cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Space-time finite element methods for the sensitivity analysis of contact/impact response of axisymmetric composite structures

Abstract Space-time finite element methods are applied to the sensitivity analysis of frictional contact/impact response of axisymmetric composite structures. The structures are assumed to consist of an arbitrary number of perfectly bonded homogeneous anisotropic layers. Only small displacements are considered and the material of each layer is assumed to be hyperelastic. The sensitivity coefficients measure the sensitivity of the response to variations in material parameters of the structure. A displacement finite element model is used for the spatial discretization. The temporal integration is performed by using the time-discontinuous Galerkin method. Least-squares stabilizing operators are added to the governing equations to enhance the stability by smoothing out the high frequency modes, without degrading the accuracy. A quasi-explicit iterative technique is used for generating the response and evaluating the sensitivity coefficients. The normal contact conditions are incorporated within the iterative process. Numerical results are presented for the sensitivity analysis of contact/impact response of a composite spherical cap impacting a rigid plate.
Buccal and palatal exostoses: Prevalence and concurrence with tori

Abstract Objectives: The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence and location of oral exostoses and the concurrence of buccal and palatal exostoses with tori. Study Design: With clinical inspection and palpation, 960 Thais were examined for the presence or absence of torus palatinus (TP), torus mandibularis (TM), and exostoses. Results: Of the 960 subjects studied, 26.9% exhibited exostoses. Exostoses were more common in the maxilla than in the mandible (5.1:1). In addition, most of the exostoses were located on the buccal aspect of the jaws. The prevalence of exostoses increased with age (P =.000). Exostoses were significantly more common in men than in women (62.4% vs 37.6%, P =.000). Exostoses were concurrent with TM more frequently than with TP (36.2% vs 20.6%). The highest concurrence of exostoses with tori was observed in subjects who had both TP and TM (42.6%). Conclusions: The occurrence of exostoses is related to increasing age. TM and exostoses may share the same causative factors, and functional influences may contribute. Our findings lend support to the hypothesis that the etiology of exostoses involves an interplay of multifactorial genetic and environmental factors. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2000;90:48-53)
Preoperative chemotherapy and the risk of hepatotoxicity and morbidity after liver resection for metastatic colorectal cancer: a single institution experience.

Background Patients undergoing liver resection for colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRCLM) are often treated with chemotherapy before surgery. However, the associations between chemotherapy, liver injury, perioperative outcomes, and other confounding factors remain unclear. This study investigates the effect of preoperative chemotherapy for CRCLM on nontumoral liver histology and perioperative outcomes in a contemporary cohort. Study Design Five hundred six patients underwent hepatic resection for CRCLM between April 2003 and March 2007. Histologic evaluation of nontumoral liver parenchyma for sinusoidal dilatation, steatosis, and steatohepatitis was performed in 384 cases for which tissue was available. Patient factors, tumor characteristics, chemotherapy regimens, histology of nontumoral liver, and perioperative morbidity were analyzed. Results Two hundred fifty patients (65%) received preoperative chemotherapy for a median duration of 24 weeks. Irinotecan, increased body mass index (BMI), and diabetes mellitus (DM) were associated with hepatic steatosis and steatohepatitis. Sinusoidal dilatation was not associated with chemotherapy or any clinicopathologic factors. Perioperative blood transfusion was independently associated with an increased risk of any complication. Major postoperative complications were independently associated with major (≥3 segments) resections (57%) and perioperative blood transfusion. The use of any preoperative chemotherapy decreased the odds of major complications. Liver-related complications were independently associated with major resection and blood transfusion, but not with chemotherapy. Three postoperative deaths (0.8%) occurred, all in patients who were not treated with chemotherapy and had no evidence of liver injury. Conclusions With appropriate patient selection, liver resection for CRCLM can be safely performed in patients treated with preoperative chemotherapy.
The Effects of Core Proprioception on Knee Injury A Prospective Biomechanical-Epidemiological Study

BackgroundIn sports involving pivoting and landing, female athletes suffer knee injury at a greater rate than male athletes.HypothesesProprioceptive deficits in control of the body's core may affect dynamic stability of the knee. Female, but not male, athletes who suffered a knee injury during a 3-year follow-up period would demonstrate decreased core proprioception at baseline testing as compared with uninjured athletes.Study DesignCohort study (prognosis); Level of evidence, 2.MethodsStudy subjects were 277 collegiate athletes (140 female, 137 male) who were prospectively tested for core proprioception by active and passive proprioceptive repositioning. Athletes were monitored for injury for 3 years. An ANOVA and multivariate logistic regression were used to test whether core proprioception was related to knee injuries in athletes.ResultsTwenty-five athletes sustained knee injuries (11 women, 14 men). Deficits in active proprioceptive repositioning were observed in women with knee injuries (2.2°) and li...
In vitro transcription/translation assay for the screening of hMLH1 and hMSH2 mutations in familial colon cancer

