euler process deforms specific time-variant (non-stationary) behaviour to time-invariant (stationary) data on the deformed time scale. With these time-invariant data on the transformed time scale, one may use traditional tools to conduct parameter estimation and forecasts. The obtained results can then be transformed back to the original time scale. Simulated data and actual data such as bat echolocation and the US residential investment growth are used to demonstrate the usefulness of time deformation in forecasting. The results indicate that fitting a traditional autoregressive moving-average (ARMA) model on an Euler data set without imposing time transformation leads to forecasts that are out of phase while the forecasts of an Euler model stay mostly in phase.
Performance Evaluation of Asphalt Pavement Preservation Activities

A 2-year research project was sponsored by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) and conducted by University of Nevada at Reno researchers to evaluate the long-term performance of asphalt pavement preservation activities that NDOT has implemented for the past 15 years. During this research project, 11 preservation activities were identified after several meetings with NDOT maintenance personnel. This study evaluated 847 field sections. The performance of the selected field sections was assessed on the basis of the pavement condition before and after treatment application. The analysis evaluated the likelihood of enhancing the pavement performance as well as the anticipated performance period for the various treatments. Benefit-cost ratios for the various treatments were also evaluated, given the pretreatment pavement condition, traffic level, and environmental conditions. A set of guidelines is provided to help select the most cost-effective preservation activities on the basis of the most favora...
The politics of human heredity in the USSR, 1920–1940

After the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, Iurii Filipchenko (in Petrograd) and Nikolai Koltsov (in Moscow) created centers of genetic research where eugenics prospered as a socially relevant part of ...
Serum Parathyroid Hormone Levels Predict Falls in Older Adults with Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and incident falls in older adults with diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: Longitudinal analysis of incident falls over 1 year in a substudy of participants with diabetes mellitus in the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. SETTING: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Memphis, Tennessee. PARTICIPANTS: Well-functioning, community-dwelling black and white adults aged 70 to 79 with diabetes mellitus (N=472). MEASUREMENTS: Measured baseline serum PTH. Self-report of falls over the subsequent 12 months. Baseline physical performance and self-reported demographic, behavioral, and health status measures including kidney function, chronic conditions, and medication use. RESULTS: One-third (30.3%) of participants reported falling over 1 year of follow-up. Mean baseline serum PTH was 53.5±30.0 pg/mL in nonfallers and 62.6±46.2 pg/mL in fallers (P=.01). For every 1 standard deviation (36 pg/mL) increment in baseline serum PTH, there was approximately a 30% greater likelihood of reporting a fall in the subsequent year, after adjusting for age, sex, race, field center, alcohol consumption, body mass index, physical activity, and winter or spring season (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.06–1.59). Further adjustment for kidney function, chronic conditions, medication and supplement use, and physical performance attenuated the association slightly (aOR=1.26, 95% CI=1.01–1.58). A trend remained after additional adjustment for reported falls in the previous year. CONCLUSION: Higher serum PTH was associated with incident falls in older, well-functioning men and women with diabetes mellitus. Further investigation aimed at understanding the underlying mechanism for the association between serum PTH and falls is needed.
Complexing of actin and other nuclear proteins to DNA by cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) and chromium compounds

Actin was found to be the major protein crosslinked to the DNA of intact Chinese hamster ovary cells that were treated with either potassium chromate (hexavalent) or cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-platinum). This protein was identified as actin by its mol. wt (45 kd), its isoelectric point (pI = 5.4), positive reactivity with an actin antibody, and by protease mapping. Additionally, a purified actin standard migrated to the same location in a two-dimensional gel system as p45. Actin comprised approximately 20% of the protein component in chromate-induced DNA-protein crosslinks. In addition, to actin, several other major proteins (e.g. 53 kd, pI = 5.2, 50 kd, pI = 9) were crosslinked to DNA following exposure to cis-platinum or chromate. These proteins were abundant in the nuclear matrix fraction. Hexavalent chromate is the toxicologically active form because it is readily taken up into cells by an anion transport system. In contrast, trivalent chromium is considerably less toxic because it cannot enter the cell; however, most of the hexavalent form is eventually reduced to the trivalent form inside the cell. Previous studies have suggested that the trivalent form of chromium participates in complexing DNA with proteins. DNA-protein crosslinks were formed in isolated nuclei or in mixtures of purified DNA and protein incubated with trivalent chromium. However, the formation of these complexes required at least 16 h of incubation to exchange the parent compound ligands. Hexavalent chromate did not form these complexes in vitro under similar conditions. Incubation of trivalent chromium with purified actin and DNA resulted in DNA-actin crosslinks as detected by an electrophoretic mobility different from that of either free actin or DNA when the complex was transferred from a gel to nitrocellulose and stained for protein. These studies describe a new technique for detecting DNA-protein complexes and demonstrate that actin-DNA structures in intact cells create sites that selectively react with metal DNA-protein crosslinking agents.
Effects of the Evisceration and Cooling Processes on the Incidence of Salmonella in Fresh Dressed Turkeys Grown Under Salmonella-Controlled and Uncontrolled Environments

