cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hypoplastic Left Ventricle and Scimitar Syndrome

Hypoplastic left ventricle with scimitar syndrome is a rare combination of anatomic lesions. Five patients with this anatomy have been followed up at our institution. Four of these patients are alive: 2 after heart transplant, 1 underwent a Norwood operation, and 1 has survived staged palliation, culminating in a Fontan operation.
Diffusion-controlled vinyl polymerization. III. Free volume parameters and diffusion-controlled propagation

The values of the parameters that are necessary to compute the free volume changes accompanying polymerization were determined from viscosity data of concentrated polymer solutions. Relationships applicable above and below the glass transition temperature of the polymer were quantified. A general treatment of the variation of the propagation rate constant with free volume was postulated, based on the variation of the monomeric diffusivity with free volume. This, in turn, was related to the friction coefficient of a polymer chain segment, the values of which are readily available. A discussion of the reaction behavior in the last stage of polymerization and the occurrence of limiting conversion is also presented.
Implications of Cell Design Implementation: A Case Study and Analysis

Abstract Using an implementation experience, Hyer et al. [J. Operat. Manage. 17 (1999) 179] developed a model for implementing cell design consisting of strategic, structural, and operational decisions. While their model was applicable in explaining the implementation experience, it failed to include an analysis of the existing system, operator assignment to cells, and management involvement in the implementation process. In complement, our case study examined the model using an implementation experience in a millwork manufacturing operation. We describe how analysis of the existing system and the assignment of operators to cells were performed. We also find that management played an important role in the implementation process.
Low-infrastructure methods to improve internet access for mobile users in emerging regions

As information technology supports more aspects of modern life, digital access has become an important tool for developing regions to lift themselves from poverty. Though broadband internet connectivity will not be universally available in the short-term, widely-employed mobile devices coupled with novel delay-tolerant networking do allow limited forms of connectivity. This paper explores the design space for internet access systems operating with constrained connectivity. Our starting point is C-LINK, a collaborative caching system that enhances the performance of interactive web access over DTN and cellular connectivity. We discuss our experiences and results from deploying C-LINK in Nicaragua, before moving on to a broader design study of other issues that further influence operation. We consider the impact of (i) storing web content collaboratively cached across all user nodes, (ii) hybrid transport layers exploiting the best attributes of limited cellular and DTN-style connectivity. We also explore the behavior of future systems under a range of usage and mobility scenarios. Even under adverse conditions, our techniques can improve average service latency for page requests by a factor of 2X. Our results point to the considerable power of leveraging user mobility and collaboration in providing very-low-infrastructure internet access to developing regions.
Birgean heat budgets and rates of heat uptake in two monomictic lakes

Thermal profile development, rates of heat uptake and annual heat budgets are presented for two monomictic lakes, Whatcom and Washington, in the Puget Sound lowlands of Washington State. The rates of heat gain in the lakes were found to be significantly affected by lake morphometry. In turn, the differing rates of heat gain affected the annual heat budgets.
Concerning the purity of magnesium and beryllium alkyls and halides prepared by different methods

Abstract Methods for preparing pure magnesium and beryllium alkyls, aryls and halides have been investigated and evaluated. Some previously reported methods were found to produce impure products whereas one method for each class of compounds above was found that produced an unusually pure product. The latter methods are recommended for the preparation of these classes of compounds when high purity products are necessary such as in molecular association or kinetic studies.
Balloon mitral commissurotomy after previous surgical commissurotomy. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Balloon Valvuloplasty Registry participants.

BACKGROUNDMitral restenosis after surgical mitral commissurotomy often occurs within 5-15 years, necessitating a repeat procedure. Balloon mitral commissurotomy (BMC) has been advocated as an alternative to repeat surgery for mitral restenosis.METHODS AND RESULTSThe purposes of this study are to determine the short- and intermediate-term outcomes of patients undergoing BMC after previous surgical commissurotomy, to compare these patients with those undergoing balloon mitral commissurotomy as an initial procedure, and to elucidate the multivariate determinants of acute procedural and clinical outcome. Of 738 patients undergoing BMC as part of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Balloon Valvuloplasty Registry, 133 underwent BMC after previous surgical mitral commissurotomy. Prospective data obtained included demographic, hemodynamic, echocardiographic, and clinical follow-up. BMC after previous surgical commissurotomy produced a significant reduction in transvalvular gradient from 13 +/- 5 to 6 +/...
Tidal Cycle Effects on the Occurrence of the Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) at the Port Everglades Power Plant

