cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Socially Anxious and Peer-Victimized Preadolescents: “Doubly Primed” for Distress?

We examined independent and interactive associations linking preadolescents’ socially anxious feelings and peer victimization experiences with their social behaviors (rated by parents and teachers) and psychophysiological arousal during lab simulations of salient peer stress situations in preadolescence (peer evaluation and peer rebuff). Sixty-three preadolescents and one parent per preadolescent participated. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), skin conductance level (SCL), and heart rate (HR) were assessed during peer stress situations. Preadolescents provided reports of social anxiety; preadolescents and parents reported on peer victimization; and parents and teachers rated prosocial and aggressive behaviors. Peer victimization moderated associations between social anxiety and both physiological arousal and social-behavior problems. As hypothesized, social anxiety was more strongly associated with lower RSA, higher HR, and higher aggressive behavior among preadolescents who experienced higher levels of peer victimization, compared to preadolescents who experienced lower levels of peer victimization.
BILATERAL SYMMETRY BREAKING IN A NONLINEAR FABRY-PEROT CAVITY EXHIBITING OPTICAL TRISTABILITY

We show the existence of a region in the parameter space that defines the field dynamics in a Fabry-P\'erot cylindrical cavity, where three output stable stationary states of the light are possible for a given localized incident field. Two of these states do not preserve the bilateral (i.e., left-right) symmetry of the entire system. These broken-symmetry states are the high-transmission nonlinear modes of the system. We also discuss how to excite these states.
Reply: Report safeguards future studies of Europa

I am able to reply to some of the issues raised in the comment above. Since the National Research Council Task Group on the Forward Contamination of Europa has officially disbanded, I cannot address the issues concerning the soundness or completeness of our report, or the proposal by Greenberg and Tufts for an alternate guiding principle for planetary protection. The National Academy of Sciences, NASA, and the International Council of Scientific Unions' Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) have received the Task Group report and may wish to address these concerns.
The effect of customer dress on attitudes towards selling service by sales associates

Eliminating the criticism levelled towards customer service in retail firms is a current consumer/marketing issue. Customer satisfaction encompasses factors such as sales service and first impression. Research focusing on variables pertaining to emotional labour has the potential of increasing sales productivity and consumer satisfaction. This study represents an exploratory attempt to determine if relationships exists between customer appearance and first impressions and sales service. Results of the study suggest that the potential exists for apparel to influence sales associate customer evaluations as a positive association was found between sales service and first impression.
Quantitative fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy in turbid media: comparison of theoretical, experimental and computational methods

A Monte Carlo model developed to simulate time-resolved fluorescence propagation in a semi-infinite turbid medium was validated against previously reported theoretical and computational results. Model simulations were compared to experimental measurements of fluorescence spectra and lifetimes on tissue-simulating phantoms for single and dual fibre-optic probe geometries. Experiments and simulations using a single probe revealed that scattering-induced artefacts appeared in fluorescence emission spectra, while fluorescence lifetimes were unchanged. Although fluorescence lifetime measurements are generally more robust to scattering artefacts than are measurements of fluorescence spectra, in the dual-probe geometry scattering-induced changes in apparent lifetime were predicted both from diffusion theory and via Monte Carlo simulation, as well as measured experimentally. In all cases, the recovered apparent lifetime increased with increasing scattering and increasing source-detector separation. Diffusion theory consistently underestimated the magnitude of these increases in apparent lifetime (predicting a maximum increase of approximately 15%), while Monte Carlo simulations and experiment were closely matched (showing increases as large as 30%). These results indicate that quantitative simulations of time-resolved fluorescence propagation in turbid media will be important for accurate recovery of fluorophore lifetimes in biological spectroscopy and imaging applications.
Editorial: Models as Aids to Thought

The opening chapters of most good texts on operations research or management science discuss the approximate nature of models and the need for interaction between the modeler and the decision maker. Also, somewhere in the text is some discussion of sensitivity analysis. Nonetheless, the overall impression the texts give is that the models of our profession are directly applicable. While our models do contain important thinking, I believe that it is dangerous to treat them merely as embodiments of thought rather than as aids to further thought.
Clinical spectrum in a family with tropomyosin-mediated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and sudden death in childhood

This report demonstrates variable clinical courses in several members of a family with tropomyosin-mediated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) (L185R mutation). The index case was an 8-year-old girl who died from sudden cardiac death and was diagnosed with HCM on autopsy. Her father had minimal hypertrophy but had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator placed prophylactically with no appropriate shocks. Two brothers progressed from normal phenotype to HCM on follow-up, the younger with significant hypertrophy and the older with mild hypertrophy. They both had malignant arrhythmia courses with VF, which was terminated by ICD shock. In conclusion, family members with same genotype can have significantly variable phenotypes.
Enhancement of renal venous renin ratios by intravenous hydralazine in renovascular hypertension

