cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring the link between cardiac mechanical function and metabolism during hyperpolarized 13C-pyruvate magnetic resonance experiments.

Abstract Purpose The goal of this study was to develop a methodology to investigate the relationship between contractile function and hyperpolarized (HP) [1-13C]pyruvate metabolism in a small animal model. To achieve sufficient signal from HP 13C compounds, HP 13C MRS/MRSI has required relatively large infusion volumes relative to the total blood volume in small animal models, which may affect cardiac function. Methods Eight female Sprague Dawley rats were imaged on a 4.7T scanner with a dual tuned 1H/13C volume coil. ECG and respiratory gated k-t spiral MRSI and an IDEAL based reconstruction to determine [1-13C]pyruvate metabolism in the myocardium. This was coupled with 1H cine MRI to determine ventricular volumes and mechanical function pre- and post-infusion of [1-13C]pyruvate. For comparison to the [1-13C]pyruvate experiments, three female Sprague Dawley rats were imaged with 1H cine MRI to determine myocardial function pre- and post-saline infusion. Results We demonstrated significant changes in cardiac contractile function between pre- and post-infusion of [1-13C]pyruvate. Specifically, there was an increase in end-diastolic volume (EDV), stroke volume (SV), and ejection fraction (EF). Additionally, the ventricular vascular coupling ratio (VVCR) showed an improvement after [1-13C]pyruvate infusion, indicating increased systolic performance due to an increased arterial load. There was a moderate to strong relationship between the downstream metabolic conversion of pyruvate to bicarbonate and a strong relationship between the conversion of pyruvate to lactate and the cardiac mechanical function response. Conclusion The infusion of [1-13C]pyruvate resulted in demonstrable increases in contractile function which was related to pyruvate conversion to bicarbonate and lactate. The combined effects of the infusion volume and inotropic effects of pyruvate metabolism likely explains the augmentation in myocardial mechanical function seen in these experiments. Given the relationship between pyruvate metabolism and contractile function observed in this study, this methodological approach may be utilized to better understand cardiac metabolic and functional remodeling in heart disease.
The Impact of Metal Artifacts on IMRT Dose Distributions in TCP and NTCP

Purpose: To investigate the effects of distorted head-and-neck (H&N) IMRT dose distributions (hot and cold spots) on normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) and tumor control probability (TCP) due to dental-metal artifacts.
Genetic Variation Influences Tolerance to a Neonicotinoid Insecticide in 3 Butterfly Species

Neonicotinoid pesticides harm nontarget insects, but their sublethal effects on butterflies are understudied. We exposed larvae of 3 butterfly species (Pieris rapae, Colias philodice, and Danaus plexippus) to low levels of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid in their host plants and followed individuals to adulthood. Imidacloprid altered adult body size, especially in female monarchs, but its effects varied across maternal families, highlighting the importance of considering genetic variation in ecotoxicological testing. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2228-2236. © 2020 SETAC.
The Derivative of \(\exp \) and Dynkin’s Formula \(\circledast \)

By Proposition 2.5, we know that if [X, Y ] = 0, then \(\exp (X + Y) = \exp (X)\exp (Y)\), whenever \(X,Y\in {\mathfrak {g}}\), but this is generally false if X and Y do not commute. For X and Y in a small enough open subset \(U \subseteq {\mathfrak {g}}\) containing 0, we know by Proposition 19.6 that \(\exp \) is a diffeomorphism from U to its image, so the function μ: U × U → U given by $$\displaystyle \mu (X, Y) = \log (\exp (X)\exp (Y)) $$ is well defined and it turns out that for U small enough, it is analytic. Thus, it is natural to seek a formula for the Taylor expansion of μ near the origin.
Effectiveness of theory-based digital self-management interventions for improving depression, anxiety, fatigue and self-efficacy in people with neurological disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis:

IntroductionThis study aimed to (a) review what theories have been applied to the development of digital self-management interventions for people with neurological disorders; (b) examine their effe...
Microbial and Viral Indicators of Pathogens and Human Health Risks from Recreational Exposure to Waters Impaired by Fecal Contamination

AbstractFecal indicator bacteria (FIB) (e.g., fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, and enterococci) have been used for decades to monitor for and protect the public from waterborne pathogens from fec...
Electric Vehicle Charging with Reactive Power Compensation to Distribution Systems

This paper presents how the Electric Vehicle (EV) bidirectional chargers can help the Distribution Systems. In addition to the battery charge and the Vehicle-to-Grid functions (V2G), the reactive power can be compensated according to an established reactive power reference. A three-phase bidirectional power factor correction (PFC) with a DC link is connected to an isolated DC/DC bidirectional converter is utilized in the topology. The virtual flux control algorithm used in assigning the amount of the injected reactive power is presented in this paper. The required mitigation for this functionality does not require any additional hardware, and it can be implemented on the existing electric vehicles with only a firmware update. Simulation results demonstrate how the reactive power is being compensated and the saturation of the reactive current is used to keep the power under predefined limits.
Mass transfer to rotating cones

