cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Approximate maximum entropy joint feature inference for discrete space classification

We propose a new method for learning discrete space statistical classifiers. We cast classification/inference within the more general framework of estimating the joint probability mass function (PMF) for the (feature vector, class label) pair. The proposal of Cheeseman (1983) to construct the maximum entropy (ME) joint PMF consistent with general lower order probability constraints has been severely limited by its huge learning complexity. Alternatives such as Bayesian networks require explicit specification of conditional independencies. Here we reconsider the ME problem, propose an approximate method which encodes arbitrary low order constraints, while retaining quite tractable learning. The new method approximates the joint feature PMF during learning on a sub-grid of the full feature space. Extensions to more general inference problems are indicated.
MR volume segmentation of gray matter and white matter using manual thresholding: dependence on image brightness.

PURPOSE To describe a quantitative MR imaging segmentation method for determination of the volume of cerebrospinal fluid, gray matter, and white matter in living human brain, and to determine the method9s reliability. METHODS We developed a computer method that allows rapid, user-friendly determination of cerebrospinal fluid, gray matter, and white matter volumes in a reliable manner, both globally and regionally. This method was applied to a large control population (N = 57). RESULTS Initially, image brightness had a strong correlation with the gray-white ratio (r = .78). Bright images tended to overestimate, dim images to underestimate gray matter volumes. This artifact was corrected for by offsetting each image to an approximately equal brightness. After brightness correction, gray-white ratio was correlated with age (r = -.35). The age-dependent gray-white ratio was similar to that for the same age range in a prior neuropathology report. Interrater reliability was high (.93 intraclass correlation coefficient). CONCLUSIONS The method described here for gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid volume calculation is reliable and valid. A correction method for an artifact related to image brightness was developed.
The Observation of Incremental Validity Does Not Always Mean Unique Contribution to Prediction

Statistical analyses require proper interpretation. Misinterpretation leads to a lack of understanding of the relationships among variables. Worse, it can lead to misunderstanding of these relationships, which sometimes lead researchers and practitioners to infer the presence of a source of variance that is not present. This is especially true in regression where increased predictiveness from an additional variable may be due to either common or specific variance. In many instances, erroneous interpretation leads to erroneous attribution of the source of the improved prediction. Three examples are provided and methods for detecting specific variance are suggested.
Negotiating Identities in a Heteronormative Context

Society prescribes a set model of heterosexual development toward a gender and sexual identity. Individuals with gender and sexual identities that do not conform to the prescribed heterosexual identities must essentially develop their own way, that is, they must privately negotiate their path through identity development and identity adoption. However, while negotiating their private reality, they must rely on existing concepts of other. Using a social constructionist framework, we explore the private negotiation of an individual who does not conform to the socially prescribed gender and sexual identities—a transgender lesbian. Based on this interview, we suggest that the model of traditional heteronormative gender socialization to sexual identity would need to be revised.
Parents' Perceptions of Adolescent Sibling Grief Responses after an Adolescent or Young Adult Child's Sudden, Violent Death

The violent death of an adolescent or young adult child is a highly traumatic event for surviving families. A major family adaptation issue relates to individual differences in coping with violent ...
The potential for proton beam therapy in locally advanced carcinoma of the cervix.

Abstract Advanced cervix cancer has a local failure rate of 40–45% when treated with a combination of external beam irradiation and intracavitary implants, and approximately 60–65% when treated by external beam irradiation alone. Because of the absorption characteristics of protons, there is the potential for improved dose distributions and delivery of greater total doses to cervical neoplasms. Using computer-modelled examples, this theoretical advantage has been tested and the results have been extrapolated to show a therapeutic advantage in local control and morbidity. The first example shows the use of protons and intracavitary implants in advanced cervix tumors. Larger tumor doses are possible with protons than with photons, while the dose-volume to normal structures is decreased. In the second example, external proton beam treatment alone also reveals significantly higher tumor doses and lower normal tissue doses, compared to photon irradiation. With new proton therapy facilities being designed and built in the United States and overseas, protocols are being designed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of proton therapy in locally advanced cervix cancer.
Quasi-Linearizatioh Technique for Estimating Aircraft States from Flight Data

This paper briefly describes a practical technique for obtaining weighted least-squares estimates of aircraft attitude angles, positions, and velocities from measurements recorded during routine flight tests. The measured accelerations and attitude rates are used as inputs to six-degree-of-freedom kinematic equations. Unknown parameters such as measurement biases and initial conditions are determined using a quasi-lineariz ation identification method. This technique has been successfully used in a variety of flight test situations and with several types of aircraft. Particular results include trajectory smoothing during the transition and hover of V/STOL aircraft and the measurement of turbulence during the flight of a probe aircraft through the vortex wake of a large jet transport. Other types of results, briefly noted, include the estimation of instrument calibration terms, the determination of winds, the estimation of states not originally measured, arid the determination of aerodynamic derivatives.
Emerging infectious diseases and the law.