Abstract Renal venous renin (RVR) studies were done in 34 patients with moderate-to-severe hypertension before (unstimulated) and after (15- and 30-minute samples) a 20-mg bolus of i.v. hydralazine. The unstimulated lateralizing ratio of angiographically abnormal kidney or ipsilateral (I) to contralateral (C) RVR of ≥1.5 was found in 69%, and the unstimulated ratio of I-inferior vena cava (IVC) renin below renal veins (I-IVC)/IVC (index of reduced renal blood flow) of ≥ 0.48 was present in 50% of 16 patients (10 unilateral and 6 bilateral renal artery stenosis). The I/C and I-IVC/IVC ratios were abnormal in 100% and 88%, respectively, in 1 or both of the posthydralazine sampling in these patients. Hydralazine increased the absolute RVR from the ischemic kidney more than the contralateral kidney and did not result in new false-negative or positive I/C ratios. It is concluded that hydralazine stimulation of RVR is a safe and reliable way to determine the functionally significant pressor kidney in renovascular hypertension.
Massive N=2a Supergravity in Ten-Dimensions

A new version of the non-chiral N = 2a supergravity in ten dimensions is obtained, in which the two-index tensor field of the theory “eats” the single vector field and acquires a mass in a Higgs-type mechanism. The new theory, although it contains no fundamental vectors, bears many formal resemblances to gauged supergravities (in particular, the recently constructed F(4) theory in six dimensions). The scalar potential has no extrema, but nevertheless the classical equations of motion admit a wide variety of spontaneous compactifications, many to four dimensions.
Trait-Mediated Indirect Effects of Phorid Flies on Ants

This paper provides a synthesis of the ecological impact of phorid fly parasitoids on ants. We find the most important impact of phorids on ants to be trait-mediated effects. Phorids diminish the foraging activity of ants, frequently reducing the number and average size of foragers and reducing the amount of food retrieved by a colony. However, ants' coping mechanisms include changing foraging site and time. Phorids can also affect competition, especially through changes in the ability of the host to win in exploitative competition. Factors such as microclimate, resource size, and habitat complexity interact with phorids to change their effect on competition. By being highly specific and attacking ants high in the competitive hierarchy, phorids can alter the linear nature of the competitive transitivity, and by reducing the number of foragers, they can change the discovery-dominance tradeoff that is observed in some ant communities. Trait-mediated effects of phorids also cascade to other trophic levels. As an example, we discuss the trait-mediated cascade of phorids on the Azteca instabilis system in coffee. In this system, by reducing the foraging activity of A. instabilis, phorids reduce the direct and indirect biological control impact of the ant in the coffee agroecosystem.
The Changing Self: Using Personal Documents to Study Lives

ABSTRACT In this paper we describe a technique for coding expressions of preoccupation with aspects of the adult self in personal documents and retrospective autobiographical writings In particular we explore the value of this approach by analyzing themes of identity, intimacy, and generativity expressed in Vera Brittain's diary and correspondence, written during her adolescence in World War I, and in her retrospective autobiographical account of that period in her life Analyses aim to use Erikson's theory of personality development to describe her psychological experience at the time and to compare that account with the later one
A chemical robot model

Abstract The idea of a chemical robot is introduced in view of creating a synthetic physiology. The robot considered as a system is analyzed for its exchange and transmission potential.
Effect of fluvastatin on intermediatedensity Lipoprotein (remnants) and other lipoprotein levels in hypercholestarolemia

Abstract The accelerated atherosclerosis in diseases associatedwith elevated remnant lipoprotein levels has directed interest toward the response of this lipoprotein species to lipid-lowering treatment. The effect of fluvastatin—a synthetic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor—was compared with that of placebo on parameters of remnant metabolism in 57 patients with moderate hypercholesterolemia, but not heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, type III hyperlipidemia, or endogenous hypertriglyceridemia. Fluvastatin therapy resulted in decreases versus baseline in plasma total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and LDL apolipoprotein (apo) B levels of 18%, 20%, and 18%, respectively (p 2 -C by 24%, and HDL 3 -C by 3%. There were no increases in apo A-I levels compared with placebo nor any significant change in plasma lipoprotein(a) levels. The composition of LDL and VLDL particles did not appear to be altered by therapy, as assessed by the LDL-C:LDL-B, VLDL-C:VLDL-B, ortriglyceride:VLDL-B ratios. Further, there was no correlation between baseline triglycende levels and percent changes in remnant parameters. In conclusion, the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor fluvastatin induced major reductions in indices of remnant lipoprotein concentrations, including intermediate density lipoprotein cholesterol and apo E. The total plasma apo E levels fell despite the increased HDL-C level, where more than half of the total apo E resides. The marked reduction in remnant lipoprotein, in addition to LDL-C with fluvastatin, may contribute to the antiatherosclerotic effect associated with this class of agents.
NCSU digitized document transmission project: improving access to agricultural libraries