The mass transfer of oxygen to a rotating cone has been measured in a quiescent fluid. Cones with vertex angles of 19.2°, 30°, 60°, 90°, 120° and 180° (disks) were used in both laminar and turbulent flow at a Schmidt number of 400. The laminar flow mass transfer data is in agreement with an equation derived for cones at high Schmidt numbers. The turbulent flow mass transfer data for cones with vertex angles greater than 19.2° is in agreement with the high Schmidt number expression of Deissler. The 19.2° cone angle, however, results in experimental values for the mass transfer which are greater than the predicted values. Lastly, the values of the Reynolds number for transition from laminar to turbulent flow, as determined directly from the mass transfer data, are in agreement with previous results.
Structural aspects of antineoplastic agents--a new approach.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a new approach to the structural aspects of antineoplastic agents. Design of antineoplastic agents as well as other agents of medicinal interest on the basis of characteristic common structural features observed among a large number of pharmacologically active compounds has been exercised in the laboratory. Some of these postulations are found to be in accord with the energy conformation study and other theoretical and experimental investigations. A potent anticancer drug, mitoxantrone (DHAQ), is designed and synthesized in the author's laboratory on the grounds of one of working hypotheses as well as other information. A common but specific chemical structural pattern has been observed among a large number of biologically, pharmacologically, and clinically active compounds from both the natural and synthetic origin. This structural pattern may lead to the design of novel molecules with pertinent biomedical implications. The structural resemblance between the two sets of antineoplastic agents and carcinogens led to a concern as to whether coralyne, nitidine, and related antineoplastic alkaloids could also be carcinogenic. It has been reported repeatedly that a large number of clinically useful antineoplastic agents exhibit clastogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic effects in the animal studies, and there is a consensus that the antineoplastic action and carcinogenicity of a given compound may be inseparable.
Exploration of Male Attitudes on Partnerships and Sexuality with Female BRCA1/2 Mutation Carriers

Women with BRCA mutations are inundated with decisions about managing cancer risks and childbearing considerations. Decisions become more complicated when women face disclosing their mutation and risk-reduction options to a romantic partner. This study identifies the concerns and perspectives of male romantic partners regarding these unique decisions. Twenty-five male participants completed an online survey posted to cancer support group message boards. Participants reported relationship changes regarding intimacy levels (n = 9), attraction (n = 2), and communication (n = 22) after mutation disclosure. Participants whose partners had not undergone prophylactic mastectomy (n = 14) reported concerns regarding sexual relations (n = 5), post-surgical appearance (n = 2), post-surgical attraction (n = 5), and health/lifespan (n = 9). Participants did not express attitude changes toward childbearing. While mutation disclosure conversations and surgical options are concerns for many BRCA mutation carriers in relationships, male partners share these concerns. Aspects of the relationship may change, but male study participants continued to support their partners. This information can benefit female BRCA mutation carriers, their current or future partners, and genetic counselors working with this particular population.
Bad John Going Down

Because I've taken a life, I'm not looking to get mine back. I been straight-up with Tamar about this from the very beginning. But she says, "Oh no, man, you too smart for that. If we were in Port-of-Spain, maybe I could be scared. But you are no bad John, man. You are a painter. In America, a man don't have to be a bad John." And I say, "Straight up, Tamar. You're right this is not Port-of-Spain, and I'm not down with this bad John shit. I'm talking divine providence, sweetheart. You just need to know before you hook up with me that I'm going down." A woman like Tamar doesn't necessarily need to be reminded of this. But she still does so much stroking. I say, "Woman, you'd make a hero out of a dying roach . . . talk about his brave stand against the pesticide." She says, "A man who paint like this is not gon' dead yet. He could be a roach. He probably is a roach, but he is still strong breathing." Some months ago, before we were living together, she brought a painting from the small room where I was working and sleeping to her own apartment across the hall and leaned it against her mantelpiece. It was three men attacking another man with sticks and stones: small, black figures in high relief, in the right foreground of a large red canvas. Nothing more. "I have seen this very thing before in Port of-Spain at carnival time," she says. She sat for almost twenty minutes with her cheeks in her palms staring at it. "Do you know about Trinidadian Carni val," she asks. "Basically," I answer, "Party. Party." "I am not joking," she says. A few weeks after this, when I've moved into her apartment, her husband, Roland, or the American her family paid to marry her and bring her over here comes knocking on the door. He wants more money and even threatens Tamar because he doesn't know that I'm painting in the next room. I come out and try to reason with him, but he's a smart shit. Starts talking about the apartment being his established residence and how it's not going to go over too good with immigration that I'm actually the one living here. Of course, he wants more money. Of course, I have a temper. I kick his punk ass down the steps and get him so that he's kissing the linoleum and repeating the words, "I worship the ground that woman walks on." Tamar doesn't like this.
Scattering by Obstacles

In this chapter we study the phenomenon of scattering by a compact obstacle in Euclidean space ℝ3. We restrict attention to the three-dimensional case, though a similar analysis can be given for obstacles in ℝ n whenever n is odd. The Huygens principle plays an important role in part of the analysis, and for that part the situation for n even is a little more complicated, though a theory exists there also.
Comparative resistance of strains of Clostridium botulinum to gamma rays.

