cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parameter estimation using an ensemble smoother: The effect of the circulation in biological estimation

Abstract An ensemble smoother is used to estimate the initial conditions and mortality rates for a spatially explicit model of Alexandrium fundyense. The data assimilation procedure is effective at reducing model-data misfit in this strong constraint problem formulation. The skill of this estimation procedure is assessed through cross-validation. The estimation is carried out with three different representations of circulation: no flow, climatology, and a data assimilative hindcast. Although the misfit to the assimilated data is lowest with no flow, the skill of the biological hindcast is best with the hindcast and climatological velocity fields. Mortality estimates fall within the range of observed values, but the inferred spatial structure is not testable with existing data.
Reactively sputtered titania films as high temperature carbon monoxide sensors

Abstract Sputtered films of titania have been explored for sensing of carbon monoxide (CO) at 550 °C. Film thickness was varied from 24 to 1000 nm by varying the sputtering time. The films were amorphous as prepared and converted to rutile upon thermal treatment. Highest sensor sensitivity, as measured by the resistance change of the film upon exposure to CO was noted for the ∼240 nm film, and characterization focused on this film. Microstructure studies using electron microscopy show that the film was dense, with grain sizes of rutile of ∼20 nm. Atomic force microscopy showed considerable surface roughness. The ∼240 nm sputtered films exhibited higher sensitivity (factor of 3) as compared to optimized porous films made with commercially available anatase particles.
An application of principal component analysis for lower body kinematics between loaded and unloaded walking

Load carriage is a very common daily activity at home and in the workplace. Generally, the load is in the form of an external load carried by an individual, it could also be the excessive body mass carried by an overweight individual. To quantify the effects of carrying extra weight, whether in the form of an external load or excess body mass, motion capture data were generated for a diverse subject set. This consisted of twenty-three subjects generating one hundred fifteen trials for each loading condition. This study applied principal component analysis (PCA) to motion capture data in order to analyze the lower body gait patterns for four loading conditions: normal weight unloaded, normal weight loaded, overweight unloaded and overweight loaded. PCA has been shown to be a powerful tool for analyzing complex gait data. In this analysis, it is shown that in order to quantify the effects of external loads and/or for both normal weight and overweight subjects, the first principal component (PC1) is needed. For the work in this paper, PCs were generated from lower body joint angle data. The PC1 of the hip angle and PC1 of the ankle angle are shown to be an indicator of external load and BMI effects on temporal gait data.
Solution of fractal equation

In this paper, we will first briefly review fractal equations. Then we will present a greedy algorithm for solving encoding equations of class 2 fractals. The idea is to represent images in terms of blocks in a similar way as JPEG. The DCT in JPEG is replaced by fractal transformation. Image compression ratios for various selections of block size and parameter space are calculated.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Prime time: Fatigue and set effects in the perception of reversible figures

Subjects viewed unambiguous versions of both stationary and rotating Necker cube illusions for varying durations prior to the presentation of the standard ambiguous figure. In each case, the subjects were more likely to report the ambiguous figure to be (1) in the same configuration as that of the preceding prime following brief preexposure periods and (2) in the opposite configuration from that of the preceding prime following long preexposure-periods. In addition, the number of reversals of the figure during the test period was also strongly related to the duration of the preexposure period, with progressively fewer reversals reported following longer preexposure periods. The results are interpreted as revealing the concurrent roles of “set” effects in the brief preexposure conditions and neural fatigue effects in the long preexposure conditions. Furthermore, the ability of the proposed two-process model to integrate the myriad of empirical effects in the reversible-figure literature is emphasized..
Laser-Cooled-Atomic Frequency Standard

The first frequency standard based on laser-cooled atoms is reported. Beryllium atomic ions were stored in a Penning trap and cooled by radiation pressure from a laser. The frequency of the $^{9}\mathrm{Be}^{+}$ $({M}_{I}, {M}_{J})=(\ensuremath{-}\frac{3}{2}, +\frac{1}{2})\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}(\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}, +\frac{1}{2})$ ground-state hyperfine transition at its magnetic-field-independent point was determined to be 303 016 377.265 070 (57) Hz. The accuracy of a frequency standard referenced to this transition was comparable to the best frequency standards, which are based on cesium atomic beams.
Management of High-Grade Spondylolisthesis

Management of high-grade spondylolisthesis (HGS) remains challenging and is associated with significant controversies. The best surgical procedure remains debatable. Although the need for instrumentation is generally agreed upon, significant controversies still surround the role of reduction and anterior column support in the surgical management of HGS. Complications with operative management of HGS can be significant and often dictate the selection of surgical approach. This review highlights the pathophysiology, classification, clinical presentation, and management controversies of HGS, in light of recent advances in our understanding of the importance of sagittal spinopelvic alignment and technologic advancements.
A cell culture assay for compounds which inhibit hepatitis B virus replication.

