cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wavelength dependence of the apparent diameter of retinal blood vessels

Imaging of retinal blood vessels may assist in the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and hypertension. However, close examination reveals that the contrast and apparent diameter of vessels are dependent on the wavelength of the illuminating light. In this study multispectral images of large arteries and veins within enucleated swine eyes are obtained with a modified fundus camera by use of intravitreal illumination. The diameters of selected vessels are measured as a function of wavelength by cross-sectional analysis. A fixed scale with spectrally independent dimension is placed above the retina to isolate the chromatic effects of the imaging system and eye. Significant apparent differences between arterial and venous diameters are found, with larger diameters observed at shorter wavelengths. These differences are due primarily to spectral absorption in the cylindrical blood column.
Prediction of gas solubility in poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) melt to inform process design and resulting foam microstructure

Foaming studies on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were performed to evaluate the potential impact of nitrogen gas solubility on foam microstructure and properties. It was found that there was a step change from low to high cell density below and above a specific pressure threshold. This pressure threshold, which is associated with nitrogen gas solubility in PHBV, was calculated in order to inform processing requirements for extrusion foaming of PHBV. In the process, the PVT properties of PHBV were also calculated to account for polymer swelling at high temperature and pressure. To validate the predictive method applied in this work, gas solubility of nitrogen was also determined for polypropylene (PP) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA), which have similar thermal and rheological properties to PHBV. Predicted PVT properties for PP were found to be similar to experimental values in the literature, with the predicted solubility having a 10–14% error for PP and 20–24% error for PLA. Application of the same error range to the solubility predicted for PHBV aligned well with experimental observations. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:2683–2695, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Performance of poly(vinyl alcohol) thin-gel composite ultrafiltration membranes

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels were spin coated onto regenerated cellulose membranes to form thin-gel composite ultrafiltration membranes. The membranes were investigated in ultrafiltration experiments with bovine serum albumin (BSA) to assess their resistance to fouling. The effects of hydrogel thickness and the degree of crosslinking on pure water flux and ultrafiltration flux were studied. As expected, flux was found to decrease with increasing hydrogel thickness. The thicker hydrogel coatings proved highly effective at preventing irreversible protein fouling as indicated by nearly 100% pure water flux recovery. For a given thickness, increasing the degree of crosslinking had no measurable effect on flux or the extent of fouling owing to a limiting polymer volume fraction under hydrostatic pressure.
Migration Patterns and Characteristics of Sexual Partners Associated with Unprotected Sexual Intercourse Among Hispanic Immigrant and Migrant Women in the United States

In 2011, Hispanic immigrant women comprised 44% of HIV diagnoses among Hispanic women in the United States but little is known about factors that may place these women at risk for infection with HIV or sexually transmitted diseases. From March 2005 to February 2007, women were recruited at community-based organizations offering services to immigrant and migrant communities in five U.S. states. We report factors independently associated with unprotected anal and vaginal sex in the past 12 months among Hispanic immigrant and migrant women. Greater work-related mobility was associated with unprotected anal sex, while recency of immigration and prior refusal of HIV testing were associated with women's reports of unprotected vaginal sex. Prior sex with an injection drug user was associated with reports of both unprotected anal and vaginal sex. Findings highlight the need for HIV/STD risk reduction interventions designed specifically for Hispanic immigrant and migrant women.
On link layer denial of service in data wireless LANs

In this paper, we investigate the resiliency to jamming of data protocols, such as IP, over WLAN. We show that, on existing WLAN, an adversary can successfully jam data packets at a very low energy cost. Such attacks allow a set of adversary nodes disseminated over an area to prevent communication, partition an ad hoc network or force packets to be routed over adversary chosen paths. The ratio of the jamming pulses duration to the transmission duration can be as low as 10−4. We investigate and analyze the performance of combining a cryptographic interleaver with various coding schemes to improve the robustness of wireless LANs for IP packets transmission 1. A concatenated code that is simple to decode and can maintain a low frame error rate (FER) under a jamming effort ratio of 15%. We argue that LDPC codes will be very suitable to prevent this type of jamming. We investigate the theoretical limits by analyzing the performance derived from upper bounds on binary error-control codes. We also propose an efficient anti-jamming technique for IEEE802.11b based on Reed–Solomon codes. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Local increases in diversity accompany community homogenization in floodplain forest understories

