cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative pixel-wise measurement of myocardial blood flow: The impact of surface coil-related field inhomogeneity and a comparison of methods for its correction

Surface coil-related field inhomogeneity potentially confounds pixel-wise quantitative analysis of perfusion CMR images. This study assessed the effect of surface coil-related field inhomogeneity on the spatial variation of pixel-wise myocardial blood flow (MBF), and assessed its impact on the ability of MBF quantification to differentiate ischaemic from remote coronary territories. Two surface coil intensity correction (SCIC) techniques were evaluated: 1) a proton density-based technique (PD-SCIC) and; 2) a saturation recovery steady-state free precession-based technique (SSFP-SCIC). 26 subjects (18 with significant CAD and 8 healthy volunteers) underwent stress perfusion CMR using a motion-corrected, saturation recovery SSFP dual-sequence protocol. A proton density (PD)-weighted image was acquired at the beginning of the sequence. Surface coil-related field inhomogeneity was approximated using a third-order surface fit to the PD image or a pre-contrast saturation prepared SSFP image. The estimated intensity bias field was subsequently applied to the image series. Pixel-wise MBF was measured from mid-ventricular stress images using the two SCIC approaches and compared to measurements made without SCIC. MBF heterogeneity in healthy volunteers was higher using SSFP-SCIC (24.8 ± 4.1%) compared to PD-SCIC (20.8 ± 3.0%; p = 0.009), however heterogeneity was significantly lower using either SCIC technique compared to analysis performed without SCIC (36.2 ± 6.3%). In CAD patients, the difference in MBF between remote and ischaemic territories was minimal when analysis was performed without SCIC (0.06 ± 0.91 mL/min/kg), and was substantially lower than with either PD-SCIC (0.50 ± 0.63 mL/min/kg; p = 0.013) or with SSFP-SCIC (0.63 ± 0.89 mL/min/kg; p = 0.005). In 6 patients, MBF quantified without SCIC was artifactually higher in the stenosed coronary territory compared to the remote territory. PD-SCIC and SSFP-SCIC had similar differences in MBF between remote and ischaemic territories (p = 0.145). This study demonstrates that surface coil-related field inhomogeneity can confound pixel-wise MBF quantification. Whilst a PD-based SCIC led to a more homogenous correction than a saturation recovery SSFP-based technique, this did not result in an appreciable difference in the differentiation of ischaemic from remote coronary territories and thus either method could be applied.
Dean vortex membrane microfiltration non-Newtonian viscosity effects

Many industrial feeds behave as non-Newtonian fluids, and little understanding exists as to their influence on cross-flow microfiltration (CMF) performance. The viscosity effects of a model non-Newtonian shear-thickening fluid were investigated in CMF with and without suspended silica particles in the feed. The goals were to compare the performance of Dean vortex filtration for non-Newtonian fluids with that for Newtonian fluids and, using a shear-thickening fluid, to establish, in a negative control experiment for equivalent axial flow rates, that the mean wall shear rates is higher in helical tube flow than in linear tube flow. Hence, the effect of viscosity on the formation of controlled centrifugal instabilities (Dean vortices) was studied. Non-Newtonian behavior was imparted to the fluid through the addition of a cationic surfactant, tetradecyltrimethylammonium salicylate (TTASal), that could freely permeate the membrane and that exhibited little noticeable fouling. Because the membrane did not retain the micelles and freely passed the surfactant monomer, fouling behavior could be separately studied by adding silica particles to the micellar solution. Results were compared with a previously studied Newtonian system for both linear and helical CMF. Two new mass transfer correlations were obtained for a shear-thickening surfactant solution in the presence of a 0.1 w/w% silica concentration for laminar flow in linear (no vortices) and helical (with vortices) membrane pipes. The viscosity was described as a function of surfactant concentration and velocity. The correlation for Dean vortex laminar flow incorporated the effect of increasing viscosity on the stability of Dean vortices by adjusting the exponent of the Reynolds number for Re<800.
Fine structure of the pancreatic islet cells of normal and alloxan treated bats (Eptesicus fuscus).

The pancreas of the bat Eptesicus fuscus was investigated with respect to the normal ultrastructure of the islet cells, and structural alterations induced by alloxan. The ultrastructure of normal active and hibernating bat islet cells was similar. Through serial sections, B granules were shown to be disc-shaped, and some B granules were observed to consist of up to three component plates. Vesicular configurations found in both A and B cells suggest that the Golgi complex is essential to granule formation.
Sparse recovery over continuous dictionaries-just discretize

In many applications of sparse recovery, the signal has a sparse representation only with respect to a continuously parameterized dictionary. Although atomic norm minimization provides a general framework to handle sparse recovery over continuous dictionaries, the computational aspects largely remain unclear. By establishing various convergence results as the discretization gets finer, we promote discretization as a universal and effective way to approximately solve the atomic norm minimization problem, especially when the dimension of the parameter space is low.
Optical and structural characterization of GaN/AlGaN quantum wells for intersubband device applications