Infection by hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major worldwide health problem with over 200 million individuals chronically-infected with HBV (Beasley and Hwang, 1984). In addition to causing both acute and chronic liver disease, HBV infection is epidemiologically linked to the formation of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Beasley and Hwang, 1984; Popper, et al., 1987). Several types of treatment regimens have been reported for individuals with chronic HBV infection, including interferons and nucleoside analogs (see Tabor, 1987 and Thomas, 1987 for reviews). However, these treatments have moderate to serious side effects, are only transiently effective in suppressing HBV, or are effective for only a small percentage of the general population of HBV-infected individuals. A major obstacle in the development of new therapeutic agents for HBV is the lack of a suitable in vitro culture system which accurately models chronic HBV infection in man. Relevant animal models of HBV infection and disease, including HCC, have been developed (e.g. the woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) and its natural host, the Eastern woodchuck (Gerin, 1984; Popper et al., 1986)). Several potentially suitable HBV culture systems have been developed by transfection of human liver cell lines with cloned HBV DNA (Sureau et al., 1986; Sells et al., 1987; Tsurimoto et al., 1987). The various HBV genomic forms present in chronically infected cells represent well characterized stages of viral replication (Sum-
Effect of exogenous dolichyl monophosphate on a developmental change in mannosylphosphoryldolichol biosynthesis.

Abstract The initial rate of mannosylphosphoryldolichol formation by pig brain white matter is 2.9 to 3.3-fold higher in membranes from actively myelinating animals as compared to similar preparations from adults. Exogenous dolichyl monophosphate stimulated mannolipid synthesis in both preparations indicating that the level of the acceptor lipid was rate-limiting. The relative enhancement, however, was higher in membranes from adult animals reducing the ratio of initial rates for young/adult. Exogenous dolichyl monophosphate also stimulated the labeling of a mannosylated oligosaccharide lipid and mannoproteins, including a polypeptide (apparent molecular weight of 100,000) not labeled by gray matter membranes.
Combined Aharonov–Bohm and Zeeman spin-polarization effects in a double quantum dot ring

Abstract A mesoscale Aharonov–Bohm (AB) ring with a quantum dot (QD) embedded in each arm is computationally modeled for unique transmission properties arising from a combination of AB effects and Zeeman splitting of the QD energy levels. A tight-binding Hamiltonian is solved, providing analytical expressions for the transmission as a function of system parameters. Transmission resonances with spin-polarized output are presented for cases involving either a perpendicular field, or a parallel field, or both. The combination of the AB-effect with Zeeman splitting allows sensitive control of the output resonances of the device, manifesting in spin-polarized states which separate and cross as a function of applied field. In the case with perpendicular flux, the AB-oscillations exhibit atypical non-periodicity, and Fano-type resonances appear as a function of magnetic flux due to the flux-dependent shift in the QD energy levels via the Zeeman effect.
Crystal growth of metal fluorides for CO2 laser operation III. The use of another reaction sequence

Abstract Another reaction sequence is employed to show the change in the superiority order. The previous sequence — employing five gases [C 2 F 4 (g), NF 3 (g), CF 4 (g), COF 2 (g), SF 6 (g)], was based on H 2 O(g). The superiority order showed SF 6 (g) to be non-RAP. The new sequence based on HF(g) employed H 2 (g) for a double RAP of the same five gases. That sequence showed SF 6 (g) to be the top RAP agent.
Magnesium based photocathode for back-lighted thyratron

Optically triggered pseudospark switches, also called back-lighted thyratrons (BLTs), are high voltage (>37 kV), high current (>17 kA), glow-mode plasma switches, in which breakdown is initiated by photoemission from the switch cathode1–4. Investigation of metal photocathodes under BLT-relevant conditions showed that magnesium is a promising cathode candidate for BLT with its relatively high quantum efficiency (up to 1.5×10−5) compared to copper or molybdenum5. We studied the switching characteristics of a BLT with Mg foil applied at the back surface of the cathode. The delay and jitter of the switch are at least three times shorter when Mg foil is present at the cathode. Reduction of the delay and jitter as a result of the presence of Mg foil at the switch cathode suggests even greater improvement of the switching characteristics can be achieved with the application of Mg cathode. In addition, the electron emission mechanisms effective during the discharge initiation in the switch that contribute to the reduction in delay and jitter are discussed.
Improved heat-transfer performance with boundary-layer turbulence promoters

A substantial improvement in forced-convection heat-transfer conductance is required for the development of advanced steam-cooled and gas-cooled power reactor systems. Boundary-layer turbulence promoters on the heated surfaces are of great interest for these systems because of the large increase in the heat-transfer performance which can be attained. However, much of the experimental data on turbulence promoters has been obtained in annular flow passages, and it is necessary to transform these data in order to apply them to reactor configurations. This investigation of boundary-layer turbulence promoter performance was carried out in arrays of parallel rods, the configuration of greatest interest for engineering applications. Discrete two-dimensional roughness elements, in the form of small fins transverse to the flow, were investigated experimentally to establish the effect of promoter height and promoter spacing. The results are directly applicable for optimization of heat-transfer performance, and also provide a basis for evaluating transformation techniques used for data obtained in annular passages.
Rigidity of myosin and myosin rod by electric birefringence