Abstract Background & Aims : Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) has been linked recently to a defect in repairing mismatched nucleotides in DNA. The aim of this study was to screen for germline mutations that result in prematurely truncated proteins in two of the mismatch repair genes identified at this time, hMLH1 and hMSH2, in a consecutive series of patients belonging to familial aggregations of colorectal cancer. Methods : Nineteen individuals with colorectal cancer from 19 families were consecutively referred because of a strong positive family history of colorectal cancer. Premature truncation mutations in hMLH1 and hMSH2 were sought from lymphocyte RNA by using an in vitro transcription/translation (IVTT) assay. Results : Protein truncating mutations in the hMLH1 or hMSH2 genes were found in 50% of families with HNPCC (6 of 12) but were not observed in any of the remaining familial aggregations that did not fulfill the standard criteria for HNPCC. In some of the IVTT-positive samples, the mutations were characterized by genomic sequencing. Conclusions : IVTT may be a practical method to accomplish primary screening of germline mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes in HNPCC; however, a broader approach is necessary to obtain a more complete picture of the mutational spectrum in HNPCC and other familial aggregations of colorectal cancer.
Transitions into the negative-energy Dirac continuum

We compare the predictions of the single-particle Dirac equation with quantum field theory for an electron subjected to a space and time dependent field. We demonstrate analytically and numerically that a transition into the negative-energy subspace predicted by the single-particle Dirac equation is directly associated with the degree of suppression of pair-production as described by quantum field theory. We show that the portion of the mathematical wave function that populates the negative-energy states corresponds to the difference between the positron spatial density for systems with and without an electron initially present.
Social exchange in marketing

Exchange is a fundamental and universal aspect of human behavior. Economic exchange models have dealt with the buying and selling of material goods and services, while social exchange models have broadened their scope to include social and psychological aspects of interactions. In its present form, however, the social exchange model exhibits serious shortcomings for the marketing scholar and practitioner; it is largely atheoretical, unrealistic, narrow in applicability, and lacking in its depiction of important facets of man's behavior. In light of these criticisms, the notion of an exchange system is proposed and illustrated as an explanatory framework. Finally, it is suggested that marketing can be viewed as a component of the social system functioning as both a cause and consequence of social change.
Cerebral Endothelial Microvilli: Formation Following Global Forebrain Ischemia

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and morphometric procedures designed to survey large areas of intraparenchymal vasculature disclosed the widespread production of cerebral endothelial microvilli following global ischemia of the rat forebrain. Although these surface projections were present, they were infrequent, in sham-operated controls. As little as ten minutes of ischemia produced endothelial microvilli, which increased progressively in number with longer periods of ischemia. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) performed on adjacent serial Vibratome sections confirmed these vascular alterations, although TEM sections did not permit an assessment of their numbers. Endothelial microvilli remained prominent in rats with up to four hours of postischemic recirculation. With SEM, these microvilli were sufficiently numerous so as to suggest that they may play a role in the development of the postischemic hypoperfusion documented by regional cerebral blood flow methods in this and other models of global cerebral ischemia.
The Lutheran Confessional Writings for the 21st Century: A Question of Translation

The 21st century shift of the church's “center of gravity” from North America and Europe to Asia, Africa, and South America, provides a context in which translating the Lutheran confessional writings— and the theology to which they point—will play a vitally important role in the life of “...the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.”
Curriculum-Based Measures: Development and Perspectives.

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is an approach to measuring the academic growth of individual students. The essential purpose of CBM is to aid teachers in evaluating the effectiveness of the instruction they provide to individual students. While early research focused on the utility and effectiveness of CBM for increasing the achievement of students with learning disabilities, extensions of CBM research now address a broad range of educational issues in both special and general education with different populations and in new curriculum domains. This article provides a brief history of CBM clarifying its relationship to curriculum-based assessment, a summary of the primary features of CBM, and a rationale for its design. Extensions of CBM to new research domains are identified, and a perspective is provided on the place of CBM in the broader context of educational assessment.
The ellipsometric characterization of Pt + Cr alloy surfaces in acid solutions

Abstract Results of a combined electrochemical and ellipsometric investigation of Pt + Cr alloys in 0.05 M H2SO4 and in 85% H3PO4 electrolytes are presented. Potential multicycling beyond the onset of a sharp increase in the anodic current is shown to result in the electrooxidation of Cr in Cr-rich alloys (>50 at.%) that forms a metal deficient surface layer which can reach a thickness of several tens of nm. The surface layer thus formed in 0.05 M H2SO4 has been analyzed optically and shown to fit a model of a composite, metalelectrolyte film, with a residual well connected metal network occupying ca. 30% of the volume. Increase in effective surface area due to the formation of such porous surface layers is one possible reason for the increase in the rate of electrochemical processes brought about by Cr additions to Pt catalysts. Cr-rich alloys were found to be better passivated in the 85% H3PO4 electrolyte, in which the anodic end potential required to cause significant Cr electro-oxidation at room temperature is 200 mV higher than in 0.05 M H2SO4 Multicycling with a limited anodic end potential can be performed for the same Cr-rich Pt + Cr alloys with no drift in surface optical properties. The ellipsometric measurements demonstrated that even without the exposure of such alloys to excessive anodic potentials, the surface is still covered by a Cr oxide species, which undergoes a redox conversion process, probably involving Cr(III)/(IV). The possible role of such a Cr oxide species in the electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction is discussed.
Bioaccumulation of selenium from natural geologic sources in western states and its potential consequences