A total of 102 strains of Clostridium botulinum (56 strains of type A, 43 type B, and 3 non-toxigenic strains which could not be typed) was examined for resistance to gamma rays. When the organisms were suspended in neutral phosphate buffer in concentrations of 10/sup 4/ spores per tube, the threshold sterilizing dose appeared to be 1.4 Mrad. Partial survival to 1.4 Mrad was shown by 10.7 f the type A strains, 18.6% of the type B strains, and 1 of 3 nontoxigenic strains. Overall, type A strains indicated higher radioresistance than type B strains, although there was overlapping. Representatives of the most resistant strains had D values of 0.317 to 0.336 Mrad; the D values of an intermediate group were 0.224 to 0.253 Mrad, and the most sensitive strain studied, 51B, had a D value of 0.129 Mrad. The radioresnstance of Putrefactnve Anaerobe 3679, strain S - 2, was comparable to the intermediate C. botulinum group (D = 0.209). (Public Health Eng. Abstr., 42: No. 11, Nov. 1962)
Evaluation of Queries under Closed-World Assumption

The minimal entailment vMin has been characterized elsewhere by P vMin} p iff Cn(P ∪ {p}) ∩ Pos ⊆ Cn(P) where Cn is the first-order consequence operation, P is a set of clauses (indefinite deductive data base; in short: a data base), p is a clause (a query), and Pos is the set of positive (that is, bodiless) ground clauses. In this paper, we address the problem of the computational feasibility of criterion (1). Our objective is to find a query evaluation algorithm that decides P vMin p by what we call indefinite modeling, without actually computing all ground positive consequences of P and P ∪ {p}. For this purpose, we introduce the concept of minimal indefinite Herbrand model MP of P, which is defined as the set of subsumption-minimal ground positive clauses provable from P. The algorithm first computes MP by finding the least fixed-point of an indefinite consequence operator μ TIP. Next, the algorithm verifies whether every ground positive clause derivable from MP ∪ {p} by one application of the parallel positive resolution rule (in short: the PPR rule) is subsumed by an element of MP. We prove that the PPR rule, which can derive only positive clauses, is positively complete, that is, every positive clause provable from a data base P is derivable from P by means of subsumption and finitely many applications of PPR. From this we conclude that the presented algorithm is partially correct and that it eventually halts if both P and MP are finite. Moreover, we indicate how the algorithm can be modified to handle data bases with infinite indefinite Herbrand models. This modification leads to a concept of universal model that allows for nonground clauses in its Herbrand base and appears to be a good candidate for representation of indefinite deductive data bases.
A bibliometric mapping of the structure of STEM education using co-word analysis

STEM, a set of fields that includes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; allied disciplines ranging from environmental, agricultural, and earth sciences to life science and computer science; and education and training in these fields, is clearly at the top of the list of priority funding areas for governments, including the United States government. The U.S. has 11 federal agencies dedicated to supporting programs and providing funding for research and curriculum development. The domain of STEM education has significant implications in preparing the desired workforce with the requisite knowledge, developing appropriate curricula, providing teachers the necessary professional development, focusing research dollars on areas that have maximum impact, and developing national educational policy and standards. A complex undertaking such as STEM education, which attracts interest and valuable resources from a number of stakeholders needs to be well understood. In light of this, we attempt to describe the underlying structure of STEM education, its core areas, and their relationships through co-word analyses of the titles, keywords, and abstracts of the relevant literature using visualization and bibliometric mapping tools. Implications are drawn with respect to the nature of STEM education as well as curriculum and policy development.
Padraig O'Ceidigh and Aer Arann: Building a Business in the Context of a Life

In April 2010, the eruption of a volcano wreaked havoc in the airline industry and placed Aer Arann on the brink of liquidation. For founder, sole owner and chairman Padraig O'Ceidigh, the airline has been a personal as well as business passion. The case provides a number of options for addressing the crisis. It also places the story in the context of Padraig's life journey and search for multi-dimensional success.Learning Objective: Examine how an entrepreneur defines success and makes choices from a personal and business perspective.
Factor XIII (fibrin stabilizing factor) in nephrectomized and exchange-transfused rats.