In ITI countries the antibiotic used is Zithromax (azithromycin), donated by Pfizer. A single oral dose of Zithromax once a year is as effective as the standard treatment of tetracycline eye ointment 2 times a day for 6 weeks. The ITI is currently working in five countries: Morocco, Tanzania, Mali, Ghana, and Vietnam. The ITI works with ministries of health to devise an operating plan and joins WHO, United Nations Children’s Fund, and nongovernmental organizations to carry out this work.
Beyond relationship reciprocity: A consideration of varied forms of children's relationships

The present research extends the use of a new scheme for classifying children's peer relationships that (a) jointly evaluates friendship and antipathy nominations and (b) includes nonreciprocated friend and antipathy nominations. Findings revealed that 12.1% of all classroom dyads (total dyads = 2,313) were unbalanced relationships, in which one child perceived a friendship but was disliked by the other child. Furthermore, having high frequencies of “befriending but disliked” relationships was associated with poor social competence and having high frequencies of “disliking but befriended” relationships was associated with good social competence. Results support the use of this new classification scheme by highlighting the common nature of unbalanced relationships and by establishing the association of unbalanced relationships to peer social competence outcomes.
Follicular Variant of Papillary Carcinoma: Reproducibility of Histologic Diagnosis and Utility of HBME-1 Immunohistochemistry and BRAF Mutational Analysis as Diagnostic Adjuncts

ContextDespite the recognition of the follicular variant of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid (FVPTC) for over 50 years, reproducibility of this diagnostic category has remained poor. Architectural features have been of variable utility as some FVPTC seem encapsulated, whereas others are multifocal
Comparing seven spectral methods for interpolation and for solving the Poisson equation in a disk

We compare seven different strategies for computing spectrally-accurate approximations or differential equation solutions in a disk. Separation of variables for the Laplace operator yields an analytic solution as a Fourier-Bessel series, but this usually converges at an algebraic (sub-spectral) rate. The cylindrical Robert functions converge geometrically but are horribly ill-conditioned. The Zernike and Logan-Shepp polynomials span the same space, that of Cartesian polynomials of a given total degree, but the former allows partial factorization whereas the latter basis facilitates an efficient algorithm for solving the Poisson equation. The Zernike polynomials were independently rediscovered several times as the product of one-sided Jacobi polynomials in radius with a Fourier series in ?. Generically, the Zernike basis requires only half as many degrees of freedom to represent a complicated function on the disk as does a Chebyshev-Fourier basis, but the latter has the great advantage of being summed and interpolated entirely by the Fast Fourier Transform instead of the slower matrix multiplication transforms needed in radius by the Zernike basis. Conformally mapping a square to the disk and employing a bivariate Chebyshev expansion on the square is spectrally accurate, but clustering of grid points near the four singularities of the mapping makes this method less efficient than the rest, meritorious only as a quick-and-dirty way to adapt a solver-for-the-square to the disk. Radial basis functions can match the best other spectral methods in accuracy, but require slow non-tensor interpolation and summation methods. There is no single "best" basis for the disk, but we have laid out the merits and flaws of each spectral option.
Childhood obesity: Pathophysiology and treatment

Childhood obesity is among the most difficult problems which pediatricians treat. It is frequently ignored by the pediatrician or viewed as a form of social deviancy, and blame for treatment failure placed on the patients or their families. The definition of obesity is difficult. Using total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) technology, total body fat ranges between 12% and 30% of total body weight in normal children and adolescents. This is influenced not only by age, but also by physical fitness. Anthropometry is the easiest way to define obesity. Children whose weight exceeds 120% of that expected for their height are considered overweight. Skinfold thickness and body mass index are indices of obesity that are more difficult to apply to the child. Childhood obesity is associated with obese parents, a higher socioeconomic status, increased parental education, small family size and a sedentary lifestyle. Genetics also clearly plays a role. Studies have demonstrated that obese and non-obese individuals have similar energy intakes implying that obesity results from very small imbalances of energy intake and expenditure. An excess intake of only 418 kJ per day can result in about 4.5 kg of excess weight gain per year. Small differences in basal metabolic rate or the thermic effects of food may also account for the difference in energy balance between the obese and non-obese. In the Prader Willi Syndrome, there appears to be a link between appetite and body fatness. When placed on growth hormone, lean body mass increases, body fat decreases, sometimes to normal, and appetite becomes more normal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Design-independent CAD window system using the object-oriented paradigm and HP X widget environment

Abstract This paper is concerned with development of a user-friendly design-independent CAD window system using object-oriented paradigm and the recently introduced HP X widget environment. The HP X widget system provides a number of useful object-oriented data structures, called widgetclasses, which are created by X toolkit intrinsics. The data structure of the CAD window system is described by a hierarchical tree of widgetclasses and creating three groups of functions: C void functions, callback functions, and widget functions. The system can be easily linked to any CAD package.
The bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cell response is impaired in delayed wound healing from ischemia.