Questions Changes in land use, altered flow regimes, invasions by pests and pathogens, and climate change are, separately and together, altering ecological dynamics of floodplain forests. The complex changes these forces impose often go unnoticed due to a lack of reliable baseline data. Using historical data from the 1950s and re-survey data on floodplain forest understories, we ask: (1) what is the direction, magnitude and nature of changes in local and regional diversity; (2) have these floodplain communities become more homogenous in composition due to losses of native species and increases in non-natives; (3) has the relationship between the ground layer and overstorey community weakened over time; and (4) are changes in local and regional diversity among these floodplain forests more or less pronounced than in nearby upland forests? Location Floodplain forests throughout southern Wisconsin, USA. Methods We quantified composition of vegetation in the understorey and overstorey of 40 sites and compared these data with data from the 1950s using a combination of uni- and multivariate analyses. We focus on changes in local vs regional diversity. Results Although average site-level diversity has increased by 18.5%, sites are now 30% more similar to each other, reflecting a pronounced decline in among-site (beta) diversity. Although exotic species have increased in site occupancy and abundance, increases in native woody plants (+30%), graminoids (+24%) and forbs (+16%) drive most of these changes in local and regional diversity. Sites have experienced an average species turnover rate of 39% since the 1950s, and understories are now 39% more correlated with canopy composition than in the 1950s. Biotic homogenization among these floodplain forests since the 1950s is 23.3% higher than the increase in similarity observed in nearby upland forests. Conclusions Vegetation changes in floodplain understories differ from changes previously documented in nearby upland forests. Floodplain forests have experienced a faster rate of biotic homogenization. Unlike upland forests the homogenization trend in these floodplain forests is accompanied by increases in site-level diversity. These may reflect widespread colonization by certain native species. Both trends may also reflect relatively high connectivity among floodplain forests and control of hydrologic fluctuations via dams.
Hypersonic transports - Economics and environmental effects.

An economic analysis of hypersonic transports is presented to show projected operating costs (direct and indirect) and return on investment. Important assumptions are varied to determine the probable range of values for operating costs and return on investment. The environmental effects of hypersonic transports are discussed and compared to current supersonic transports. Estimates of sideline and flyover noise are made for a typical hypersonic transport, and the sonic boom problem is analyzed and discussed. Since the exhaust products from liquid hydrogen-fueled engines differ from those of kerosene-fueled aircraft, a qualitative assessment of air pollution effects is made.
Quantifying the temporal dynamics of plant virus epidemics: a review

Abstract The ongoing development of more sensitive and reliable plant virus detection methods offers new opportunities to accurately and reliably monitor the temporal dynamics of plant viruses within plant populations. This review provides operational definitions and examples for concepts pertaining to the sampling and assessment of host populations to quantify disease and/or pathogen incidence within host populations over time. The linear, monomolecular, exponential, logistic, and Gompertz population growth models are presented and discussed with regards to their use in modeling the temporal dynamics of plant viruses. Other quantitative measures of temporal disease (or virus pathogen) spread, such as the disease (pathogen) progress curve, area under the disease (or pathogen) progress curve, and time to reach 50% incidence ( t 50 ), are also presented and discussed.
Importance of invasive interventional strategies in resuscitated patients following sudden cardiac arrest

Post-resuscitation care has become a major part of the chain of survival for victims of cardiac arrest. Once spontaneous circulation is restored, it is important to consider early coronary angiography and concurrent use of mild therapeutic hypothermia. In those resuscitated from an arrest considered to be cardiac in origin, coronary angiography should be performed inmmediately to identify any culprit coronary occlusion or unstable lesions. If a culprit lesion is found, immediate percutaneous coronary intervention should be performed. Any out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victim successfully resuscitated, but who remain comatose after return of spontaneous circulation, should be cooled to 32–24°C for 24 h. Induction of mild hypothermia can be accomplished without delaying coronary intervention. When these two post-resuscitation therapies are provided concurrently long-term survival is 50–60%, with favorable neurological function achieved in 80–90% of such survivors.
Practical considerations for laboratory based spectral monitoring in the High Frequency (HF) band

With spectral management of the radio spectrum becoming such a large concern in modern society due to an increasing need for faster wireless data transfer, the current utilization of the radio frequency spectrum must first be measured and analyzed before improvements to the current system can be designed and implemented. Choosing the High Frequency (HF) band to serve as a representative of the entire radio frequency spectrum, an active monopole antenna coupled with a portable spectrum analyzer was utilized to measure the ambient HF field strength at a laboratory site in Oklahoma City. This recorded data was then analyzed to determine the basic shape and characteristics of the ambient HF spectrum.
Middle Proterozoic age for the Montpelier Anorthosite, Goochland terrane, eastern Piedmont, Virginia