The NCSU Digitized Document Transmission Project is a collaborative project between North Carolina State University Libraries, the National Agricultural Library and eleven land grant university libraries. The aim of the project is to explore the basic issues and questions involved in developing network‐based document delivery systems for library materials. NCSU Libraries, in partnership with the National Agricultural Library (NAL), is leading the research and demonstration project that is investigating the technical, procedural and administrative issues related to the electronic delivery of digitized research materials via the NSF net/Internet and campus telecommunications networks. Commercially available graphics‐capable, networked desktop computers, scanners and laser printers have been installed in participating institutions' interlibrary loan departments for the direct transmission and receipt of digitized materials. The system allows the digitized research materials to be transmitted directly to the researcher's workstation, whereupon the image can be readily imported into a graphics or wordprocessing program or an ASCII file can be created using an optical character recognition (OCR) program. Printed images are markedly superior to fax transmissions. A distinguishing feature of the system is its ability to import and deliver materials originating in electronic form, such as electronic journal articles or multimedia works.
An analysis of multitrial free recall learning with input-order held constant.

(1968). An Analysis of Multitrial free Recall Learning with Input-Order Held Constant. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 68, No. 2, pp. 227-242.
The induction and decay of heat acclimatisation in trained athletes

Heat acclimatisation/acclimation involves a complex of adaptations which includes decreased heart rate, rectal temperature, perceived exertion as well as increased plasma volume and sweat rate. These adaptations serve to reduce physiological strain, improve an athlete’s ability to exercise in a hot environment, and reduce the incidence of some forms of heat illness. Few differences exist in the ability of men and women to acclimatise to heat. Typically, older runners do not perform in the heat as well as younger runners, but physical training can negate differences between these groups. Hormonal adaptations (e.g. aldosterone, vasopressin) during heat acclimatisation encourage fluid-electrolyte retention and cardiovascular stability. Athletes with high maximal aerobic power (VO2max) acclimatise to heat faster (and lose adaptations slower when they are inactive in a cool environment) than athletes with low VO2max values. Physical training in a cool environment improves physiological responses to exercise at high ambient temperatures. In attempting to optimise heat acclimatisation, athletes should maintain fluid-electrolyte balance, exercise at intensities greater than 50% VO2max for 10 to 14 days, and avoid factors (e.g. sleep loss, infectious disease) which are known to reduce heat tolerance. Once acclimatisation has been achieved, inactivity results in a decay of favourable adaptations, after only a few days or weeks.
Genetic diversity at electrophoretic loci in the house fly,Musca domestica L.

Vertical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to separate enzyme proteins at 73 putative loci in natural house fly populations sampled in central Iowa. Thirty-nine of the loci were polymorphic (53%). The mean effective number of alleles per polymorphic locus was 1.93 and 1.47 alleles among 68 scored loci. Observed and expected heterozygosities at 34 house fly loci were 0.1628 and 0.1834, respectively. No statistically significant differentiation was detected among nine central Iowa fly populations in 1989 or among nine Iowa and three Minnesota populations in 1990.
An SVD analysis of equispaced polynomial interpolation

Runge showed more than a century ago that polynomial interpolation of degree N on a uniform, evenly-spaced grid may diverge as N->~. Here, we present a new angle on polynomial interpolation and the Runge Phenomenon by performing an SVD analysis of the interpolation matrix. We prove that the observed exponential-with-N error growth of the Runge Phenomenon requires that at least the smallest singular value of the interpolation matrix must decay to zero exponentially fast with N, and the matrix condition number @k must grow exponentially with N. Experimentally, four-fifths of the singular values are O(1); the remaining one-fifth of singular values decay exponentially fast with increasing mode number j. The corresponding U modes of the SVD factorization are well approximated by Hermite functions. SVD filtering, which is a common strategy for coping with ill-conditioned matrices by omitting modes of tiny singular value, gave errors no smaller than 7% for Runge's exemplary f(x). Any similar anti-Runge strategy that is based on treating the ''good'' modes (of O(1) singular values) differently from the ''bad'' modes of small singular value is likely to fail because these two groups of modes are strongly coupled. A better strategy for exploiting the SVD factorization remains elusive.
Chromatic numbers and products

Let f(n) be the smallest number so that there are two n chromatic graphs whose product has chromatic number f(n). Under the assumption that a certain sharper result than one obtained by Duffus et al. [On the chromatic number of the product of graphs, J. Graph Theory 9 (1985) 487-495], and Welzl [Symmetric graphs and interpretations, J. Combin. Theory, Sci. B 37 (1984) 235-244], holds we will prove that f(n)>=n/2.
Mapping the Distribution of Corrosion Products in Cement Exposed to Sulfate using Energy Dispersive X-ray Diffraction