Objective Vasculogenesis relies on the recruitment of bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (BMD EPCs) and is stimulated by tissue-level ischemia. We hypothesized that the BMD EPC response is impaired in ischemic wounds and studied the relationship between BMD EPCs and wound healing. Methods We used transgenic Tie-2/LacZ mice, which carry the β-galactosidase (β-gal) reporter gene under Tie-2 promoter control. Wild-type mice were lethally irradiated and reconstituted with Tie-2/LacZ bone marrow. Four weeks later, the mice underwent unilateral femoral artery ligation/excision and bilateral wounding of the hindlimbs. Ischemia was confirmed and monitored with laser Doppler imaging. A subset of mice received incisional vs excisional nonischemic bilateral hindlimb wounds, without femoral ligation. Excisional wound closure was measured by using daily digital imaging and software-assisted calculation of surface area. Results Ischemia resulted in significantly delayed wound healing and differentially affected the number of BMD EPCs recruited to wound granulation tissue and muscle underlying the wounds. At 3 days postwounding, the granulation tissue of the wound base contained significantly fewer numbers of BMD EPCs in ischemic wounds compared with the nonischemic wounds ( P P P = .0005) and was significantly associated with a gradual recovery of hindlimb perfusion ( P Conclusions Granulation tissue of excisional ischemic wounds showed significantly less BMD EPCs 3 days postwounding, in association with significantly delayed wound closure. However, the number of BMD EPCs were increased in ischemic hindlimb skeletal muscle, consistent with the notion that ischemia is a powerful signal for vasculogenesis. To our knowledge, this is the first report identifying a deficit in BMD EPCs in the granulation tissue of ischemic skin wounds and reporting the key role for these cells in both ischemic and nonischemic wound healing.
Lead/acid battery myths

Abstract The lead/acid battery deserves a more positive image than has been traditional heretofore—particularly with respect to a number of aspects that relate to its utility as a power source for electric vehicles. Recent results from a large internationally coordinated research programme indicate that: (i) with proper attention to construction, valve-regulated lead/acid batteries can be deep-discharged many times without capacity loss; (ii) lead/acid batteries can be recharged extremely rapidly so that long journeys of electric vehicles become a realistic possibility; (iii) ranges of over 150 km between charges are achievable, and (iv) the introduction of significant numbers of lead/acid-powered electric vehicles does offer a beneficial environmental impact.
The making of an immigrant niche.

This article speaks to the conceptual and methodological issues in research on the making of an immigrant niche through a case study of immigrant professionals in New York City government. The author argues that "the growth of this immigrant niche resulted from changes in the relative supply of native workers and in the structure of employment which opened the bureaucracy to immigrants and reduced native/immigrant competition. These shifts opened hiring portals; given the advantages of network hiring for workers and managers and an immigrant propensity for government employment network recruitment led to a rapid buildup in immigrant ranks." (EXCERPT)
Quantum Scattering in a Juggling Atomic Fountain

