Device for mechanically stabilizing web ribbon buttons during growth initiation

The invention relates to a stabilization device for stabilizing dendritic web seed buttons during initiation of crystal growth from a float melt zone. The invention includes angular maintenance means for maintaining a constant angular orientation between the axis of a growth initiation seed and the upper surface of a web button during withdrawal of the web button from the melt. In the preferred embodiment, the angular means includes an adjustable elevation tube which surrounds the seed, the weight of which may be selectively supported by the seed button during web button withdrawal

Scriber for silicon wafers

A device for dividing silicon wafers into rectangular chips is characterized by a base including a horizontally oriented bed with a planar support surface, a vacuum chuck adapted to capture a silicon wafer seated on the support for translation in mutually perpendicular directions. A stylus support mounted on the bed includes a shaft disposed above and extended across the bed and a truck mounted on the shaft and supported thereby for linear translation along a path extended across the bed a vertically oriented scribe has a diamond tip supported by the truck also adapted as to engage a silicon wafer captured by the chuck and positioned beneath it in order to form score lines in the surface of the wafer as linear translation is imparted to the truck. A chuck positioning means is mounted on the base and is connected to the chuck for positioning the chuck relative to the stylus

Analysis of Three-Dimensional Protein Images

A fundamental goal of research in molecular biology is to understand protein structure. Protein crystallography is currently the most successful method for determining the three-dimensional (3D) conformation of a protein, yet it remains labor intensive and relies on an expert's ability to derive and evaluate a protein scene model. In this paper, the problem of protein structure determination is formulated as an exercise in scene analysis. A computational methodology is presented in which a 3D image of a protein is segmented into a graph of critical points. Bayesian and certainty factor approaches are described and used to analyze critical point graphs and identify meaningful substructures, such as alpha-helices and beta-sheets. Results of applying the methodologies to protein images at low and medium resolution are reported. The research is related to approaches to representation, segmentation and classification in vision, as well as to top-down approaches to protein structure prediction.Comment: See http://www.jair.org/ for any accompanying file

Planet formation models: the interplay with the planetesimal disc

According to the sequential accretion model, giant planet formation is based first on the formation of a solid core which, when massive enough, can gravitationally bind gas from the nebula to form the envelope. In order to trigger the accretion of gas, the core has to grow up to several Earth masses before the gas component of the protoplanetary disc dissipates. We compute the formation of planets, considering the oligarchic regime for the growth of the solid core. Embryos growing in the disc stir their neighbour planetesimals, exciting their relative velocities, which makes accretion more difficult. We compute the excitation state of planetesimals, as a result of stirring by forming planets, and gas-solid interactions. We find that the formation of giant planets is favoured by the accretion of small planetesimals, as their random velocities are more easily damped by the gas drag of the nebula. Moreover, the capture radius of a protoplanet with a (tiny) envelope is also larger for small planetesimals. However, planets migrate as a result of disc-planet angular momentum exchange, with important consequences for their survival: due to the slow growth of a protoplanet in the oligarchic regime, rapid inward type I migration has important implications on intermediate mass planets that have not started yet their runaway accretion phase of gas. Most of these planets are lost in the central star. Surviving planets have either masses below 10 ME or above several Jupiter masses. To form giant planets before the dissipation of the disc, small planetesimals (~ 0.1 km) have to be the major contributors of the solid accretion process. However, the combination of oligarchic growth and fast inward migration leads to the absence of intermediate mass planets. Other processes must therefore be at work in order to explain the population of extrasolar planets presently known.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

The Effects of Myoglobin, Nitrosylmyoglobin, and Free Iron on the Growth of Clostridium botulinum in Cured Meat

Although nitrite is a known inhibitor of Clostridium botulinum in cured meats, the mechanism of inhibition is not understood. The observation has been made that iron is required for growth of C. botulinum and that the role of nitrite may be to alter the pathway of iron uptake by these organisms. Since the color change in cured meats is due to the binding of nitrite to the heme group of meat pigments, it was hypothesized that nitrite may also be tying up an essential iron source, heme. This experiment was an investigation of the possibility that myoglobin added to a meat system would stimulate growth and toxin production by C. botulinum much more than myoglobin that had been nitrosylated before inclusion in the product. Treatments were included to compare the effects of a heme iron source, myoglobin, with that of an ionic source, ferric chloride. To help understand the role of free iron in botulinal growth, several treatments contained a metal ion chlator, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Nitrite caused a definite delay of growth, as evidenced by gas bubbles, when compared with a non-nitrite system. Addition of ferric chloride resulted in an increase in the rate of of appearance of swollen samples, although growth was enhanced even more when myoglobin was added. When nitrosylated myoglobin was included, growth was inhibited more than in the treatment with nitrite alone. EDTA inhibited growth of C. botulinum but a conclusion should not be made with respect to the chelation of iron since EDTA chelates many other metals. Residual nitrite levels had declined to below 10 ppm by the time swelling occurred. Although swelling did not occur until nitrite had declined in the products, the absence of nitrite alone did not allow growth and toxin production. Since nitrosylated myoglobin and EDTA inhibited botulinal growth even after residual nitrite had declined, it is possible that the inhibitory action of nitrite is creating a nutritional deficiency for C. botulinum

