cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal distributed estimation fusion with transformed data

Most of the existing distributed estimation fusion algorithms rely on the existence of the inverses of the corresponding error covariance matrices, e.g., distributed estimation fusion algorithms based on the information form of the Kalman filter and the optimal weighted least-square (WLS) estimator. Theoretically speaking, the error covariance matrices are only at least positive semi-definite and not necessarily invertible. To overcome this, by taking a linear transformation of the raw measurements received by each local sensor, an optimal distributed estimation fusion scheme is proposed in this paper. Compared with the existing distributed estimation fusion schemes, the new algorithm is not only optimal in the sense that it is equivalent to the centralized fusion, the communication requirements from each sensor to the fusion center are equal to or less than most of the existing distributed fusion algorithms. One possible way to relieve the computational complexity of the new algorithm is also discussed.
Studies on the formation of transfer ribonucleic acid-ribosome complexes. VII. The role of the 3'-hydroxyl-terminal end of transfer ribonucleic acid for interaction with ribosomes and ribosomal subunits.

Abstract The ability of altered transfer ribonucleic acid to compete with binding of [14C]aminoacyl- and [14C]tRNA was used as an estimate of its capacity to bind to ribosomes. Transfer ribonucleic acid with the terminal 3'-hydroxyl pA, pCpA, and pCpCpA enzymatically removed could bind to 70 S ribosomes with progressively lower efficiency; in contrast, binding to 30 S subunits was unimpaired. Transfer ribonucleic acid with the entire CCA terminus removed could bind to 70 S ribosomes about half as well as intact tRNA. Periodate oxidation reduced the binding of tRNA to 70 S ribosomes by 80%. Periodate, therefore, not only oxidizes the terminal vicinal hydroxyl groups of tRNA, but also 1 internal residue or more of certain tRNA species.
General Proximal Point Algorithmic Models and Nonlinear Variational Inclusions Involving RMM Mappings

The proximal point algorithms based on relative $A$-maximal monotonicity (RMM) is introduced, and then it is applied to the approximation solvability of a general class of nonlinear inclusion problems using the generalized resolvent operator technique. This algorithm seems to be more application-oriented to solving nonlinear inclusion problems. Furthermore, the obtained result could be applied to generalize the Douglas-Rachford splitting method to the case of RMM mapping based on the generalized proximal point algorithm.
Transportal Radioembolization as Salvage Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy to Maintain Liver Transplant Candidacy

A 53-year-old woman with chronic hepatitis B and multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma was unable to receive transarterial radioembolization and had disease progression despite multiple chemoembolizations and systemic chemotherapy. Transportal radioembolization (TPRE) to maintain transplant candidacy was performed. Two lesions (1.7 cm, 1.4 cm) were treated with a single session of TPRE. Imaging performed at 4 months after TPRE demonstrated complete response in one lesion and stable disease in the other. This case illustrates TPRE as a salvage therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in select patients.
Predictor-corrector formulas based on rational interpolants*

Abstract Title formulas are developed for particular use in the solution of nonlinear differential equations which in general offer no clue as to the presence of singularities on or near the path of integration. Procedure is advantageous since the approximations ascertain the existence of zeros and poles and locate these data with great accuracy. The function y = J1(x)/Jo(x) where Jn(x) is the Bessel function of the first kind satisfies a first order nonlinear differential equation of the Riccati type, and has an infinite number of zeros and poles on the positive real axis. A numerical example is provided to illustrate computation of these singular points in 0
Coupling sensing to crop models for closed-loop plant production in advanced life support systems

We present a conceptual framework for coupling sensing to crop models for closed-loop analysis of plant production for NASA's program in advanced life support. Crop status may be monitored through non-destructive observations, while models may be independently applied to crop production planning and decision support. To achieve coupling, environmental variables and observations are linked to mode inputs and outputs, and monitoring results compared with model predictions of plant growth and development. The information thus provided may be useful in diagnosing problems with the plant growth system, or as a feedback to the model for evaluation of plant scheduling and potential yield. In this paper, we demonstrate this coupling using machine vision sensing of canopy height and top projected canopy area, and the CROPGRO crop growth model. Model simulations and scenarios are used for illustration. We also compare model predictions of the machine vision variables with data from soybean experiments conducted at New Jersey Agriculture Experiment Station Horticulture Greenhouse Facility, Rutgers University. Model simulations produce reasonable agreement with the available data, supporting our illustration.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Urinary isoflavone excretion in Korean adults: comparisons of fermented soybean paste and unfermented soy flour