Abstract Unilaterally nephrectomized rats had a significant reduction of factor XIII in their plasma within 1 to 2 days. A more modest reduction followed a sham operation. Bilaterally nephrectomized rats suffered a much more rapid and pronounced drop of factor XIII. When the various clotting factors and platelets were reduced to very low levels by exchange transfusions with a plasma-free perfusate, factor XIII rose toward normal much more slowly than all other clotting factors. Factor VII rebounded most rapidly. All factors but XII, XIII and platelets were normal within 2 days.
Axial topographic relief associated with ridge-transform intersections

The axial depths of mid-ocean ridges are consistently observed to increase along-strike from the central part of a ridge segment to its intersection with a transform fault. Variations in the magnitude of this axial relief probably reflect variations in the magmatic and tectonic processes that characterize plate accretion and seafloor spreading at each individual segment. Constrained by observations from 41 ridge-transform intersections, we investigate the relative effect on axial depths of transform offset, segment length, regional depth, and spreading rate. We first solve for a model of ridge segment relief as a function of the age offset of the transform and the segment length, both scaled by spreading rate. Through a series of regression analyses covering a range of spreading rate scalings, we determine a model which predicts segment relief at both fast and slow spreading centers to within 240 m standard deviation. We find that half-segment scale deepening is more than a direct thermal effect of the juxtaposition of a cold lithospheric edge and the end of a ridge at a transform fault. A second inversion problem is solved to determine the parameters that contribute to the absolute depth of the ridge axis. We can show that the absolute depth of the shallowest section of a ridge segment is strongly dependent on regional depth and that this dependence is more complex at slow spreading ridges reflecting the common, but not ubiquitous, existence of a median valley there. These results, in combination with the segment relief analysis, clearly indicate that the axial depth at a ridge-transform intersection is a function of both long wavelength processes, such as may control hot spot distribution, and local tectonic factors including, but not limited to, transform offset.
Slede: a domain-specific verification framework for sensor network security protocol implementations

Finding flaws in security protocol implementations is hard. Finding flaws in the implementations of sensor network security protocols is even harder because they are designed to protect against more system failures compared to traditional protocols. Formal verification techniques such as model checking, theorem proving, etc, have been very successful in the past in detecting faults in security protocol specifications; however, they generally require that a formal description of the protocol, often called model, is developed before the verification can start.There are three factors that make model construction, and as a result, formal verification is hard. First, knowledge of the specialized language used to construct the model is necessary. Second, upfront effort is required to produce an artifact that is only useful during verification, which might be considered wasteful by some, and third, manual model construction is error prone and may lead to inconsistencies between the implementation and the model.The key contribution of this work is an approach for automated formal verification of sensor network security protocols. Technical underpinnings of our approach includes a technique for automatically extracting a model from the nesC implementations of a security protocol, a technique for composing this extracted model with models of intrusion and network topologies, and a technique for translating the results of the verification process to domain terms. Our approach is sound and complete within bounds, i.e. if it reports a fault scenario for a protocol, there is indeed a fault and our framework terminates for a network topology of given size; otherwise no faults in the protocol are present that can be exploited in the network topology of that size or less using the given intrusion model. Our approach also does not require upfront model construction, which significantly decreases the cost of verification.
SUBJECTIVE CONSTRUCTIONS OF NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARIES: LESSONS FROM A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF FOUR NEIGHBORHOODS

This article explores the boundaries of neighborhoods as subjectively constructed by 37 adolescents and 33 parents across four census-defined block groups in a Western city. We examine the degree of consensus among participants on the spatial boundaries of their neigh- borhoods, the stability of participants' subjectively constructed neighborhood definitions, and the overlap between subjectively constructed definitions and census block group and tract definitions. Through an analysis of qualitative interviews, we isolate four factors that appear to influence how participants define their neighborhood boundaries: physical and institutional characteristics of the neighborhood, its class, race, and ethnic composition, perceived criminal threats from within and outside the neighborhood, and symbolic neighborhood identities. These factors can operate to facilitate or compromise consensus and stability about neighborhood boundaries and identity. The study findings are exploratory but suggest several avenues for further investigation into how parents and adolescents construct neighborhood boundaries and the possible influences that subjective neighborhood definitions have on families.
Formation of middle-phase microemulsions in multicomponent systems containing petrostep-465 and ethoxylated tall oils

Abstract The range of salinities over which certain Petrostep-465/ethoxylated tall oil/cosurfactant/hydrocarbon/brine systems form middle-phase microemulsions was determined. The presence of the nonionic surfactant, in cases where n-decane is the hydrocarbon and 2-butanol is the cosurfactant, increases the optimal salinity of the system. Some broadening of the salinity range over which low interfacial tensions are observed is also found. Phase behavior for systems containing P-465 as the only surfactant shows order of mixing effects.
Measurement of suppressor transfer RNA activity