The seasonal distribution of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is influenced predominantly by feeding locations in the summer and proximity to warm-water refuges during colder months. Due to their limited ability to tolerate cold water, when water temperatures drop below 20°C manatees congregate around natural and artificial warm-water refuges, such as warm-water springs or power plant outfalls. Distribution may further be influenced by the tidal cycle through its impact on manatee movement and foraging. Although the importance of tide on manatee distribution and habitat selection has been acknowledged, it has yet to be studied quantitatively in respect to the manatee population in southeast Florida. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the tidal cycle on manatee occurrence at the Florida Power & Light (FPL) Port Everglades Power Plant. Walking surveys were conducted in Port Everglades during manatee season, November 15 – March 31, between 2004 and 2008. During the surveys, the number of manatees in four established locations was noted and the animals categorized based on size as either calf, juvenile, or adult. Water temperature data were also collected at four permanent sample locations. Because many surveys yielded zero manatees observed, data were analyzed using the zero-inflated negative binomial model. Although the manatees at the Port Everglades Power Plant must forage away from the warm-water refuge, my findings show no correlation between tidal state and total manatee occurrence at the FPL Port Everglades Power Plant. The results do, however, suggest that the probability of observing a cow/calf pair is greater during high tide when compared to low and mid-tides (P < 0.05). Total manatee occurrence and the presence of cow/calf pairs were both significantly correlated with water temperature (P < 0.05).
Viscous dissipation effects on thermophoretically augmented aerosol particle transport across laminar boundary layers

The effect of viscous dissipation on mass transport across nonisothermal low-mass-loading laminar boundary layers of dusty gas is investigated theoretically by means of numerical simulations. The derivation of the model is outlined, and numerical results are presented in extensive graphs and characterized in detail. The dissipation effects are found to be significant, increasing total particle-deposition rates; the intensity of the effects depends on the ratio of wall temperature to mainstream static temperature.
ION MOBILITIES IN PURE FUSED SILVER CHLORIDE

Ion mobilities in a number of pure fused salts and salt mixtures were determined, using radiotracers to follow the progress of ions through porous membranes. The work has now been extended to include pure AgCl. (W.L.H.)
Digital recording and automatic computation of film tensile stress–strain data

A system is described for automatic collection of stress–strain data for polymeric films on magnetic tape for subsequent automatic data reduction and computation of a variety of stress–strain parameters. Two shaft analog-to-digital encoders attached to a conventional tensile tester feed digital information to an incremental pulse recorder which stores all stress and strain data in two channels on 0.625-in. magnetic tape. Specimen information and test constants are inserted by the operator through a keyboard located at the tensile tester. The tape is subsequently fed into a standard digital computer through a special incremental pulse magnetic tape reader. The data pulses are internally stored and converted by means of a special program into eight significant stress–strain parameters for polymeric film samples, plus averages and standard deviations for groups of replicate determinations. These parameters include: corrected length of specimen, initial maximum tensile modulus, offset yield stress, strain at break, strain at maximum stress, maximum tensile stress, tensile stress at break, and work to break. While the program described applies to polymer film testing, both it and the digital recording equipment accessories are applicable with suitable modification, to any analog experimental data. Significant savings in man-hours and increased information output result from use of this system.
Surface Variability of Alluvial Fans Generated by Disparate Processes, Eastern Death Valley, CA

This study explores the surface variability of alluvial fans from digital elevations model (DEM) derivatives generated from 1-m planimetric resolution airborne laser swath mapping data. Channel and interfluve dimensions of debris flow (DF) fans and fans generated from predominantly fluvial flows and some older debris flows (mixed flow [MF]) are extracted with the aid of a planimetric curvature classification. Significant differences are identified between the fan surface topography of DF and MF fans. MF fans tend to have smaller channel and interfluve widths, have smaller elevation differences between the crest of the interfluve and channel, and are more dissected than DF fans. The morphometric differences between the two fan classes can be explained by differences in the primary processes that develop the surficial features, but also the preponderance for secondary erosional processes acting on the MF fans.
Static and Fatigue Strength of Resin Transfer Molded Composites

Fiber reinforced polymer composites are preferred in many structural applications for their ease of production and high specific strengths. Although fatigue loading is commonly encountered in structural applications, behavior of composites under cyclic loading is less understood compared to fatigue behavior of more conventional metals and their alloys. In this work, the response of resin transfer molded (RTM) glass/epoxy composites to static tensile and fatigue loading is investigated. Center-gated, disk shaped composites are fabricated using EPON 815C epoxy resin and EPICURE 3282 curing agent. A randomly oriented, planar glass fiber preform with 0.459kg/m2 surface density is used as the reinforcement material. Two and six layers of preforms are used to achieve 7.9 and 28.9% fiber volume fractions respectively. In addition, neat polymer parts are molded without performs to study the effect of fiber content on the tensile and fatigue behavior. Initially, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and stiffness for three different fiber volume fractions (i.e., 0, 7.9, and 28.9%) are reported. Then, fatigue tests are conducted for stress level (σmax /UTS) of 0.5 and stress ratio (σmax /σmin ) of 0.1 at a test frequency of 10 Hz. Loss of stiffness and cycles to failure are the two fatigue properties investigated. As the fiber volume fraction increased from 7.9 to 28.9%, the ultimate tensile strength and stiffness increased by 140 and 100%, respectively. During fatigue loading, the stiffness gradually dropped by approximately 13% for 7.9% and 28.9% fiber volume fractions. However, neat polymer samples did not show considerable decrease in stiffness during cycling. It is also shown that the number of cycles before failure significantly increased with the fiber content.© 2002 ASME
The Myth of the Diversionary Use of Force by American Presidents