Due to their large conduction-band offsets of up to 1.75 eV, GaN/Al(Ga)N quantum wells can support intersubband transitions at record short wavelengths, well into the low-loss transmission window of optical fibers. As a result, these quantum structures are promising to enable new intersubband device applications, including all-optical switching for ultra-broadband fiber-optic networks and emission of short-wave infrared radiation. Here we report our work on the development of high-quality GaN/Al(Ga)N quantum well structures designed for such applications. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Y-encoded, species-specific DNA in mice: Evidence that the Y chromosome exists in two polymorphic forms in inbred strains

We have investigated the structure of the murine Y chromosome by first developing a novel method for specifically cloning Y-encoded DNA and then generating a library enriched for Y-specific DNA sequences. Three randomly chosen Y DNA clones were studied and found to share several interesting properties: all three are members of small Y-specific multisequence families; all three are mouse-specific; and all three probes detect Y-encoded restriction fragments that are polymorphic. Examination of polymorphic Y chromosome restriction fragments in male DNA from nine different inbred strains suggests that only two polymorphic forms of Y chromosomal DNA exist among inbred strains of mice.
Influenza B in the spring of 1965.

SummaryStrains of influenza B virus recovered from children who had acute respiratory illnesses during the spring of 1965 showed antigenic deviation from the B/Md/ 1/59 strain of influenza virus. This finding was most evident in comparative hemagglu-tination-inhibition tests with chicken antisera but was also shown in the relatively poor antibody response against 1965 B strains compared with homologous virus in children who were given 3 doses of a heptavalent respiratory virus vaccine containing B/Md/1/59 antigen. Further evidence was given in the demonstration of less than expected efficacy of the vaccine in protecting children against influenza B in 1965 in a controlled field study. Sera from normal adults collected in June of 1965 often showed low antibody titers and this was consistent with the sporadic occurrence of influenza B which was recorded in the U.S.A. during the 1964-65 respiratory disease season. The findings in the study may be of value as a guideline for judging the significance of future...
Low‐dimensional models for real time simulations of catalytic monoliths

We present accurate low-dimensional models for real time simulation, control, and optimization of monolithic catalytic converters used in automobile exhaust treatment. These are derived directly by averaging the governing equations and using the concepts of internal and external mass transfer coefficients. They are expressed in terms of three concentration and two temperature modes and include washcoat diffusional effects without using the concept of the effectiveness factor. The models reduce to the classical two-phase models in the limit of vanishingly thin washcoat. The models are validated by simulating the transient behavior of a three-way converter for various cases and comparing the predictions with detailed solutions. It is shown that these new models are robust and accurate with practically acceptable error, speed up the computations by orders of magnitude, and can be used with confidence for the real time simulation and control of monolithic and other catalytic reactors. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009
The solid phase synthesis of N-alkylcarbamate oligomers

Abstract An efficient method for the solid phase synthesis of N -alkylcarbamate oligomers from alternating carboxylic acid and N α -Fmoc protected chiral p -nitrophenylcarbonate monomers has been developed. The general synthetic scheme involves four steps per coupling cycle: deprotection of the terminal amino group of the growing oligomer, acylation of the free amine with a carboxylic acid monomer, reduction of the resulting amide bond with borane and coupling of the secondary amine to a N α -Fmoc protected p -nitrophenyl carbonate monomer. This novel biopolymer which has two side chain residues per backbone carbamate linkage and no backbone hydrogen bond donors may provide new frameworks for drug design as well as folded domains with novel physical and biological properties.
Isozyme differentiation among 17 geographical isolates of Hirsutella thompsonii

Abstract Electrophoretic analysis of mycelial preparations of 17 isolates of Hirsutella thompsonii demonstrated extensive variability in isozyme content. Many isolates possessed distinct electromorphs used to group or separate individual isolates. Coefficients of similarity based on isozyme patterns closely followed the morphological scheme used to separate H. thompsonii into three varieties. One exception, the nonsynnematous vinacious variety was very close to the nonsynnematous grayish-green variety biochemically. The electrophoretic data demonstrate that extensive differentiation among the H. thompsonii isolates is occurring at the subcellular level without attendant morphological changes.
Fixation Preference and Visual Acuity Testing in a Population-based Cohort of Preschool Children with Amblyopia Risk Factors

Purpose To compare the clinical assessment of fixation preference (FP) to visual acuity (VA) in a population-based sample of preschool children with amblyopia risk factors. Design Evaluation of diagnostic test in a population-based study. Participants Two hundred forty-three children with amblyopia and/or strabismus, aged 30–72 months, living in Los Angeles County, California. Methods Before measuring VA, FP testing was performed at near and usually without correction, using the binocular fixation pattern in children with strabismus >10 prism diopters (Δ), or the induced tropia test for children with strabismus ≤10Δ or without strabismus. We determined the sensitivity and specificity of FP testing for predicting unilateral amblyopia, defined by optotype VA, among children with amblyopia risk factors. Main Outcome Measure Grade of FP. Results Sensitivity of FP testing for amblyopia among children with anisometropia was 20% (9/44) and specificity was 94% (102/109). Among strabismic children, sensitivity was 69% (9/13; worse in children 30–47 than 48–72 months old) and specificity was 79% (70/89), with similar findings for esotropia and exotropia. Conclusion The ability of FP testing to correctly identify amblyopia in preschool children with amblyopia risk factors is poor. Clinicians should be wary of using FP as a surrogate measure of interocular difference in VA in young children. Financial Disclosure(s) The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Diagnostic characteristics and dispositions in suicidal hospitalized medical and surgical patients.