BACKGROUND: This study compared the 24 h urinary excretion of isoflavone algycones after the consumption of fermented soybean paste or unfermented soy flour in a population of healthy Koreans (four males and five females). An equivalent amount (20 mg) of total isoflavone was consumed as either 52 g of soybean paste or 12.2 g of soy flour in a randomised, crossover trial consisting of two single-time-point feedings and having 3 day run-in and washout periods between feedings. RESULTS: Analysis of starting materials indicated that daidzein (1.4%) and genistein (1.4%) constituted a smaller proportion of the total isoflavones in soy flour as compared with soybean paste (55.3% daidzein and 45.7% genistein). Free and glycosidic forms of isoflavones differed significantly between the two soy products. Levels of β-glycosides as well as total glycosides (β-glycosides, malonyl and acetyl forms) were two-fold higher in soy flour as compared with soybean paste. Malonyl forms predominated in soy flour. CONCLUSIONS: The consumption of soybean paste resulted in significantly higher urinary excretion of both daidzein and genistein as compared with soy flour (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 respectively). Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
A modified iterative sandwich method for determination of near-solidus partial melt compositions. I. Theoretical considerations

The sandwich technique for determining the composition of partial melts in equilibrium with mantle lithologies may be a particularly powerful method for determining melt compositions at the onset of melting if the method is applied iteratively. However, conventional iterative sandwich experiments, in which the liquid from a preceding experiment is used as the “meat” of the sandwich in the following experiment, may require many iterations before the melts produced can be directly relatable to the melting relations of the target bulk rock composition. A modified iterative sandwich experimental (MISE) technique is proposed that may circumvent many of the problems of more conventional techniques. Consideration of experimental uncertainties, including both random and systematic errors in determination of partial melt compositions as well as the influence of errors in estimates of the solidus temperature of the rock of interest, suggests that the MISE technique may produce robust results even when melt composition errors are significant and that errors in estimation of the solidus location are detectable and therefore avoidable.
Solid State Electrochemical Sensor for Monitoring Lean Direct Injection Engines

This work presents a novel scheme for the use of an oxygen sensor operating in dynamic engine conditions. Our modeling and experimental work show that a solid state, single cell, amperometric oxygen sensor located inside the cylinder of a lean direct injection engine produces a signal that provides different information depending on the stroke. During the intake stroke, the sensor’s signal is proportional to the partial pressure of oxygen, facilitating exhaust gas recirculation. During the compression stroke of a diesel engine prior to fuel injection, the sensor’s output indicates the cylinder pressure, which is useful for control and diagnostic purposes. The signal during the power stroke confirms combustion. During the exhaust stroke, the sensor’s signal indicates the oxygen quantity after combustion. Our model of engine and sensor operation simulates the changes in air properties including temperature, pressure, and oxygen concentration over the entire four strokes of the diesel cycle; these parameters affect the diffusivity of oxygen and the signal output. The model describes a sensor signal limited by diffusion or electrolytic conductivity depending on electrode design parameters (dimensions, porosity, tortuosity, etc). Knowledge of the sensor temperature and the engine crank angle are required in order to evaluate the signal. Experimental results confirm the pressure dependence of the oxygen sensor’s output signal when using air as the analyte fluid.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Endecott and the Red Cross: Puritan Iconoclasm in the New World

The place was Salem, noon on an autumnal day in 1634 as Nathaniel Hawthorne told the story. The town's train band has assembled to be put through its paces. Fluttering in the wind is the military ensign featuring the royal colours – the red cross of St. George on a white field. Captain John Endecott receives a message from Roger Williams, who has just returned from Boston. The note tells of a plan by the king to send a governor general to rule Massachusetts and establish episcopacy. “Endecott,” writes Hawthorne, “gazed round at the excited countenances of the people, now full of his own spirit, and then turned suddenly to the standard-bearer, who stood close behind him:”‘Officer, lower your banner!’ said he.
The rotational transition in adsorbed methane films

Abstract Heat capacity measurements of multilayer methane film adsorbed on exfoliated graphite surfaces were made between 12 and 25 K. The heat capacity peak height and the heat associated with rotational transition were found to decrease as the film thickness was reduced. Our data suggest that the bulk-like rotational ordering transition is absent for an adsorbed film less than 3.6 ± 0.5 layers thick. The transition temperature was found to shift to a lower value as the film thickness was reduced.
Alewife planktivory controls the abundance of two invasive predatory cladocerans in Lake Michigan

SUMMARY 1. We sampled along a nearshore transect (10-m bathymetric contour) in Lake Michigan to determine diet, 24-h feeding periodicity, daily ration and food requirements of an invasive fish, the alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus, relative to zooplankton abundance and production. Our objective was to determine whether the alewife controls the abundance of two invasive, predatory cladocerans, Bythotrephes longimanus and Cercopagis pengoi. 2. Bosminidae was the most abundant prey taxon and Chydoridae, Leptodora, Chironomidae and Bythotrephes were the least abundant. Neither Bythotrephes nor Cercopagis were important prey for small alewives (£100 mm). Bythotrephes was eaten by over 50% of large alewives (>100 mm) and accounted for 10–27% of the diet weight. Cercopagis was eaten by about 30% of the large alewives but only accounted 1% of the diet weight. 3. Food weight in stomachs was highest early in the night for small alewives and lowest at night for large alewives. Chironomidae and large Chydoridae were the preferred prey of small alewives. Bythotrephes and large Chydoridae were the preferred prey for large alewives. 4. Food requirements of alewife were much less than production for most prey taxa, although the consumption of Bythotrephes greatly exceeded production on both dates. Alewives consumed only 3% of Cercopagis production. High selectivity and food requirements of alewife for Bythotrephes, and low selectivity and food requirements for Cercopagis, probably explain the difference in abundance between these two invasive cladocerans at our nearshore site in Lake Michigan.
Advances in the numerical treatment of grain-boundary migration: Coupling with mass transport and mechanics☆