Transfer RNA (tRNA) suppression of nonsense mutations in prokaryotic systems has been widely used to study the structure and function of different prokaryotic genes. Through genetic engineering techniques, it is now possible to introduce suppressor (Su+) tRNA molecules into mammalian cells. A quantitative assay of the suppressor tRNA activity in these mammalian cells is described; it is based on the amount of tRNA-mediated readthrough of a terminating codon in the influenza virus NS1 gene after the cells are infected with virus. Suppressor activity in L cells continuously expressing Su+ (tRNAtyr) was 3.5 percent and that in CV-1 cells infected with an SV40- Su+ (tRNAtyr) recombinant was 22.5 percent.
A Multivariate Approach for Assessing Facility Layout Complexity

Abstract The block layout problem is concerned with locating activities or departments of an organization such that those activities with the strongest interrelationships are closest to each other. Many solution procedures have been proposed for this problem. Research indicates that certain solution procedures perform reasonably well on certain data sets, but yield less desirable results on other problem sets with no clearly superior procedure emerging. Attention has focused on the complexity of the problem as the deciding factor. The measure of complexity most commonly used is the coefficient of variation of the problem data. As the coefficient of variation increases, it is suggested that human planners might be better able to handle the problem. The research in this area indicates mixed results. It is argued in this paper that these measures are overly simplistic and cannot fully capture all of the aspects which determine problem complexity. A multivariate approach for measuring problem complexity is proposed. This approach is based upon the inherent structure of the problem itself. It is thus based on structural pattern recognition. An algorithm for determining the basic substructures and megastructure of a problem is proposed. Differences in performance of different solution procedures on different layout problems are examined using this multivariate approach. The approach is illustrated with example problems from the literature. An unpublished problem from a company is used to illustrate the utility of the megastructure as a guide for laying out a facility.
Nocturnal hormonal responses to resistance exercise

The effects of resistance exercise on the nocturnal responses of cortisol (CO), testosterone (TEST), human growth hormone (hGH), and thyroid hormones (T3, T4) were examined in eight trained weight lifters. Each subject completed two trials using a counterbalanced design: a control, no exercise trial (CON) and a heavy resistance exercise session of three sets of six exercises to exhaustion (RE). The exercise session took place between 1900 and 2000 hours. Blood was sampled prior to and at 20-min intervals after RE. For both trials blood was sampled at hourly intervals from 2100 hours until 0700 hours. The hGH and CO concentrations were increased up to 40-min post-exercise (P 0.26) and peaked at 0200 hours and declined until 0700 hours. Similarly, the CO responses were similar between the trails (P > 0.14). This CO concentrations declined from 2200 hours until 0100 hours, then increased steadily until 0700 hours. The TEST concentrations during both trials rose steadily from 2200 hours until 0700 hours; however, the rise in TEST from 0500–0700 hours during RE was greater than during the CON trails (P = 0.059). The T3 concentrations were unchanged by exercise and were similar at all times between trails. The T4 concentrations were elevated for 20 min after RE; however nocturnal T4 concentrations were lower after RE than during CON. These results would suggest that bGH and CO may have limited nocturnal reactivity to resistance exercise. However, the nocturnal alterations of TEST and T4 after resistance exercise, although small, may have implications for muscle anabolism.
Aggregation studies of vinyl chloride and acrylonitrile‐containing copolymers

The aggregation properties of two commercially available copolymers of vinyl chloride and acryionitrile are studied using viscometry, membrane osmometry, and low-angle laser light-scattering photometry in dimethylformamide and dimethylsulfoxide solvents. Firm evidence of extensive aggregation is found.
Bacterial gene regulation from distant DNA sites

La transcription des genes bacteriens peut etre controlee non seulement au niveau des operateurs a cote des promoteurs en 5' du gene, mais egalement a distance, et selon les conditions physiologiques des bacteries. Des exemples d'operons illustrent ce propos. Les facteurs influencant la transcription des genes a distance sont passes en revue, a savoir: les enhances, le surenroulement de l'ADN et les proteines de regulation
Density fluctuations in liquid 4 He. Path integrals and maximum entropy

We estimate the dynamic structure factorS(q, ω) for liquid4He in both its normal and superfluidphases. A path integral Monte Carlo simulation is performed to compute the imaginary-time polarization propagatorF(q, τ), from whichS(q, ω) is extracted by maximum entropy. Results for normal4He are in good quantitative agreement with recent neutron scattering experimental data; broad agreement is found for superfluid4He as well, though sharp features are lost, particularly at lowq. We attribute the excessive smoothness of the results to the entropic “prior probability” function used in the maximum entropy reconstruction. The experimentally observed ground state excitation spectrumE(q) is accurately reproduced in the 0⩽q⩽2.5 A−1 range.
Predictive value of a diagnosis of colonic polyp on the double-contrast barium enema