Abstract Suicidal ideation is frequently identified in psychiatric consultation patients, but the outcomes of patients with suicidal ideation are infrequently discussed. We reviewed 4 years of consultations and identified two groups of suicidal patients, those admitted following suicide attempts and those with medical illnesses. These groups and the remaining nonsuicidal patients were analyzed for lengths of stay, diagnoses, and outcomes. Suicidal patients were younger ( p p p p p p
Small-Scale Turbulent Diffusion in the Atmosphere

Clarenburg and Tang1 recently published a communication under this title in which they compared observations of smoke cloud spreading made by Frenkiel and Katz2 with the relationships t, and (t + 3)(2−n)/2, where t is time after generation of the burst, and n describes the shape of the one-point Lagrangian velocity autocorrelation ; n was assigned the value 0.26, following Sutton8. Before the conclusion by these authors about the results of this comparison can be accepted, two points must be made:
Electronic/ionic conductivity and oxygen diffusion coefficient of Sr-Fe-Co-O system

Oxides in the system Sr-Fe-Co-O exhibit both electronic and ionic conductivities. Recently, Sr-Fe-Co-O system attracted great attention because of the potential to be used for oxygen permeable membranes that can operate without the electrodes or external electrical circuitry. Electronic and ionic conductivities at various temperatures have been measured on two compositions in Sr-Fe-Co-O system named SFC-1 and SFC-2. The electronic transference number is much greater than the ionic transference number in SFC-1 sample, while the electronic and ionic transference numbers are very close in SFC-2 sample. At 800{degrees}C, the electronic conductivity and ionic conductivity are {approx}76 S{center_dot}cm-1 and =4 S-cm-1, respectively, for SFC-1. While, for SFC-2, the electronic and ionic conductivities are =10 S-cm-1 and {approx}7 S-cm-1, respectively. By a local fitting to {sigma}{center_dot}T = A exp(-E{sub {alpha}}/{kappa}{Tau}), we found that the oxide ion activation energies are 0.92 eV and 0.37 eV respectively for SFC-1 and SFC-2 samples. Oxygen diffusion coefficient of SFC-2 is {approx}{times}10{sup {minus}7} cm{sup 2}/sec at 900C.
Umbilical Cord Plasma Levels of Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate during Human Gestation

In the current investigation we sought to evaluate fetal adrenal dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS) production during normal human pregnancy. We found that the mean umbilical cord plasma concentration of DS was reasonably constant from 18–34 weeks of gestation, ranging from 1131–1517 ng/ml. Thereafter, the cord plasma DS concentration rose steadily to 2463 ± 665 ng/ml (mean ± SD) at 39–40 weeks of gestation. Between 20 and 32 weeks of gestation, the estimated fetal plasma DS pool increased from 8 to 146 αg. At term, the estimated fetal DS plasma pool was in excess of 300 αg. From 34–40 weeks of gestation, the estimated fetal DS pool size and the fetal plasma DS concentration increased coincidentally with a marked rise in the known rate of fetal adrenal growth. From these findings, we conclude that fetal adrenal DS production increases steadily throughout gestation, and the rate of increase is probably dependent upon the rate of fetal adrenal growth. Furthermore, the rapid increase in maternal estrogen le...
Microgrid generation units optimum dispatch for fuel consumption minimization

This paper utilizes the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) conditions to develop a scheme for economic dispatch of load to generation units in a microgrid. By using the (pure) KKT conditions, the true optimum can be found in the sense of minimizing the fuel consumption. This is the most economic way of dispatching the load to generators, but it may not be directly applicable in the real world. In practice extra constraints, in the form of swing generator(s), base load generator upper and lower operating limits, and spinning reserve are also required. These lead to a set of constrained KKT conditions, which are utilized to solve the problem. Note that although this solution obtained from constrained KKT conditions is not the true optimum, the extra constraints are there to enhance the system stability and reliability.This new approach is tested extensively in simulation against standard dispatch approaches, and its performance is seen to be superior in all cases.
Validation of nuclear models used in space radiation shielding applications

A program of verification and validation has been undertaken to assess the applicability of models to space radiation shielding applications and to track progress as these models are developed over time. In this work, simple validation metrics applicable to testing both model accuracy and consistency with experimental data are developed. The developed metrics treat experimental measurement uncertainty as an interval and are therefore applicable to cases in which epistemic uncertainty dominates the experimental data. To demonstrate the applicability of the metrics, nuclear physics models used by NASA for space radiation shielding applications are compared to an experimental database consisting of over 3600 experimental cross sections. A cumulative uncertainty metric is applied to the question of overall model accuracy, while a metric based on the median uncertainty is used to analyze the models from the perspective of model development by examining subsets of the model parameter space.
Nonlinear accumulation of propranolol enantiomers.