Uranium-lead dating of zircons from the Montpelier Anorthosite confirms previous interpretations, based on equivocal evidence, that the Goochland terrane in the eastern Piedmont of Virginia contains Grenvillian basement rocks of Middle Proterozoic age. A very few prismatic, elongate, euhedral zircons, which contain 12–29 ppm uranium, are interpreted to be igneous in origin. The vast majority of zircons are more equant, subangular to anhedral, contain 38–52 ppm uranium, and are interpreted to be metamorphic in origin. One fraction of elongate zircon, and four fragments of a very large zircon (occurring in a nelsonite segregation) yield an upper intercept age of 1045 ± 10 Ma, interpreted as the time of anorthosite crystallization. Irregularly shaped metamorphic zircons are dated at 1011 ± 2 Ma (weighted average of the 207Pb/206Pb ages). The U-Pb isotopic systematics of metamorphic titanite were reset during the Alleghanian orogeny at 297 ± 5 Ma. These data provide a minimum age for gneisses of the Goochland terrane that are intruded by the anorthosite. Middle Proterozoic basement rocks of the Goochland terrane may be correlative with those in the Shenandoah massif of the Blue Ridge tectonic province, as suggested by similarities between the Montpelier Anorthosite and the Roseland anorthosite. Although the areal extent of Middle Proterozoic basement and basement-cover relations in the eastern Piedmont remain unresolved, results of this investigation indicate that the Goochland terrane is an internal massif of Laurentian crust rather than an exotic accreted terrane.
Comparison of noninvasive cardiac output measurements using the Nexfin monitoring device and the esophageal Doppler.

Abstract Study Objective To evaluate the validity of cardiac output (CO) measurements obtained using the Nexfin device in comparison to those obtained with the esophageal Doppler in steady-state conditions and after phenylephrine administration. Design Prospective observational study. Setting Operating room of a North American academic medical center. Patients 25 ASA physical status 1, 2, and 3 patients referred for abdominal or orthopedic surgeries. Interventions After endotracheal intubation, patients who presented with a 20% or greater decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) received an intravenous (IV) bolus of 100 μg of phenylephrine. If MAP was still 20% lower than the patient's baseline level at least 10 minutes after the first vasopressor treatment, a second bolus of 100 μg of phenylephrine was given. Measurements CO was measured simultaneously by esophageal Doppler (CO ED ) and Nexfin (CO NXF ) at baseline and when blood pressure peaked after an IV 100 μg phenylephrine bolus. Comparisons were then made between the two devices to evaluate the ability of the Nexfin device to track changes in CO. Main Results 66 pairs of data were obtained. Mean CO ED and CO NXF were 4.7 ± 1.8 L/min and 5.6 ± 2.0 L/min, respectively. There was a significant relationship between CO ED and CO NXF (r 2 = 0.82; P ED and CO NXF was 0.88 ± 0.86 L/min (Bland Altman). The mean percent error (Critchley and Critchley) of CO NXF versus CO ED was 37%. Trending analysis found a 94% concordance between changes in CO ED and CO NXF after phenylephrine administration. Conclusions Intraoperative CO measurement using the Nexfin device has a strong correlation with CO measured by esophageal Doppler.
Current Algebras and Meson Form Factors

Relations between the weak form factors of mesons are derived by employing the following methods of current algebras: (a) the Oehme approximation without Hamiltonian, (b) saturation of commutators by allowed single-particle and disconnected pair states, (c) the Ward-Takahashi method, and (d) the generalized Ward-Takahashi method with the hypothesis of partially conserved axial-vector current (PCAC). These relations of meson form factors in various limits and their pole-model solutions are then discussed and compared. The information about meson form factors thus extracted indicates that the renormalization effects are small and the suppression of the $|\ensuremath{\Delta}S|=1$ semileptonic decays cannot be due to the symmetry-breaking effects. It is shown that the generalized Ward-Takahashi method with the PCAC hypothesis and the Ward-Takahashi method alone give equivalent results, as far as the meson vertex functions of the conserved vector currents are concerned. However, in the case of nonconserved currents, there are important differences involving contributions from possible scalar mesons. Within the framework of pole models, it is found that the methods (a) and (d), and the methods (b) and (c), give equivalent results.
Nonlinear finite element analysis for composite structures of axisymmetric geometry and loading

Abstract A linear strain, axisymmetric, triangular finite element is formulated for the modeling of materials which are generally orthotropic in the plane of the fibers and loaded axisymmetrically. The fibers may be oriented in planes other than the symmetric plane.This necessitates the use of three displacement degrees of freedom at each node.The element is also formulated to include geometric nonlinearity to take into account any stiffening or weakening of the structure due to deformation.The element is programmed into a finite element code, which is validated using a well-known isotropic nonlinear problem. It shows very good agreement with the results of other programs.The unique application of the element is shown in the analysis of a pneumatic tire.
Race to the bottom or swimming upstream: Performance analysis of US airlines

Data envelopment analysis is used to examine inter-temporal and peer group airline efficiency. Results for the US for 1985-2006 indicate that airline performance is converging over time. In particular, airlines inter-temporal inefficiency peaked earlier and then converged. Furthermore, using Tobit specifications it is seen that while demand intensity matters less in determining airlines inter-temporal inefficiency, their influence is stronger in determining peer group inefficiency. Block time, a representative of operational factors, tends to negatively impact airlines efficiency by imposing burdens on airline operations. Among the structural cost and revenue factors, fuel cost tends to affect inter-temporal inefficiency more robustly than it does to peer group efficiency. Labor pay tends to reduce inefficiency in case of inter-temporal while increasing peer group inefficiency. The events of September 11th had little or no impact on inter-temporal inefficiency but tended to reduce peer group inefficiency in a significant way. Finally, airlines efficiency tends to be robustly affected by block hours; reducing them increases efficiency.
Effect of angiotensin II on ovine placental blood flow.