One of the most intriguing claims that has been made about the behavior of American presidents is that they have been motivated by deteriorating political conditions at home to engage in conflict abroad. However, we identify three problems with this literature: (1) the use of increments of time rather than international crises as the unit of analysis; (2) the assump tion that presidents can respond to international crises whenever they wish; and (3) the assumption that there are significant political payoffs for diver sionary uses of force. We argue that few if any relationships are likely to be found between presidential popularity, congressional support, economic conditions and elections and the use of force. We test our hypotheses by looking at the political use of military force by American presidents in the post-World War II era (1953-88). We also test to determine if the causal order is not reversed and if it is domestic conditions which precipitate international crises. Ultimately, we find little e...
Pattern formation in the visual centers of the Drosophila brain: wingless acts via decapentaplegic to specify the dorsoventral axis

A stepwise morphogenetic program of cell division and cell fate determination generates the precise neuronal architecture of the visual centers of the Drosophila brain. Here, we show that the assembly of the target structure for ingrowing retinal axons involves cell-cell interactions mediated by the secreted product of the wingless (wg) gene. wg, expressed in two symmetrical domains of the developing brain, is required to induce and maintain the expression of the secreted decapentaplegic (dpp) gene product in adjacent domains. wg and dpp function are required for target field neurons to adopt their proper fates and to send axons into the developing target structure. These observations implicate a cascade of diffusible signaling molecules in patterning the visual centers of the Drosophila brain.
Diffraction efficiencies of thin absorption and transmittance gratings

Abstract Expressions of the diffraction efficiencies of thin transmittance and absorption transmission gratings of arbitrary periodic shape are presented. The fraction of the incident power transmitted and the maximum obtainable diffraction efficiencies for a number of representative absorption and transmittance grating shapes are given.
Solubility of 2,4-Dinitrotoluene and 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene in Seawater

Measurements of the aqueous solubility of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) are reported. Previous data reported for DNT is sparse, and the values are inconsistent with those reported herein. Data for TNT compare very well with previously reported values, which provides confidence in the methods used.
Diagnosis and Management of Precocious Puberty in Atypical Presentations of McCune-Albright Syndrome: A Case Series Review

Abstract Background McCune-Albright syndrome is a rare syndrome, classically defined as the triad of precocious puberty, fibrous dysplasia of bone, and cafe au lait lesions. Partial or atypical presentations of McCune-Albright syndrome, with only one or two of the classic symptoms, have been described in the literature and remain particularly challenging due to lack of diagnostic phenotype. In these patients, the utility of analysis of mutations in the gene of the α subunit of the stimulatory G-protein is limited and so the diagnosis is often based on clinical judgment. Three atypical cases of suspected McCune-Albright syndrome with gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty are presented. Cases Case #1: A 5-year-old female presented with painlesss vaginal bleeding and was found to have cafe au lait lesions. She was diagnosed with gonadotropin independent precocious puberty with eventual progression to gonadotropin dependent precocious puberty which was successfully treated with both letrozole and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy. Case #2: A 3-year-old female presented with painless vaginal bleeding and was found to have cafe au lait lesions. She was diagnosed with gonadotropin independent precocious puberty and was successfully treated with letrozole. Case #3: A 5-year-old female presented with fibrous dysplasia and was found to have evidence of uterine and ovarian enlargement on ultrasound. She was diagnosed with gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty and was successfully treated with letrozole. Summary and Conclusion Although different in presentation, all three atypical cases of suspected McCune-Albright syndrome with gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty were successfully treated with aromatase inhibitors. This small case series shows the utility and efficacy of aromatase inhibitors in the setting of atypical cases of suspected MAS with gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty.
Computing quark potential on a parallel supercomputer

Abstract Computing the quark potential in lattice QCD on a state-of-the-art parallel computer — the 128 node Caltech/JPL MarkIIIfp Hypercube — achieves a sustained speed of 600 megaflops, and leads to excellent physics results. We describe various aspects of the computation with particular emphasis on the practical experiences on the parallel implementation and performance analysis of the MarkIIIfp Hypercube.
Simple local potential for the spectrum of e+ e− coincidence peaks found in heavy-ion collisions