The use of energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) to produce 1 D maps of the phases present inside both an alumina-aluminum test specimen and a 1.0 cm diameter cylinder of type I portland cement paste is discussed. The surface of the cement paste sample was found to be rich in calcium carbonate and deficient in portlandite relative to the bulk. After 7 days exposure to 1000 ppm Na2SO4 there was no evidence for the formation of a surface layer rich in crystalline sulfate containing phases. EDXRD appears to be a powerful tool for the study of sulfate attack on portland cements.
Infrared and Raman study of two-level systems in fiber optic quality a-SiO2 and a-SiO2:GeO2

Abstract With Raman scattering and far-infrared absorption spectroscopies two-level systems (TLS) have been examined in a series of fiber optic quality (SiO2)1−x(GeO2)x glasses. Even with large isovalent GeO2 doping, no Raman-active TLS spectrum is observed. When examined with the more sensitive far-infrared absorption technique some samples show a very weak TLS signature, but there is no correlation with the strength of the doping. It is found those internal strains in some glass samples account for this far-infrared activity.
Disparities in lupus care and outcomes.

Purpose of reviewSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an inflammatory rheumatic disease characterized by autoantibody production and diverse clinical manifestations, disproportionately affects vulnerable groups: women, racial and ethnic minorities, the poor and those lacking medical insurance and edu
Becoming human, becoming sober

Two themes run through Kierkegaard’s authorship. The first defines existential requirements for “becoming human”—reflective honesty and earnest humor. The second demarcates the religious phenomena of sobriety when human becoming suffers insurmountable collisions. Living with existential pathos teaches the difference between the either/or logic of collisions and the both/and logic of development and transitions. There is a difference between self-transformation and a progressive individual and social development. In the developmental mode self experiences gradual progression or adaptive evolution; in the self-transformative mode self undergoes qualitative upsurges, leaps, gestalt switches, musical key transpositions of becoming in individual and social evolutions. Each individual in every epoch begins at the beginning. The author traces the movements of becoming in their parallel dimensions, drawing a fork through Kierkegaard’s writing. The first leads through the existence spheres of his pseudonymous authorship. The second intensifies the movement on the spot and in the moment.
Flow and particle dispersion in a pulmonary alveolus--part II: effect of gravity on particle transport.

The acinar region of the human lung comprises about 300 X 10 6 alveoli, which are responsible for gas exchange between the lung and the blood. As discussed in Part I (Chhabra and Prasad, "Flow and Particle Dispersion in a Pulmonary Alveolus-Part I: Velocity Measurements and Convective Particle Transport, " ASME J. Biomech. Eng., 132, p. 051009), the deposition of aerosols in the acinar region can either be detrimental to gas exchange (as in the case of harmful particulate matter) or beneficial (as in the case of inhalable pharmaceuticals). We measured the flow field inside an in-vitro model of a single alveolus mounted on a bronchiole and calculated the transport and deposition of massless particles in Part I. This paper focuses on the transport and deposition of finite-sized particles ranging from 0.25 μm to 4 μm under the combined influence of flow-induced advection (computed from velocity maps obtained by particle image velocimetry) and gravitational settling. Particles were introduced during the first inhalation cycle and their trajectories and deposition statistics were calculated for subsequent cycles for three different particle sizes (0.25 μm, I μm, and 4 μm) and three alveolar orientations. The key outcome of the study is that particles ≤0.25 μm follow the fluid streamlines quite closely, whereas midsize particles (d p =1 μm) deviate to some extent from streamlines and exhibit complex trajectories. The motion of large particles ≥4 μm is dominated by gravitational settling and shows little effect of fluid advection. Additionally, small and midsize particles deposit at about two-thirds height in the alveolus irrespective of the gravitational orientation whereas the deposition of large particles is governed primarily by the orientation of the gravity vector.
Information processing in noisy burster models

The detection of external stimuli by peripheral sensory neurons and the downstream processing by cortical neurons quite often involves the operational mode of bursting activity, i.e., periods of rapid firing alternating with intervals of quiescence. In some systems, e.g. the electrosense of the paddlefish ( Polyodon spathula ), a transition from tonic firing to the bursting regime can be induced by external noise. Under the hypothesis that information about the external stimulus is encoded in the statistics of the interspike intervals (ISIs) we quantify the information content of these noisy bursters and the sensitivity to weak stimuli. Our analysis is based on analytic methods and numerical simulations of effective burster models.
Diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma in patients with PSC: a sight on cytology.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an idiopathic, chronic, cholestatic, liver disease characterized by inflammatory destruction of the biliary tree. The most devastating complication of PSC is the development of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) [1]. The prevalence of CCA in PSC patients varies from 5% to 36% [2–6]. Several risk factors have been proposed that increase the occurrence of CCA in PSC patients, including smoking [7], alcohol [8], older age at onset of PSC [9], and a longer history of inflammatory bowel disease before diagnosis of PSC [10]. Unexpectedly, the duration of PSC is not a risk factor, and the incidence of CCA is greatest within the first two years after diagnosis of PSC [10,11]. The cholangiographic findings and clinical symptoms of CCA are non-specific and are difficult to differentiate from benign dominant bile duct strictures, which are common in PSC [12]. Neither serum tumor markers, assessment of DNA mutations in bile, nor imaging studies have proven to be accurate for detecting CCA in the presence of PSC, making cholangiocarcinoma in this setting extremely difficult to diagnose. Advanced CCA is rapidly fatal; however, because the majority of patients with PSC will not develop CCA, pre-emptive liver transplantation with its mortality and morbidity cannot be justified. In contrast, early stage CCA in the
Efficient sampling algorithms for Monte Carlo based treatment planning