We demonstrate a juggling atomic fountain by launching two laser-cooled balls of ${}^{133}\mathrm{Cs}$ atoms in rapid succession. The atoms collide near the top of the fountain and, by varying the delay between launches, we scan the collision energy from 19 to $150\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$. We measure the differential scattering cross section and isolate the contributions from different partial waves including their interferences. We observe the $s$-wave energy dependence and the $p$-wave scattering threshold. We infer a triplet $s$-wave scattering length of ${\ensuremath{-}400a}_{0}$ and a $p$ wave of $({\ensuremath{-}107a}_{0}{)}^{3}$ for $|F\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}4,m\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}4〉+|3,3〉$.
Gene therapy with mitochondrial heat shock protein 70 suppresses visual loss and optic atrophy in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Purpose To rescue visual loss and optic neuropathy in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Methods Encephalomyelitis was induced in mice that received intravitreal injections of AAV2-mtHSP70Flag or AAV2-Cox8-mCherry. Additional mice were injected with AAV2-Cox8-mCherry, but not sensitized for EAE. Visual function was assessed by pattern electroretinograms (PERG) at 1, 3, and 6 months post injection (MPI). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) evaluated the thickness of the inner plexiform layer + nerve fiber layers at 1, 3, and 6 MPI. Retinas and optic nerves (ONs) of mice euthanized 6 MPI were processed for light and electron microscopy. Expression of mtHSP70Flag in the retina and ONs was evaluated by RT-PCR, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. The activities of respiratory complexes I and III, as well as mitochondrial protein import were quantitated. Results Expression: immunofluorescence revealed punctate and perinuclear expression of mtHSP70Flag that colocalized with mitochondrial porin in thy1.2 labeled retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Immunoblotting and RT-PCR confirmed mtHSP70Flag expression in the retina and ON. Rescue: treatment with mtHSP70Flag resulted in a 44% increase in PERG amplitude and less delays in latency relative to the EAE-mCherry group that also showed progressive inner retinal thinning. At 6 MPI, the almost 50% loss of RGCs and optic nerve axons in EAE mice was suppressed by mtHSP70Flag. In addition, retinas of EAE-mtHSP70Flag mice showed nearly complete rescue of complex I and III activities that was reduced by one-third in the EAE-mCherry retinas. Lastly, reductions in import of COX8-mCherry into mitochondria of mice sensitized for EAE improved by 30% with mtHSP70Flag gene therapy. Conclusions Mitochondrial HSP70 ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction that culminates in irreversible visual loss and atrophy of the optic nerve in EAE suggesting that it may be useful to prevent irreversible disability in patients with optic neuritis and multiple sclerosis (MS).
Comparison of pore structure in Kentucky coals by mercury penetration and carbon dioxide adsorption

For four Kentucky coals, a comparison was made between pore volume distribution evaluated from CO2 adsorption isotherms calculated from the Cranston-Inkley method and the Medek method. These distributions agree in the micropore range from approximately 0.6–2.0 nm. Most of the pore structure is in the micropore range. For the mercury penetration studies a rectilinear relation is found between penetrated volume and applied pressure from approximately 0.1 MPa (1 atm) up to 345 MPa (3400 atm). Surface areas were calculated from adsorption data by the BET, Langmuir, and Dubinin-Polanyi methods.
Evidence of Strain Partitioning Between the Sierra Madre Fault and the Los Angeles Basin, Southern California from Numerical Models

— Geodetic data indicate that the northern Metropolitan Los Angeles region is shortening at a rate of 4.5–6.0 mm/yr between downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains. If we assume that all of the uplift of the San Gabriel Mountains is due to the major frontal fault system (the Sierra Madre fault) and use reported values for bedrock uplift, slip per event and recurrence intervals to determine the slip rate on the Sierra Madre fault, we obtain slip rates between 0.6–1.27 mm/yr. Using these slip rates, the horizontal shortening attributable to the Sierra Madre fault accounts for only ~33% of the observed shortening across the basin, leaving ~67% of the shortening to be accounted for elsewhere. Herein we present a suite of models that test possible shortening mechanisms to account for this strain deficit. The models incorporate a range of fault geometries and have a layered structure with variable vertical and horizontal rheologies. The models demonstrate how lower-crust rheology and the presence of a low rigidity, anelastically deforming sedimentary basin affects the dissipation of stress imposed on the viscous layers by elastic failure of the faults. We found that viscoelastic models with a single fault, vertically strong crust and a compliant sedimentary basin yield a horizontal velocity profile that best matches the geodetically observed velocity profile across the Los Angeles Basin. Our models also indicate that we are still not accounting for all of the observed deformation. Therefore, more complex models that include both laterally varying rheologies and frictional properties on faults must be considered.
The effect of capillary pressure on the saturation equation of two-phase flow in porous media

SUMMARY A complete and accurate simulation of two-phase flow in porous media requires knowledge of all the controlling physics (and values of physical parameters) that play a relevant role and an understanding of the effects of each one on the solution. Of particular concern here is the effect of capillary pressure and the length scale over which it is relevant. The goal of this paper is to provide guidance onto when to include the effects of capillary pressure in the model, and onto what are the resulting length scale restrictions if those effects are to be included. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparing for an Important Event: Demonstrating the Modern View of Classical Conditioning

A simple classroom demonstration can dramatically illustrate the process of classical conditioning. This demonstration differs from others because it elicits a conditioned response that differs significantly from the unconditioned response. As a result, this demonstration provides an effective introduction to the contemporary notion that the function of classical conditioning is to help an organism prepare itself for an important, upcoming event. The demonstration requires very little preparation and only a few minutes of class time. Data indicated that the procedure produced a conditioned response and that other processes, such as habituation, cannot explain the results.
Atomic beam study of the rubidium 85, 87 relative isotope shift

Abstract The 85, 87Rb relative isotope shift has been investigated by an atomic beam technique and found to be 0.35 ± 0.05 m-1. The 87 Rb 5 2 P 1 2 hyperfine structure has also been determined and agrees with previous measurements.
Burning rate enhancement and soot reduction through blending in chlorinated waste incineration