Recent observations of narrow positron-electron coincidence peaks in heavy-ion collisions have raised renewed interest in discrete bound states embedded in the continuum first proposed by Wigner and von Neumann. In this paper we present a simple local potential which supports multiple bound states with energies that match the coincidence peaks. These positive-energy bound states have no classical turning points. Since the results are derived by analytical methods, this potential provides a simple test of numerical procedures used to study such phenomena.
IPO lockups, founder power, and executive compensation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between IPO lockups and founder-CEOs’ compensation and incentives in newly public firms. The paper argues that existence and length of lockup agreements are affected by bargaining power of founders, which will consequently influence the determination of their compensation contracts. Design/methodology/approach – Multivariate tests are constructed to examine the relationship between IPO lockups and executive compensation. OLS, fixed-effect panel data model, and the Heckman two-stage model are all utilized to conduct the tests. Findings – The study finds that lockup existence and lockup length are negatively related to founder-CEOs’ total compensation and positively related to founder-CEOs’ equity incentives. The results hold after controlling for the endogenous decision to sign a lockup agreement at the IPO. Research limitation/implications – The paper's results suggest that the power of founders and other insiders is a crucial factor in th...
Three cases of contact allergy after chemical burns from methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone: one with concomitant allergy to methyldibromoglutaronitrile/phenoxyethanol.

Background: Methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (MCI/MI) is known to be a contact sensitizer. It is used extensively in cosmetic products in low concentrations. Occupational exposure usually occurs with concentrated solutions and results in a different reaction pattern. Results: Three workers developed chemical burns and subsequent sensitization after exposure to concentrated solutions of MCI/MI. One patient was also occupationally sensitized to methyldibromoglutaronitrile/phenoxyethanol. Conclusion: Exposure to concentrated solutions of some allergens can be severely irritating in the occupational setting and can probably induce sensitization.
Geology and petrogenesis of the edgecumbe volcanic field, SE Alaska: The interaction of basalt and sialic crust

The Edgecumbe volcanic field is a Holocene volcanic province located on Kruzof Island, SE Alaska. Exposed within the 260 km2 field are basalt, andesitic basalt, andesite, dacite and rhyodacite. The rhyodacites were erupted after the basalts and before the andesites. The volcanics, which are Al-rich (14–18 wt%) and lack an iron enrichment trend, range from tholeiites (47 wt% SiO2) through rhyodacites (72%), but a compositional gap of approximately 9 wt% separates the dacites and rhyodacites. Initial 87Sr/86Sr ranges from 0.70297 in the basalts to 0.70440 in a pyroxene andesite. δ 18O increases across the suite: 5.8‰ to 7.9‰. Plagioclase (An32–86) is the dominant phenocryst in all but one lava. Olivine (Fo58–86) occurs in the basic lavas (<53 wt% SiO2), but is replaced by orthopyroxene (En43–73) and clinopyroxene (En31Wo41-En48Wo40) in the more siliceous volcanics. In the basalts and rhyodacites, plagioclase is weakly zoned, but extreme zoning (<30 mole% An) is characteristic of phenocrysts in the intermediate lavas. Fractionation of the observed phenocryst assemblages could not have produced the more silicous volcanics. Instead they were generated by partial melting of intrusive basement (87Sr/86Sr=0.70487; δ 18O: 8.7–9.3) by basaltic magma and subsequent assimilation. Mass balance calculations show the rhyodacites are almost pure partial melt (<5% basaltic component) whereas the intermediate lavas contain between 30 and 60% partial melt.
Dynamics of plume propagation and splitting during pulsed-laser ablation of Si in He and Ar

A modeling approach for calculating the expansion of a laser-generated plasma into a background gas has been developed. Although relatively simple in structure, the model gives excellent fits to various experimental data for Si in background gases of He and Ar, including the previously unexplained {open_quotes}splitting{close_quotes} of the ablated plume. The model is based on a combination of multiple-scattering and hydrodynamic approaches. It allows the plume to be broken up into components, or scattering orders, whose particles undergo 0, 1, 2,{hor_ellipsis} collisions with the background. Particles can only be transferred from one order to the next higher order by collisions. The densities in the individual orders propagate according to the usual conservation equations to give the overall plume expansion. When Ar is the background gas, there is a non-negligible probability that Si plume atoms will reach the detector without undergoing any collisions. This gives rise to a flux component that is undisplaced from that obtained when no background gas is present in addition to the delayed peak from the scattered flux. In Ar only a few orders are necessary for convergence. The behavior in the light gas He is more complex because of the relatively small effect of any one-scatteringmore » event and the calculations must be carried out in some cases to as high as the 12th scattering order to find agreement with the experiments. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}« less
Binding of wheat germ ribosomes to bisulfite-modified reovirus messenger RNA: Evidence for a scanning mechanism☆