Abstract The accumulation of (+)- and (-)-propranolol was investigated in nine subjects who received 160 mg of racemic propranolol as a single dose and then once daily for 7 days. The serum concentrations of propranolol enantiomers were measured by h.p.l.c. using a novel chiral stationary phase allowing direct resolution of underivatized propranolol. The (+)-propranolol AUC increased from 412 +/- 223 ng ml-1 h after single doses (0-infinity) to 584 +/- 279 ng ml-1 h at steady-state (0-24 h) (P less than 0.05). Similarly, (-)-propranolol AUC increased from 609 +/- 304 to 777 +/- 370 ng ml-1 h (P less than 0.05). The AUC ratio (-)/(+) was 1.52 +/- 0.36 and 1.32 +/- 0.17 after single doses and steady-state, respectively (P greater than 0.05). Therefore, nonlinear accumulation occurs with both enantiomers although there is a trend for the (-)/(+) ratio to decrease at steady-state.
A five-gene model predicts clinical outcome in ER+/PR+, early-stage breast cancers treated with adjuvant tamoxifen.

Primary breast carcinomas expressing both estrogen and progesterone receptors are most likely to respond to tamoxifen therapy, especially in patients with early-stage lesions. However, certain patients exhibit clinicopathologic features suggesting good prognosis relapse within 10 years, justifying a search for biomarkers identifying patients at risk for recurrence. Nine candidate genes associated with estrogen signaling were selected from microarray studies and combined with those for conventional biomarkers (ESR1, PGR, ERBB2). Expression of this 12-gene subset was analyzed by RT-qPCR in frozen tissue specimens from 60 early-stage, estrogen receptor (ER)+/progestin receptor (PR)+ breast cancers from patients treated with adjuvant tamoxifen. A multivariate model was created by Cox regression using a training data set and applied to an independent validation set. A five-gene model was developed from the training set (n = 36) that exhibited significant correlations with both relapse-free and overall survival. Applying this model to Kaplan–Meier regression, patients were separated into low-risk (100% relapse-free at 150 months) and high-risk (60% relapse-free at 150 months) groups (P = 0.03). When this model was applied to the validation set (n = 24), similar risk stratification was achieved for both relapse-free and overall survival (P = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively). We developed a five-gene model composed of PgR, BCL2, ERBB4 JM-a, RERG, and CD34 that identified early-stage, ER+/PR+ breast cancers in patients treated with tamoxifen that relapsed, although they exhibited clinicopathologic features suggesting good prognosis. Within this multivariate model, increased expression of PgR, ERBB4 JM-a, RERG, and CD34 was associated with increased survival, while increased expression of BCL2 was associated with decreased survival.
Prostate Cancer Screening: What We Know, Don't Know, and Believe

This commentary discusses the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation against PSA-based screening for men of any age. The commentator agrees with the recommendation and discusses how the...
Standardization and Innovation Policies in the Information Age

In the information age, governmental policies in support of innovation are having a growing impact on trade and free market coordination. A balance between innovation and coordination is often achieved by market-sensitive standardization. Governmental policies that interfere with the balance that market-sensitive standardization can achieve are not usually successful. But governmental policies that recognize the changes occurring in the information age and support corresponding changes in innovation and standardization policies are needed.
Run-Time and Compiler Support for Programming in Adaptive Parallel Environments

For better utilization of computing resources, it is important to consider parallel programming environments in which the number of available processors varies at run-time. In this article, we discuss run-time support for data-parallel programming in such an adaptive environment. Executing programs in an adaptive environment requires redistributing data when the number of processors changes, and also requires determining new loop bounds and communication patterns for the new set of processors. We have developed a run-time library to provide this support. We discuss how the run-time library can be used by compilers of high-performance Fortran (HPF)-like languages to generate code for an adaptive environment. We present performance results for a Navier-Stokes solver and a multigrid template run on a network of workstations and an IBM SP-2. Our experiments show that if the number of processors is not varied frequently, the cost of data redistribution is not significant compared to the time required for the actual computation. Overall, our work establishes the feasibility of compiling HPF for a network of nondedicated workstations, which are likely to be an important resource for parallel programming in the future.
The Atomistic Nature of Compound Semiconductor Interfaces and the Role of Growth Interruption