Abstract This work is based upon a coupled, lattice-based continuum formulation that was previously applied to problems involving strong coupling between mechanics and mass transport; e.g. diffusional creep and electromigration [K. Garikipati, L.C. Bassman, M.D. Deal, A lattice-based micromechanical continuum formulation for stress-driven mass transport in polycrystalline solids, J. Mech. Phys. Solids 49(6) (2001) 1209–1237; K. Garikipati, L.C. Bassman, Atomically-based field formulations for coupled problems of composition and mechanics, in: L.P. Kubin, J.L. Bassani, K. Cho, H. Gao, R.L.B. Selinger (Eds.), MRS symposium proceedings, Multiscale Modeling of Materials—2000, vol. 653, Materials Research Society, Warrendale, 2001, pp. Z9.6.1–Z9.6.6]. Here we discuss an enhancement of this formulation to account for migrating grain boundaries. The level set method is used to model grain-boundary migration in an Eulerian framework where a grain boundary is represented as the zero level set of an evolving higher-dimensional function. This approach can easily be generalized to model other problems involving migrating interfaces; e.g. void evolution and free-surface morphology evolution. The level-set equation is recast in a remarkably simple form which obviates the need for spatial stabilization techniques. This simplified level-set formulation makes use of velocity extension and field re-initialization techniques. In addition, a least-squares smoothing technique is used to compute the local curvature of a grain boundary directly from the level-set field without resorting to higher-order interpolation. A notable feature is that the coupling between mass transport, mechanics and grain-boundary migration is fully accounted for. The complexities associated with this coupling are highlighted and the operator-split algorithm used to solve the coupled equations is described.
Repeated stress causes reversible impairments of spatial memory performance

Restraint stress, 6 h/day for 21 days, caused an impairment, during acquisition, of the performance of a spatial memory task, the eight-arm radial maze. The impairment was reversible, temporally limited and blocked by phenytoin, a blocker of excitatory amino acid action, or tianeptine, an antidepressant, which lowers extracellular serotonin. These effects on behavior parallel the reversible stress-induced atrophy of dendrites of hippocampal CA3 neurons that are also blocked by the drugs.
Communication failure in the operating room

Background Communication errors contribute to the occurrence of adverse events in various domains of health care. Recent studies surveying perceptions of communication in the operating room have found disparities in the perceived quality of communication among members of the operating room team. Our aim was to characterize the nature of communication failures observed in the operating room and to assess whether a Team Training curriculum had any impact on observed communication errors. Methods Intraoperative observation was performed and communication errors were identified according to predetermined criteria. Observed errors were classified according to the type of error, subject matter, and observed effect. Results Seventy-six communication failures were observed over 150 hours of observation. Overall, communication errors relating to equipment and keeping team members informed of the progress of an operation comprised 36% and 24% of all observed communication errors, respectively. Prior to the introduction of a Team Training curriculum, 56 errors were observed over 76 hours (rate,737 errors per hour; standard error, 0.098). After Team Training, 20 errors over 74 hours were observed (rate .270 errors per hour; standard error, 0.060; P Conclusion Communication failures related most frequently to equipment and keeping team members updated as to the progress of an operation. These failures can lead to procedural delay and inefficiencies. A program that teaches teamwork and communication skills is one strategy that may improve communication among members of the operating room team.
Absolute error bounds for learning linear functions online

In this note, we consider the problem of learning a linear function from ** to ** online. Two previous algorithms have been presented which achieve an optimal sum of squared error terms. We show that neither algorithm performs well with respect to absolute error. We also show that in both problem settings, very simple ideas given an algorithm which achieves optimal or close to optimal worst case absolute error.
Risk-Neutrality versus Risk A version in a Model of Production Efficiency under Uncertainty

In an economy in which pollution from one sector is multiplicatively and stochastically damaging to another sector, there is efficiency when the expected ratio of the marginal rate of substitution to the marginal rate of transformation equals unity. When this ratio of variables is decomposed, the expected marginal rate of substitution approximately equals the expected marginal rate of transformation minus a correction based on covariance and a second correction based on variance. Under one definition of risk-neutrality both corrections vanish, whereas under another definition, it is only the correction based on covariance that vanishes. [Q25]
Shifting sands: the changing case for monetizing project food aid in Bangladesh

