cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using BLAST to teach "E-value-tionary" concepts.

BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool; [1],[2]) is the key bioinformatic tool for sequence comparison and retrieval from databases. BLAST is often the first step in using sequence-based information to design experiments and contextualize experimental results. Its speed and ease of use help account for this, with experiments requiring simply submitting a sequence of interest (the query sequence) and waiting a few seconds. At the same time, by rendering thinking unnecessary, BLAST is often used suboptimally, with many experienced researchers simply using the default parameters because they do not know how to manipulate them or accepting results with little understanding of their full meaning (or lack thereof). Recognition of the importance of BLAST to modern life sciences has led to its use in many biology courses, even at the high school level, to introduce students to bioinformatics applications in the life sciences. Concepts of molecular evolution (e.g., gene duplication and divergence; orthologs versus paralogs) are quite abstract and are best communicated with examples (Box 1). It is possible to use case studies from the literature, but the abundance of sequence data present in public databases raises the far more attractive possibility of using searches tailored to a particular course, or, better yet, allowing the students to choose their own examples. Box 1. Concepts at a Glance Leads into biological sciences Molecular evolution (e.g., homologs, paralogs, orthologs) Gene alignment Domain structure of proteins Biochemical nature of amino acids: “frequent” and “infrequent” substitutions Conserved versus divergent regions of genes Leads into math Amino acid identity matrices Quantification of sequence identity and similarity Leads into information technology Database queries and their tradeoffs (speed versus completeness) Large dataset management Less obviously, another benefit of teaching students how the BLAST algorithm works is that it provides an opportunity to illustrate how mathematics functions as a language of biology. For example, given that BLAST has been designed to retrieve homologs, there are several steps in the BLAST program that incorporate molecular evolution concepts to maximize the possibility of finding sequences with a shared evolutionary history. More basically, understanding the steps in the calculation of an E-value provides an opportunity to show the relationship between how the algorithm works and fundamental principles of biochemistry and evolution. Here, we provide an approach to teaching the basics of BLAST to students in order to emphasize how the algorithm translates fundamental biological principles into numerical terms culminating in an E value. Acquiring a feel for the algorithm and exploring genomic sequence data has the potential to inform a student's grasp of biomedical, biochemical, and biogeochemical concepts, presenting an excellent opportunity for multidisciplinary integration.
Chordoma presenting as a posterior mediastinal mass in a pediatric patient

Chordomas are slow-growing malignant tumors that arise from fetal notochord cells. They are commonly found at the cranial or caudal ends of the spinal cord, but can be seen infrequently in other areas of the cord. Thoracic chordomas can present as either a posterior mediastinal mass or with cord compression symptoms. The tumors present most frequently in the 4th to 5th decade of life. It is extremely rare to see thoracic chordoma in a child. The treatment of choice for chordomas is surgery. The tumors should be totally excised when possible. If the tumor is large or invasive, debulking is indicated. Adjuvant therapy is controversial. Chordomas are very resistant to radiotherapy but there have been several reports of increased survival with high-dose radiotherapy (7,500 rad). Chemotherapy is unproven in the treatment of chordomas. Chordomas tend to recur locally quite frequently and occasionally with distant metastases. Survival ranges from 10% to 30% at 5 years.
Compression creep testing of unidirectional composite materials

Abstract Two new compression creep fixtures are described and evaluated. One loads a specimen along the sides, whereas the other provides side support to a specimen and allows end loading. Both fixtures were used to test unidirectional composites, in static compression and in compression creep. The two unidirectional materials used were glass/epoxy and graphite/epoxy, tested longitudinally and transversely.
Use of reiterative selection for defining protein-nucleic acid interactions

Nucleic acids not only code for proteins, but also play a role in a multitude of biological processes, where they act as structural supports, binding sites, co-factors, or catalysts. Recently, an array of techniques has been developed in which molecules that are best fit to perform a given task are selected from a pool of randomized RNA or DNA molecules. These techniques can provide information about the structure/function relationship governing the various biochemical properties of RNA and DNA, including their interaction with proteins. Immediate applications are found not only in the field of transcriptional regulation, but also in the field of RNA-based catalysis.
A Taxonomic Review of The Grasshopper Mice, Onychomys, in Arizona

Grasshopper mice, Onychomys leucogaster and O. torridus , in Arizona are taxonomically revised for the first time in 52 years. Age, secondary sexual and geographical variation are analyzed. Specimens were placed in one of six age-groups determined by wear of teeth, although wear-pattern is different in the two species. There is no significant size difference between the sexes. Characters useful in distinguishing the species are relative length of tail, length of toothrow, shape of teeth and features of baculum. Geographical variation in external measurements, cranial features and color is pronounced in O. leucogaster , but these characters vary independently of each other. Color of dorsal pelage parallels the color of substrate; other characters behave in a different, seemingly random pattern. Microgeographic variants of O. leucogaster are described, but only four are recognized by a trinomen. In O. torridus , geographical variation is more concordant; two subspecies are recognized.
On concepts of efficiency