SummaryThe injection of 10 μg angiotensin II to 5 near-term sheep caused significant increases in the renal, uterine and placental vascular resistances. After pretreatment with 10 mg/kg indomethacin the injection of 10 μg angiotensin II caused a significantly greater change in the vascular resistance of the kidneys and uterus. The response of the placental vasculature to angiotensin II was not affected by the pretreatment. Endogenous prostaglandins may play a role in modulating the response of the renal and uterine vascular beds to angiotensin II but this study provides no evidence to support the hypothesis that prostaglandins modulate the placental response to angiotensin II.
Partial response CPM in satellite mobile systems

It is known that Gaussian minimum shift keying (GMSK) is an attractive signaling technique in mobile communications. In this study, it is demonstrated using partial response raised cosine (ZRC) modulation that other partial-response continuous phase modulation (PR-CPM) techniques can perform better than GMSK in a mobile system. ZRC signals are analyzed and compared with GMSK signals in a mobile channel. Differential phase detection (DPD) and limiter discriminator detection (LDD) receivers with decision feedback are separately considered for the detection of the two types of signals. In case of ZRC signals, the delay of the DPD receiver, and the sampling instant of the LDD receiver are selected to minimize the error probability. Numerical results are presented for land mobile, satellite mobile and Gaussian channels at different bandwidths and Doppler shifts. It is shown that ZRC signals can perform better than GMSK signals at the same bandwidth.
Quantization and the uniqueness of invariant structures

We determine and classify certain algebraic structures, defined on the space of all complex-valued polynomials in 2n real variables, which admitaffine contact transformations as automorphisms. These are the structures which have the minimum symmetry necessary to define the basic linear and angular momentum observables of classical and quantum mechanics. The results relate to the so-called Dirac problem of finding an appropriate mathematical characterization of the canonical quantization procedure.
Ultrasound Contrast Materials in Cardiovascular Medicine: from Perfusion Assessment to Molecular Imaging

Ultrasound imaging is widely used in cardiovascular diagnostics. Contrast agents expand the range of tasks that ultrasound can perform. In the clinic in the USA, endocardial border delineation and left ventricle opacification have been an approved indication for more than a decade. However, myocardial perfusion contrast ultrasound studies are still at the clinical trials stage. Blood pool contrast and perfusion in other tissues might be an easier indication to achieve: general blood pool ultrasound contrast is in wider use in Europe, Canada, Japan, and China. Targeted (molecular) contrast microbubbles will be the next generation of ultrasound imaging probes, capable of specific delineation of the areas of disease by adherence to molecular targets. The shell of targeted microbubbles (currently in the preclinical research and early stage clinical trials) is decorated with the ligands (antibodies, peptides or mimetics, hormones, and carbohydrates) that ensure firm binding to the molecular markers of disease.
Brief communication: Histology and micro CT as methods for assessment of facial suture patency

The extent of fusion in facial sutures has implications for topics ranging from biomechanics to phylogeny reconstruction. An unfortunate limitation of studying sutural fusion in skeletal specimens is that it is difficult to assess whether apparently patent sutures are in fact fused internally. Both histology and microcomputed tomography (CT) are potential tools for solving this, but relatively few studies have attempted to discern the limits of micro CT for visualization of microanatomical structures. We examined microanatomical aspects of facial sutures in adult cadaveric samples from captive bushbabies. Premaxillary and nasopremaxillary sutures were examined in serially sectioned snouts of four greater bushbabies (Otolemur garnettii) and four lesser bushbabies (Galago moholi). Sections containing sutures with osseous bridging were rated as "fused," and the presence or absence of grooves on the external side was recorded. One bushbaby was studied using micro CT prior to physical sectioning. O. garnettii and two of the G. moholi show multiple foci of fusion. Histological examination confirmed that sutural fusion is limited to the internal surface in numerous sections, resulting in an external notch. Such points of internal fusion could be clearly visualized in raw CT slices. The presence of such notches suggests that external examination can underestimate the degree of suture fusion. Thus, microanatomical evidence may be needed to fully assess biomechanical correlates and phylogenetic interpretations based on fusion of facial sutures. Our results also indicate micro CT may be a useful tool to obtain this evidence.
Solid Support-Bound Synthesis of Polyfunctional Unsymmetrical Ureas

Abstract Solid support-bound chemistry has been used to gain access to several polyfunctional ureas which could not be easily produced via traditional solution phase approaches.
Autonomic control of network sensing quality with situational assessment