An experimental investigation has been conducted on the droplet combustion of mixtures of chlorinatedhydrocarbons in a hot, oxidizing environment, with emphasis on binary mixtures consisting of a lightly chlorinated hydrocarbon and a heavily chlorinated hydrocarbon. The rationale is that, by using a lightly chlorinated combustible waste instead of regular fuel oils to assist in the destruction of an incinerationresistant heavily chlorinated waste, both wastes can be simultaneously destroyed without the cost expediture for the fuel oil feed stock. Results indeed demonstrate that the heavily chlorinated tetrachloroethane (TECA) can be made to burn vigorously with the addition of only about 20–25% of the lightly chlorinated, equally volatile chloroheptane or dichlorobutane. It is further shown that this result can be approximately correlated by the mixture chlorine-to-hydrogen ratio, Cl/H, in that in the lightly to moderately chlorinated regime of Cl/H 1, the flame temperature and burning rate decrease quite rapidly with increasing chlorination because now reduction in heat release dominates. The results also show that while the lightly chlorinated hydrocarbon promotes burning of the heavily chlorinated hydrocarbon, the latter tends to substantially reduce the extent of soot formation from the former. The mutual benefit associated with the blending approach studied herein is emphasized.
A novel mixed-signal self-calibration technique for baseband filters in systems-on-chip mobile transceivers

This paper presents a novel digitally-assisted automatic frequency tuning technique, and the self calibration technique is verified for a 130nm CMOS 4th order biquad baseband low-pass filter case with 20MHz cut-off frequency, which satisfies the typical LTE receiver specifications. The proposed tuning method includes hardware reduction methods, coherent sampling, and magnitude calculator using "alpha max plus beta min" algorithm for significant chip area reduction with negligible accuracy degradation. The cut-off frequency turns out to be tunable in the range of 16.2MHz to 24.4MHz, and the tuning error is less than 0.4% over the whole frequency tuning range. The estimated area consumption is 0.027mm2 with 80% device density, and power dissipation is 0.16mW at 128MHz clock speed with a 1.2V supply voltage.
Beyond consensus: a summary of the special series and future of the Combined-Integrated model.

The articles that comprise this Special Series offer a comprehensive examination of the results and implications of the Consensus Conference and Combined-Integrated (C-I) model of doctoral training in professional psychology (see Shealy, Cobb, Crowley, Nelson, & Peterson, 2004). Given the scope of this effort, it may be helpful to provide a summary of the 12 preceding articles. Such a presentation should illustrate the complementarity of the diverse perspectives presented in this series, the essential coherence of this innovative and compelling model of education and training, and its timely relevance for the future of professional psychology. Following a summary of these articles, eight future topics for discussion also are presented.
Canonical methods for Hamiltonian systems: numerical experiments

Abstract A Hamiltonian system possesses dynamics (e.g. preservation of volume in phase space and symplectic structure) that call for special numerical integrators, namely canonical methods. Recent research on this aspect have shown that canonical numerical integrators may be needed for Hamiltonian systems. In this paper, we focus on numerical experiments that compare canonical and non-canonical numerical integrators. Test problems are taken from different areas in physical sciences. These experiments help to buttress the claims that canonical numerical integrators give results that mimic the qualitative behavior of the original system and that canonical numerical integrators are suitable for long time integrations. Our experiments indicate that higher-order canonical methods allow for larger timestep than lower-order canonical methods.
Synaptic density in chronic animals with experimental neurofibrillary changes

Synaptic density was quantitated in the cerebral cortex and subiculum of rabbits with experimental neurofibrillary changes. Animals were subjected to subcutaneous injection of aluminum tartrate for 90 days, and synapses stained with ethanolic phosphotungstic acid were analyzed in animals killed 100, 200, or 300 days postinjection with aluminum tartrate. A significant difference was found in synaptic density between animals injected with aluminum tartrate and their age-matched controls. This difference was a result of a low synaptic density present in animals killed 200 or 300 days postinjection of aluminum tartrate. In contrast, animals killed 100 days postinjection revealed the same synaptic density as their control. The data suggest that the synaptic depopulation associated with experimental neurofibrillary changes is a gradual process, and such changes are demonstrable only long after the initial appearance of neurofibrillary changes.
Simulation Rules: The Role of Simulation in Policy Inquiry