An overview of the current understanding of the structural and chemical nature of interfaces involving an alloy layer, as revealed in photoluminescence and excitation spectra, is presented. Systematic studies, including reflection-highenergy- electron-diffraction measurements and computer simulations, reveal in-plane fluctuations in the alloy composition arising from the growth kinetics to be the dominant feature controlling the nature of the confining potentials in high quality samples grown without growth interruption. The role of surface kinetics in relaxing dynamic growth fronts to structurally smoother surfaces upon growth interruption is summarized and its pragmatic consequences for improving interface quality discussed.
Ground States of Disordered Ferromagnets

When \(\mathop J\nolimits_e^\Lambda = \mathop J\nolimits_e\) (i.e., with no dependence on Λ), an infinite volume ground state for the couplings \(\left\{ {\mathop J\nolimits_e :e \in \mathop E\nolimits^d } \right\}\) may be defined as any \(s \in S = {\left\{ { - 1, + 1} \right\}^{{Z^d}}}\), such that there exists some sequence \({\bar s^{\left( L \right)}} \in {S_{\partial {\Lambda _L}}}\) (the restriction to cubes Λ L and to fixed b.c. ’s involves no loss of generality) and some ground state \({s^{\left( L \right)}} \in {S_{{\Lambda _L}}}{\rm{for}}\mathop H\nolimits_{{\Lambda _L}}^{{{\bar s}^{\left( L \right)}}}\) such that for each \(x \in {Z^d},{s_x} = \mathop s\nolimits_x^{\left( L \right)}\), for all large L.
Strengthening Intergenerational/InterculturalTies in Immigrant Families (SITIF)

Abstract Intergenerational/intercultural conflict is a significant stressor in immigrant families that occurs because of differential acculturation between migrant parents and their children. In spite of its negative mental health consequences, few empirically tested interventions address this problem. Strengthening Intergenerational/Intercultural Ties in Immigrant Families (SITIF) is a culturally-sensitive, community based intervention that aims to strengthen the intergenerational relationship. It promotes immigrant parents' emotional awareness and empathy for their children's experiences, cognitive knowledge and understanding of differences between their native and American cultures, and teaches behavioral parenting skills with the objective of enhancing intergenerational intimacy. SITIF was tested with a group of 16 middle class and 14 working class immigrant Chinese parents. Using objective and subjective assessment tools, the findings provide empirical support for SFTiF's effectiveness in enhancing p...
Experiments in automated load balancing

One of the promises of parallelized discrete-event simulation is that it might provide significant speedups over sequential simulation. In reality, high performance cannot be achieved unless the system is fine-tuned to balance computation, communication, and synchronization requirements. In this paper, we discuss our experiments in automated load balancing using the SPEEDES simulation framework. Specifically, we examine three mapping algorithms that use run-time measurements. Using simulation models of queuing networks and the National Airspace System, we investigate (i) the use of run-time data to guide mapping, (ii) the utility of considering communication costs in a mapping algorithm, (iii) the degree to which computational ``hot-spots'' ought to be broken up in the linearization, and (iv) the relative execution costs of the different algorithms. We compare the performance of the three algorithms using results from the Intel Paragon.
Disturbance Attenuation for Guidance and Control

The formulation of a disturbance attenuation problem provides a conceptual structure for the development of robust high performance guidance and control schemes in the presence of large uncertainties in the process and measurement disturbances. The disturbance attenuation problem is to find a feedback controller based upon the measurement output which guarantees that the disturbance attenuation function is bounded below some value for all admissible input disturbances. The disturbance attenuation function is an input-output relationship between a norm of a desired output, such as tracking error and/or control effort, to a norm associated with the input disturbance. This problem is usually solved by converting it to a zero-sum differential game between the controller, attempting to minimize a functional, and the disturbances acting as adversaries that maximize the performance index. By using a dynamic programming approach to differential game associated with the disturbance attenuation problem can be divided naturally into two problems. From the present time into the future and up to the terminal time, a game problem based upon perfect information naturally occurs since no actual measurements can be made, i.e., the system is causal. The solution to the dynamic programming problem is the optimal value function in terms of the state variables and time. This optimal value function is, in general, not easily generated, but in certain guidance problems it can be obtained approximately by using perturbation theory, producing solutions of high accuracy. The second half of the problem, from the initial time to the current time, is essentially viewed as a state estimation problem since the control sequence used in the past cannot be modified. The estimation problem can be viewed as dissipative with respect to a generalized energy function. An optimal accumulation function, which is the solution to the estimation dynamic programming problem, is a function of the current state and time. Some suggestions for determining suboptimal estimators are given. The final step is to maximize, with respect to the current state, the sum of the filter optimal accumulation function and the controller optimal value function. The resulting worst case state, which in the applications considered is a function of the state estimate and curvature, is used in the controller. Note that even though the worst case state is only a function of the measurement history and apriori values of the parameters, no certainty equivalence assumption is made.
An ice-cover climatology for lake erie and lake superior for the winter seasons 1897 1898 to 1982 1983