This is a brief expository article designed to indicate how, by adding extra, natural considerations, a concept which originally appears to be crystal clear can quickly pose some deep problems in definition and in policymaking.
The effect of initial recognition of abnormalities by physicians on outcome of retinoblastoma.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of early diagnosis by physicians on outcome of retinoblastoma. Methods: This was an observational case series in which the records of 36 patients with retinoblastoma were reviewed. The age at onset of first symptoms and diagnosis, identity of the individual who first recognized an abnormality, treatment, and outcome were analyzed. Results: Twenty-two patients had unilateral retinoblastoma. Both eyes were preserved in only 2 of these patients, both of whom had abnormalities first noted by their pediatricians. Fourteen patients had bilateral retinoblastoma. Both eyes were preserved in the 5 bilateral patients who were monitored from birth with serial examinations under anesthesia because of family histories of retinoblastoma. Enucleation of at least 1 eye was required in 8 of the 9 bilateral patients whose families first noted abnormalities. Enucleation of at least 1 eye was required in 27 of 28 patients (96%) in whom abnormalities were first noted by parents. Conclusion: In this series, the only patients with unilateral retinoblastoma who did not require enucleation were those in whom pediatricians, rather than family members, first noted ocular abnormalities. Both eyes were preserved in all patients with bilateral retinoblastoma who underwent serial examinations under anesthesia because of family histories of retinoblastoma. The prognosis for retinoblastoma appears to be greatly improved when physicians initially detect abnormalities. Educational efforts directed at early detection of retinoblastoma by pediatricians and other primary care providers should be encouraged.
AN EFFICIENT ALGORITHM FOR DERIVING SUMMATION IDENTITIES FROM MUTUAL RECURRENCES

This paper closes an algorithmic problem of summing a set of mutual recurrence relations with constant coefficients. Given an order d system of the form $A(n) = \sum_{i = 1}^dM_iA(n-i)+\, G(n)$, where A, G : ℕ → Km and M1,…, Md ∈ Mm(K) for some field K and natural number m, this algorithm computes the sum $\sum_{i = 0}^n{A(i)}$ as a K-linear combination of A(n),…, A(n - d), the initial conditions and sums of the inhomogeneous term G(n). The runtime of this algorithm is shown to be polynomial in m and d.
723-5 Evaluation of the Antianginal and Anti-ischemic Effects of the Sinus Node Inhibitor Zatebradine Used in Combination with Extended-Release Nifedipine In Patients with Angina Pectoris

Zatebradine (Z) is a directsinus node inhibitor which is orally active and, unlike p-adrenergic blockers, has no effect on blood pressure, vascular resistances, and ventricular contractility. We evaluated the anginal and anti-ischemic effects of Z 15 mg administered twice daily) and placebo in 124 patients (pts) already receiving 30–90 mg of extended-release nifedipine once daily, whose treadmill exercise tolerance was still limited. After 2–3 wks of single-blind placebo therapy with reproducible exercise-induced angina on the treadmill, pts were randomized to receive in double-blind fashion twice daily Z (n = 64) or twice daily placebo (n = 60) in addition to nifedipine. Subjects were followed with serial exercise tests 13 hrs post dose) for 4 wks and angina diaries were maintained. At 4 wks, Z was shown to reduce resting heart rate (HR) in contrast to placebo (12.9 ± 1,23 vs 2.3 ± 1.6 bpm, p l 0.0001), and at the end of comparable stages of exercise (Bruce). Z reduced HR in contrast to placebo (16.7 ± 1.2 vs 3.4 ± 1.2 bpm, p l 0.001). Despite these significant effects on HR with Z at rest and exercise, there were no additional antianginal benefits of Z from placebo baseline in measurements of total exercise duration, time to 1 mm ST segment depression, or time to onset of angina. Z appears to provide no additional antianginal benefit to pts already receiving nifedipine, and raises questions regarding the benefit of HR reduction alone as an antianginal approach in pts.
Endometrial ablation devices: Review of a manufacturer and user facility device experience database

Our objective was to evaluate complications reported to the Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database and to look for trends of complications among various endometrial ablation devices. This database was not intended to be used either to evaluate rates of adverse events or to compare adverse event occurrence rates across devices. We performed a retrospective review of the Food and Drug Administration's MAUDE database. The database was queried for adverse events associated with the use of endometrial ablation devices. The following data were collected: event number, date reported, date of occurrence, type of ablation device, type of complication, adherence to manufacturer's protocol, brief description, disposition, who reported incident, report source, and cause of problem. The total number of adverse events reported in the United States for the time period January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2006, was 254. The largest number of major complications for cryoablation was bowel injury (n = 5), for microwave was bowel injury (n = 6), for hot water balloon was complications leading to hysterectomy (n = 7), for free circulating hot water was severe burns (n = 22), and for bipolar mesh was bowel injury (n = 19). The MAUDE database is useful to both the physician and manufacturer to look at trends and types of complications.
Extending the Higgs Boson Reach at the Upgraded Fermilab Tevatron