Efficient sampling algorithms are necessary for producing a fast Monte Carlo based treatment planning code. This study evaluates several aspects of a photon-based tracking scheme and the effect of optimal sampling algorithms on the efficiency of the code. Four areas were tested: pseudo-random number generation, generalized sampling of a discrete distribution, sampling from the exponential distribution, and delta scattering as applied to photon transport through a heterogeneous simulation geometry. Generalized sampling of a discrete distribution using the cutpoint method can produce speedup gains of one order of magnitude versus conventional sequential sampling. Photon transport modifications based upon the delta scattering method were implemented and compared with a conventional boundary and collision checking algorithm. The delta scattering algorithm is faster by a factor of six versus the conventional algorithm for a boundary size of 5 mm within a heterogeneous geometry. A comparison of portable pseudo-random number algorithms and exponential sampling techniques is also discussed.
A Neuronal Isoform of the Aplysia CPEB Has Prion-Like Properties

Prion proteins have the unusual capacity to fold into two functionally distinct conformations, one of which is self-perpetuating. When yeast prion proteins switch state, they produce heritable phenotypes. We report prion-like properties in a neuronal member of the CPEB family (cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein), which regulates mRNA translation. Compared to other CPEB family members, the neuronal protein has an N-terminal extension that shares characteristics of yeast prion-determinants: a high glutamine content and predicted conformational flexibility. When fused to a reporter protein in yeast, this region confers upon it the epigenetic changes in state that characterize yeast prions. Full-length CPEB undergoes similar changes, but surprisingly it is the dominant, self-perpetuating prion-like form that has the greatest capacity to stimulate translation of CPEB-regulated mRNA. We hypothesize that conversion of CPEB to a prion-like state in stimulated synapses helps to maintain long-term synaptic changes associated with memory storage.
A 3-Year Study of Middle, Junior High, and High School IEP Meetings

This study examined the perceptions of 1,638 secondary individualized education program (IEP) meeting participants from 393 IEP meetings across 3 consecutive years. Results indicate significant differences between the survey answers and participant roles, when students did or did not attend their IEP meetings, and when different professional team members attended the meetings. Special education teachers talked more than all team members. Students reported the lowest scores for knowing the reasons for the meetings, knowing what to do at the meetings, and five other survey items. General educators rated themselves lowest on three of the survey questions. Student and general educator attendance at the IEP meetings produced value-added benefits for IEP team members, especially parents.
Fijian cannibalism: osteological evidence from Navatu.

The hypothesis that the human remains from the Navatu midden (50 BC to AD 1900) in Fiji represent cannibalized individuals was tested by an analysis of the skeletal remains. The site includes formal human burials and a separate, contemporaneous midden containing commingled fragmentary human and nonhuman bones. All remains were examined for a variety of modifications. The medium mammal and human remains in the midden have similar modifications: ancient breaks (92% of midden human specimens and 88% of medium mammal specimens), burning (29% and 11%), crushing (1% and 1%), cutmarks (9% and 8%), peeling (4% and 1%), and percussion pits (1% and 1%). The human burials (for which cannibalism had not been hypothesized) are essentially unmodified except for some breakage. The pattern of element representation and low incidence of animal bitemarks rules out carnivores and rodents as major modifiers of the assemblage. The breakage patterns, element representation, light weathering, and rarity of random striae indicate that sediment pressure, wave action, weathering, and trampling did not significantly alter the remains. The modifications of the midden human and nonhuman remains generally correspond in type and frequency. The evaluation of the assemblage's taphonomic history suggests that most of the modifications were caused by humans. The Navatu midden human sample does not resemble assemblages interpreted as secondary burials with defleshing, nor does it resemble violence-derived assemblages. The burials at Navatu and other Fijian sites indicate that the various noncannibalistic Fijian mortuary rituals do not mimic butchery and consumption. Therefore, the hypothesis of cannibalism at Navatu is supported.
Full-chip runtime error-tolerant thermal estimation and prediction for practical thermal management