The positive predictive value of a diagnosis of colonic polyp on the double-contrast barium enema was determined by analyzing 160 polypoid lesions reported in 105 patients. Of the 160 polyps, 139 were confirmed by endoscopy, surgery, or repeat barium enema for a positive predictive value of 87%. Twenty-one lesions were not confirmed despite repeat endoscopy, repeat barium enema, review of the original study, or surgery, giving a false positive rate of 13%. The individual false positive error rates of 5 radiologists ranged from 8% to 26%. False positive errors were due to stool, diverticula, air bubbles, misinterpretation of the ileocecal valve, and haustration. Many of the false positive errors appeared to have been avoidable if the original examination had been more meticulously interpreted.
Limited water exchange production systems for freshwater ornamental fish

Two biofilter designs and a control were tested in triplicate to determine if inexpensive bioremediation devices could increase production and decrease water use on ornamental fish farms in Hawaii. Koi (Cyprinus carpio L.) were used as the model species and the experiment was conducted outdoors in greenwater. When fish density was 9.7 kg per 2.08 m3 and they were eating 125 g day−1, the 20 L trickle filters were able to maintain acceptable water quality. Tanks with the same size submerged filters suffered significantly lower dissolved oxygen levels compared with tanks with trickle filters and control tanks with no biofilters exhibited significantly higher nitrite-nitrogen (about 20 mg L–1) and nitrate levels (about 400 mg L–1). As typical ornamental fish weigh 3 g, the trickle biofilter system described here can produce 1.55 fish L−1 (compared with the industry standard 0.25 fish L−1) and use very little water other than the water originally in the tanks.
Control of intelligent robot systems

A coherent framework for the implementation of intelligent robot control and a paradigm demonstrating the concepts of target state redefinition and task-level feedback are presented. The model-based robot control problem is reviewed, and the standard robotics terminology is introduced. The target state is defined using task-level feedback concepts. Then, the visual-feedback paradigm to outline the approach is developed. Finally, the findings and areas for future research are discussed. >
Mie computational test of the extinction cross-section sum rules and optical moments for large dielectric spheres and shells

Abstract Numerically determined extinction cross-section spectra of large spherical particles containing spectral and geometrical inhomogeneities are used to test the general nature of the extinction cross-section sum rules and optical moments. The results are independent of the scattering details.
GeoSpy: a Web3D platform for geospatial visualization

Broadband networks are key utilities in driving the information economy. In the United States multiple publicly available web APIs provide broadband service quality data by geographic location. However, views into this data have usually been two-dimensional and limited in the amount of information that they can portray at once. In this paper, we detail a location-aware Web3D application for visualization of high-dimensional georeferenced data, such as broadband quality information, on desktop and mobile devices. The application presents a wide variety of two- and three-dimensional visualization methods and uses HTML5 for novel user interaction via access to onboard location and orientation sensors on equipped devices. Considering that the application uses geospatial web APIs as a data source, we describe its applicability in domains beyond broadband. GeoSpy is hosted at http://filebox.vt.edu/users/sharni/gs
Human oocyte and preembryo donation: An evolving method for the treatment of infertility

The utilization of oocyte and preembryo donation in the treatment of infertility has recently expanded. Since 1983, modifications in the retrieval of donated female gametes have enhanced both the safety and the efficacy of the procedure. Pregnancy rates in women receiving donated preembryos are remarkably high, with success occurring in 25% to 50% of transfer cycles. The technology used for preembryo donation continues to evolve, and the current and future role ovum donation in the treatment of infertility.
Some Impaets of the Changing Energy Situation on U. S. Agriculture

second major wave of concern about natural resource policy since World War II and the fourth since Malthus [28]. The first postwar period of concern occurred about 1950 and emphasized the relationship between available and projected resources and economic growth. The oft-quoted but little-heeded reports1 of the President's Materials Policy Commission [23] and the Water Resources Policy Commission [24] were basically concerned with scarcity or, in contemporary jargon, "short-falls." Scarcity was defined more as a physical concept than an economic one, relating production capacity and reserves to projected needs. The second postwar wave, according to Ruttan, shifted from traditional concern for adequacy of the natural resource base to stress on environmental consid-
Effects of race, with or without gender, on operative mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting: A study using The Society of thoracic surgeons national database

Abstract Background . Although gender is known to be an independent predictor of 30-day operative mortality (OM) after coronary artery bypass grafting, the purpose of this study was to determine whether race—alone or in combination with gender—affects OM. Methods . For 1994 to 1996, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons database records for 441,542 coronary artery bypass grafting-only procedures were analyzed. Baseline annual multivariate models were built. Gender and race were added to each model. Risk-adjusted OM rates were then calculated for race, gender, and their combination. Patients were also stratified into groups of comparable predicted OM to allow for a direct comparison of risk-matched Caucasians and non-Caucasians. Results . Of the procedures, 28.2% were on women and 8.5% on non-Caucasians. Overall, OM was 3.29%. Multivariate risk-adjusted OM varied by gender and race ( p p Conclusions . Race and gender are independent predictors of adverse outcome following coronary artery bypass grafting, holding all other risk factors constant.
Casinos and political corruption in the United States: a Granger causality analysis