We study the observability of a standard-model-like Higgs boson at the upgraded Fermilab Tevatron via the modes p{bar p}{r_arrow}gg{r_arrow}h{r_arrow}W{sup {asterisk}}W{sup {asterisk} }{r_arrow}{ell}{nu}jj and {ell}{bar {nu}}{ovr {ell}}{nu} . We find that, with c.m.thinspthinspenergy of 2thinspthinspTeV and an integrated luminosity of 30 fb{sup {minus}1} , the signal may be observable for the mass range of 135{approx_lt}m{sub h}{approx_lt}180 GeV at a (3{minus}5){sigma} statistical level. We conclude that the upgraded Fermilab Tevatron may have the potential to detect a standard-model-like Higgs boson in the mass range from the CERN e{sup +}e{sup {minus}} collider LEPthinspthinspII reach to 180thinspthinspGeV. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society }
Simultaneous self-starting additive pulse mode-locking and second harmonic generation of an Nd:YAG laser using self-organised germanosilicate optical fibres

We have demonstrated the simultaneous operation of self-starting additive pulse mode-locking and optical fibre second harmonic generation of an Nd:YAG laser resulting in picosecond radiation at 1.06 mm and 532 nm. The IR pulses were measured to be 5 ps in duration and the green pulses are expected to be approximately 3.5 ps due to the nonlinear interaction. Effects of self- and cross-phase modulation on the conversion efficiency are discussed.
Stathmin Inhibition Enhances Okadaic Acid-induced Mitotic Arrest: A POTENTIAL ROLE FOR STATHMIN IN MITOTIC EXIT *

Stathmin is a microtubule-destabilizing phosphoprotein that plays a critical role in the regulation of mitosis. The microtubule-depolymerizing activity of stathmin is lost upon phosphorylation in mitosis. Although the role of phosphorylation of stathmin by p34cdc2 kinase in the assembly of the mitotic spindle is well established, the role of dephosphorylation of stathmin in mitosis is unknown. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that dephosphorylation of stathmin may be critically important for the depolymerization of the mitotic spindle and the exit from mitosis. We compared the effects of okadaic acid, a specific inhibitor of serine/threonine protein phosphatases, on different parameters of mitotic progression in the presence or absence of stathmin deficiency. Because okadaic acid prevents dephosphorylation of stathmin and results in accumulation of the inactive phosphorylated form, exposure to okadaic acid would be expected to have a more profound effect on mitosis in the presence of relative stathmin deficiency. We found that inhibition of stathmin expression results in increased sensitivity to the antimitotic effects of okadaic acid. This was reflected by increased growth inhibition associated with mitotic arrest. A vast majority of the stathmin-inhibited cells were found to be arrested in late metaphase/anaphase and had severe mitotic spindle abnormalities. Exposure to okadaic acid also resulted in a bigger ratio of polymerized/unpolymerized tubulin in stathmin-inhibited cells relative to control cells. Because the only difference between the control and the stathmin-inhibited cells is the deficiency of stathmin in the latter, the increased susceptibility of the stathmin-inhibited cells to okadaic acid-induced mitotic arrest implies a role for stathmin in the later stages of mitosis.
Twenty-five year follow-up of child-reading practices: Reliability of retrospective data

Abstract A follow-up of participants in a study of speech development provided the opportunity to investigate (i) the reliability of retrospective accounts of the child-rearing environment, and (ii) personality bias in retrospective recall of child-rearing circumstances. Comparing original accounts of child-rearing to retrospective accounts is the most powerful design for examining the reliability of retrospective recall, yet it has been employed by only one other study. As part of the original study, parents completed a child-rearing questionnaire when their children were age 7, and the children completed the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) at age 16. Factor analysis of the child-rearing questionnaire identified four factors, Cohesiveness, Openness, Control and Punishment, for which scales were constructed. At follow-up, 147 parents and 119 children completed a retrospective child-rearing questionnaire as well as the EPI. The data showed that retrospective accounts were only moderately reliable but did not appear to be affected by personality bias.
Compressive Ulnar Neuropathies at the Elbow: II. Treatment

Initial treatment of most compressive neuropathies at the elbow is nonoperative, consisting of rest, avoidance of elbow flexion, and, when necessary, temporary immobilization of the elbow and wrist. If symptoms persist, particularly when accompanied by muscle weakness, surgery is usually indicated. Operative procedures include decompression without transposition of the nerve (in situ or by means of medial epicondylectomy) and decompression with transposition of the nerve carried out in a subcutaneous, intramuscular, or submuscular fashion. The indications, advantages, disadvantages, and surgical technique of each operative procedure are discussed. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 1998;6:289-297
The Pratt-Arrow Requirement in a Fourth Degree Polynomial Utility Function:

The main objective of this paper is to show that a fourth degree polynomial utility function proposed in a recent paper, which meets the requirement of risk aversion, can be restricted further to meet the added requirement of decreasing absolute risk aversion. Secondary objectives are to show the features and advantages of the proposed function.
Sequence, structure, function, immunity: structural genomics of costimulation

Costimulatory receptors and ligands trigger the signaling pathways that are responsible for modulating the strength, course, and duration of an immune response. High-resolution structures have provided invaluable mechanistic insights by defining the chemical and physical features underlying costimulatory receptor:ligand specificity, affinity, oligomeric state, and valency. Furthermore, these structures revealed general architectural features that are important for the integration of these interactions and their associated signaling pathways into overall cellular physiology. Recent technological advances in structural biology promise unprecedented opportunities for furthering our understanding of the structural features and mechanisms that govern costimulation. In this review, we highlight unique insights that have been revealed by structures of costimulatory molecules from the immunoglobulin and tumor necrosis factor superfamilies and describe a vision for future structural and mechanistic analysis of costimulation. This vision includes simple strategies for the selection of candidate molecules for structure determination and highlights the critical role of structure in the design of mutant costimulatory molecules for the generation of in vivo structure-function correlations in a mammalian model system. This integrated 'atoms-to-animals' paradigm provides a comprehensive approach for defining atomic and molecular mechanisms.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 and the genetics of breast and ovarian cancer

Germline mutations in the tumor suppressor genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 predispose individuals to breast and ovarian cancers. Progress in determining the function of BRCA1 and BRCA2 suggests that they are involved in two fundamental cellular processes: DNA damage repair and transcriptional regulation. We evaluate current knowledge of BRCA1 and BRCA2 functions to explain why mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 lead specifically to breast and ovarian cancer. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes contain unusually high densities of repetitive elements. These features of the BRCAs genomic regions contribute to chromosomal instability of these genes. We propose that somatic alterations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 are common and driven by rearrangements between repetitive elements. Inherited and somatic mutations occur in BRCA1 and BRCA2; virtually all somatic mutations are the result of large genomic rearrangements. What are the consequences of such large somatic mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in women with or without inherited mutations? The breast and ovary are estrogen-responsive tissues. Beginning in puberty, the breast epithelium proliferates rapidly in response to fluctuating levels of estrogen. We present a genetic model outlining how BRCA-deficient cells may gain uncontrolled proliferation leading to tumor formation. Central to this model of BRCA-mediated tumorigenesis are estrogen-mediated proliferation of breast and ovarian epithelium and the distinctive genomic context of the BRCA genes.
Symbolic immunity and flexibility in preschoolers'human figure drawings

Twenty-eight preschoolers (14 boys, 14 girls) ranging in age from 3 years 11 months to 5 years 8 months (M = 4 years 6 months) drew pictures of a person and then were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 conditions, to determine if they would change their human figure drawings after participating in tasks designed to make body parts more salient. Half of the children were given a snowman-shaped outline and were asked to draw nine body parts read by an experimenter. The other children heard the same list and pointed to the parts on themselves. Then the children were given more paper and were asked to draw a person again. Analyses indicated that, in both groups, there was no significant difference in the number of body parts in the two sets of drawings. Overall, the preschoolers displayed symbolic immunity to attempts to change their drawings of human figures. However, there was a curvilinear relationship between the children's artistic stage and addition of body parts: Tadpole-person drawers added body parts to second drawings more than did scribblers or conventional drawers. Findings are discussed in terms of theories of human figure drawings, symbolic flexibility, and the role of contextual support in artistic skill.
22q11 Deletion Syndrome and Forensic Research Can We Go There

Chromosome 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) encompasses velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS), DiGeorge syndrome (DGS), and conotruncal anomaly face syndrome (CTAFS). The disorder may represent the interface between genetics and brain‐behavior relationships. As there is a strong relationship between the genetic syndrome and schizophrenia, individuals with the disorder are likely to be disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. The purpose of this article is to review the 22q11DS in the context of forensic research. The existing literature regarding the syndrome and its relationship to schizophrenia is reviewed. A study design is presented to determine the prevalence of the syndrome in correctional facilities compared with expected community prevalence rates. Finally, a brief history of genetic research in correctional facilities is reviewed as a potential model to determine the feasibility of research involving 22q11DS.
On Feature Spreading and the Representation of Place of Articulation

Since Clements (1985) introduced feature geometry, four major innovations have been proposed: Unified Feature Theory, Vowel-Place Theory, Strict Locality, and Partial Spreading. We set out the problems that each innovation encounters and propose a new model of feature geometry and feature spreading that is not subject to these problems. Of the four innovations, the new model-Revised Articulator Theory (RAT)-keeps Partial Spreading, but rejects the rest. RAT also introduces a new type of unary feature-one for each articulator-to indicate that the articulator is the designated articulator of the segment.
Phospholipase C, Ca2+, and calmodulin signaling are required for 5-HT2A receptor-mediated transamidation of Rac1 by transglutaminase