Abstract Monetization involves local sale of food aid commodities and using the cash to finance other programs. To explore the likely consequences of monetization, this paper combines a stockpile of recent microeconomic evidence from food and cash-for-work projects in Bangladesh together with a multimarket simulation model. Results suggest that a switch from food-for-work's (FFW) in-kind deliveries of wheat to an identical wheat-financed cash-for-work (CFW) program would unambiguously improve welfare of the poor.
The Escherichia coli Replisome Is Inherently DNA Damage Tolerant

The Escherichia coli DNA replication machinery must frequently overcome template lesions under normal growth conditions. Yet, the outcome of a collision between the replisome and a leading-strand template lesion remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that a single, site-specific, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer leading-strand template lesion provides only a transient block to fork progression in vitro. The replisome remains stably associated with the fork after collision with the lesion. Leading-strand synthesis is then reinitiated downstream of the damage in a reaction that is dependent on the primase, DnaG, but independent of any of the known replication-restart proteins. These observations reveal that the replisome can tolerate leading-strand template lesions without dissociating by synthesizing the leading strand discontinuously.
Anticrack-associated faulting at very high pressure in natural olivine

SHALLOW earthquakes are produced by brittle shear fracture of rock and/or fictional sliding on pre-existing fault surfaces1. At very high pressures, however, brittle fracture and frictional sliding are impossible because frictional resistance to movement on any potential fault surface is so great that ductile stress-relief processes accomodate strain at lower shear stresses than those necessary to activate faulting. Nevertheless, more than 20% of earthquakes with magnitudes greater than five occur at depths greater than 300km, where the pressure exceeds l0 GPa (ref. 2). Possible explanations for this paradox have been offered by several recent experimental studies of shearing instabilities associated with phase transformations at high 3–8. One of these mechanisms is associated with anticrack development during the olivine → spinel (α → γ) phase transformation in Mg2GeO4 at pressures of 1–2 GPa (refs 4–6); it is particularly attractive because it operates between mineral structures known to occur in the mantle. We show here that this mechanism also can operate in natural silicate olivine, (Mg,Fe)2SiO4, during onset of the α → β transformation at the much higher pressures at which deep earthquakes occur. These results lend strong support to the hypothesis that the anticrack mechanism is responsible for such earthquakes4.
Abstract P3-09-17: One year of adjuvant hormone therapy does not increase patient fatigue: Results of a prospective early stage breast cancer trial

INTRODUCTION: The diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer may alter a patient9s mental and physical quality of life. Estrogen effects on the brain may be neuroprotective or detrimental, and adjuvant endocrine therapy may influence cognitive functions including fatigue. We previously reported that three months of adjuvant hormone therapy was not associated with change in fatigue. The purpose of this study was to prospectively determine the incidence of fatigue in early stage breast cancer patients during one year of adjuvant hormone therapy. METHODS: Seventy-four consecutive patients of a single medical oncologist with newly diagnosed hormone dependent breast cancer prescribed adjuvant hormone therapy enrolled in this prospective study. Data collected included age, race, menopausal status, breast cancer stage, body mass index, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT)-F, Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS), short form 36 (SF-36), and cognitive failure questionnaire (CFQ). All tests were administered by one nurse prior to hormone initiation (0 mo) and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months (mo) of therapy. Statistical analysis was performed using Student t test for paired data with a p value of 22, consistent with moderate to severe fatigue. After 12 months of therapy, 52 patients (13 premenopausal, 39 postmenopausal) were still receiving adjuvant hormone therapy and had completed serial testing. Twenty patients received chemotherapy prior to institution of hormone treatment. There were no significant changes in FACIT-F, FAS, SF-36, or CFQs scores during the first 12 months of treatment. Although during the first six months, a small but significant increase in body weight occurred, there was no significant difference between the initial and 12 month body weight. CONCLUSION: Prior to adjuvant hormone therapy institution, breast cancer patients often have significant problems with fatigue. However, the first 12 months of adjuvant hormone therapy does not appear to affect fatigue or cognitive failure. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P3-09-17.
The thermal relations of the tailed frog, ascaphus truei, and the pacific treefrog, Hyla regilla☆

Abstract 1. 1. The tailed frog, Ascaphus truei, is a stenotopic anuran found only in or near swift, cold mountain streams, whereas the pacific treefrog, Hyla regilla, is found in a wide variety of habitats and is much more terrestrial. 2. 2. H. regilla loses body water at a slower rate than does A. truei. 3. 3. H. regilla tends to absorb water more readily from a moist substrate than does A. truei. 4. 4. H. regilla has a significantly greater tolerance to desiccation than does A. truei. 5. 5. A. truei has a greater preference for moisture than does H. regilla. The tailed frogs showed the greatest preference for water, while the Pacific treefrogs seemed to show the greatest preference for wet sand. 6. 6. These observed differences correlate well with the differences between the respective habitats of H. regilla and A. truei.
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY-DEPENDENT SLIDING FRICTION

We have employed a quartz crystal microbalance technique to measure the friction associated with sliding of solid nitrogen along a lead surface, above and below the lead's superconducting transition temperature. The friction is observed to drop abruptly at the transition as the substrate enters the superconducting state. The observation signifies a new phenomenon, most likely attributable to electronic contributions to friction. While such contributions have been discussed and debated theoretically for a number of years, they have heretofore not been observed in any direct experimental fashion.
Genomic organization of the Hoxa4-Hoxa10 region from Morone saxatilis: implications for Hox gene evolution among vertebrates.