Ecological impacts of water-quality problems have developed in the western United States resulting from the disposal of seleniferous agricultural wastewater in wetland areas. Overt effects of selenium toxicosis occurred at five areas where deformities of wild aquatic birds were similar to those first observed at Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge in the west-central San Joaquin Valley of California. These areas are: Tulare Lake Bed Area, California, Middle Green River Basin, Utah, Kendrick Reclamation Project Area, Wyoming, Sun River Basin, Montana, and Stillwater Wildlife Management Area, Nevada. Potential for ecological damage is indicated at six more sites in Oregon, Colorado, the Colorado/Kansas border, and South Dakota out of 16 areas in 11 states where biological tissue data were collected. This conclusion is based on the fact that selenium bioaccumulated in bird livers to median levels that had exceeded or were in the range associated with adverse reproductive effects. Selenium concentrations in samples of fish and bird eggs support these conclusions at a majority of these areas. Reason for concern is also given for the lower Colorado River Valley, although this is not exclusively a conclusion from these reconnaissance data. Biogeochemical conditions and the extent of selenium contamination of water, bottom sediment, and biota from which this assessment was made are given here. In a companion paper, the biogeochemical pathway postulated for selenium contamination to take place from natural geologic sources to aquatic wildlife is defined.
Quo vadis medical ultrasound

The last three decades of development in diagnostic ultrasound imaging and technology are briefly reviewed and the impact of the crucial link between the two apparently independent research efforts, which eventually facilitated implementation of harmonic imaging modality is explored. These two efforts included the experiments with piezoelectric PVDF polymer material and studies of the interaction between ultrasound energy and biological tissue. Harmonic imaging and its subsequent improvements revolutionized the diagnostic power of clinical ultrasound and brought along images of unparalleled resolution, close to that of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) quality. The nonlinear propagation effects and their implications for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications of ultrasound are also briefly addressed. In diagnostic applications, the impact of these effects on image resolution and tissue characterization is reviewed; in therapeutic applications, the influence of nonlinear propagation effects on highly localized tissue ablation and cauterization is examined. Next, the most likely developments and future trends in clinical ultrasound technology, including 3D and 4D imaging, distant palpation, image enhancement using contrast agents, monitoring, and merger of diagnostic and therapeutic applications by e.g. introducing ultrasonically controlled targeted drug delivery are reviewed. Finally, a possible competition from other imaging modalities is discussed.
Outcrop-scale Imaging of Lacustrine Delta Sediments Using Ground Penetrating Radar And Seismic Methods

Summary We imaged the complex stratigraphy and structure of poorly unsaturated consolidated fluvial and lacustrine sediments that are well exposed in a road cut along the margins of the Western Snake River Plain in southwest Idaho. The outcrop contains a 10-m exposure of a delta sequence with topset beds tectonically tilted 10 o , underlain o dipping foreset sand beds with shale drapes, and cut by near-vertical faults. Beneath the foresets are clay sediments over an irregular rhyolite bedrock surface. We collected 100 MHz frequency ground penetrating radar (GPR) and high-resolution reflection seismic profiles along this roadcut to image the geologic structure below the road surface. The GPR data show the observed dip of both the foreset and topset beds to the depth of about 6 m. The seismic data show unclear reflection results, however it can be estimated the reflection from the bed rock surface at about 30 m. The imaging studies will be extended to 3-D GPR coverage, higher frequency seismic data collection, and more sophisticated processing routines to improve the quality and utility of GPR and seismic surveys to image sub-meter scale geologic stratigraphy and structures.
Contributions of NH···O and CH···O Hydrogen Bonds to the Stability of β-Sheets in Proteins

Ab initio quantum calculations are applied to both the parallel and the antiparallel arrangements of the β-sheets of proteins. The energies of the NH···O and CH···O hydrogen bonds present in the β-sheet are evaluated separately from one another by appropriate modifications of the model systems. The bond energies of these two sorts of hydrogen bonds are found to be very nearly equal in the parallel β-sheet. The NH···O bonds are stronger than CH···O in the antiparallel geometry but only by a relatively small margin. Moreover, the former NH···O bonds are weakened when placed next to one another, as occurs in the antiparallel β-sheet. As a result, there is little energetic distinction between the NH···O and CH···O bonds in the full antiparallel β-sheet, just as in the parallel structure.
Results of a thymic epithelial transplant in a child with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and central nervous system lymphoma