Rationale Serotonin and especially serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor signaling are important in the etiology and treatment of schizophrenia and affective disorders. We previously reported a novel 5-HT2A receptor effector, increased transglutaminase (TGase)-catalyzed transamidation, and activation of the small G protein Rac1 in A1A1v cells, a rat embryonic cortical cell line.
The stabilities of the 2-ferrocenyl-2-propyl and ferrocenylmethyl cations

Abstract The p K R of the 2-ferrocenyl-2-propyl cation has been evaluated by a spectrophotometric indicator acidity study. The observed value, −0.01, is in substantial disagreement with a previous report of the stability of this carbonium ion. In the equilibrium between 2-ferrocenyl-2-propanol and 2-ferrocenylpropene in dilute acid, the alcohol predominates. Redetermination of the absorption spectrum of the ferrocenylmethyl cation demonstrates that the cation is completely formed in 38 to 70% sulfuric acid, in contrast with a previous p K R determination for this cation of −4.94.
Thomas–Fermi–Dirac models of atoms constrained by nuclear cusp and long‐range conditions

The traditional Thomas–Fermi–Dirac model of the electronic structure for a neutral atom is deficient in that it predicts an infinite electron density at the nucleus and a sharp cutoff of the electron density at a finite radius. This study was carried out to remedy these faults in the model. Extending an idea used earlier in Thomas–Fermi (TF) theory [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 3577 (1985)], the Thomas–Fermi–Dirac (TFD) energy functional is minimized under constraints ∫ρ(r) dr = N, ∫e−2kr▽2ρ(r)dr < ∞ and ∫(1 − e−k′r)ρ4/3(r)dr < ∞, with k and k′ determined by the nuclear cusp condition and the correct asymptotic behavior. Optimum coordinate scaling also is considered. It is found that the TFD model is substantially improved by constraining the minimization search domain of the energy functional in this way. Energies are given for five noble gas atoms, and Compton profiles for these atoms are calculated. The behavior of electrons in momentum space is improved in both this modified TFD model and in the corresponding modified TF model.
Drug and Alcohol Use Among Homeless Older Adults: Predictors of Reported Current and Lifetime Substance Misuse Problems in a National Sample

Using data from the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC), predictors of current alcohol and drug misuse problems among homeless, previously homeless, and marginally housed older adults are identified. Childhood sexual assault, victimization, and neglect, being male, being younger, being homeless or previously homeless, being a minority, and having income below US$499 per month increased the odds of reporting a drug problem. Being male, being younger, being homeless, having mental illness increased the odds of reporting an alcohol problem. Reporting any type of substance use problem increased the odds of reporting the other.
Compiler support for work-stealing parallel runtime systems

Multiple programming models are emerging to address an increased need for dynamic task parallelism in multicore shared-memory multiprocessors. Examples include OpenMP 3.0, Java Concurrency Utilities, Microsoft Task Parallel Library, Intel Threading Building Blocks, Cilk, X10, Chapel, and Fortress. Scheduling algorithms based on work-stealing, as embodied in Cilk’s implementation of dynamic spawn-sync parallelism, are gaining in popularity but also have inherent limitations. In this paper, we focus on the compiler support needed to extend work-stealing for dynamic async-finish task parallelism as supported by X10 and Habanero-Java (HJ). We discuss the compiler support needed for workstealing with both the work-first and help-first policies. Performance results obtained using our compiler and the HJ work-stealing runtime show significant improvement compared to the earlier work-sharing runtime from X10 v1.5. We also propose and implement three optimizations, Dynamic-Loop-Chunking, Redundant-Frame-Store, and Objects-As-Frames, that can be performed in the compiler to improve the code generated for work-stealing schedulers. Performance results show that the Dynamic-Loop-Chunking optimization significantly improves the performance of loop based benchmarks using work-stealing schedulers with work-first policy. The Redundant-Frame-Store optimizations provide a significant reduction in the code size. The results also show that our novel Objects-As-Frames optimization yields performance improvement in many cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first implementation of compiler support for work-stealing schedulers for async-finish parallelism with both the work-first and help-first policies and support for task migration.
Initiation of motion of a free‐standing body to base excitation

This study is concerned with the conditions for the initiation of various modes of response of a free-standing rigid body, initially at rest, placed on a frictional horizontal base which undergoes earthquake-like accelerations in both the horizontal and vertical directions. These conditions are derived using equations of motion appropriate for each mode of motion. The analysis shows that an equivalent horizontal base acceleration may be constructed by dividing the time history of horizontal base acceleration by the sum of gravitational acceleration and the time history of vertical base acceleration. The criteria governing each mode of response of a body of given aspect ratio are then presented graphically with the magnitude of the equivalent base acceleration as abscissa and the coefficient of friction between the body and the base as ordinate. The study shows that a body is more stable while the vertical base acceleration is upwards than when it is absent as expected. When the vertical base acceleration is downwards, although the body is very likely to be lifted off the base, it is nevertheless possible to rock, and slide and rock simultaneously provided the value of coefficient of friction is sufficiently high and the downward vertical base acceleration is not too different from gravitational acceleration.
Numerical solution of some two-parameter eigenvalue problems