Observations of mid-lake Great Lakes ice cover are sparse prior to the decade of the 1960s. In an effort to provide an historical perspective of mid-lake ice cover back to the turn of the century, daily average ice cover for Lakes Erie and Superior over 86 winters (1897-1898 to 1982-1983) was reconstructed using empirical-statistical ice-cover models developed in an earlier study. Long term average maximal monthly ice cover occurs in February and is 68 per cent for Lake Erie and 40 per cent for Lake Superior. Mid-lake ice formation occurs about 1 month earlier on both lakes during severe winters. Average maximal monthly ice cover during severe and during mild winters is 95 per cent and 14 per cent for Lake Erie, 87 per cent and 17 per cent for Lake Superior. Severe winters are associated with lower 700-mbar heights over the eastern USA compared with mild ice-cover winters. Analysis of total winter ice cover indicates three ice cover regimes: (i) a high ice-cover regime from the late 1890s to early 1920s; (ii) a low ice-cover regime from the early 1920s to late 1950s; and (iii) a high ice-cover regime from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. Ice-cover climatologies developed during the 1960s and 1970s are not representative of ice covers in the low ice-cover regime of the 1920s to late 1950s. Spectral analysis of the reconstructed total winter ice cover suggests interannual variations in ice cycles that correspond with the 2-3-year interannual variation in atmospheric variables known as the quasi-biennial oscillation.
GeoCross: A geographic routing protocol in the presence of loops in urban scenarios

In this paper,we propose GeoCross, a simple, yet novel, event-driven geographic routing protocol that removes cross-links dynamically to avoid routing loops in urban Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs). GeoCross exploits the natural planar feature of urban maps without resorting to cumbersome planarization. Its feature of dynamic loop detection makes GeoCross suitable for highly mobile VANET. We have shown that in pathologic cases, GeoCross's packet delivery ratio (PDR) is consistently higher than Greedy Perimeter Stateless Routing's (GPSR's) and Greedy Perimeter Coordinator Routing's (GPCR's). We have also shown that caching (GeoCross+Cache) provides the same high PDR but uses fewer hops.
Cautions on the US Model of Assessment in Engineering and Science

The US model of assessing students is increasingly widespread and is pushed through so called reform efforts. This model includes take-home exams, homework and group work where the independence of the student’s work cannot be authenticated and is bankrolled worldwide by agencies such as the World Bank and the ADB under US influence. This paper surveys the extensive literature on academic cheating dating from the 1960s, confirms through a survey that the prevalent situation is unchanged and explains how the model works in real life, to serve as a warning to systems that blindly emulate the US model of assessment. The particular applicability of these observations to science and engineering courses is noted. Key words : Take-home exams; ethics; faculty assessments; curricular uniformity; grading DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/vingnanam.v10i1.4073 Ving. Journal of Science 2011 , Vol. 10, No. 1, 8-18
Isolation and characterization of chromosomal proteins from the mosquito Anopheles albimanus Weidemann.

1. 1. Nuclei were isolated from adult anopheline mosquitoes and fractionated into nucleolar chromatin, nucleoplasmic chromatin and ribonucleoprotein particles by sucrose density gradients. 2. 2. Histones and nonhistone proteins were selectively dissociated from chromatin by treatment with sodium chloride, urea and guanidine HCl. 3. 3. A special class of nonhistone proteins (tight proteins) were extracted from chromatin with Na4P2O7. 4. 4. The electrophoretic properties of the histones, nonhistone proteins and ribonucleoprotein particles were examined by isoelectric focusing and SDS multiphase polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. 5. 5. By contrast to the histones, the nonhistone proteins displayed considerable heterogeneity. 6. 6. Possible functional implications of the chromosomal proteins are discussed.
Social Contexts of Mental Weil-Being in Later Life

Extending the preceding review, this commentary argues for serious attention to the social contexts of mental health of older adults in research and practice. Social gerontology research focuses primarily on summative or aggregate variables with little focus on mechanism, despite growing evidence that mechanisms as diverse as immunosuppression and expressed emotion influence mental health. Increased linkages between the macro-level and microlevel data are required to provide the theoretical models needed to shape practice. Current evidence is deemed sufficient, however, to alter the frameworks we use for both diagnosis and treatment.
Czochralski Growth of Indium Iodide and other Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Compounds

The Czochralski pulling process is the most valuable and cost efficient method for producing large oriented single crystals of the group IV and III-V semiconductors. However, there have been only a small number of reported attempts to use the Czochralski process for growing the wide bandgap compound semiconductors, needed for the room temperature operated gamma-ray detectors. The main difficulty is in the low chemical stability and high vapor pressure of the group II, V and VI elements, leading to off-stoichiometric composition, and various related defects. Among the heavy metal halides, indium iodide and indium bromide present an interesting exception. InI has a high molecular disassociation energy and a low vapor pressure, allowing for Czochralski pulling. We will describe the procedures used and the results obtained by Czochralski growth and characterization of indium iodide and the related ternary compounds that appear to be quite encouraging.
Statistical channel modeling of wireless shallow water acoustic communications from experiment data