Temperature estimation and prediction are critical for online regulation of temperature and hot spots on today's high performance processors. In this paper, we present a new method, called FRETEP, to accurately estimate and predict the full-chip temperature at runtime under more practical conditions where we have inaccurate thermal model, less accurate power estimations and limited number of on-chip physical thermal sensors. FRETEP employs a number of new techniques to address this problem. First, we propose a new thermal sensor based error compensation method to correct the errors due to the inaccuracies in thermal model and power estimations. Second, we raise a new correlation based method for error compensation estimation with limited number of thermal sensors. Third, we optimize the compact modeling technique and integrate it into the error compensation process in order to perform the thermal estimation with error compensation at runtime. Last but not least, to enable accurate temperature prediction for the emerging predictive thermal management, we design a full-chip thermal prediction framework employing time series prediction method. Experimental results show FRETEP accurately estimates and predicts the full-chip thermal behavior with very low overhead introduced and compares very favorably with the Kalman filter based approach on standard SPEC benchmarks.
Highly accurate evaluation of system matrices for curved boundary elements

Abstract A predominantly analytic integration technique for the evaluation of the system matrices in boundary element elastostatic analyis is presented. In practical implementations, this technique can be combined with existing numerical integration schemes to improve the accuracy of the approximate solutions. Details are discussed for the case where the discretization is based on 2D, isoparametric, quadratic boundary elements. Illustrative numerical examples are included.
The Canada Basin: Aeromagnetic constraints on structure and evolution

Abstract Aeromagnetic data over the Canada Basin and Alpha Ridge-Ellesmere Island junction are re-examined together with available bathymetry, free-air gravity and magnetic source depths calculated from the aeromagnetics. The plate tectonic evolution of this area remains largely conjectural; for example, the data from the basin and the adjacent continental margins have not settled the Alaska rotation controversy. Did the Canada Basin open by a rotation of the Alaska and Chukchi blocks away from the Canadian Arctic margin, or did the southern Canada Basin open by motion of the Chukchi block parallel to the Alaska North Slope? What we do conclude is: 1. (1) The southern Canada Basin consists of oceanic crust produced by spreading from a now-extinct axis marked by a gravity high and magnetic low. The opening took place largely or entirely during the time of the M-Series (155-115 m.y. B.P.) although the lineations are too few and too irregular to allow certain correlation to the reversal time scale. 2. (2) The central Canada Basin, north of Prince Patrick Island, probably opened by spreading normal to the margin. The segmented character of the magnetics and perhaps topography, suggests small transform faults (ca. 100 km spacing) extending at least several hundred kilometers into the basin. If these trends are real, major subsequent motion parallel to the Canadian Arctic margin can be ruled out. 3. (3) We speculate that the southern Canada Basin extinct axis extended to a triple junction near 79°N, 140°W, with one rift trending toward Ellesmere Is and the other into the Mendeleev Abyssal Plain. 4. (4) The transition between the low magnetic amplitudes of the southern Canada Basin to the high amplitudes of the northern Canada Basin-Alpha Mendeleev Ridge province is gradual and linear anomalies extend through the transition. 5. (5) The area north of Ellesmere Island can be divided into five discrete magnetic anomaly provinces, some of them sharply demarcated by major lineaments (faults?) which may provide plate kinematic constraints. The Alpha Ridge basement is depressed by 3–4 km along a 100 km wide magnetic basement trough along the Alpha Ridge-Ellesmere Is. margin.
Speaking and Writing Proficiency of International Graduate Students in Elective, Mentoring Environments

Technical communication skills are critical for non-native speakers who must study and interact in English-only professional settings. Often, formal instruction to pass admission thresholds and other minimum requirements are not sufficient to attain proficiency. This paper describes elective, long-term programs that provide systematic opportunities for both speaking and writing development. These programs are tailored to international students through the key features of individualized activities, applied task-oriented practice, and social interaction. The elective programs attract and retain participants with interest and need for high-level language proficiency. Program evaluations show that participating graduate students give primary credit for their growing fluency to individualized practice and to sustained interaction with native speakers.
Comparison of lymphangiography and computed tomography scanning in evaluating abdominal disease in stages III and IV Hodgkin's disease: A southwest oncology group study

The authors reviewed the records of 139 patients who had laparotomy plus computed tomography (CT) and/or lymphangiograms (LAG) as part of a their staging workup for Hodgkin's disease, in accordance with Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) protocol 7808. They evaluated the relative ability of CT and LAG to detect disease in the abdomen. Two regions of the abdomen were designated, the upper and the lower, to further examine the capabilities of CT and LAG in the lower abdomen and CT in the upper abdomen. A LAG was more sensitive (P less than 0.05) than CT in detecting positive lower abdominal nodes. In the upper abdomen, CT scan had low sensitivity for detecting positive nodes, liver, or spleen. This study suggests that LAG of the lower abdomen provided more information than CT, and therefore should not be abandoned as a valid method for detecting nodal disease.
Cardiac dysfunction in portal hypertension among patients with cirrhosis and non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis

Abstract Background/Aims : In cirrhosis, diastolic dysfunction of heart is well documented. Contribution of portal hypertension towards cardiac changes in cirrhosis is difficult to assess. We examined the patients of non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis who have portal hypertension without liver insufficiency to understand the contribution of portal hypertension in causing cardiac changes. Methods : Cardiac function was studied in four groups of patients: normal controls, patients with non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis (having portal hypertension without liver dysfunction) and cirrhotics with and without ascites. Cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography. Additional measurements of plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels were performed. Results : Diastolic function as assessed by the ratio between E wave and A wave (E/A ratio), was significantly lower in patients with non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis (median 1.3) compared to normal controls (median 1.52). However, even lower values were observed in cirrhotics without ascites (median 1.05) and with ascites (median 0.94). There was a significant correlation ( r =−0.75) between plasma aldosterone levels and the E/A ratio in cirrhotics. Conclusions : Diastolic dysfunction is not only present in cirrhosis but also in non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis. It indicates that portal hypertension is an important factor in the genesis of cardiac dysfunction.
A high-sensitivity detection system for radon in air

Abstract A closed-volume, hydrostatic system containing a surface-barrier detector as the collector of radon daughter ions is described wherein collection and detection are both carried out continuously. Absolute efficiencies for establishing radon concentrations in air are measured as functions of the collection voltage, pressure, and relative humidity in this electrostatic precipitation device. Primarily relying on observations of 84218Po decay, the system is shown to have a sensitivity to radon concentrations of as low as 2 × 10−3 pCi/1 of air.
Erosive lichen planus of the tongue treated by cryosurgery

Lichen planus is usually found by routine examination and is seldom symptomatic. In the more extreme forms, the patient will seek some form of treatment to alleviate the painful symptoms. In the present case, extensive lingual erosive lichen planus was successfully treated with cryosurgery.
Extraordinary phylogenetic diversity and metabolic versatility in aquifer sediment

Microorganisms in the subsurface represent a substantial but poorly understood component of the Earth's biosphere. Subsurface environments are complex and difficult to characterize; thus, their microbiota have remained as a 'dark matter' of the carbon and other biogeochemical cycles. Here we deeply sequence two sediment-hosted microbial communities from an aquifer adjacent to the Colorado River, CO, USA. No single organism represents more than ~1% of either community. Remarkably, many bacteria and archaea in these communities are novel at the phylum level or belong to phyla lacking a sequenced representative. The dominant organism in deeper sediment, RBG-1, is a member of a new phylum. On the basis of its reconstructed complete genome, RBG-1 is metabolically versatile. Its wide respiration-based repertoire may enable it to respond to the fluctuating redox environment close to the water table. We document extraordinary microbial novelty and the importance of previously unknown lineages in sediment biogeochemical transformations.
Combined laminar free‐ and forced‐convection heat transfer in external flows

A method is presented for calculating the shear stress and the rate of heat transfer in external flows for combined laminar forced and free convection. The parameter Gr/Re2 is of fundamental importance in such problems. Numerical results are reported for the heating and cooling of upward flow past a vertical flat for three Prandtl numbers. It is found that the transition from forced to free convection is gradual, especially at high Prandtl numbers. The inflence of free convection on the separation point is also examined.
Determination of mechanical properties of a MEMS directional sound sensor using a nanoindenter

Abstract We use a nanoindenter to measure the stiffness of mechanical components of a microelectromechanical directional sound sensor. The results validate analytical and numerical linear elastic models, identify the physical structures associated with each resonant frequency, and provide an estimate of the maximum sound pressure the sensor can tolerate. Because the sensor has bending and twisting components that act as springs in series, the overall compliance is the sum of several terms, each of which varies with the location of the loading force along the sensor's surface. By fitting a curve to a plot of the measured overall stiffness vs. location of the loading force, we quantify the separate compliance terms and thereby estimate the resonant frequencies of the corresponding vibrational modes. The frequencies estimated by this method for the two modes are in reasonably good agreement with the measured resonant frequencies. Finally, we establish a minimum failure strength of the sensor, from which we estimate that it can tolerate a sound pressure level greater than about 162 dB without damage.
High resolution estimation for sub-gaussian stable signals in a linear array model

The authors describe a high resolution subspace fitting (HRE) algorithm for robust estimation of direction of arrival (DOA) in the uniform linear array model with heavy-tailed signals and noise. Electromagnetic disturbances on telephone lines, atmospheric noise and underwater acoustic noise often exhibit heavy-tailed behaviour with differing characteristics. Although statistical models under Gaussian assumptions of signals and noise have been extensively investigated in the literature, there is limited research on robust methods in the non-Gaussian setting. A general model with sub-Gaussian alpha-stable signals is described, which includes the isotropic alpha-stable, and independent and dependent Gaussian models as special cases. It is shown that the HRE algorithm provides strongly consistent estimates of the DOAs. In addition, Monte Carlo simulation studies show that the proposed algorithm works extremely well for closely spaced targets, and outperforms the multiple signal classification-type algorithms for strongly dependent signals, both in the stable and the Gaussian cases
Assessing twenty‐first century skills through a teacher created video game for high school biology students