Abstract A 3-year-old boy with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome who was treated with transfer factor since early infancy developed primary central nervous system lymphoma. After an initial favorable response to radiation therapy, the lymphoma recurred but improved after chemotherapy. A thymic epithelial transplant was performed that resulted in clinical improvement in his eczema, a decrease in serum IgE, and an increase in E-rosette-positive cells in the peripheral blood. The transplant produced no improvement in antibody response to polysaccharide antigen, skin test reactivity, or in the level of thrombocytopenia. The duration of remission of the lymphoma after treatment with chemotherapy plus thymic epithelial transplantation was greater than that achieved with radiation therapy alone.
The perceived impact of tourism by residents. A case study in Santa Marta, Colombia.

Abstract Studies of the local population's perception of tourism impact are useful in setting up programs to minimize friction between tourists and residents, and in formulating plans to gain resident support of tourist ventures. This study identifies the positive and negative aspects of tourism as perceived by the Santa Marta residents, and the influence of selected variables on resident response. It is hypothesized that the perception of tourist impact varies with the distance a person lives from the tourist zone and with the resident's socio-economic status. It is found that despite the perception of some serious negative aspects, Santa Marta residents consider the overall impact of tourism to be beneficial. They want their government to offer more economic incentives and eliminate any restrictive measures in order to stimulate tourism in the area. The positive attitudes of the Santa Marta residents toward tourism may be a function of the incipient stage of tourism development in this area.
Hopping transport on site-disordered d-dimensional lattices.

We consider here the hopping of an electron among a band of localized electronic states on a d-dimensional lattice. The hopping rates are assumed to be stochastic variables determined by some probability distribution. We restrict our attention to nearest-neighbor transport in the limit in which the fluctuations in the hopping rates are large. In this limit we construct an exact expansion for the frequency-dependent diffusion coefficient D(\ensuremath{\varepsilon}) that is applicable to a wide range of transport phenomena (d=1 conductors, trapping phenomena, molecularly based electronic devices, etc.) in any spatial dimension. For the case of hopping transport with d=1, our method confirms earlier results that strong fluctuations in the hopping rates give rise to a non-Markovian ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}^{1/2}$ correction to normal diffusion. In two dimensions, we establish explicitly the existence of a non-Markovian logarithmic correction \ensuremath{\varepsilon} ln\ensuremath{\varepsilon} to D(\ensuremath{\varepsilon}). The formalism is then extended to d dimensions and the frequency corrections are discussed. For d=3, two frequency corrections must be retained. One is linear in \ensuremath{\varepsilon} and the other proportional to ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}^{3/2}$. It is shown that only the ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}^{3/2}$ correction contributes to the long-time tail ${t}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3/2}$ in the time-dependent diffusion coefficient D(t). From these results we show that the long-time tail in the velocity autocorrelation function which is a consequence of the strong fluctuations in the hopping rates is of the form ${t}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}(1+d/2)}$. Comparison is made with earlier results.
Space-averaged kinetic analysis of stochastically heated electropositive and electronegative rf capacitive discharges

In low pressure capacitive rf plasma discharges, stochastic sheath heating, combined with potentials that exclude low energy electrons from reaching the sheath, produce an electron energy probability function (EEPF) which approximates a two-temperature Maxwellian, as seen in both experiments and numerical simulations. We have used the fundamental kinetic equation to derive a space- and time-averaged kinetic equation to analytically calculate this EEPF. In this paper, we improve over our model for stochastic heating by allowing the stochastic heating to be gradually turned on over a range of electron energy, instead of abruptly. A complete set of equilibrium conditions are used so that all the unknown parameters can be solved self-consistently. The theory is applied to both argon and oxygen discharges, and the results agree well with particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations and experiments. For electronegative oxygen discharges, the equilibrium equations for the two ion species are coupled with the electron kinetic equation. The spatial diffusion profiles and the EEPF both agree well with PIC simulations.
Female Leadership Advantage in Teams: A Situational Perspective

This study contributes to the debate about a female leadership advantage by evaluating differences in team states (i.e., cohesion, collective efficacy, and a shared mental model) among teams led by...
Assessing Competency to Consent to Sexual Activity in the Cognitively Impaired Population

Abstract Sexuality is an integral factor when considering quality of life. Psychologists and mental health providers have a responsibility to promote patients' rights to sexual expression, but also to protect patients when impairments interfere with the ability to make informed decisions. Rehabilitation facilities struggle with this issue, especially the question of ability to consent. The Sexual Consent and Education Assessment (SCEA), a tool which evaluates an individual's capacity to consent to sexual activity, was developed and administered to 80 cognitively impaired adults. Of the subjects, 69 had varying degrees of mental retardation, and 11 had traumatic brain injuries. Participation in the study consisted of an interview with each individual and a person who worked closely with him or her. Competency was defined as: understanding the nature of sexual conduct, understanding possible consequences, and possessing the ability to make safe choices. Scores were compared to independent interdisciplinary ...
The Effect of Spectrometer Slit Width on Intensity of Atomic Emission Lines in Emission Flame Photometry and the Effect of Source Line Width on Absorbance of Atomic Absorption Lines in Absorption Flame Photometry