This paper analyzes statistical characteristics of underwater acoustic channels estimated by ocean experimental data. The baseband complex channel impulse responses (CIRs) are estimated by a time-domain least square method with sliding windows applied to long probing sequences. The probability density functions (PDF) of the real part, imaginary part, magnitude, and phase of the CIR are evaluated, and the two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is used to measure fitness of the magnitude PDF to the Gamma, Rayleigh, and compound-K distributions. The second-order statistics of the channel are also investigated in terms of autocorrelation function, channel coherence time, and scattering function. The experimental results demonstrate that underwater channels are often worse than Rayleigh fading channels.
Three-body dispersion coefficients for alkali-metal atoms

We study the nonadditive part of the long-range interaction among three alkali-metal atoms in their ground states. Using nondegenerate perturbation theory, up to the third order, we have computed the dispersion coefficients C for three alkali-metal atoms interacting via their electric dipole moments. Both heteronuclear and homonuclear cases are considered. The numerical values for the C coefficients suggest that such three-body dipole interaction effects may not be neglected in the description of the long-range surface potential interaction for alkali-metal atoms. Furthermore, we show that approximate formulas for C of Midzuno and Kihara [J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. {bold 11}, 1045 (1956)] give results in excellent agreement with results of our calculations. Comparisons are given of our results with results of others and with results of other approximate formulas. The effect on our results for the C coefficient of uncertainties in the experimental values of the static dipole polarizabilities, on which our results depend, is also analyzed. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Website content persistence and change: Longitudinal analysis of pro-white group identity:

Despite the ability of websites to quickly evolve, little attention has been paid to persistence and change in site content. Longitudinal examination of 163 pro-white advocacy group websites, in which establishing a core group identity is a critical strategic goal, showed a half-life of 2.40 years and 34% remained active after five years. Analysis of text content from 28 sites collected annually from 2007 to 2012 (n = 1947) showed that persistence was more likely for advocacy group identity, while examples of group goals were transient. Content persistence trends reflect broader phenomena of ideologically oriented website persuasive material.
Measurement of localized specific absorption rate (SAR) for contactless smartcard readers operating in the HF band

This paper explores highly sensitive localized SAR measurement methods for contactless smartcard readers operating in the HF band, specifically 13.56 MHz. The design and calibration of a low-frequency E-field probe is described. A method for synthesizing simulated human tissue using a technique developed for measurement of the conductivity of liquids at the HF band is also presented. Finally, both the near-field and localized specific absorption rates are measured for a contactless smartcard reader and compliance with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) maximum permissible exposure (MPE) and specific absorption rate (SAR) regulation is determined.
Contextual effects upon text memory for young, aged-normal, and aged memory-impaired individuals

Abstract The purpose of the study was to assess contextual effects upon text memory for young, aged-normal, and aged memory-impaired individuals. Subjects read short passages which differed in their contextual relatedness to target sentences, and then recalled those target sentences. It was found that large differences distinguished the performance of the young from the elderly on the free recall task; that cueing aided the performance of the young and the elderly-normal more than the aged-impaired; and lastly, that no differences were found in recognition performance between young and aged normals whereas the performance of the aged-impaireds was significantly poorer than either the young or the aged-normal group. The results were interpreted in light of two hypothetical mechanisms; the First is labled “normal” aging and the second, “pathological” aging.
A PHASE RULE STUDY OF THE PROTEINS OF BLOOD SERUM III. GLOBULIN

A method has been developed for applying the phase rule to systems of several protein components in serum. The globulin fractions which have been investigated appear to be homogeneous substances.
Local nonlinear balancing for structural information with an application in super collider particle dynamics

The information obtained by local balancing of a nonlinear system already provides useful information about the dominant dynamics of the system and the topology of the state space. For local balancing, two Riemannian metrics are specified: one models the local reachability properties and one models the local observability properties. In general these are incompatible, inducing a different global topology. Locally, it is possible to match these up, and local balancing at a point P corresponds to bending and reshaping the induced manifolds without tearing so that near P there is a snug fit between the manifolds. Unlike the linear case, sensitivity and reduced modeling are local concepts, and lead at best to a hybrid reduced model with modes of different dimension. These concepts are illustrated in the nonlinear reachability and observability maps for the dynamics of bunching in a particle accelerator. Considering the recent outburst of interest in flocking, this example in ultimate flocking may be exciting and inspiring.
Alignment of Short Reads: A Crucial Step for Application of Next-Generation Sequencing Data in Precision Medicine

Precision medicine or personalized medicine has been proposed as a modernized and promising medical strategy. Genetic variants of patients are the key information for implementation of precision medicine. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is an emerging technology for deciphering genetic variants. Alignment of raw reads to a reference genome is one of the key steps in NGS data analysis. Many algorithms have been developed for alignment of short read sequences since 2008. Users have to make a decision on which alignment algorithm to use in their studies. Selection of the right alignment algorithm determines not only the alignment algorithm but also the set of suitable parameters to be used by the algorithm. Understanding these algorithms helps in selecting the appropriate alignment algorithm for different applications in precision medicine. Here, we review current available algorithms and their major strategies such as seed-and-extend and q-gram filter. We also discuss the challenges in current alignment algorithms, including alignment in multiple repeated regions, long reads alignment and alignment facilitated with known genetic variants.
Knight’s Tour Problems