Sensing errors may occur in the form of inaccurate and/or delayed reporting of system and/or external events. The sensing errors may skew the control actions performed by an adaptive network system S on its external environment - and hence contribute to control errors. Given that sensing and control errors do arise due to imprecise and incomplete knowledge about the computational models of S, a model-based treatment of sensing errors allows quantifying their impact on the control accuracy. Our paper describes a software cybernetics framework to deal with data sensing errors that arise during the operations of a complex network system.
Dairy Herd Improvement Association Herd Averages. III. Characteristics of Herds at Different Production Levels

Abstract A total of 8,048 yearly herd average reports from Holstein Dairy Herd Improvement Association herds in 23 states was studied to evaluate the characteristics of herds at various levels of milk production. Separate intra-county least-squares analyses were made for the years 1960–64. Herd average per cent days in milk, grain feeding, silage feeding, feed cost per hundred pounds of milk produced, fat yield, income over feed cost, grain cost, and total feed cost differed significantly among production levels. There were marked positive trends in per cent days in milk, grain feeding, and income over feed cost. It was concluded that estimates of grain feeding are useful but that forage estimates are of little value, due to the large errors in their measurement. Results indicated that gross means of herd averages provide a reasonably accurate assessment of the characteristics of herds at different levels of production.
Neonatal uses of intravenous immunoglobulin

Intravenous gamma-globulin (IVGG) has several potential uses in neonates. A considerable amount of study is going into the evaluation of its role in neonatal sepsis. Preliminary results from two large controlled trials suggest that there may be a reduction in nosocomial sepsis following infusion of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in small premature infants, but the data are still incomplete. It is important to distinguish the two types of neonatal immune thrombocytopenia. In maternal autoimmune disease, neonatal intracranial hemorrhage has an incidence of only 1-2%, and treatment can be initiated postnatally in the thrombocytopenic neonate. Since antenatal hemorrhage is very rare, treatment of the mother for the sake of the fetus seems unnecessary. In alloimmune thrombocytopenia, on the other hand, intracranial hemorrhages occur in approximately 20% of all identified cases, and as many as one-half of these occur antenatally. Pilot studies of maternally administered IVGG have indicated that it may elevate the fetal platelet count and prevent intracranial hemorrhage.
Numerical Simulation of an Oil Particle in Emulsion Lubrication

The analogy of lateral particle migration in shear flows has been used to investigate the entrainment of oil particles in the inlet region where a Poiseuille flow is assumed. Previous researchers have studied the particle segregation positions and the particle size effect through two-dimensional simulations. In this paper, both two-dimensional and three-dimensional simulations were conducted. The two-dimensional analysis showed that there are two stable off-center segregation positions and one neutrally stable center segregation position for the small particles, while only one stable center segregation position was found for the large particles. The results are similar in three-dimensional simulations except that the center segregation position is more stable than in the two-dimensional case. It should be noted that all the segregation positions are within the backflow region, which means all the oil particles will be rejected from the contact region if the interparticle collisions are ignored. This is su...
Repeatability of Traits in Random Sample Meat Performance Tests

Abstract Repeatability has been advanced by Lush (1937) as an expression of intraclass correlation. It measures the precision with which the individual bird will give the same performance over successive measurements of a trait and it tells the degree to which individuals will show the same relative rank in performance of a trait measured at different times. This statistic has application in the same manner to different groups of birds as found in the case of entries in random sample performance tests. Repeatability may be calculated as a ratio of variance components and an examination of the expression shows its similarity to heritability estimates by the same procedure. Its numerator contains all the genetic variance plus variance due to the permanent influence of environment. The denominator has all that is contained in the numerator plus the variance from temporary or random environmental effects. To this extent repeatability is often said to …
Soft X-ray scattering dominates emission near the giant resonance of the rare earth compounds

Abstract Inelastic scattering of 4d electrons near the 4d–4f thresholds of Gd 2 O 2 S and Tm 2 O 3 is studied with monochromatic synchrotron radiation excitation. The emission is dominated by inelastic scattering. We observe two energy loss mechanisms, which are 4f inner-shell excitations (4d 10 4f n →4d 9 4f n +1 →4d 10 4f n ) and 5p–4f excitations (4d 10 5p 6 4f n →4d 9 5p 6 4f n +1 →4d 10 5p 5 4f n +1 ). Our atomic calculations are in excellent agreement with the experimental emission spectra indicating strong localization and a low degree of correlation of the 4f electrons. Inelastic scattering can be used to elucidate the relative partial cross sections for the contributing transitions.
Differentiating Tier 2 Social Behavioral Interventions According to Function of Behavior