Abstract A scanning mechanism has been proposed (Kozak, 1978) to explain how eukaryotic ribosomes select the correct AUG codon for initiation of protein synthesis. The hypothesis is that a 40 S ribosomal subunit binds initially at or near the 5′-terminus of a message and subsequently migrates toward the interior of the messenger RNA, stopping when it encounters the first AUG codon, at which point a 60 S subunit joins and peptide bond formation begins. The scanning mechanism predicts that if a message were modified by introduction of a new AUG triplet upstream of the existing initiator codon, the adventitious AUG should be the preferred site for formation of an 80 S initiation complex. This prediction has been confirmed in the present studies with two reovirus messenger RNAs, in which sodium bisulfite was used to convert an ACG sequence (located in the 5′ untranslated region of each message) to AUG. Analysis of the ribosome-protected mRNA fragments recovered from sparsomycin-blocked 80 S initiation complexes revealed that a high percentage of wheat germ ribosomes were centered around the “unnatural” 5′-proximal AUG created by the bisulfite treatment, although some ribosomes were also positioned at the second (normal) initiator codon. The bisulfite modification was carried out in 7 m -urea at 37 °C. resulting in quantitative conversion of cytosine to uracil. Thus, both the primary and secondary structure of the message were drastically altered. These perturbations did not impair the efficiency of ribosome binding, nor did the highly unfolded state of the mRNA permit ribosomes to attach to spurious sites in the interior of the message. The data support a mechanism in which the initiator codon is selected by virtue of its position in a message (i.e. closest to the 5′-terminus), without regard to either the primary or secondary structure of the flanking regions.
Considering long-term outcome and tolerability in the treatment of bipolar disorder

Bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) has a prevalence of up to 3.5% in the United States. This condition is associated with significant morbidity and, in the untreated state, mortality. Historically, lithium and various mood stabilizers, with the addition of conventional antipsychotic medications, have been the mainstay of treatment. However, problems with efficacy and compliance with treatment (due to adverse effects), especially with maintenance therapy, have been a problem. More recently, novel mood stabilizers such as lamotrigine, and use of the second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) medications are being employed in the treatment paradigm. Most of the SGAs now have an indication for acute, adjunctive, or maintenance treatment of BPAD. They have proven to be effective for control of the mood and thought disorder symptoms, and may have benefit in treating comorbid anxiety and substance abuse disorders. The SGAs, with proper selection based on anticipated adverse effects, may be better tolerated for maintenance treatment. Many clinical trials with the SGAs are ongoing and are providing us with efficacy and tolerability data. Further clinical experience with these medications should hopefully elucidate their role in the treatment of this illness for which we have imperfect interventions.
Immunopathophysiology of asthma: mechanisms and relation to food allergy

An overview of the potential pathophysiology of various inflammatory cells in asthmatic allergic inflammation. The cells reviewed include the contribution of T cells, mast cells, eosinophils, macrophages in the generation of inflammatory reactions in the airway. It also provides an overview of potential mechanisms to be considered in relationship to the airway irritation that food allergy may generate and a context provided for understanding the ways in which food allergen may penetrate the airways.
Decreased Susceptibilities to Retapamulin, Mupirocin, and Chlorhexidine among Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Causing Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Otherwise Healthy Children

Topical antimicrobial and antiseptic agents are commonly used in the management of minor skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Resistance to mupirocin has been documented in Staphylococcus aureus isolates causing SSTIs. Data are limited, however, on the prevalence of retapamulin resistance or tolerance to antiseptics. We sought to determine the prevalence of decreased susceptibility to retapamulin and mupirocin as well as the potential for decreased chlorhexidine susceptibility of S. aureus isolates from SSTIs in children. Two hundred isolates from patients with a single SSTI and 200 isolates from patients with ≥3 previous episodes from the years 2010 to 2012 were selected from an S. aureus surveillance study. Screening for retapamulin resistance was performed by the broth macrodilution method; mupirocin MICs were determined by Etest. PCR was performed for the presence of the smr gene associated with elevated MICs/minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) to chlorhexidine. Among the isolates screened, 38 isolates (9.5%) exhibited retapamulin resistance, of which 22 (57.9%) were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Two isolates (0.5%) displayed cross-resistance to retapamulin and linezolid. Thirty-nine isolates (9.8%) were found to have mupirocin resistance. smr-positive S. aureus accounted for 14% of isolates. The proportion of smr-positive organisms increased during the study (P = 0.005). The prevalence of in vitro resistance to topical antimicrobials among S. aureus isolates causing SSTI in healthy children in our community is almost 10%. Retapamulin resistance was associated with cross-resistance to linezolid in 0.5% of isolates. In addition, there was an increase in the proportion of smr-positive isolates. Further research including clinical correlations with these findings is warranted.
Gridded lightning climatology from TRMM-LIS and OTD: Dataset description