In atomic emission and atomic absorption spectroscopy, the measured instrumental signal and its relationship with concentration is of great importance. Relationships between the measured intensity and the theoretical intensity or the integrated intensity as a function of spectrometer band width and slit width and the relationships between measured absorbance and the theoretical absorbance or the integrated absorbance as a function of atomic source line width are given. A number of conclusions are drawn regarding the measured parameter. In atomic emission flame photometry, it is shown that the measured intensity usually is proportional to the theoretical integrated line intensity and is independent of the half-width of the atomic emission line. In atomic absorption flame photometry, the measured absorbance is proportional to the theoretical absorbance and is independent of the atomic absorption line width as long as the source line width is much narrower than the atomic absorption line width.
A Laboratory Study of the Effects of Wind on DC Corona

The effects of wind on corona discharges from HV dc transmission lines were studied using two laboratory models. One model was used for studying the corona vs. wind characteristics of discrete metal projections from smooth conductors, while the other dealt with corona on stranded conductors. The investigation encompassed both 2-conductor and conductor-to-plane configurations at wind speeds up to 50 miles per hour. It was found that both corona loss and radio-influence voltages (RIV) were sensitive to wind in the 2-conductor configuration but not in the conductor-to- plane configuration. The results are correlated with previous findings and with the theories of corona discharges.
Development of a method to produce hemoglobin in a bioreactor culture of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) transformed with a plasmid containing Plesiomonas Shigelloides heme transport genes and modified human hemoglobin genes

We describe a method for production of recombinant human hemoglobin by Escherichia coli grown in a bioreactor. E. coli BL21(DE3) transformed with a plasmid containing hemoglobin genes and Plesiomonas shigelloides heme transport genes reached a cell dry weight of 83.64 g/liter and produced 11.92 g/liter of hemoglobin in clarified lysates.
Bias frequency, waveform and duty-cycle effects on the bias-enhanced nucleation of epitaxial diamond

Abstract In contrast to conventional DC bias-enhanced nucleation, a pre-carburization step was not needed in the processing of epitaxial diamond on (1 0 0) silicon using pulsed biasing. Otherwise, the procedure showed little frequency dependence on the epitaxial process in the range of 1 Hz–2 kHz, resulting in a constant percentage of highly oriented diamond of nearly 50%. The only variation with frequency was a linear increase in the bias current and a corresponding decrease in the biasing time required to form a quasi-continuous nucleation layer. In contrast, the variation of a 60-Hz square waveform duty cycle from 3 to 75% showed a decreasing hyperbolic relationship with the percentage of oriented diamond, with a plateau of ∼45% occurring at duty cycles of ⩽17%. The bias time to film formation was also determined to be inversely proportional to the duty cycle. The collective data highlights the relevance of the waveform attributes on the epitaxial nucleation of diamond on (1 0 0) silicon.
The effect of adenosine on cardiac cells in culture.

Abstract Chronotropic effect of 5 × 10−6 m to 5 × 10−5 m -adenosine on beating rat heart cells in culture was demonstrated. Concomitant with the increased rate of rhythmic contractions was a 50% increase in the intracellular ATP concentration, a net synthesis of c. 15 nmol ATP/mg protein. This net change in concentration was a result of a new high steady state of ATP synthesis and not of a transphosphorylation from phosphorylcreatine, as the latter remained at control levels. The rhythmic contractions and the increased ATP synthesis in the presence of adenosine were inhibited by oligomycin + 2-deoxyglucose and 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene The excitability of the cardiac cell membrane correlates with a continuous synthesis of ATP.
Diabetes mellitus due to misfolding of a β-cell transcription factor : Stereospecific frustration of a schellman motif in HNF-1α