Data Management for Research Grants: A Marquette Pilot Project

Presenters will report on an ongoing pilot project to manage data generated by National Science Foundation grants using bepress’ Digital Commons institutional repository software. The challenge of creating a home for data on a repository created for publications was met through the creation of a series that brings together all grant output, i.e. raw and aggregated data, publications, presentations, and other research output. Further challenges in obtaining and managing varying formats of raw data (numerical, image, video, sound), and large volumes of data will be discussed. Metadata for series with such diverse formats presents its own difficulties, especially when a main component is the description of datasets. Finally, the importance of partnering with various stakeholders, both in the library and on campus, cannot be overstated, and the working relationship between these groups will be explored

Child Physical Abuse and Neglect

Although poor and inhumane treatment of children is not a new phenomenon (Doerner & Lab, 1998; Wolfe, 1999), child physical abuse and neglect were not identified as serious social problems until the 1960s, with the publication of Kempe and colleagues’ description of battered-child syndrome (Kempe, Silverman, Steele, Droegemueller, & Silver, 1962). In this influential study, Kempe and colleagues described the clinical manifestation of this syndrome in terms of the deleterious physical consequences maltreated children experienced, ranging from undetected outcomes to those that cause significant physical impairments. Rather than exploring the potential psychological sequelae of maltreated children, Kempe focused on detailing the psychiatric profiles of abusive parents. They concluded that, although not all maltreating parents possess severe psychiatric disturbances, “in most cases some defect in character structure is probably present; often parents may be repeating the type of child care practiced on them in their childhood” (p. 112). Since Kempe and colleagues’ original characterization of physical abuse, professionals have grappled with exactly how to define child maltreatment. As many have pointed out, child maltreatment is a complex and heterogeneous problem (e.g., Cicchetti, 1990; Wolfe & Mc- Gee, 1991; Zuravin, 1991) that is difficult to define (Wolfe, 1987, 1999). In a summary of definitional consider ations, Zuravin (1991) suggested that operational definitions of abuse and neglect should differentiate among subcategories of maltreating behavior and should consider issues such as severity and chronicity. Before we discuss the respective definitions of child physical abuse and neglect, we will briefly review the legal aspects of these definitions

Shame And Negative Body Image In Adolescent Females

Current research in the fields of shame, body image, and adolescent female weight has had little convergence until recently. Biological changes that occur during adolescence, particularly weight gain for females, may result in feelings of shame. Shame is an involuntary reaction to the belief that the self is inherently flawed. Body image begins to form in early childhood, and is a multidimensional construct that refers to subjective perceptual and altitudinal experiences about one\u27s body, particularly one\u27s physical appearance (Cash, Melnyk, & Hrabosky, 2004, p.305). Body image may be negatively impacted when the adolescent female\u27s belief that her actual body is at odds with her internalized body ideal. This study examined body image and shame of average weight and obese adolescent females. Eighty females from northwest high schools and church youth groups were administered The Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (Mendelson, White, & Mendelson, 1 997), the Thurston Cradock Test of Shame (TCT) (Thurston & Cradock, 1 998), and were assessed for weight according to the Body Mass Index (Wilson and Jeffrey\u27s study as cited in Hersen & Bellack, 1 988). Participants also filled out a demographic questionnaire. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two TCT presentation conditions. Half of the participants were given the revised card six (an obese child being punished) and the other half were given the original card six (a non-obese child being punished). Shame, as measured by the TCT, did not have a significant relationship with the participants\u27 BMI or the participants\u27 Body Esteem Scale (BES)-appearance (subscale) rating, neither did the resolution scores of the TCT cards. The only significant differences were revealed between testing locations (private high schools, public high schools, or church youth group). Future research may benefit from revising this study. Location differences indicate focus on matching the selection sample by either testing at all public high schools, all private high schools, or all youth groups may limit sample variance. A clinical interview that includes history of environmental influences (home, school, peers, media, etc.) which have contributed to how the individual\u27s body image developed is also worth considering for future research

Fermionic Symmetries: Extension of the two to one Relationship Between the Spectra of Even-Even and Neighbouring Odd mass Nuclei

In the single j shell there is a two to one relationship between the spectra of certain even-even and neighbouring odd mass nuclei e.g. the calculated energy levels of J=0^+ states in ^{44}Ti are at twice the energies of corresponding levels in ^{43}Ti(^{43}Sc) with J=j=7/2. Here an approximate extension of the relationship is made by adopting a truncated seniority scheme i.e. for ^{46}Ti and ^{45}Sc we get the relationship if we do not allow the seniority v=4 states to mix with the v=0 and v=2 states. Better than that, we get very close to the two to one relationship if seniority v=4 states are admixed perturbatively. In addition, it is shown that the higher isospin states do not contain seniority 4 admixtures.Comment: 11 pages, RevTex file and no figures, typos added, references changed and changed content