The physical mapping of Hox gene clusters from a limited number of vertebrates has shown an overall conservation in gene organization in which major evolutionary changes appear to be primarily restricted to the deletion of one or more genes, with the exception of the amplification of additional clusters as postulated from zebrafish. We have sequenced a 31 kb region of the HoxA cluster from the teleost Morone saxatilis (striped bass), both to provide a detailed physical map of this region and to better understand the nature of Hox cluster evolution among vertebrate taxa. We identified five linked Hox genes: Hoxa4, Hoxa5,Hoxa7, Hoxa9, and Hoxa10, which are organized similarly to those of other vertebrates. Furthermore, we have documented the absence of the Hoxa6 and Hoxa8 genes within the 31 kb contig. Comparison of our results to those published for other vertebrates suggests that the absence of Hoxa6 is a common characteristic of teleosts, whereas the absence of Hoxa8 is common to vertebrates in general, with the possible exception of zebrafish. Further comparisons between the HoxA genes from Morone with those from the pufferfish, Fugu rubripes, revealed the likely presence of a previously unreported Hoxa7 gene, or gene fragment, in the Fugu genome, which suggests that the Hoxa7 gene, unlike Hoxa6 or Hoxa8, is present in teleosts. In addition to these differences in vertebrate Hox cluster structure, we also observed a marked reduction in the length of the Hoxa4–a10 region between vertebrate lineages representative of teleosts and mammals. Comparative analysis of HoxA cluster organization among teleosts and mammals suggests that cluster length reduction and lineage-specific gene loss events are hallmarks of Hox cluster evolution. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 285:41–49, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
An in vitro comparison of the cytotoxic potential of selected dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids and some N-oxides.

Plants producing dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids (DHPAs) are found throughout the world and they are dangerous to human and animal health. Several DHPAs are carcinogenic but only riddelliine has been classified as a potential human carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program. As DHPA-related carcinogenicity is probably linked to cytotoxicity, a model of CRL-2118 chicken hepatocyte cytotoxicity was developed to compare equimolar DHPA exposures between 19 and 300 μM. Alkaloid-related cytotoxicity was estimated using cytomorphology, cell viability reflected by mitochondrial function and cellular degeneration reflected by media lactate dehydrogenase activity. Lasiocarpine induced cytotoxicity and decreased cell viability in a concentration dependent manner at 24 h. At similar concentrations and exposures of 48 and 72 h, seneciphylline, senecionine, monocrotaline and riddelliine were cytotoxic. None of the DHPA-N-oxides were significantly cytotoxic at these concentrations. Using graphic analyses the median cytotoxic concentration (DHPA concentration that produced ½ the maximum response) were estimated. The estimated descending order of cytotoxicity was lasiocarpine, seneciphylline, senecionine, heliotrine, riddelliine, monocrotaline, riddelliine-N-oxide, lycopsamine, intermedine, lasiocarpine-N-oxide and senecionine-N-oxide. This comparison identifies DHPAs that were more cytotoxic than carcinogenic riddelliine. Additional studies to better characterize the carcinogenic potential of these alkaloids are essential to better determine the risk they each may pose for human and animal health.
Effect of hypothermia on median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials.

Abstract Median nerve sornatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) were monitored in ten patients undergoing cardiac surgery with hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Anesthesia was induced and maintained with sufentanil, oxygen, and pancuronium. Esophageal, nasopharyngeal, rectal, and blood temperatures were continuously monitored. SEPs were recorded before induction of anesthesia, after induction, and during cooling and rewarming on CPB. There was a strong negative correlation between SEP latencies and temperature (except rectal) (r = −.91, P
Importance and use of rigid body mode in boundary element method