Abstract Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY3), a monogenic form of type II diabetes mellitus, results most commonly from mutations in hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α (HNF-1α). Diabetes-associated mutation G20R perturbs the dimerization domain of HNF-1α, an intertwined four-helix bundle. In the wild-type structure G20 participates in a Schellman motif to cap an α-helix; its dihedral angles lie in the right side of the Ramachandran plot (αL region; ϕ 97°). Substitutions G20R and G20A lead to dimeric molten globules of low stability, suggesting that the impaired function of the diabetes-associated transcription factor is due in large part to a main-chain perturbation rather than to specific features of the Arg side-chain. This hypothesis is supported by the enhanced stability of non-standard analogues containing D- Ala or D- Ser at position 20. The crystal structure of the D- Ala20 analogue, determined to a resolution of 1.4 A, is essentially identical to the wild-type structure in the same crystal form. The mean root-mean-square deviation between equivalent Cα atoms (residues 5–28) is 0.3 A; (ϕ, ψ) angles of D- Ala20 are the same as those of G20 in the wild-type structure. Whereas the side-chain of A20 or R20 would be expected to clash with the preceding carbonyl oxygen (thus accounting for its frustrated energy landscape), the side-chain of D- Ala20 projects into solvent without perturbation of the Schellman motif. Calorimetric studies indicate that the increased stability of the D- Ala20 analogue (ΔΔGu 1.5 kcal/mol) is entropic in origin, consistent with a conformational bias toward native-like conformations in the unfolded state. Studies of multiple substitutions at G20 and neighboring positions highlight the essential contributions of a glycine-specific tight turn and adjoining inter-subunit side-chain hydrogen bonds to the stability and architectural specificity of the intertwined dimer. Comparison of L- and D amino acid substitutions thus provides an example of the stereospecific control of an energy landscape by a helix-capping residue.
Electrochemical Assay of Proteinase Inhibitors Using Polycation-Sensitive Membrane Electrode Detection☆

Abstract A simple and sensitive electrochemical method suitable for real time detection of trypsin-like proteinase inhibitors is described. The method is based on utilizing a protamine (a polycationic substrate for trypsin-like proteinases)-sensitive membrane electrode to monitor, potentiometrically, the initial rate of protamine decomposition upon the addition of a proteinase–antiproteinase test solution. In the presence of proteinase inhibitors, the initial rate of change in electromotive force is dependent on the concentration of proteinase inhibitor in the sample solution. The feasibility of this new assay method is demonstrated by detecting four inhibitors of trypsin-like proteinases: α 1 -antiproteinase inhibitor, α 2 -macroglobulin, aprotinin, and soybean inhibitor, using trypsin as the indicator proteinase. The efficacy of inhibition by each species, as expressed by I 50 values (concentration of the inhibitor that induces 50% of the maximum proteinase inhibition), is shown to correlate well with literature values for the association constant of the proteinase–antiproteinase complex ( k assoc ). The proposed electrochemical assay for aprotinin is examined further using trypsin, plasmin, and kallikrein as the proteinase indicator reagents. It is found that the trypsin–aprotinin system offers the highest sensitivity and lowest detection limit for aprotinin detection. Application of the proposed method for measuring aprotinin in pretreated plasma samples is also reported.
Effect of species mix on size/density and leaf-area relations in Southwest pinyon/juniper woodlands

Schuler, T.M. and Smith, F.W., 1988. Effect of species mix on size/density and leaf-area relations in southwest pinyon/juniper woodlands. For. Ecol. Manage., 25: 211-220. The effects of species mix on stand structure and growth are evaluated for 117 pinyon (Pinus edulis Engelm.) and juniper ( Juniperus monosperma (Engelm.) Sarg and J. osteosperma (Tort.) Little) woodlands of the southwestern United States. Maximum-size/density relations, leaf area and growth of pure and mixed-species woodlands are compared. Structure of pure and mixedspecies woodlands appeared to be restricted by maximum-size/density relations. Maximum Stand Density Index (SDI) for mixed-species woodlands was 30% greater than for pure woodlands. Ceiling leaf areas were 3.6 for mixed-species, 3.5 for pure pinyon and 1.0 for pure juniper woodlands. Ceiling leaf area varied with species mix and soil type. Highest growth of mixed-species woodlands occurred at maximum woodland and pinyon SDL We suggest that higher size/density, leaf area and growth relations in mixed-species woodlands than in pure woodlands are related to differences in rooting habit and water relations between pinyon and juniper.
Low back pain in adolescents: a comparison of clinical outcomes in sports participants and nonparticipants.

Abstract Context: Back pain is common in adolescents. Participation in sports has been identified as a risk factor for the development of back pain in adolescents, but the influence of sports parti...
ADAPTIVE STRUCTURES FOR LARGE PRECISION ANTENNAS

Optimal controller design approach for high precision pointing maneuver of flexible spacecraft by using adaptive structures is investigated in this paper. A parameter optimization technique is used to find out controller parameters minimizing a desired objective function which represents pointing performance of a flexible space structure. Multi-input and multi-output configuration used in this study also provides insight on the effectiveness of actuator location for improved performance. Copyright 0 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd
A perspective on the determination of mitochondrial biogenesis

The measurement of mitochondrial biogenesis is important in the determination of aging and disease processes and the assessment of countermeasurements to them. We argue that the frequently used assessments of cell signaling, mitochondrial protein mRNA, mitochondrial protein expression or enzyme activity, and mitochondrial density are not measurements that can lead to conclusions about mitochondrial biogenesis. Instead, we propose that only measurements of mitochondrial synthesis are indicative of biogenesis. Clarification of this issue will hopefully result in further differentiation of the processes important for morphological and functional changes of mitochondria.
Housing the “Front Office to the World” Urban Planning for the Service Economy in Battery Park City, New York