As twenty‐first century skills become a greater focus in K‐12 education, an infusion of technology that meets the needs of today’s students is paramount. This study looks at the design and creation of a Multiplayer Educational Gaming Application (MEGA) for high school biology students. The quasi‐experimental, qualitative design assessed the twenty‐first century skills of digital age literacy, inventive thinking, high productivity, and effective communication techniques of the students exposed to a MEGA. Three factors, as they pertained to these skills, emerged from classroom observations. Interaction with the teacher, discussion with peers, and engagement/time‐on‐task while playing the MEGA suggested that students playing an educational video game exhibited all of the projected twenty‐first century skills while being engrossed in the embedded science content.
Large-Volume Paracentesis: A Fast, Convenient, and Safe Technique

Background: Ascites is a common complication of liver cirrhosis, malignancy, cardiac failure, pancreatitis, and tuberculosis, with cirrhosis of the liver being the most common cause. Onset of ascites in cirrhosis of the liver is associated with worsened quality of life, increased risk of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and renal failure. Management of ascites caused by cirrhosis requires sodium restriction in diet, sodium excretion with diuretics and, in refractory cases, large volume paracentesis. Technique: We describe a simple adjustment to the standard paracentesis technique that does not require additional equipment or manpower. Conclusion: Removing over 5 L of ascitic fluid can become a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. We describe a setup that makes this commonly performed procedure fast, convenient, and safe.
The Recycling Problem for Event Individuation

If the wedding had taken place an hour later, it would have been rained out. When we make counterfactual claims like this, we indicate that events are not terribly fragile things. That is, we typically think of events as particulars which can survive small changes in nearby possible worlds, such that one and the same event could have occurred under slightly different circumstances. I argue, however, that any account of “non-fragile” event individuation is subject to what is known as the recycling problem. This was a problem initially raised against origin essentialism, or the view that individuals are individuated by their origins, and is roughly the difficulty that arises in cases where the criteria of individuation for a particular individual are duplicated. I then examine a potential solution, which takes its cue from predecessor essentialism, the leading response to the recycling problem in the origins literature. I argue that the predecessor essentialist’s solution yields unacceptably counter-intuitive results when applied to the recycling problem for event individuation, and conclude that, if events have qualitative individuating essences, then they must be—contrary to intuition—modally fragile entities. I then suggest three alternatives to qualitative essentialism which could accommodate our intuitions about the modal non-fragility of events.
Ca2+-independent form of protein kinase C may regulate Na+ transport across frog skin

Activators of protein kinase C (PKC) stimulate Na− transport (JNa) across frog skin. We have examined the effect of Ca2+ on PKC stimulation ofJNa. Both the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylglycerol (DiC8) were used as PKC activators. Blocking Ca2+ entry into the cytosol (either from external or internal stores) reduced the subsequent natriferic effect of the PKC activators. This negative interaction did not simply reflect saturation of activation of the apical Na+ channels, since the stimulations produced by blocking Ca2+ entry and adding cyclic AMP were simply additive.
The NMR spectral characteristics of some meso-Ionic s-triazoles

The hetero-ring proton of anhydro-1,4-diphenyl-3-mercapto-s-triazolium hydroxide (I) is more highly deshielded than its 3-hydroxy analog (II). The chemical shifts of the hetero-ring proton for compounds I and II were found to be solvent dependent due to hydrogen bond formation. Two series of anhydro-1,4-diaryl-3-hydroxy-s-triazolium hydroxides have been synthesized and their NMR spectra determined. The chemical shift of the hetero-ring proton of these compounds was found to correlate with the Hammett sigma constants of the meta- and para- substituents in the aryl groups.
Diagnosis and Management of Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction and Pancreas Divisum

Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction and pancreas divisum are very distinct anatomic abnormalities, yet are diagnosed in similar clinical situations. While both entities are uncommon, they are most often discovered during the evaluation of postcholecystectomy syndrome, recurrent idiopathic pancreatitis, and biliary or pancreatic pain when first line studies are normal. Treatment consists of surgical sphincteroplasty or endoscopic sphincterotomy for both diagnoses, which result in reliable relief of symptoms for most sphincter of Oddi dysfunction patients but less predictable response in pancreas divisum.
Reversal of guanethidine- and diethyldithiocarbamate-induced amnesia by peripherally-administered catecholamines.

Abstract The effect of peripherally-administered catecholamines on guanethidine- and diethyldithiocarbamate-induced amnesia of a PA training in mice was investigated. The amnesic effect of guanethidine could be blocked with 50 mg/kg DA, or 0.75 mg/kg NE when given either before, immediately, or 10 min after but not 90 min following PA. Epinephrine or a lower dose of DA could not attenuate the guanethidine-induced amnesia. The amnesic effect of diethyldithiocarbamate could be blocked with 50 mg/kg DA, 0.75 mg/kg NE or 0.5 mg/kg E when given either before, immediately or 10 min after but not 90 min following PA. The amnesic effects of these compounds were interpreted in terms of their peripheral antiadrenergic actions.