We consider an iteration algorithm for determining the eigenvalues of an algebraic two-parameter spectral problem with the use of Newton’s method and a new efficient numerical procedure for calculation of the derivative of a determinant. Numerical examples are given.
Classification images for detection, contrast discrimination, and identification tasks with a common ideal observer

We consider three simple forced-choice visual tasks--detection, contrast discrimination, and identification--in Gaussian white noise. The three tasks are designed so that the difference signal in all three cases is the same difference-of-Gaussians (DOG) profile. The distribution of the image noise implies that the ideal observer uses the same DOG filter to perform all three tasks. But do human observers also use the same visual strategy to perform these tasks? We use classification image analysis to evaluate the visual strategies of human observers. We find significantly different subject classification images across the three tasks. The domain of greatest variability appears to be low spatial frequencies [<5 cycles per degree (cpd)]. In this range, we find frequency enhancement in the detection task, and frequency suppression and reversal in the contrast discrimination task. In the identification task, subject classification images agree reasonably well with the ideal observer filter. We evaluate the effect of nonlinear transducers and intrinsic spatial uncertainty to explain divergence from the ideal observer found in detection and contrast discrimination tasks.
Trend from ICs to 3D ICs to 3D systems

Moore's Law has driven the IC industry to a billion transistor chip. But major technical and financial barriers are foreseen beyond 32 nm. One alternative path to this challenge seems to be stacked 3D ICs. But 3D ICs are a small part of any system and the total benefits of miniaturization cannot be realized until the entire system is miniaturized. This is the basis of 3D systems, the focus of this paper. The 3D miniaturization technologies briefly described in this paper include Si or wafer level interposers with Through-Package-Vias (TPV), nano-scale passives, thermal materials and interfaces and fine pitch system interconnections.
Further Results on Bar k-Visibility Graphs

A bar visibility representation of a graph $G$ is a collection of horizontal bars in the plane corresponding to the vertices of $G$ such that two vertices are adjacent if and only if the corresponding bars can be joined by an unobstructed vertical line segment. In a bar $k$-visibility graph, two vertices are adjacent if and only if the corresponding bars can be joined by a vertical line segment that intersects at most $k$ other bars. Bar $k$-visibility graphs were introduced by Dean et al. [J. Graph Algorithms Appl., 11 (2007), pp. 45-59]. In this paper, we present sharp upper bounds on the maximum number of edges in a bar $k$-visibility graph on $n$ vertices and the largest order of a complete bar $k$-visibility graph. We also discuss regular bar $k$-visibility graphs and forbidden induced subgraphs of bar $k$-visibility graphs.
A Group Motivational Interviewing Intervention Reduces Drinking and Alcohol-Related Consequences in Adjudicated College Students

This study examines the effectiveness of a single-session group motivational enhancement intervention with college students adjudicated for violation of alcohol policy. the intervention consisted of a timeline Followback assessment of drinking, social norms re-education, decisional balance for behavior change, relapse prevention, expectancy challenge, and the generation of behavioral goals. All participants evidenced significant reductions in drinking from baseline through one and three month follow-up. Male participants and frequent binge drinkers showed the largest and most sustained reductions in drinking behavior. the results of this study provide tentative evidence for the effectiveness of group motivational enhancement interventions with adjudicated students.
Policy options for the split incentive: Increasing energy efficiency for low-income renters

The split incentive problem concerns the lack of appropriate incentives to implement energy efficiency measures. In particular, low income tenants face a phenomenon of energy poverty in which they allocate significantly more of their household income to energy expenditures than other renters. This problem is substantial, affecting 1.89% of all United States' energy use. If effectively addressed, it would create a range of savings between 4 and 11 billion dollars per year for many of the nation's poorest residents. We argue that a carefully designed program of incentives for participants (including landlords) in conjunction with a unique type of utility-managed on-bill financing mechanism has significant potential to solve many of the complications. We focus on three kinds of split incentives, five concerns inherent to addressing split incentive problems (scale, endurance, incentives, savings, political disfavor), and provide a detailed policy proposal designed to surpass those problems, with a particular focus on low-income tenants in a U.S. context.
Photosensitive chemical and laser light treatments decrease epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus associated with in vitro produced bovine embryos.