The superposition of a rigid body mode on a body should result in a corresponding change in displacement values but should not affect the stresses. However, in the numerical solution by the boundary element method (BEM) large errors may be obtained for displacements and stresses if a rigid body mode is present in the input data. To eliminate the effects of the rigid body mode on the numerical accuracy of the solution, the fundamental solutions for displacements must be correctly interpreted and used. The rigid body mode may be unknowingly present in the boundary condition data. It may be present because the boundary data are not known accurately. Or it may be present if the displacement values at the support have been computed from a separate analysis. A rigid body mode may arise due to the collocation nature of satisfying the boundary conditions. The point values of the applied load at the collocation point may not satisfy equilibrium. Or the point values of the specified displacements may not satisfy the condition of zero translation and rotation. For bodies under pure traction, we know that the analytical solution can contain an arbitrary amount of rigid body mode. Numerically, however, some unknown value is assigned to this rigid body mode. It might be desirable (for example in limit analysis) to eliminate the rigid body mode from the displacements to obtain deformation of a point with respect to a point on the body. In addition, knowledge and elimination of the rigid body mode is necessary for the implementation of a scheme described by this author in an earlier work. The importance of the earlier work is that it reduced the sensitivity of the BEM to changes and errors in the input data. In this paper the causes, and the effects of the rigid body mode on the BEM, the correct interpretation of the fundamental solution for displacements and an algorithm for determining and accounting for the rigid body mode are discussed. A numerical example validates the ideas in this paper for the indirect version. The algorithm for the direct version is presented without a numerical example in the Appendices.
Postoperative radiotherapy in thymic carcinoma: Treatment results and prognostic factors

Abstract Purpose: To analyze the treatment results and prognostic factors of patients with primary thymic carcinoma treated by total or subtotal tumor resection followed by radiotherapy alone. Methods and Materials: Between October 1987 and October 1997, 26 patients with thymic carcinoma were treated with complete or incomplete surgical resection and postoperative adjuvant irradiation without chemotherapy. The radiation was delivered with 10-MV X-ray given 5 days per week at 1.8 to 2 Gy per fraction. Total doses ranged from 40 to 70 Gy. All patients had at least 40 months of follow-up. Results: The 5-year overall survival rate, local control rate, and distant metastasis-free rate were 77%, 91%, and 57%, respectively. Several prognostic factors, including sex, age, extent of resection (total resection vs. subtotal resection), Masaoka staging (early Stage I + II vs. advanced Stage III + IV), pathology (low-grade vs. high-grade), and postoperative radiation dose (≥60 Gy vs. p = 0.0482) and distant metastasis-free rate ( p = 0.0193). Conclusions: The Masaoka staging system is the most important prognostic factor in primary thymic carcinoma patients receiving postoperative radiotherapy alone. For resectable tumors, surgery and postoperative radiotherapy can achieve good local control, but the distant metastatic rate is still high. Further investigation of more effective chemotherapy is needed.
Tolerance of Clover Rhizobia to Heat and Desiccation Stresses in Soil

The ability to withstand desiccation and heat is an important attribute of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii for inoculation of clover (Trifolium spp.). Desiccation and heat tolerances of 10 commercial strains of rhizobia and 150 isolates from 15 clover fields in Texas were determined by studying survival of rhizobia in soil incubated at 37°C and −30 J kg −1 water potential for heat stress and 28°C and −1.5 kJ kg −1 water potential for desiccation stress. Fewer commercial strains were tolerant to these environmental stresses than field isolates. Of 150 field isolates, 31 and 19 were able to maintain at least 1% of their initial populations for 1 wk under desiccation and temperature stresses, respectively. Six of the field isolates were tolerant to both stresses, and three of these were effective in N 2 fixation. Only one of 10 commercial strains were tolerant to either stress, and none was tolerant to both stresses. Rhizobia in inoculants are usually selected on their ability to fix N 2 , but it appears that there is good genetic material in field populations for developing strains that have greater tolerance to environmental stresses
Contextualizing the Experience of Young Latino Adults: Acculturation, Social Support and Depression

Using a sample of 850 South Florida Latinos from the Miami-Dade county area, this study analyzes the effects of acculturation on the mental health of Latinos by testing whether family support mediates or moderates this relationship. For Latinos social support, particularly family support, is of special interest since it serves an important buffering function in mental health because of the importance of family values in this group. All of these research inquiries are investigated in a context where Latinos represented the majority of the population. Findings suggest a significant relationship between acculturation and depression that was mediated by family social support. Moderating effects were not discovered. The study discusses the importance of social context in analyzing the acculturation–mental health relationship and finds a strong association between gender, education and mental health.
Pericellular mobilization of the tissue-destructive cysteine proteinases, cathepsins B, L, and S, by human monocyte-derived macrophages.

Human macrophages are believed to damage host tissues in chronic inflammatory disease states, but these cells have been reported to express only modest degradative activity in vitro. However, while examining the ability of human monocytes to degrade the extracellular matrix component elastin, we identified culture conditions under which the cells matured into a macrophage population that displayed a degradative phenotype hundreds of times more destructive than that previously ascribed to any other cell population. The monocyte-derived macrophages synthesized elastinolytic matrix metalloproteinases (i.e., gelatinase B and matrilysin) as well as cysteine proteinases (i.e., cathepsins B, L, and S), but only the cathepsins were detected in the extracellular milieu as fully processed, mature enzymes by either vital fluorescence or active-site labeling. Consistent with these observations, macrophage-mediated elastinolytic activity was not affected by matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors but could be almost completely abrogated by inhibiting cathepsins L and S. These data demonstrate that human macrophages mobilize cysteine proteinases to arm themselves with a powerful effector mechanism that can participate in the pathophysiologic remodeling of the extracellular matrix.
The Ras' Gharib dykes, Red Sea Hills (Egypt): an uplift origin of the secondary magnetic components?