The planning philosophy of David Rockefeller and his Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association shaped the development of New York’s Battery Park City. Although the project’s plans evolved from a superblock development resembling a space station to an example of New Urbanism, each design was aimed at creating a walkable, mixed-use, twenty-four-hour city in Lower Manhattan that would support the nearby financial district. Overall, the history of the project demonstrates that continuity exists between a philosophy of slum clearance urban renewal and current urban planning thinking. Additionally, Battery Park shows how planners sought to remake financial districts at a time of urban crisis.
Associations Between Caregiving and Health Outcomes Among Parents of Children with Mental Illness: An Attachment Perspective

This study examines the associations between attachment, caregiving, and health outcomes (perceptions of somatic and depressive symptoms) in a sample of 194 parents who have a child with mental illness. Securely attached parents reported using more comforting behavior and tactile communication with their children with mental illness. Parents with a fearful attachment reported using more overinvolved and egocentric caregiving, as well as less tactile communication, and these caregiving behaviors partially mediated a positive association between fearful attachment and both somatic and depressive symptom reports. Parents with a preoccupied attachment style reported using more overinvolved, supportive, egocentric, and emotionally insensitive caregiving behavior, as well as having more depressive symptoms. The association between preoccupied attachment and depressive symptom reports was partially mediated by overinvolved caregiving. Practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
Real-time estimation of human impedance for haptic interfaces

Humans significantly vary the impedance of their limbs during many manipulation tasks and during interaction with their environment. Humans vary their impedance to reduce contact forces, to increase positional control, and to stabilize unstable dynamics. The neuromuscular system modulates overall limb impedance by strategically selecting appropriate limb configurations and by selective activation of musculature. To date, haptic interfaces neither respond to nor measure these effects. We seek a real-time measurement technique to estimate user impedance, with the hope of enabling variable impedance based control of telerobots and haptic environments. We propose that such a measure might be generated through the introduction of controlled vibrations to the user through a haptic device. A model for such a system and its implications on device design is described. The results of preliminary study using a prototype device are compared to reference measurements of user stiffness and grip force.
Electrochemical kinetics of parallel reactions

Abstract The electrochemical oxidation of complex molecules (e.g., hydrocarbons) sometimes involves branched reactions. Under these conditions, it is difficult to define a reversible potential and the coulombic efficiencies of product formation may then be potential-dependent. A number of cases of the kinetics of branched reactions of the type with step A → B rate-determining, are worked out. It is found that in most cases, the coulombic yields are potential-dependent over certain potential regions. The calculated variation of coulombic yields with potential is compared with results obtained in the anodic oxidation of some unsaturated hydrocarbons.
A Prospective Comparison of Pulmonary Function Using Traditional and Kinematic Measures in Children With and Without Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Abstract Purpose Traditional pulmonary function testing can be difficult for both the subject and the test administrator and are dependent on the subject's effort and ability to follow directions. An alternative to traditional pulmonary function testing is the kinematic analysis of the chest wall. Kinematic analysis is a reliable and accurate method to evaluate pulmonary function testing that does not have the restrictions of traditional methods. It is the purpose of this study to present a new model for measuring chest motion during pulmonary function testing of children with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and able-bodied children. Procedures Traditional pulmonary function testing and kinematic assessment of the chest wall was measured simultaneously during a flow volume loop and maximum voluntary ventilation test. Fifteen children with AIS and 15 able-bodied children were measured. Differences between the two groups (AIS and able-bodied) and the two testing methods (traditional and kinematic testing) were analyzed. Correlations for the two testing methods and interclass coefficients for the kinematic analysis were measured. Findings There were no significant differences between the control group and the scoliosis group when comparing data from traditional and kinematic assessments. When comparing the differences between the traditional and kinematic data collection methods, there were significant differences for the flow volume loop and maximum voluntary ventilation. For all significant parameters, the kinematic analysis demonstrated higher values. Moderate to high Pearson correlations were found between collection methods, and high to moderate interclass correlation coefficient values were found for the kinematic analysis of the chest wall. Principal Conclusions Kinematics of the chest wall can be used as a valuable resource in the future when measuring pulmonary function when a traditional method is not a viable option.
High rates of metal allergy amongst Nuss procedure patients dictate broader pre-operative testing.