This article is about the branch of policy inquiry known as social simulation. As an established technique for inquiring into deterministic systems, simulation allows for important opportunities of discovery. In this article, we discuss the limited opportunities for using simulation to understand and discover in social contexts bound by constitutive rules. In policy inquiry we attempt to understand phenomena that are developed through interlaced rule systems, and we propose that social simulations can be a useful technique for making assumptions explicit and thinking through the logical consequences of rules. We argue that simulation should be viewed as an exercise embedded in what Dewey referred to as the participant theory of knowledge. In such contexts, the goal of the simulation is more committed to understanding than explaining, and learning is achieved through intersubjective reasoning about the construction of the model and the exploration of logical rules made manifest in the actual simulation. As...
The psoriatic hand

Thirty patients suffering from psoriatic arthritis of the hand~are reviewed; they were an unselected sample from a general rheumatology practice. All patients had an elevated sedimentation rate and an absence of rheumatoid factor. Antinuclear antibody was present in 13.3% of them. The severity of the skin or the nail changes did not correlate with the underlying joint involvement. Three clinical presentations of the disease are suggested as a guide in predicting the severity of the joint disease and selecting treatment.
Strain hardening regimes and microstructural evolution during large strain compression of low stacking fault energy fcc alloys that form deformation twins

Constant true strain rate simple compression tests were conducted on annealed, polycrystalline samples of α-brass and MP35N, and the evolution of the true stress (σ)-true strain (e) response was documented. From these data, the strain hardening rate was numerically computed, normalized with shear modulus (G), and plotted against both (σ − σ 0)/G (σ0 being the initial yield strength of the alloy) and e. Such normalized plots for α-brass and MP35N were found to be almost identical to each other, and revealed four distinct stages of strain hardening: stage A, with a steadily decreasing strain hardening rate up to a true strain of about −0.08; stage B, with an almost constant strain hardening rate up to a true strain of about −0.2; stage C, with a steadily decreasing strain hardening rate up to a true strain of about −0.55; and a final stage D, again with an almost constant strain hardening rate. Optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed on deformed samples. The results suggested that stage A corresponded to stage III strain hardening (dynamic recovery) of higher stacking fault energy (SFE) fcc metals such as copper. The onset of stage B correlated with the first observation of deformation twins in the microstructure. Further straining in stage B was found to produce clusters of parallel twins in an increasing number of grains. Stage C correlated with the development of severe inhomogeneity of deformation within most grains, and with the development of significant misorientation between the twin/matrix interface and the {111} plane in the matrix of the grain, i.e., the matrix/twin interface lost coherency with continued deformation. Stage D correlated with extensive formation of secondary twins that resulted in twin intersections in many grains. Early in stage D, some strain localization in the form of shear bands was observed. Although formation of these shear bands had no detectable effect on the macroscopic strain hardening rate, it did correlated with a marked change in texture evolution. Based on these experimental observations, we have developed and presented a physical description of the microstructural phenomena responsible for the various strain hardening stages observed in low SFE fcc alloys.
It's a Holiday!!

Summary This article studies various holiday distributions, the most interesting one being Easter. Gauss’ Easter algorithm and Microsoft Excel are used to determine that the Easter distribution can be closely approximated by the convolution of two well-known uniform distributions.
Sensitivity of a Pesticide Leaching-Potential Index Model to Variations in Hydrologic and Pesticide-Transport Properties

In recent years pesticide vulnerability assessments have become increasingly important due to the increased detections of pesticides in groundwater. It is common to use simple vulnerability models that rank pesticides based on their leachability. A model sensitivity study was conducted using the leaching potential index model to evaluate the relative importance of input-parameter variability on the model predicted vulnerability. Parameters that were analyzed included organic-carbon content, depth to groundwater, soil-water velocity, soil bulk density, water content, organic-carbon partition coefficient, and pesticide degradation half-life. Results indicate that the calculated vulnerabilities are most sensitive to organic-carbon content, depth to groundwater, and vertical soil-water velocity. The sensitivity of the model to organic-carbon partition coefficient and biochemical half-life depends on the range of values given in the literature. Predicted vulnerabilities are not sensitive to bulk density and water content. This information should be useful to planners and regulatory officials who wish to determine the most important parameters to obtain measurements for when economic resources are limited.
0+ states in Ni-isotopes described by the broken-pair approximation and the generator coordinate method☆

Two distinct methods, the Broken-Pair Approximation (BPA) and the Generator Coordinate Method (GCM), have been compared for the 0+ states of Ni-isotopes. The states are obtained in terms of valence neutrons occupying 2p32, 1f52, 2p12 and 1g92 single particle (sp) levels outside the assumed N = Z = 28 inert core using (a) the pairing force and (b) the renormalized non-local separable Tabakin interaction. The ground state properties are discussed. The resulting wavefunctions havebeen used to calculate the angular distribution, total cross-section and the related quantities for the two-nucleon transfer reactions. The analysis of the results points toward the requirements for the applicability of these methods.
Mapping of surface area 'containment' of the femoral head during walking.