Abstract Paleomagnetic results from post-⪢ Younger Granite⪢ mafic dykes west of Ras' Gharib (north Eastern Desert, Egypt) record complex secondary magnetizations. A sequence of poles calculated for the five different components isolated is as follows: C n = 4 sites λ' = 21.8° S φ' = 342.3° E A 95 = 18.1° D n = 11 samples λ' = 11.3° S φ' = 4.3° E a 95 = 11.6° E n = 3 sites λ' = 41.7°5 φ' = 69.8° E A 95 = 21.7° B n = 6 sites λ' = 55.5°5 φ' = 125.6° E A 95 = 10.3° A n = 6 sites λ' = 75.2° S φ' = 158.1° E A 95 = 6.7° Initially, it was expected that because of their stratigraphic age (latest Precambrian-early Paleozoic), the dykes should record magnetizations associated with the time of emplacement or the latest stages of Pan-African tectonothermal activity. This has not been the case, for when geomagnetic poles are calculated and compared with the Gondwana apparent polar wander curves (Morel and Irving, 1978 Thompson and Clark, 1982), acquisition of a magnetic moment during a period from the mid-Devonian to the Cenozoic is implied. Since there is no known major orogenic phase or igneous activity associated with either the Caledonian or Variscan in this part of northeastern Africa, we suggest uplift as the mechanism responsible for magnetic acquisition.
Measurements of Peripapillary Nerve Fiber Layer Contour in Glaucoma

We developed a method to quantify the surface contour of the peripapillary nerve fiber layer from simultaneous stereoscopic videographic images. Parameters that describe this contour are defined and compared to standard optic nerve structural parameters (cup/disk ratio, disk rim area, cup volume) in three age-matched groups of patients: 52 normal controls, 79 glaucoma suspects, and 101 glaucoma patients. Greater discriminatory information was obtained from the measurements from the superior and inferior quadrants than from the measurements from the temporal and nasal quadrants. This approach helps identify new structural markers that may more closely reflect the number of ganglion cell axons in the optic nerve. Such measurements made longitudinally in living eyes will provide valuable information about the relative rates of ganglion cell death in aging and in glaucoma.
Deoxybenzoin-based polyarylates as halogen-free fire-resistant polymers

The synthesis, processing, and engineering of halogen-free, low heat release, fire-resistant materials present important challenges in polymer materials chemistry. One approach to this problem invo...
The stochastic transportation-location problem

Abstract A stochastic extension of the continuous transportation—location problem has been formulated and characterized mathematically. Both an exact method of solution for small problems and a heuristic algorithm for large scale problems has been developed. Computational results are presented which indicate that the solution methods are very effective.
Perianal Malignant Melanoma in a Dog

Melanocytic tumors are relatively common in dogs and most often occur in the oral cavity, lip, skin, digit, and eye. There are notable differences in the behavior of these tumors, depending on their anatomical location. The majority of oral melanomas and two-thirds of melanomas arising from the digit are malignant, whereas most of melanomas originating from the haired skin are benign. The anus and perianal areas are very uncommon sites for melanocytic tumors in domestic animals except horses, and most of those tumors in horses are malignant. To our knowledge, perianal malignant melanoma has not been reported in the dog and its prognosis is unknown.
Environmental exposures, tumor heterogeneity, and colorectal cancer outcomes

Considerable progress has been made in colorectal cancer (CRC) over the past two decades but it still remains the third commonest and third most deadly cancer in the USA. Epidemiologic and experimental studies have continued to describe links between environmental risk factors for developing nonhereditary CRC. However, the most significant recent advances have come through the understanding of CRC tumor heterogeneity and its impact on the variability of treatment efficacy. Using the KRAS mutation as a predictive biomarker for anti-epidermal growth factor receptor therapy is an example of how the genetic diversity of tumors can lead to a more individual or so-called personalized medicine with the goal of providing more benefits to patients, without unnecessary adverse side effects. Most recent reviews on this topic have focused on the key cancer pathways for which targeted therapies for CRC already exist. Less attention has recently been given to the three major genetic subtypes of CRC. Chromosomal instability, microsatellite instability, and CpG island methylator phenotype are thought to be the three major genetic and epigenetic alterations that drive tumorigenesis. In the past, these genetic alterations were used as a prognostic indicator, but recent data have demonstrated their correlation with treatment response.
Genetic Variants in the Natriuretic Peptide Pathway Predict Protein Expression