Schools implementing tiered supports for social behavior need to be systematic and thoughtful about moving to the next tier. However, schools often apply resources they have in a blanket fashion for children who demonstrate behavior problems. This practice is problematic, and there is a need for increased efforts to plan and be more careful about choosing specific interventions for children who do not respond to universal supports. This article aims to discuss the importance of determining the function for behavior problems prior to intervention selection. The authors discuss problems with the current practices in schools. Data from a study on the use of the Check In Check Out intervention are presented to further illustrate the importance of determining function for behavior and implementing interventions with integrity. Without this important step, children who are at risk may not be appropriately supported and valuable resources are expended without successful outcomes. Implications for practitioners a...
PC program for estimating polynomial growth, velocity and acceleration curves when subjects may have missing data

A stand-alone, menu-driven PC program, written in GAUSS386i, for estimating polynomial growth, velocity, and acceleration curves from longitudinal data is described, illustrated and made available to interested readers. Missing data are accommodated: we assume that the study is planned so that individuals will have common times of measurement, but allow some of the sequences to be incomplete. The degrees, Di, adequate to fit the growth profiles of the N individuals are determined and the corresponding polynomial regression coefficients are calculated and can be saved in ASCII files which may then be imported into a statistical computing package for further analysis. Examples of the use of the program are provided.
Theology is not Mere Sociology: A Theological Reflection on the Reception of the Christian Religion in Mainland China

: Post-Maoist China retains its loyalty to Marxist principles; yet voices are being heard that interpret religion much more positively. Both government spokespersons and Religious Studies scholars measure the value of religion according to its social function. Such a criterion of evaluation fails to take account of what is essential to Christian theology, namely, appeal to divine transcendence. Yet, Christian theology in the tradition of the Lutheran Reformation begins with transcendence and turns toward human responsibility for the world through loving the neighbor. This may mark a common cause between Chinese sociology of religion and Christian commitments to social well-being.
PTPN22 Controls the Germinal Center by Influencing the Numbers and Activity of T Follicular Helper Cells

A single nucleotide polymorphism in PTPN22 (R620W), which encodes the Lyp tyrosine phosphatase, has been linked to a number of autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Studies in PTPN22 knockout (KO) mice and in mice expressing the mouse homolog of the pro-autoimmune allele, PEPR619W, have reported increased germinal center activity and enhanced Ab production. In this article, we present findings that explain the basis for increased germinal center activity in PTPN22 mutant mice. As compared with their wild type equivalents, T follicular helper cells from PTPN22 KO mice proliferate and accumulate to a greater extent, and exhibit enhanced production of IL-21. The follicular regulatory T cells in PTPN22 KO mice do not expand to effectively regulate these T follicular helper cells, resulting in an increase in B cell numbers and Ab production. This is evident in the KBxN mouse model of arthritis in which PTPN22 deficiency results in increased severity of disease. Our findings demonstrate the importance of cell type–specific PTPN22 activity on regulation of Ab production.
Degenerate primer design via clustering

This paper describes a new strategy for designing degenerate primers for a given multiple alignment of amino acid sequences. Degenerate primers are useful for amplifying homologous genes. However, when a large collection of sequences is considered, no consensus region may exist in the multiple alignment, making it impossible to design a single pair of primers for the collection. In such cases, manual methods are used to find smaller groups from the input collection so that primers can be designed for individual groups. Our strategy proposes an automatic grouping of the input sequences by using clustering techniques. Conserved regions are then detected for each individual group. Conserved regions are scored using a blocksimilarity score, a novel alignment scoring scheme that is appropriate for this application. Degenerate primers are then designed by reverse translating the conserved amino acid sequences to the corresponding nucleotide sequences. Our program, DePiCt, was written in BioPerl and was tested on the Toll-Interleukin Receptor (TIR) and the nonTIR family of plant resistance genes. Existing programs for degenerate primer design were unable to find primers for these data sets.
Dose-response relation between acrylamide and pancreatic cancer

In their 1999 study of workers exposed to acrylamide, Marsh et al conducted an SMR analysis, and fitted several relative risk regression models to the data.1 In each analy sis, they found risk of pancreatic cancer increased by about twofold for workers in the highest cumulative exposure group, but risk of pancreatic cancer did not increase monot onically with cumulative exposure in any of their analyses. Duration of exposure was monotonically related and mean intensity showed a nearly monotonie relation with risk of pancreatic cancer.
Load balancing across near-homogeneous multi-resource servers

An emerging model for computational grids interconnects similar multi-resource servers from distributed sites. A job submitted to the grid can be executed by any of the servers; however, resource size or balance may be different across servers. One approach to resource management for this grid is to layer a global load distribution system on top of the local job management systems at each site. Unfortunately, classical load distribution policies fail on two aspects when applied to a multi-resource server grid First, simple load indices may not recognize that a resource imbalance exists at a server. Second, classical job selection policies do not actively correct such a resource-imbalanced state. We show through simulation that new policies based on resource balancing perform consistently better than the classical load distribution strategies.
Silencing of soybean seed storage proteins results in a rebalanced protein composition preserving seed protein content without major collateral changes in the metabolome and transcriptome