Abstract This note describes a mathematical method for the calculation of surface area of the femoral head covered (‘contained’) by the acetabulum as a time-dependent function. It uses displacement vectors from the center of rotation of the hip joint to the femoral joint surface, and rotates these vectors in small increments to simulate the desired motion. At each interval, the vectors are tested to determine whether they lie within the coverage area of the acetabulum. The result is a containment density plot which displays coverage area as a function of time. The general method is useful in a variety of clinically important situations, and an example of its use in the study of abduction bracing is described.
Editorial comment on: A new generation of optical diagnostics for bladder cancer: technology, diagnostic accuracy, and future applications.

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The burden of cardiovascular disease: following the link from hypertension to myocardial infarction and heart failure

Abstract Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an enormous health care burden in the United States (US) and is responsible for approximately 40% of all US deaths annually. Heart failure (HF) represents the final stage of the continuum of CVD and is increasing in incidence. Between 1970 and 2000, hospital discharges for HF in the US increased 145%. This trend appears to be related to rising life expectancy and the aging of the population. Once HF develops, the long-term prognosis continues to be dismal. Hypertension is a major risk factor for CVD and the most common risk factor for the development of HF. The results of clinical trials such as the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT) have helped to clarify the importance of optimizing antihypertensive therapy to reduce CVD risks and development of HF. The trial also confirmed the need for multiple antihypertensive medications to reach recommended blood pressure (BP) goals in most patients. Aggressive lowering of BP is critical to help reduce the risk of CVD and help prevent the development of HF.
Notch Sensitivity of Ceramic Composites with Rising Fracture Resistance

A theoretical framework is developed for the notched strength of ceramic composites that exhibit rising fracture resistance. It is based on established concepts of crack stability under stress-controlled loadings. On using a linear representation of the resistance curve (expressed in terms of an energy release rate), straightforward analytical solutions are obtained for the strength as well the amount of stable crack growth preceding fracture and the associated fracture resistance. Calculations are performed for several test configurations commonly used for material characterization, including single- and double-edge-notched tension, center-notched tension, and single-edge-notched bending. The results reveal salient trends in strength with notch length and specimen geometry. An assessment of the theory is made through comparison with experimental measurements on an all-oxide fiber composite. Transitions in the degree of notch sensitivity with notch length are identified and explored. The utility of the theoretical results both for rationalizing the trends in measured notched strength and for guiding experimental studies of notch sensitivity is demonstrated.
Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Tetraploid and Hexaploid Waxy Wheat Starch

Waxy wheats possess unique starch functional properties that may be useful in specific end-uses. To assess the physicochemical, thermal, and pasting properties, starches from seven waxy genotypes originating from two wheat classes, tetraploid durum and hexaploid hard red spring (HRS), were evaluated and compared with their counterpart non-waxy wild types. The amylose content ranged from 2.3% to 2.6% in waxy durum lines, compared to 29.2% in normal durum control, and 2.1% to 2.4% in waxy HRS, compared with 26.0% in normal HRS control. Significant differences in the degree of crystallinity were observed between the waxy and control starches, despite similar A-type X-ray patterns, although differences between the two wheat classes were non-significant. Both, control and waxy starches displayed an X-ray peak corresponding to the amylose-lipid complex, but the intensity of the peak was markedly lower in the waxy starches. The waxy durum starches exhibited the highest transition temperatures as measured by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), whereas, the enthalpy of gelatinization of most waxy genotypes was statistically higher than that of the controls. All waxy starches displayed high peak viscosity, high breakdown, and low set-back profile as measured by the Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA). Texture analysis of RVA gels revealed significant differences between waxy and non-waxy wheats, as well as between waxy tetraploid and hexaploid wheats, confirming that the nature and class of wheat starch would play a significant role when using waxy wheat blends in different wheat-based products.
Evaluation and significance of the pupillary light reflex in trauma patients

The pupillary light reflex is an important component of the neurologic examination of the trauma victim. Although the normal reflex can be predictably altered by specific head injuries, a variety of other factors common to trauma patients such as alcohol, illicit drugs, narcotics, paralyzing agents, hypothermia, and orbital or ophthalmic injury can confound the evaluation of the pupillary light reflex. This report reviews the anatomy and neuro-physiology of the pupillary light reflex and discusses the impact these confounding variables may have on this key component of the initial trauma evaluation.
Do radial glia give rise to both astroglial and oligodendroglial cells