Abstract In July and December 1981, turkeys grown in a Salmonella-free environment were sampled at the end of the slaughter and evisceration processes to determine the effect of slaughter and evisceration on the incidence of Salmonella in raw, eviscerated turkeys. A total of 109 eviscerated turkeys from the Salmonella-free flocks and 79 control turkeys were sampled. A total of 75 environmental swab samples and 5 chiller water samples were collected. Less than 1% of the eviscerated Salmonella-free turkeys were Salmonella positive and 6.3% of the eviscerated control turkeys were Salmonella positive. The results of the swab samples indicated generally good processing equipment sanitation.
Ferroelectric domain kinetics in congruent LiTaO3

Abstract We present real-time studies of nucleation and growth of 180° ferroelectric domains in congruent LiTaO3 under an external electric field using optical microscopy. The measured wall velocities are an order of magnitude higher than those reported before using ex-situ techniques. Merger of growing domains form serrated fronts which show a futher order of magnitude increase in wall velocity. A time dependent velocity is required in the Avrami theory to explain the change in domain area versus time at a constant electric field. We believe that these features of domain switching must be considered when studying ferroelectrics in general.
A multi-point univariate decomposition method for structural reliability analysis

Abstract A new multi-point univariate decomposition method is presented for structural reliability analysis involving multiple most probable points (MPPs). The method involves a novel function decomposition at all MPPs that facilitates local univariate approximations of a performance function in the rotated Gaussian space, Lagrange interpolation for univariate component functions and return mapping to the standard Gaussian space, and Monte Carlo simulation. In addition to the effort in identifying all MPPs, the computational effort in the multi-point univariate method can be viewed as performing deterministic response analysis at user-selected input defined by sample points. Compared with the existing multi-point FORM/SORM, the multi-point univariate method developed provides a higher-order approximation of the boundary of the failure domain. Both the point-fitted SORM and the univariate method entail linearly varying cost with respect to the number of variables. However, the univariate method with less than nine sample points requires fewer calculations of the performance function than the point-fitted SORM. Numerical results indicate that the proposed method consistently generates an accurate and computationally efficient estimate of the probability of failure.
Combining Static and Dynamic Analysis for Automatic Identification of Precise Access-Control Policies

Given a large component-based program, it may be very complex to identify an optimal access-control policy, allowing the program to execute with no authorization failures and no violations of the principle of least privilege. This paper presents a novel combination of static and dynamic analysis for automatic determination of precise access-control policies for programs that will be executed on stack-based access control systems, such as Java and the Common Language Runtime (CLR). The static analysis soundly models the execution of the program taking into account native methods, reflection, and multi-threaded code. The dynamic analysis interactively refines the potentially conservative results of the static analysis, with no need for writing or generating test cases or for restarting the system if an authorization failure occurs during testing, and no risk of corrupting the underlying system on which the analysis is performed. We implemented the analysis framework presented by this paper in an analysis tool for Java programs, called Access-Control Explorer (ACE). ACE allows for automatic, safe, and precise identification of access-right requirements and library-code locations that should be made privilege-asserting to prevent client code from requiring unnecessary access rights. This paper presents experimental results obtained on large production-level applications.
Kerr slice-based nonlinear interferometer with two-dimensional feedback: control of roll and hexagon formation.

We propose and analyze a nonlinear optical system that uses the combined effects of Kerr-like nonlinearity, interference, and diffraction in a two-dimensional optical feedback loop. By variation of the phase shift between interfering waves it is possible to control the quadratic nonlinear terms responsible for roll and hexagon pattern formation, giving three possible steady solutions: rolls and normal and inverted hexagons. Results of nonlinear analyses and numerical simulations are presented.