Abstract Gridded climatologies of total lightning flash rates observed by the spaceborne Optical Transient Detector (OTD) and Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) instruments have been updated. OTD collected data from May 1995 to March 2000. LIS data (equatorward of about 38°) adds the years 1998–2010. Flash counts from each instrument are scaled by the best available estimates of detection efficiency. The long LIS record makes the merged climatology most robust in the tropics and subtropics, while the high latitude data is entirely from OTD. The gridded climatologies include annual mean flash rate on a 0.5° grid, mean diurnal cycle of flash rate on a 2.5° grid with 24 hour resolution, mean annual cycle of flash rate on a 0.5° or 2.5° grid with daily, monthly, or seasonal resolution, mean annual cycle of the diurnal cycle on a 2.5° grid with two hour resolution for each day, and time series of flash rate over the sixteen year record with roughly three-month smoothing. For some of these (e.g., annual cycle of the diurnal cycle), more smoothing is necessary for results to be robust. The mean global flash rate from the merged climatology is 46 flashes s− 1. This varies from around 35 flashes s− 1 in February (austral summer) to 60 flashes s− 1 in August (boreal summer). The peak annual flash rate at 0.5° scale is 160 fl km− 2 yr− 1 in eastern Congo. The peak monthly average flash rate at 2.5° scale is 18 fl km− 2 mo− 1 from early April to early May in the Brahmaputra Valley of far eastern India. Lightning decreases in this region during the monsoon season, but increases further north and west. An August peak in northern Pakistan also exceeds any monthly averages from Africa, despite central Africa having the greatest yearly average.
Primer and interviews: Diverse connections between primary cilia and Hedgehog signaling.

On the surface, the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway and primary cilia make strange bedfellows. Hh is a dynamic regulator of a myriad of developmental processes, ranging from spinal cord and limb patterning to lung branching morphogenesis. By contrast, immotile primary cilia were long considered ancestral holdovers with no known function. Considering the disparate perceptions of these two phenomena, the relatively recent discovery that there is a symbiotic-like relationship between Hh and cilia was unexpected. This primer covers the basics of primary cilia and Hh signaling, highlighting variations in ways they are connected across species, and also discusses the evolutionary implications of these findings. Roles of cilia in signal transduction are analyzed further in an interview with Soren T. Christensen, PhD, and Andrew S. Peterson, PhD, in the A Conversation With the Experts section. Developmental Dynamics 239:1255–1262, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Absolute-Frequency Measurement of the Iodine-Based Length Standard at 514.67 nm

The absolute frequency of the length standard at 514.67 nm based on the molecular iodine (127 I 2) transition of the P(13) 43-0 component a3 is measured using a self-referenced femtosecond optical comb. This frequency-based technique improves measurement precision more than 100 times compared with previous wavelength-based results. Power- and pressure-related frequency shifts have been carefully studied. The measured absolute frequency is 71.8±1.5 kHz higher than the internationally accepted value of 582490603.37±0.15 MHz, adopted by the Comite International des Poids et Mesures (CIPM) in 1997.
Becoming Jack London

What gave early 20th-century author Jack London his distinctive writing style? Are good writers born, or made? And to what extent can quantitative methods shed light on the developing voice of an a...
Theoretical and Experimental Comparisons for Rotordynamic Coefficients of a High-Speed, High-Pressure, Orifice-Compensated Hybrid Bearing

Comparisons are presented between measurements and predictions for a 76.2 mm diameter, high-speed (24,600 rpm), high-pressure (7.0 MPa), hybrid bearings using warm (54°C) water as a test fluid. «Hybrid» refers to combined hydrostatic and hydrodynamic action. Test results are presented for an orifice-fed, square-recess configuration with five recesses. Data are provided for rotordynamic coefficients including direct and cross-coupled stiffness, direct damping, direct added-mass coefficients, and the whirl-frequency ratio. Experimental results are compared to predictions from an analysis by San Andres (1990a), which accounts for both temporal and convective acceleration terms in the fluid film. San Andres' development uses an orifice discharge coefficient to model the pressure drop from supply pressure to recess pressure. With experimentally determined discharge-coefficient values as input, good agreement is obtained between theary and experiment. However, predictions are sensitive to changes in the orifice discharge coefficients
Managing query execution for an advanced database programming language

A method for efficiently managing the execution of a query for an advanced database programming language is demonstrated. It is shown that the mechanism gracefully and efficiently manages control flow in both single-processor and multiprocessor environments. A prototype demonstrating the feasibility of this approach is operational on both single-processor and small-scale multiprocessor systems. >
Gain optimization for Yagi-Uda arrays

The author presents a personal account of the search for a design procedure for Yagi-Uda antenna arrays yielding a maximum gain, or directivity if element losses are neglected. Results on current distributions in the array are briefly reviewed. The analytical approach used to achieve gain optimization by means spacing and length perturbations is sketched. By using both spacing and length perturbations, it was possible to find the optimized array analytically in a systematic way, some examples having gain increases of nearly 80%. The effects of finite dipole radius and mutual coupling were included in the theoretical treatment. >
Incidental primary breast cancer detected on PET–CT