The commercial casino industry experienced an unprecedented expansion in the United States during the 1990s. As the industry has grown, so has the anecdotal evidence that links the casino industry with political corruption. However, there have been no empirical analyses of the issue. We use state-level panel data from 1985–2000 to posit a Granger causality analysis of the relationship between corruption convictions of state public officials and the predicted adoptions of casinos at the state level. We find evidence that predicted casino adoptions Granger cause corruption convictions. This finding is suggestive of a scenario of regulatory capture and may help explain why state-level gaming regulatory agencies have a history of softening gaming regulations after the initial introduction of casinos. Our study provides the first empirical evidence linking casinos to political corruption.
Delay and instructions as determinants of originality in word associations

Delay of response and instructions to be original are both demonstrated to increase originality of word associations. The relation of originality to a general inhibitory tendency is indicated by correlations of originality scores to performance on a motor task.
Cardiac involvement in progressive muscular dystrophy

Summary 1. A child with progressive muscular dystrophy and cardiac muscle involvement has been presented. 2. Clinical manifestations in children as reported in the literature have been summarized.
The neurological examination of neonates

Abstract Six hundred newborn babies were examined by the author in the first 4 days of life. 77% were at term, 6% postmature and 17% premature. The biceps reflex was obtained in 89%, triceps jerk in 85%, supinator jerk in 87%, knee and ankle jerks in 99%. A flexor plantar response with lateral plantar stimulation occurred in 2.8% of babies, in 2 of whom the response appeared indicative of pathological change. An increase in the frequency of elicitation of the abdominal reflexes occurred when these reflexes were tested immediately after the initial inspection and not during the course of the routine examination. Tonal fluctuation is seen after the first 6 h of life, usually mild in degree, but it may be more pronounced and then probably represents a delay of the post partum transition period. Comparison between the head and chest circumferences may provide an additional means of differentiating dysmaturity from prematurity.
Vitamin D: newly discovered actions require reconsideration of physiologic requirements

Vitamin D is not just for preventing rickets and osteomalacia. Recent findings in animal experiments, epidemiologic studies and clinical trials indicate that adequate vitamin D levels are important for cancer prevention, controlling hormone levels and regulating the immune response. Although 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels >10 ng/ml can prevent rickets and osteomalacia, these levels are not sufficient to provide these more recently discovered clinical benefits. Rather, levels of 25OHD >30 ng/ml are generally recommended. Determining optimal levels of 25OHD and the amount of vitamin D supplementation required to achieve those levels for the numerous actions of vitamin D will only be established with additional trials. In this review, these newer applications are summarized and therapeutic considerations are provided.
Racial Identification and Audience in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and the Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963

Multiethnic children’s literature addresses multiple audiences, providing different reading experiences and benefits for each. Using critical race theory as an interpretive tool, this article examines how two African American historical fiction novels, Mildred Taylor’s Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and Christopher Paul Curtis’s The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, frame anti-racist identifications for readers of all races. It argues that these identifications are key elements in the novels’ rhetorical strategies for engaging readers and opposing racism. Both novels portray strong African American families with whom both black and nonblack readers can identify and present African American perspectives on race, but they differ in how directly they approach racism and how they frame the identification of white readers. The conclusion offers implications of analyzing race and audience when teaching multiethnic literature.
The pelvic retroperitoneal approach in the treatment of advanced ovarian carcinoma.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility, complications, and clinical role of pelvic cytoreduction using the retroperitoneal approach in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer. Methods We studied 66 women with previously untreated advanced ovarian cancer who underwent pelvic retroperitoneal surgery. The possibility of achieving extrapelvic cytoreduction (residual disease less than 2 cm), involvement of the Douglas cul-de-sac or vesicouterine fold, or the presence of a frozen pelvis were indications for the retroperitoneal approach. Operative time, blood loss and transfusions, perioperative complications, and postoperative stay were analyzed prospectively. The performance status of each patient was assessed preoperatively and postoperatively. Results The pelvic retroperitoneal approach was used in 66 of 147 (45%) consecutive patients who underwent primary surgery with intent of cytoreduction. This approach was necessary in 60 of 94 (64%) patients with residual tumor less than 0.5 cm and contributed to achieving such a minimal residual disease in 36 of 38 (95%) stage IIB-IIIB and 58 of 109 (53%) IIIC-IV patients. Severe morbidity, but with no longterm sequelae, occurred in six (9%) patients. Before surgery, only ten (15%) of these patients had a performance status grade 0–1, 21 (32%) had grade 2, and 35 (53%) grade 3–4. After surgery, these figures were 52 (79%), 14 (21%), and 0, respectively. The 5-year survival rate was 37%, with a median survival and follow-up time of 27 months (range 4-98) and 43 months, respectively. Conclusion If the proper technique is used, complete pelvic cytoreduction is always feasible and morbidity is acceptable. In our series, it was necessary to approach the pelvis retroperitoneally in 64% of optimally cytoreduced patients, which suggests that this technique has an important clinical role in the treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
Mode filtering in optical whispering gallery resonators

A method of suppression of unwanted 'transverse' modes in ultra-high Q optical whispering gallery resonators by use of radiative dampers is proposed and demonstrated.
Density Functional Calculations of Native Defects in CH3NH3PbI3: Effects of Spin-Orbit Coupling and Self-Interaction Error.