Abstract Photoinactivation was employed to eliminate EHDV-2 from in vitro produced bovine embryos experimentally exposed to this virus. Immature oocytes were matured, fertilized, and cultured in chemically defined conditions. All treatments were performed on zygotes. Developmental potential of zygotes and cell numbers of resulting hatched blastocysts were assessed after exposure to a 1 mW helium neon laser (633 nm, red) for 1, 5, 10, and 15 min; the photosensitive chemicals hematoporphyrin (15 μ;M) and hypericin (1 and 10 μ;M) for 15 min; a combination of 10 μ;M hypericin and laser light for 1, 3, or 5 min; and a combination of 15 μ;M hematoporphyrin and laser light for 1, 2, or 3 min. There were no significant differences among proportions of embryos developing or cell numbers after treatment with or without exposure to laser light alone for up to 10 min. No differences were observed after exposure of zygotes to photosensitive chemicals alone. Exposure to 10 μ;M hypericin and 5 min of laser light or 15 μ;M hematoporphyrin and 2 min of laser light compromised zygote developmental potential. After exposure to 10 6 TCID 50 /mL EHDV-2 for 90 min groups of 10 zygotes were exposed to 10 μ;M hypericin or 15 μ;M hematoporphyrin and laser light to inactivate the virus. Hematoporphyrin was effective with 3 min light exposure at reducing the percentage of EHDV-2 contaminated zygote pools (16.7%) as compared to EHDV-2 exposed pools without treatment (88.9%) but hematoporphyrin + 1 min light was ineffective. Hypericin + 3 min light provided an intermediate effect (55.6%).
Lotka's Law and Map Librarianship

Lotka's Law states that given the number of authors who have written one article, the number writing multiple articles can be predicted. Though Lotka's Law was based on a study of the chemistry and physics literature, interest has recently developed as to its possible application to the humanities. A test of this general law for the field of map librarianship is discussed, illustrating that Lotka's Law is valid for this discipline.
Self-Consistent Energy Bands of Cu via the X α β Method

The energy bands of Cu have been calculated self-consistently through use of the improved exchange approximation of Herman, Van Dyke, and Ortenburger (the so-called ${X}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\beta}}$ method). The resulting bands are compared with the self-consistent energy bands calculated by the ${X}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ method with $\ensuremath{\alpha}=1.00$, $\frac{5}{6}$, 0.721, and $\frac{2}{3}$. The ${X}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ and ${X}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\beta}}$ energy-band widths ($s\ensuremath{-}p$, $d$) are compared with photoemission data. The differences between the energy-band calculations and the atomic calculations are described. A brief discussion is given of the role of the virial theorem and the variational principle.
Scanning Beam Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy for Accelerated Partial-Breast Irradiation

Conclusion: As the natural history of low-grade breast cancers is long & protracted, these 15-yr outcome results of favorable histology breast cancer subtypes demonstrate that APBI is at least as efficacious as WBI in the setting of breast conservation therapy. More patients and further FU beyond 15 years will be needed to substantiate these findings. Author Disclosure: P.Y. Chen: None. J.L. Wobb: Resident in Radiation Oncology; Beaumont Health System. M. Wallace: None. M.S. Jawad: Resident in Radiation Oncology; Beaumont Health System. H. Ye: None. A. Pietron: None. N. Dekhne: None. D.S. Brabbins: None.
Wind Energy Facility Reliability and Maintenance

The global wind power industry involves operations in highly stochastic environments and thus faces challenges in enhancing reliability and reducing maintenance costs. Earlier studies related to wind energy facility reliability and maintenance focused more on qualitative aspects, discussing the unique influencing factors in wind power operations and their effects on system performance. With operational experience accumulated for more than a decade, the most recent focus has shifted to a more structured approach using analytical and/or simulation methods. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive account of the existing research regarding wind energy facility reliability and maintenance. We group the relevant studies into three major categories. The first category addresses the degradation and failure pattern of wind turbines, aiming at optimizing the operations and maintenance. The second and third categories discuss the reliability issues in a broader sense, focusing on reliability assessment at the wind farm level and at the overall power system level, respectively.
Thermal Model of Fuse Dynamics for Simulation Under Intermittent DC Faults

The paper presents a practical approach to automotive fuse simulations. A fuse model was developed using only the fuse blow curves provided by the fuse manufacturer. The parameters of the fuse model were determined by minimizing the squared error between the fuse blow curves of the model and manufacturer’s datasheet. The fuse model presented captured the behavior of the fuse during normal and intermittent DC faults. It is demonstrated that the model developed in this research provides better thermal model than available methods. The motivation for the article has been described in the introduction.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
A deeper understanding of optimal viewing position using eye fixations and character recognition on text-viewing and reading tasks

Existing literature reveals that during reading, gaze fixations within a word are not necessarily close to the optimal reading position. The optimal position for reading represents the gaze fixation near the center of each word for which recognition time is minimal. In our study, we examined the match between optimal position and initial fixation position, which has not been studied before. We did this in conventional reading and in two text-viewing tasks. For the text-viewing tasks, we employed multiple words that were non-isolated in the presentation but could be examined individually in rhythm and linguistic context. We discovered that for the text-viewing tasks, the initial fixation position tends to be close to the optimal position, which was in contrast to the conventional reading task. This finding will help us understand the relationship between optimal position and reading context and inform the development of new reading applications.
Performance on a four-alternative task under different reinforcement combinations