The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence of primary breast cancer (PBC) detected on (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)–computed tomography (CT) in patients with a known diagnosis of non-mammary malignancies. A database search was performed to identify patients with non-mammary malignancies who had undergone staging with FDG PET–CT at a single institution between September 2005 and September 2011 and with the word “breast” reported in the PET–CT dictation. Additional breast imaging studies, clinical data, and the final histopathology of the breast lesions were correlated with the PET–CT images. Of 1951 patients who underwent PET/CT, 440 incidental breast lesions were identified in 438 patients. Of these 440 lesions, 195 (45 %) were benign, 160 (37 %) malignant, and 85 (19 %) missing data. A total of 25 PBCs were diagnosed; with a median size of 1.8 cm (range 0.8–10.7 cm); and a median SUVmax of 4.4 (range 1.7–17.6). There were 19 invasive ductal cancers, 1 invasive lobular cancer, 2 papillary cancers, 1 tubular cancer, 1 sarcomatoid cancer, and 1 ductal carcinoma in situ. Eight patients had regional nodal disease. Mammography revealed the PBC in 19 of 23 tumors (83 %), sonography in 22 of 23 (96 %). Six percent (25 of 440) of incidental breast lesions identified on FDG PET–CT represent PBCs; more than half were at an early stage and potentially curable.
Identification of an intronic splicing regulatory element involved in auto‐regulation of alternative splicing of SCL33 pre‐mRNA

†‡ SUMMARY In Arabidopsis, pre-mRNAs of serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins undergo extensive alternative splicing (AS). However, little is known about the cis-elements and trans-acting proteins involved in regulating AS. Using a splicing reporter (GFP‐intron‐GFP), consisting of the GFP coding sequence interrupted by an alternatively spliced intron of SCL33, we investigated whether cis-elements within this intron are sufficient for AS, and which SR proteins are necessary for regulated AS. Expression of the splicing reporter in protoplasts faithfully produced all splice variants from the intron, suggesting that cis-elements required for AS reside within the intron. To determine which SR proteins are responsible for AS, the splicing pattern of the GFP‐intron‐GFP reporter was investigated in protoplasts of three single and three double mutants of SR genes. These analyses revealed that SCL33 and a closely related paralog, SCL30a, are functionally redundant in generating specific splice variants from this intron. Furthermore, SCL33 protein bound to a conserved sequence in this intron, indicating auto-regulation of AS. Mutations in four GAAG repeats within the conserved region impaired generation of the same splice variants that are affected in the scl33 scl30a double mutant. In conclusion, we have identified the first intronic cis-element involved in AS of a plant SR gene, and elucidated a mechanism for auto-regulation of AS of this intron.
Eosinophil cationic granule proteins impair thrombomodulin function. A potential mechanism for thromboembolism in hypereosinophilic heart disease.

Abstract Thromboembolism is a prominent but poorly understood feature of eosinophilic, or Loeffler's endocarditis. Eosinophil (EO) specific granule proteins, in particular major basic protein (MBP), accumulate on endocardial surfaces in the course of this disease. We hypothesized that these unusually cationic proteins promote thrombosis by binding to the anionic endothelial protein thrombomodulin (TM) and impairing its anticoagulant activities. We find that MBP potently (IC50 of 1-2 microM) inhibits the capacity of endothelial cell surface TM to generate the natural anticoagulant activated protein C (APC). MBP also inhibits APC generation by purified soluble rabbit TM with an IC50 of 100 nM without altering its apparent Kd for thrombin or Km for protein C. This inhibition is reversed by polyanions such as chondroitin sulfate E and heparin. A TM polypeptide fragment comprising the extracellular domain that includes its naturally occurring anionic glycosaminoglycan (GAG) moiety (TMD-105) is strongly inhibited by MBP, whereas its counterpart lacking the GAG moiety (TMD-75) is not. MBP also curtails the capacity of TMD-105 but not TMD-75 to prolong the thrombin clotting time. Thus, EO cationic proteins potently inhibit anticoagulant activities of the glycosylated form of TM, thereby suggesting a potential mechanism for thromboembolism in hypereosinophilic heart disease.
SigLM: Signature-driven load management for cloud computing infrastructures

Cloud computing has emerged as a promising platform that grants users with direct yet shared access to computing resources and services without worrying about the internal complex infrastructure. Unlike traditional batch service model, cloud service model adopts a pay-as-you-go form, which demands explicit and precise resource control. In this paper, we present SigLM, a novel Signature-driven Load Management system to achieve quality-aware service delivery in shared cloud computing infrastructures. SigLM dynamically captures fine-grained signatures of different application tasks and cloud nodes using time series patterns, and performs precise resource metering and allocation based on the extracted signatures. SigLM employs dynamic time warping algorithm and multi-dimensional time series indexing to achieve efficient signature pattern matching. Our experiments using real load traces collected on the PlanetLab show that SigLM can improve resource provisioning performance by 30–80% compared to existing approaches. SigLM is scalable and efficient, which imposes less than 1% overhead to the system and can perform signature matching within tens of milliseconds.
Bent solenoids for spectrometers and emittance exchange sections

Bent solenoids can be used to transport of low energy beams as they provide both confinement and dispersion of particle orbits. Solenoids are being considered both as emittance exchange sections and spectrometers in the muon cooling system as part of the study of the muon collider. We present the results of a study of bent solenoids which considers the design of coupling sections between bent solenoids to straight solenoids, drift compensation fields, aberrations, and factors relating to the construction, such as field ripple, stored energy, coil forces and field errors.
A review of: “Handbook of Thermochemical Data for Compounds and Aqueous Species. H.E. Earner and R.V. Scheuerman, John Wiley and Sons, New York, N.Y., 1978, vi + 156 pp., $19.95.”