The earliest serious attempt to find a knight’s tour on the chessboard was made by Leonhard Euler in 1759 (Euler 1766). A knight must traverse all of the squares on an m × n chessboard but visit every square once and only once and return to the originated square where the knight moves in an L-shape route. Many great mathematicians including De Moivre, Vandermonde (Vandermonde 1774), Warnsdorff (Warnsdorff 1823), Pratt (Pratt 1825), Roget, Legendre (Legendre 1830), and De Lavernede (Lavernede 1839) attempted to solve the general problem. Their methods are based on either divide-and-conquer or backtracking dedicated for solving the 8 × 8 chessboard knight‘s tour problem. No general methods have been given to the problem in the last two centuries (Ball and Coxeter 1974). W. W. R. Ball and H. S. M. Coxeter reintroduced the problem in their book in 1892 and 1974. A parallel algorithm for finding a knight‘s tour on the m × n chessboard is presented in this paper. The problem is to find a constrained Hamiltonian circuit which belongs to NP-complete problems. However we are not sure whether the knight‘s tour problem is NP-complete or not. The artificial neural network computing makes it possible to provide the elegant algorithm in parallel which takes advantage of the simplied biological neural computation. Several examples are shown to demonstrate the capability of our parallel algorithm. This Chapter is based on a paper published in IEEE Trans, on System, Man, and Cybernetics (Lee and Takefuji 1992).
Protection against endotoxemia by HSP70 in rodent cardiomyocytes

Clinical and experimental studies have shown that myocardial dysfunction is an early event during endotoxemia or septic shock. Several reports have shown that rodents submitted to a mild heat shock...
The softer (and furrier) side of oncology.

K was 54 years old and terminally ill with an advanced gastrointestinal malignancy. The social work team asked me if Mochi could visit. At the time, Mochi was 7 years old, recently rescued from euthanasia, and hypothesized to be an oversized Bichon Frise or a poodle mix but with floppier ears. She was (and has remained) fairly indifferent to the regulatory fact of being an official member of an animal-assisted therapy (AAT) team, but she does like sitting on people’s beds, something she is not allowed to do at home. When we entered K’s room, it was clear that she was severely depressed. She was bloated and apathetic. Her skin had a dull hue and she lay inert, with several brightly colored, variously sized stuffed animals arranged around the head of the bed. When she first saw me, a suspicious look flashed across her face, but as her eyes stopped on Mochi, I saw a clear and sudden spark of interest. Like other experienced therapy dogs, Mochi senses when a person is hurt and she will often approach that person and invite contact. In this case, after I placed Mochi on the bed, she gingerly curled up next to K in the crook of her arm, against her distended abdomen, and laid her head down on K’s chest. K, who had reportedly been near mute since her hospital admission, started murmuring in a low voice to Mochi: “You like lying down here, don’t you? You just want to take a nap, don’t you?”
Evolution of Environmental Exposure Science: Using Breath-Borne Biomarkers for “Discovery” of the Human Exposome

According to recent research, 70-90% of long-term latency and chronic human disease incidence is attributable to environmental (human exposome) factors through the gene-environment interaction. Environmental exposure science is now embarking on a new "discovery" path for decoding the human exposome using biomarkers in breath and other biological media.
The interphase precipitation reaction in HSLA steels

An in-depth study of the interphase precipitation reaction in model vanadium steels has shown that the reaction may not just be confined to HSLA steels, but may be part of a general class of banded microstructures which are common to both eutectoid and eutectic systems. A new mass transport theory has been developed in which the interphase precipitation reaction in Fe-C-V steels is treated as a generalized type of cooperative growth. In addition to predicting the spacings of sheets of interphase precipitates and the precipitate sizes in steels, this theory is providing new insights into the origin of banded structures occurring in eutectic systems at solid-liquid interface boundary velocities faster than those required for coupled growth, but slower than those required to produce the extended metastable solid solution.
Early diagnosis of infant chlamydia trachomatis pneumonia by FQ-PCR technique

Objective:To explore FQ-PCR technique to check infant chlamydia trachomatis pneumonia.Methods:Selecting 964 cases infant pneumonia and grouping them by ages,all cases were checked CT-DNA by pharyngal specimen and analyse positive cases.Results:There are 64 positive cases.The detection rate of CT pneumonia is 13.8% among less than 3 month infant,a few of them have a fever,a lot of them have a bronchial pneumonia and conjunctivitis.The clinical exhibitions are not unique.Conclusion:CT is a pathogen of infant pneumonia.The detection rate of CT pneumonia is maximal among less than 3 month infant.FQ-PCR is the best method to check CT-DNA.