The ontogeny of seed structure and the accumulation of seed storage substances is the result of a determinant genetic program. Using RNA interference, the synthesis of soybean (Glycine max) glycinin and conglycinin storage proteins has been suppressed. The storage protein knockdown (SP−) seeds are overtly identical to the wild type, maturing to similar size and weight, and in developmental ontogeny. The SP− seeds rebalance the proteome, maintaining wild-type levels of protein and storage triglycerides. The SP− soybeans were evaluated with systems biology techniques of proteomics, metabolomics, and transcriptomics using both microarray and next-generation sequencing transcript sequencing (RNA-Seq). Proteomic analysis shows that rebalancing of protein content largely results from the selective increase in the accumulation of only a few proteins. The rebalancing of protein composition occurs with small alterations to the seed’s transcriptome and metabolome. The selectivity of the rebalancing was further tested by introgressing into the SP− line a green fluorescent protein (GFP) glycinin allele mimic and quantifying the resulting accumulation of GFP. The GFP accumulation was similar to the parental GFP-expressing line, showing that the GFP glycinin gene mimic does not participate in proteome rebalancing. The results show that soybeans make large adjustments to the proteome during seed filling and compensate for the shortage of major proteins with the increased selective accumulation of other proteins that maintains a normal protein content.
The Promise and the Reality of Certification

This article describes the state of the certification process for health professionals in relation to the intended objectives and current outcomes or results. Also outlined are the logistical and legal issues associated with the certification process. Although the developers, promoters, and implementers of certification intended desirable outcomes there is little evidence to support that promises made have been realized. Certification appears to be popular and perceived positively. However, it is not clear whether it is only a passing fad or a lasting trend with practical utility for both consumers and promoters.
Traffic, Air Pollution, Minority and Socio-Economic Status: Addressing Inequities in Exposure and Risk

Higher levels of nearby traffic increase exposure to air pollution and adversely affect health outcomes. Populations with lower socio-economic status (SES) are particularly vulnerable to stressors like air pollution. We investigated cumulative exposures and risks from traffic and from MNRiskS-modeled air pollution in multiple source categories across demographic groups. Exposures and risks, especially from on-road sources, were higher than the mean for minorities and low SES populations and lower than the mean for white and high SES populations. Owning multiple vehicles and driving alone were linked to lower household exposures and risks. Those not owning a vehicle and walking or using transit had higher household exposures and risks. These results confirm for our study location that populations on the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum and minorities are disproportionately exposed to traffic and air pollution and at higher risk for adverse health outcomes. A major source of disparities appears to be the transportation infrastructure. Those outside the urban core had lower risks but drove more, while those living nearer the urban core tended to drive less but had higher exposures and risks from on-road sources. We suggest policy considerations for addressing these inequities.
Modelling and Fabrication of GaAs Photonic-Crystal Cavities for Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics

In this paper, we present recent progress in the growth, modelling, fabrication and characterization of gallium arsenide (GaAs) two-dimensional (2D) photonic-crystal slab cavities with embedded indium arsenide (InAs) quantum dots (QDs) that are designed for cavity quantum electrodynamics (cQED) experiments. Photonic-crystal modelling and device fabrication are discussed, followed by a detailed discussion of different failure modes that lead to photon loss. It is found that, along with errors introduced during fabrication, other significant factors such as the presence of a bottom substrate and cavity axis orientation with respect to the crystal axis, can influence the cavity quality factor (Q). A useful diagnostic tool in the form of contour finite-difference time domain (FDTD) is employed to analyse device performance.
Effects of temperature and strain rate on the tensile behavior of short fiber reinforced polyamide-6

Tensile behavior of extruded short E-glass fiber reinforced polyamide-6 composite sheet has been determined at different temperatures (21.5°C, 50°C, 75°C, 100°C) and different strain rates (0.05/min, 0.5/min, 5/min). Experimental results show that this composite is a strain rate and temperature dependent material. Both elastic modulus and tensile strength of the composite increased with strain rate and decreased with temperature. Experimental results also show that strain rate sensitivity and temperature sensitivity of this composite change at a temperature between 25°C and 50°C as a result of the glass transition of the polyamide-6 matrix. Based on the experimental stress-strain curves, a two-parameter strain rate and temperature dependent constitutive model has been established to describe the tensile behavior of short fiber reinforced polyamide-6 composite. The parameters in this model are a stress exponent n and a stress coefficient σ*. It is shown that the stress exponent n, which controls the strain rate strengthening effect and the strain hardening effect of the composite, is not only strain rate independent but also temperature independent. The stress exponent σ*, on the other hand, varies with both strain rate and temperature.
Rapid, Sensitive, and Discriminating Identification of Naegleria spp. by Real-Time PCR and Melting-Curve Analysis