Abstract The development and differentiation of glial cells in the human fetal spinal cord was studied by correlative electron microscopic and immunohistochemical analysis in 20 embryos and fetuses between 6 and 17 weeks of ovulation age. Gliogenesis is characterized initially by the formation of radial glia and astroglia and subsequently, when myelination is about to begin, by the formation of oligodendroglia. The radial glial origin of astroglial cells has previously been demonstrated. The finding of ‘transitional’ cells with cytological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical features intermediate between those of astroglial and oligodendroglial cells and the close relationship that develops between astroglial cells and axons just prior to the onset of myelination suggest that oligodendroglia may also be derived from radial glial cells, either directly or through intermediate astroglial forms.
Gaussian-based first-principles calculations on large systems using the Fourier Transform Coulomb method

Abstract The Fourier Transform Coulomb method is described and discussed. The method reduces the quadratic scaling of the calculation of the Coulomb energy and operator matrix elements with the molecular size to an essentially linear scaling. It also reduces the quartic scaling with respect to basis set quality with constant molecular size to quadratic or lower. A major computational expense in our initial implementation, the calculation of contributions from integrals with one core-type basis function is greatly improved in the current program. This is particularly advantageous in analytical derivative calculations. The method is illustrated with large calculations on alpha helical polyalanines. The largest calculations involve over 3600 basis functions for Ala 15 . Current work on further improvements of the efficiency of the method is discussed.
Inelastic scattering of 13C from 40Ca and the L = 1 problem

Abstract Inelastic scattering to the first 3 − , 2 + and 5 − states of 40 Ca has been measured with a 68 MeV 13 C beam. These data indicate that a recent theoretical attempt to reproduce the anomalous L =1 angular distribution in the 40 Ca( 13 C, 14 N) 39 K reaction with a coupled channels calculation overestimates the inelastic scattering to the 3 − and 5 − states in 40 Ca by factors of 2.4 and 5, respectively.
Biotransformation of clomazone in rice (Oryza sativa) and early watergrass (Echinochloa oryzoides)

Abstract Rice ( Oryza sativa ), a relatively tolerant species, and early watergrass ( Echinochloa oryzoides ; EWG), a relatively susceptible species, were exposed to 14 C-labeled clomazone to determine accumulation, biotransformation, and mass balance. On a total mass basis, rice absorbed more clomazone than EWG ( p p > 0.05). Rice contained more extractable 14 C residues (7.7 ± 0.5 vs. 4.8 ± 0.5 nmol in rice vs. EWG, respectively; p p p d -glucoside conjugates, and several other unidentified polar metabolites, but EWG generally produced higher metabolite concentrations. The concentration of the suspected active metabolite, 5-ketoclomazone, was significantly higher in EWG vs. rice (21 ± 2 vs. 5.7 ± 0.5 pmol/g, respectively; p
Chronic Effects of Constant Elevated Temperature on the Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas Rafinesque)

Abstract A continuous, 12-month exposure of fathead minnows to elevated water temperature (26–34 C) showed that reproduction was more sensitive than survival, growth, or egg hatchability in assessing the effect of temperature. The number of eggs produced/female, the number of eggs/spawning, and the number of spawnings/female were each gradually reduced at successive temperatures above the control (23.5 C). No spawning or mortality occurred at 32 C which was the lowest temperature where growth was apparently reduced. Male secondary sexual characteristics were less developed at 30 C than at lower temperatures.
Mutation-independent rescue of a novel mouse model of Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is the leading cause of inherited blindness in the developed world, affecting approximately 1 in 3000 individuals. Although there is currently no cure for RP, the genetic pathology has been well established. In this study, we developed a novel mouse model of RP (huRhoP347S) expressing a pathogenic human rhodopsin gene with a Pro347Ser (P347S) mutation on a rhodopsin knockout background. These mice undergo severe retinal degeneration at 1 month of age. In contrast to prior studies, this model was administered a gene therapy treatment at 19 days postnata. We evaluated several self-complementary adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes for photoreceptor tropism, including scAAV2/2, scAAV2/5, scAAV2/6.2 and scAAV2/9, and found that scAAV2/9 transduced photoreceptors with greater efficiency and expression than other vectors. We engineered an scAAV2/9 vector to contain a microRNA sequence specifically targeting the human rhodopsin gene and demonstrated its ability to silence rhodopsin by 60.2±8.2% in vitro. In addition, we constructed an scAAV2/9 vector to contain a replacement ‘codon-modified’ rhodopsin transgene (RhoR2) that was resistant to degradation by the microRNA. We found that delivery of the RhoR2 by scAAV2/9 is capable of restoring vision to rhodopsin knockout mice, and rescuing our novel transgenic huRhoP347S mouse model of dominant RP. Average a-wave responses of RhoR2-injected eyes were 1.8-fold higher than those of control-injected eyes. We found that delivery of the microRNA and replacement rhodopsin in a 1:2 ratio produced an average electroretinography (ERG) a-wave response of 17.4±2.9 compared to 6.5±2.8 μV for eyes injected with negative control virus.