Native point defects play an important role in carrier transport properties of CH3NH3PbI3. However, the nature of many important defects remains controversial due partly to the conflicting results reported by recent density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In this Letter, we show that self-interaction error and the neglect of spin–orbit coupling (SOC) in many previous DFT calculations resulted in incorrect positions of valence and conduction band edges, although their difference, which is the band gap, is in good agreement with the experimental value. This problem has led to incorrect predictions of defect-level positions. Hybrid density functional calculations, which partially correct the self-interaction error and include the SOC, show that, among native point defects (including vacancies, interstitials, and antisites), only the iodine vacancy and its complexes induce deep electron and hole trapping levels inside of the band gap, acting as nonradiative recombination centers.
Grid convergence studies for the prediction of hurricane storm surge

SUMMARY The focus of this paper is a systematic determination of the relationship between grid resolution and errors associated with computations of hurricane storm surge. A grid structure is sought that provides the spatial resolution necessary to capture pertinent storm surge physics and does not overdiscretize. A set of numerical experiments simulating storm surge generation over 14 grid discretizations of idealized domains examines the influence of grid spacing, shoreline detail, coastline resolution and characteristics of the meteorological forcing on storm surge computations. Errors associated with a given grid are estimated using a Richardson-based error estimator. Analysis of the magnitude and location of estimated errors indicates that underresolution on the continental shelf leads to significant overprediction of the primary storm surge. In deeper waters, underresolution causes smearing or damping of the inverted barometer forcing function, which in turn results in underprediction of the surge elevation. In order to maintain a specified error level throughout the duration of the storm, the highest grid resolution is required on the continental shelf and particularly in nearshore areas. The disparity of discretization requirements between deep waters and coastal regions is best met using a graded grid. Application of the graded gridding strategy to the hindcast of Hurricane Camille reinforces the necessity of using a grid that has high levels of resolution in nearshore regions and areas of complex coastal geometry. # 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Int. J. Numer. Meth. Fluids, 26: 369‐401 (1998).
The Kerr effect produced by optical trapping of nanoparticles in aqueous suspensions

This paper reports an experimental study of the low laser intensity Kerr Effect produced by optical trapping of fluorescently labeled 100 nm diameter polystyrene particles in aqueous suspension. Optical trapping was made by a tightly focused and periodically blinking IR laser beam. A green laser beam, aligned co-linear with the IR laser, was used as the fluorescence excitation light. The fluorescence signals from particles trapped by the blinking IR laser were measured by a lock-in amplifier to improve the signal to noise ratio required to detect the very minute (sub-thermal fluctuation) changes in local particle density induced by optical trapping. The use of confocal detection ensured that the fluorescent signals measured were only from the diffraction-limited focal region of the two laser beams. By independently measuring the fluorescence intensity as a function of particle concentration and dn/dC (the change in refractive index due to change in concentration), we were able to determine the Kerr coefficients for laser trap powers in the range of 10.6 mW to 85 mW. Non-linear behavior in the refractive index vs. laser intensity relationship indicates that higher order Kerr coefficients are needed to describe the Kerr effect. Kerr coefficients obtained by using a circularly polarized IR laser were similar to those obtained by a linearly polarized laser, indicating that the induced electric dipole-dipole interactions did not contribute to the electric field-induced concentration changes giving rise to the Kerr effect.
Dermatophyte Test Medium: Clinical and Quantitative Appraisal

In a survey to isolate dermatophytes from clinical specimens, Taplin's dermatophyte test medium and two commercial DTM products were compared with Sabouraud's dextrose agar containing cycloheximide and chloramphenicol. Though statistical differences and similarities were detected among the media under actual clinical conditions, the differences themselves could not be attributed to the medium, size of inoculum or other specific sources of variation because of unknown factors inherent in this approach. Therefore, a controlled quantitative test was made to compare DTM with commonly available mycological media using quantitated spore preparations of Trichophyton mentagrophytes. All media tested equally supported the growth of the dermatophyte as indicated by the statistical similarity among colony counts. Quantitation of number of spores produced did not differ among Taplin's DTM, Difco DTM, Pfizer DTM, and Sabouraud's plus antibiotics. Significantly fewer spores were produced on Littman's oxgall agar and significantly more on ink blue agar.