The free-living amoeboflagellate genus Naegleria includes one pathogenic and two potentially pathogenic species (Naegleria fowleri, Naegleria italica, and Naegleria australiensis) plus numerous benign organisms. Monitoring of bathing water, water supplies, and cooling systems for these pathogens requires a timely and reliable method for identification, but current DNA sequence-based methods identify only N. fowleri or require full sequencing to identify other species in the genus. A novel closed-tube method for distinguishing thermophilic Naegleria species is presented, using a single primer set and the DNA intercalating dye SYTO9 for real-time PCR and melting-curve analysis of the 5.8S ribosomal DNA gene and flanking noncoding spacers (ITS1, ITS2). Collection of DNA melting data at close temperature intervals produces highly informative melting curves with one or more recognizable melting peaks, readily distinguished for seven Naegleria species and the related Willaertia magna. Advantages over other methods used to identify these organisms include its comprehensiveness (encompassing all species tested to date), simplicity (no electrophoresis required to verify the product), and sensitivity (unambiguous identification from DNA equivalent to one cell). This approach should be applicable to a wide range of microorganisms of medical importance.
Application of Ion Chromatography in Pharmaceutical and Drug Analysis

Ion chromatography (IC) has developed and matured into an important analytical methodology in a number of diverse applications and industries, including pharmaceuticals. This manuscript provides a review of IC applications for the determinations of active and inactive ingredients, excipients, degradation products, and impurities relevant to pharmaceutical analyses and thus serves as a resource for investigators looking for insights into the use of the IC methodology in this field of application.
Improving patient safety through infection control: a new healthcare imperative.

Many healthcare organizations, professional associations, government and accrediting agencies, legislators, regulators, payers, and consumer advocacy groups have advanced the prevention of healthcare-associated infections as a national imperative, stimulating the creation of “A Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals” in this supplement. In this introduction, we provide background and context and discuss the major issues that shaped the recommendations included in the compendium. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2008; 29:S3-S11
Assessing the Growth of Gifted Students.

This Methodological Brief gives an overview of statistical methods used to gauge academic growth and discusses issues surrounding the measurement of growth in gifted populations. To illustrate some of these issues, we describe a growth model that examines differences in summer lag between gifted and nongifted students. We also provide recommendations for educators and researchers who are interested in documenting the academic growth of gifted students.
Revision and phylogenetic analysis of the New World genus Neoclypeodytes Young (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Bidessini)

Summary The western North American and northern Central American genus Neoclypeodytes Young is revised. Twenty-five valid species are recognized in the genus. One additional name, N. luctuosus (Guignot) is treated as species of uncertain status. Eleven new species are described: N. amybethae, N. anasinus, N. astrapus, N. challeti, N. edithae, N. haroldi, N. megalus, N. nanus, N. roughleyi, N. similis and N. tumulus. Six new synonymies are established: N. centralis (Sharp) = N. cinctellus (LeConte); N. substriatus (Sharp) = N. discedens (Sharp); N. americanus (Guignot), N. decoratus (Fall) and N. quadrisignatus (Sharp) = N. fryii (Clark); and N. rugulosus (Guignot) = N. obesus (Sharp). Lectotypes are designated for N. curtulus (Sharp), N. discedens, N. discretus (Sharp), N. lynceus (Sharp), N. obesus, N. ornatellus (Fall), N. pictodes (Sharp), N. plicipennis (Crotch), N. quadrinotatus (Sharp), N. quadripustulatus, N. quadrisignatus and N. substriatus. A key is provided for the known species of Neoclypeodytes. Distribution maps, illustrations of important morphological features and natural history notes are provided for each species. A single possible synapomorphy was found supporting the monophyly of Neoclypeodytes, a pattern of two maculae on each elytron. The perplexing and unresolved relationships of Neoclypeodytes to other bidessine genera are discussed. A cladistic analysis using twenty-two characters of adult morphology is presented for twenty-five species of Neoclypeodytes, with Uvarus lacustris (Say) and Liodessus affinis (Say) as outgroup taxa (rooted at U. lacustris). A single most parsimonious cladogram was obtained.
A framework for admission management of dynamic conferencing calls under a multi-point ATM architecture

The paper develops a framework for representing dynamic calls (i.e. calls with a variable number of clients) and the associated link-level connection (VCL) variability in an ATM multi-point architecture. A generic parameter vector is formulated for the dynamic call object. Under the selected network architecture, a tag-update algorithm isolates the impact of this global call object on the VCL layer. Each carried client is assumed to be active (transmit/receive) or inactive (receive). A simple true-state model captures the dependence of client status on the status of other clients in the same call. The activity (or active VCL) layer is assumed to be constrained (through a probabilistic threshold) by the lower ATM layer. We present a distributed call admission scheme that ensures this threshold is not exceeded on any directed link of the admitted call multi-cast tree.