Background: Natriuretic peptides (NP) such as BNP represent a critical physiologic pathway in heart failure, and have important therapeutic and diagnostic applications. However, there is wide variability in system functioning, which may be genetic in origin. We previously showed that genetic variation correlates to RNA quantity in key NP pathway genes, but whether genotype is associated with altered protein expression is unknown.Methods: DNA and tissue samples from non-tumor human kidney (n577) were obtained. Kidney was chosen as target tissue because each of the four candidate genes and proteins (natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR1), NPR2, NPR3 and membrane metallo-endopeptidase (MME)) are expressed there. DNA samples were genotyped for 120 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in these four genes using a custom Illumina Goldengate array. Target protein concentration was determined in tissue lysates using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for each target. We tested the association of individual SNPs with protein expression using ANOVA, and used a principal components (PC) based regression method for overall SNP association (within each gene) with protein quantity. P-values !0.05 were considered of interest. Multiple comparisons were accounted for by controlling the false discovery rate (FDR) at 0.05. Results: NPR2 showed substantial linkage disequilibrium, and 11 SNPs were associated with protein expression (p!0.05, Figure). These remained significant when FDR was controlled at 0.05. One SNP in MME had a crude association with protein expression (rs3773895, p!0.05) but this did not meet FDR significance. There were no associations of NPR1 or NPR3 genotypes with protein expression. The principle components analysis showed similar results, with PC1 of NPR2 being the only significant association with protein expression. Conclusion: These data suggest that genetic variation in NPR2 impacts protein expression in kidney. Further study is needed to assess whether genetic variation in NPR2 influences NP system physiology, or the effect of exogenous NPs.
Risk of stroke and atrial fibrillation after radiofrequency catheter ablation of typical atrial flutter.

Background Studies suggest that 18%–50% of the patients develop atrial fibrillation (AF) after typical atrial flutter (AFL) ablation. However, little data exist about the incidence of and risk factors for stroke and AF after successful ablation of typical AFL. Objectives To determine the risk of stroke and AF after radiofrequency ablation of typical AFL. Methods A retrospective review of patients undergoing AFL ablation between 2002 and 2010 was performed to determine the incidence of and risk factors for stroke and AF after successful ablation of typical AFL. Results The study cohort consisted of 126 patients (age 66 ± 10 years) with a mean follow-up of 40 ± 30 months after ablation. Following successful AFL ablation, AF occurred in 46 patients (37%), with an incidence of 104 cases of documented AF per 1000 person-years after AFL ablation. Twenty patients (16%) developed new AF after AFL ablation. Stroke occurred in 8 patients (6%) during follow-up, with an incidence of 21 strokes per 1000 person-years. Six of the 8 patients (75%) with strokes had documented AF occurrences after AFL ablation. The presence of AF after AFL ablation was the only risk factor associated with the risk for future stroke. Conclusions Patients with typical AFL undergoing successful ablation are at an elevated risk for AF and stroke following the procedure. Because postprocedure AF is the only identifiable risk factor for stroke, rigorous monitoring of patients after typical AFL may help identify those patients who are at an increased risk for stroke.
727 COMPARISON OF THE EFFICACY OF CA AND P FORTIFICATION IN HUMAN MILK

Calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) deficiency was observed in earlier studies of 17 preterm infants fed a preparation of fortified mother's milk derived from pasteurized, lyophilized fractions of mature human milk (Group I, birthweight, 1178 ± 36 g, gestation, 29 ± 0.2 wk, Mean ± SEM). A modified preparation of this fortified mother's milk with added Ca lactate and P salts was fed to 8 infants (Group II, 1088 ± 53 g, 28 ± 0.3 wk) for the first two months postnatally. 96-h balance studies were conducted at approximately weeks 3 and 7. Group II achieved significantly greater intakes (CaI, PI), retentions (CaR, PR), and absorptions (CaABS, PABS) of both Ca and P, and greater urinary excretion of P(PU). Proportionally greater urinary excretion of Ca(CaU) was observed in Group I (P = 0.003). Serum P was greater and alkaline phosphatase was lower in Group II (P < 0.01). These results indicate that the addition of both Ca and P to fortified mother's milk will reverse Ca and P insufficiency and lead to retentions of Ca and P which approach the fetal accretion more closely than previous human milk preparations.
Methyl mercury dynamics in a tidal wetland quantified using in situ optical measurements

Author Posting. © American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, 2011. This article is posted here by permission of American Society of Limnology and Oceanography for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Limnology and Oceanography 56 (2011): 1355-1371, doi:10.4319/lo.2011.56.4.1355.
Fallacies in computational testing of matrix positive definiteness/semidefiniteness

The status of computational tests for establishing matrix positive semidefiniteness and positive definiteness is reviewed. Two pervasive real-time tests that have been used for many years in varied applications to ensure that computed covariances encountered in Kalman filter applications are positive definite and discussed. Structural representations of covariance matrices are reviewed as a prelude to constructing a counterexample and demonstrating that it refutes these real-time tests. It is maintained that the latter are bogus approaches despite the fact that they are pervasive. It is suggested that such bogus tests arose as an attempt to fill the need for a quick check (over the entire mission time) of the massive number of matrices computationally encountered in real-time applications. >