(1979). A review of: “Handbook of Thermochemical Data for Compounds and Aqueous Species. H.E. Earner and R.V. Scheuerman, John Wiley and Sons, New York, N.Y., 1978, vi + 156 pp., $19.95.”. Synthesis and Reactivity in Inorganic and Metal-Organic Chemistry: Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 197-199.
An Assessment of the Image of Mexico as a Vacation Destination and the Influence of Geographical Location Upon That Image

A sample of 617 student respondents was drawn from 12 universities, in different parts of the United States. Semantic differential instruments were used to measure respondents' descriptive and importance dimensions of thei.- image of Mexico.The analysis indicated major differences between the two image dimensions. Those image attributes which respondents considered to be important when considering a vacation in Mexico were related primarily to sanitation and safety. The most positive attributes respondents reported about Mexico related to climate and low costs.Measurement of respondents' descriptive image of Mexico indicated that the farther away respondents resided from Mexico, the more favorable was their image of that country as a vacation destination. Analysis indicated that the regional differences were not significant. However, significant differences were found on 12 of the 30 individual attributes which were used to measure image.
Enzymology of cytosine arabinoside.

The enzymes responsible for the metabolism of Ara-C and its metabolites in human cells are described. The relevance of the properties of those enzymes to the action of Ara-C is discussed.
Rigorous approaches to species delimitation have significant implications for African crocodilian systematics and conservation

Accurate species delimitation is a central assumption of biology that, in groups such as the Crocodylia, is often hindered by highly conserved morphology and frequent introgression. In Africa, crocodilian systematics has been hampered by complex regional biogeography and confounded taxonomic history. We used rigorous molecular and morphological species delimitation methods to test the hypothesis that the slender-snouted crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus) is composed of multiple species corresponding to the Congolian and Guinean biogeographic zones. Speciation probability was assessed by using 11 mitochondrial and nuclear genes, and cranial morphology for over 100 specimens, representing the full geographical extent of the species distribution. Molecular Bayesian and phylogenetic species delimitation showed unanimous support for two Mecistops species isolated to the Upper Guinean and Congo (including Lower Guinean) biomes that were supported by 13 cranial characters capable of unambiguously diagnosing each species. Fossil-calibrated phylogenetic reconstruction estimated that the species split ± 6.5–7.5 Ma, which is congruent with intraspecies divergence within the sympatric crocodile genus Osteolaemus and the formation of the Cameroon Volcanic Line. Our results underscore the necessity of comprehensive phylogeographic analyses within currently recognized taxa to detect cryptic species within the Crocodylia. We recommend that the community of crocodilian researchers reconsider the conceptualization of crocodilian species especially in the light of the conservation ramifications for this economically and ecologically important group.
Psychiatric hospitalization as an experience of trauma

The experience of being a client in a locked, inpatient psychiatric unit can be considered trauma-producing. This article examines that phenomenon, offers suggestions for reform, and recommends dialogue for further change.
Mammalian target of rapamycin.

Targeted molecular therapeutics are tailored toward the genetic abnormalities that cause tumor progression. Modulation of certain signaling pathways that are aberrant in cancer cells has the potential to provide an effective, nontoxic approach to therapy in a broad range of cancers. Agents targeting BCR-ABL (imatinib mesylate [formerly known as STI-571], Gleevec; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp, East Hanover, NJ), retinoid receptor fusion proteins (all- trans retinoic acid), ErbB-2 or HER2/ neu (trastuzumab, Herceptin; Genentech, Inc, South San Francisco, CA), epidermal growth factor receptor (IMC-C225 and ZD1839), and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway (CCI-779) have all induced remarkable, nontoxic responses in a subset of patients with cancer and abnormalities in the corresponding signal transduction cascades. To achieve successful individualized therapy, the specific components within the aberrant signaling pathways that are driving the pathophysiology of the tumors must be identified in each patient. Molecular diagnostics can identify patients in whom the target is aberrant; linking molecular diagnostics with effective molecular therapeutics will be necessary to translate these concepts into approaches that will alter the outcome for patients with cancer. In addition, intermediary markers and/or molecular imaging techniques must be used to identify the biologically relevant dose that is sufficient to inhibit the target of interest. This review focuses on the PI3K pathway, and novel molecules targeting this pathway, to illustrate the questions and challenges underlying the implementation of molecular therapeutics in breast and ovarian cancer.