Abstract Purpose A previous study from our group estimated that as few as 2.2% of pectus excavatum patients suffered from allergy to the implanted metal bar. We sought to assess recent changes in incidence of metal allergy and identify the benefit of metal allergy testing prior to surgery. Methods A retrospective review was performed of all consenting patients undergoing pectus repair during the six years between 9/2004 and 12/2010 at our institution. Incidence was based on clinical symptoms and/or T.R.U.E.® patch testing. Demographic data, history of atopy and history of metal allergy were collected. Type and number of bars used, suture site infection, skin rash and wound infection rates were reviewed. Results Forty one of 639 patients (6.4%) had clinical or patch test evidence of metal allergy. Family history of metal allergy and pre-operative history of metal sensitivity were found to be statistically significant correlates. Conclusions The rate of metal allergy in the pectus excavatum population may be higher than previously reported. Patient or family history of metal allergy or metal sensitization may indicate increased risk. Metal allergy testing should be performed before Nuss procedure.
$\hbox{Au/SiO}_{2}$ Nanoring Plasmon Waveguides at Optical Communication Band

We design and investigate plasmon waveguides based on linear arrays of Au nanorings in an SiO2 host for use in an optical communication band (lambda ~ 1550 nm). Nanoring particles have better tunability and can achieve more laterally compact waveguides, compared to their solid counterparts, such as nanospheres and nanodisks. Three-dimensional simulations employing the finite-difference time-domain algorithm are used to determine the set of geometrical parameters attaining localized surface plasmon resonance at 1550 nm. It is found out that, in the SiO2 host, Au nanorings attain LSPR at 1550 nm with a 175-nm inner diameter, a 35-nm height, and a 30-nm thickness. It is shown that linear chains of Au nanorings can transport the electromagnetic energy at 1550 nm, with transmission losses gammaT = 3 dB/655 nm and gammaL = 3 dB/443 nm and group velocities nugT = 0.177c0 and nugL = 0.327c0 for transverse and longitudinal polarizations, respectively, where c0 is the speed of light in a vacuum.
Infectious Complications Following Pancreatic Transplantation: Incidence, Microbiological and Clinical Characteristics, and Outcome

The infectious complications following pancreatic transplantation in 34 consecutive recipients were analyzed during a mean follow-up of 39 months. Twenty-seven recipients (79%) developed a mean of 2.1 serious infectious complications. Three of the six deaths (overall mortality, 18%) were infection related. Thirty-three percent of severe infectious episodes were caused by bacteria (72% by gram-positive cocci) and 26% by fungi (87% by Candida species); severe cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection accounted for 33% of infectious complications. CMV disease and organ involvement occurred most frequently in the donor-seropositive/recipient-seronegative group (36%), followed by the donor-seronegative/recipient-seropositive group (25%). In four patients (12%) Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) developed, directly resulting in two deaths. PTLD developed in two of the three EBV-seronegative and two of the 31 EBV-seropositive recipients. Infections due to herpes simplex and zoster viruses and Pneumocystis carinii (2, 3, and 1, respectively) developed in 6 patients. The use of OKT3 for rejection therapy was associated with symptomatic CMV disease and EBV-related PTLD. In summary, severe infectious complications are the main cause of morbidity and death among patients who undergo pancreas transplantation. Aggressive antimicrobial prophylactic regimens are required to decrease the effects of such complications.
Nabobs Revisited: A Cultural History of British Imperialism and the Indian Question in Late‐Eighteenth‐Century Britain

Studies of the late eighteenth-century British empire in India have long used the figure of the nabob to personify political debates collectively known as “the India question.” These nabobs, employees of the East India Company, were (and continue to be) represented as rapacious villains. This article will revisit the history of nabobs to offer a cultural history of British imperialism in late eighteenth-century India. It will argue that nabobs were representative figures in the political debates surrounding imperialism in South Asia because they were hybrid figures who made Britain’s empire more real to domestic British observers. It will argue that the nabobs’ hybrid identity hinged on the collection of material artifacts they brought back to Britain from India. Nabobs stood at the boundary between nation and empire, and they suggested the frontier was permeable. They exposed the degree to which the projects of building a nation and an empire were mutually constitutive.
Di­chloro­oxo(N,N′,N′′‐tri­methyl‐1,4,7‐tri­aza­cyclo­nonane‐κ3N)­vanadium(IV)

In the title compound, [VOCl2(C9H21N3)], the V atom is at the center of a distorted octahedral coordination sphere and is coordinated by the three N atoms of the N,N′,N′′-tri­methyl-1,4,7-tri­aza­cyclo­nonane (Me3tacn) ligand, and by two chlorides and an oxo ligand.
Foreign Investment and Income Inequality: The Natural Experiment of Central and Eastern Europe

How does foreign direct investment (FDI) affect income inequality? We bring evidence from the natural experiment of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to bear on a hotly debated topic. We begin by outlining the literature on the effect of FDI on income inequality, and the serious critiques offered by Firebaugh that raised doubt on previous research. We then discuss the ways in which CEE countries provide a natural experiment with which to contribute to this debate. We estimate a series of fi effects regression models that relate income inequality to foreign investment and a baseline internal development model. We fi that foreign investment has a robust positive effect on income inequality, net of unmeasured heterogeneity across cases, the internal development model, additional controls, and the critiques offered by Firebaugh. Further, we show that the effect is observable over the short term, no matter how FDI is measured. We conclude by directing attention to CEE countries as a historically unique opportunity to gauge the effect of exposure to the world economy on many development outcomes.