In opposition to what has been found with tasks with 2-response alternatives, performance on a 4-alternative verbal discrimination task was shown to be significantly better (p <.05) under a Right-blank verbal reinforcement combination than under a Wrong-blank combination. Probability analyses suggested that these results could be attributed to b1ank in the Wrong-blank condition having less reinforcement value than “Right” in the Right-blank condition.
Radiation-Induced Cytogenetic Instability In Vivo

Radiation-induced cytogenetic instability has been well documented in a number of laboratories, and we have hypothesized that such instability is the initiating event in the process leading to radiation-induced cancer. To date most studies of radiation-induced instability have used systems in which cells are rapidly dividing. For this phenomenon to have significance for radiation carcinogenesis, it must be established that instability can be induced in vivo in less rapidly dividing fully differentiated tissues known to be at risk. In the present study, we have examined the kinetics of radiation-induced cytogenetic instability in mammary epithelial cells after irradiation in vivo. Having established that instability could arise in vivo in intact mammary tissue, we subsequently demonstrated a dose-response relationship both in vitro and in vivo and demonstrated a lower frequency of instability after fractionated exposures.
Bleeding Problems and Treatment

Excessive uterine bleeding is one of the most common complaints encountered in the perimenopausal years. The broad spectrum of etiologies includes both genital and extragenital causes. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB) is defined as abnormal uterine bleeding with no demonstrable organic cause, genital or extragenital, and occurs most often at extremes of the reproductive years, a time when anovulation is common. It is a diagnosis of exclusion, which can be made only after all other causes have been ruled out. Approximately half of the women with DUB are 40 to 50 years of age.
Hemagglutination by botulinal toxin.

SummaryType A botulinal toxin causes agglutination of chicken, guinea pig, rabbit, sheep and human red cells. The agglutination is not accompanied by evidence of adsorption of the toxin by the red cells. Temperature, particularly in the case of sheep cells, influences the hemagglutination titre. When washed free of toxin, agglutinated chicken cells tend to remain agglutinated while agglutinated sheep cells are more readily dispersed.
Drilling fluid technology in Well K234

As drilling success ratio was very low in Kenkiyak Oilfield located on the east rim of Caspian sea basin near the west of Kazakhstan because of complex troubles such as blowout, circulation loss, borehole collapse, pipe sticking existed in trick formation, whole Chinese drilling fluid technology have been used in Well K 234. Mud making in large hole and thick mudstone, hole stability, rheologi-cal property controlling of high density salt drilling fluid, pressure controlling of blowout and circulation loss in the same lay and other problems have been overcome by selecting amphion polymer (sul-fonate) drilling fluid system and support technology. Thus, stable hole, smooth drilling and tripping operations and zero outage time have been obtained in the construction period. Also, the primary drilling fluid technical versions for Kenkiyak Oilfield have been founded and some opinions on improving drilling operation have been presented in this paper.
Epidemiological Characteristics of Bacillary Dysentery in Xuanwu District of Beijing City during 1999—2008

[Objective]To explore the epidemiological characteristics of bacillary dysentery in Xuanwu District,and provide scientific basis for developing effective strategy for bacillary dysentery control.[Methods]Descriptive epidemiological method was adopted to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of bacillary dysentery in Xuanwu district from 1999 to 2008.[Results]The incidence of bacillary dysentery had been fluctuated from 110.05/100 000 to 304.80/100 000 during 1999 to 2008 with average incidence rate of 212.20/100 000.The incidence showed the tendency of significant decreasing before 2003,then gradual increasing between 2003-2006,appearing small peak in 2007,and decreasing again in 2008.Bacillary dysentery mainly occurred during May to October with a peak in August annually.Cases emerged in each sub-district annually.The incidence fluctuated from 54.1/100 000～325.3/100 000.Incidence was highest in students and office staff,occupying 22.9% and 18.0% of total cases respectively.[Conclusion]The key population for prevention and control of bacillary dysentery are children aged 0～4 years,students and office staff.It is necessary to adopt comprehensive control measures to decrease morbidity and reduce the disease burden of bacillary dysentery.
For Those Who Wait. . .: Care of the Status 1 Patient Awaiting Cardiac Transplantation

Care of the hospitalized Status 1 patient awaiting heart transplant is multidimensional. It requires the knowledge and skill of a multidisciplinary team to provide the physiologic and psychosocial support necessary to sustain the patient until the time of transplant. The progression of a patient from the time of listing as a Status 1 transplant candidate to his or her care at the time of transplant is reviewed. Future trends in the care of this patient population are discussed.
Stimulus Relations in Comparative Primate Perspective

Nonhuman primates have demonstrated the ability to learn a variety of stimulus-stimulus relations. Lexigram-word linguistic systems with juvenile pygmy chimpanzees (Pan paniscus) have disclosed incidental learning of relations between lexigrams, objects, and spoken English. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) have shown equivalence relations in which “food” and “tool” lexigrams were used to categorize other lexigrams. The latter subjects also showed evidence of generalized learning strategies such as “learning by exclusion.” The discussion of these findings focuses on developmental and species factors that seem critical to their development.