The rotational relaxation times of rabbit myosin and myosin rod have been determined by electric birefringence measurement. The relaxation time of myosin measured in 10 mM pyrophosphate buffers in a pH range of 7.6–9.5 was found to have substantial concentration and pH dependences. The infinite-dilution limit of the relaxation time, τ°, was determined as 38 ± 2 μs, and it was found to be independent of pH. For myosin rod, a possible thermally induced conformational change was investigated in a temperature range of 1–43°C. The rotational relaxation time of myosin rod shows no clear indication of conformational change in this temperature range, and the radius of gyration measurement by light scattering was shown to be consistent with this observation. The steady-state birefringence, however, decreases substantially above around 40°C. This, the myosin rod appears to be only slightly flexible even at physiological temperature, but the possibility of a “melting” or “hinging” of the myosin rod cannot completely be ruled out on the basis of these experiments.
Critical Rural Freight Corridors Designation: Implications of Truck Percentage Calculation

The creation of the National Freight Network as part of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) requires states to designate critical rural freight corridors (CRFCs). The MAP-21 act lists the criteria for designating CRFCs but does not specify the method. This paper proposes mileage-based, segment-based, and weighted average approaches to determine whether a corridor meets one of the CRFC criteria: a rural principal arterial that has a minimum 25% of truck traffic. The three approaches are explained, assessed, and mapped for the reader to compare the resulting networks. The paper then uses policy analysis techniques to assess the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. The analysis compares the approaches on the basis of network connectivity of the resulting CRFCs, the mileage of non-Interstate rural principal arterials, and robustness. Results indicate that state departments of transportation should use the mileage-based approach for computing truck traffic percentages when ...
Spatial-temporal association between fine particulate matter and daily mortality

Fine particulate matter (PM"2"."5) is a mixture of pollutants that has been linked to serious health problems, including premature mortality. Since the chemical composition of PM"2"."5 varies across space and time, the association between PM"2"."5 and mortality could also change with space and season. A statistical multi-stage Bayesian framework is developed and implemented, which provides a very broad and flexible approach to studying the spatiotemporal associations between mortality and population exposure to daily PM"2"."5 mass, while accounting for different sources of uncertainty. The first stage of the framework maps ambient PM"2"."5 air concentrations using all available monitoring data (IMPROVE and FRM) and an air quality model (CMAQ) at different spatial and temporal scales. The second stage of the framework examines the spatial temporal relationships between the health end-points and the exposures to PM"2"."5 by introducing a spatial-temporal generalized Poisson regression model. A method to adjust for time-varying confounders such as seasonal trends is proposed. A common seasonal trends model uses a fixed number of basis functions to account for these confounders, but the results can be sensitive to the number of basis functions. Thus, instead the number of the basis functions is treated as an unknown parameter in the Bayesian model, and a space-time stochastic search variable selection approach is used. The framework is illustrated using a data set in North Carolina for the year 2001.
Anisotropic cooperative theory of coaxial ferromagnetoelasticity

Abstract The recently published anisotropic cooperative domain field model of ferromagnetic hysteresis has been extended first to a differential form valid for the virgin curve and all reversals, and second to a reversible and irreversible theory of coaxial stress on ferromagnets, called ferromagnetoelasticity. Using directional magnetization and field and stress, magnetostriction and susceptibility, physical and scaled equations are derived from magnetoelastic thermodynamics for Brown's and Bozorth's stress fields on 90° walls between [1 0 0] domains, causing a stress bifurcation and the Villari reversal. Single valued equations for magnetization changes in Hσ and Hσ ∼ processes and susceptibility changes in σH and σσH processes are derived in quantitative agreement with experimental data including nonlinear stress loops up to residual stress and saturate magnetization. The primarily linear magnetization dependence of cooperation and magnetostriction derivative cause magnetization changes with stress to be self-proportionate with an asymmetry between tension and compression and coherence between Brown and Bozorth fields.
Children in Research: The Experience of Ill Children and Adolescents:

The purpose of this study was to describe children’s and adolescents’ experiences with clinical research. Thirty-four children and adolescents, age 8 to 22, who had a diagnosis of either diabetes or a hematological malignancy participated. Two major themes were identified: (a) understanding about research and (b) involvement in the decision to participate in the clinical trial. Children’s and adolescents’ understanding of research was influenced by their age, their diagnosis, and their previous experience with research. The involvement in the decision to participate was quite variable across age and disease groups. For instance, the recruitment process was markedly different for children with diabetes than for those with cancer. The structure of the trials for diabetics differed on several dimensions, including duration, offering of monetary incentives, and clear distinctions between standard treatment and experimental protocols.
Aldosterone and cardiovascular disease: smoke and fire.

A growing body of evidence links aldosterone excess to the development and progression of several different cardiovascular disease processes, including hypertension, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, and stroke. The association with aldosterone is particularly strong for hypertension, with multiple studies independently suggesting that aldosterone contributes broadly to the development and severity of hypertension separate from the presence of classically defined primary aldosteronism (PA). In these same studies, renin activity, if measured, has not been related to blood pressure levels, which suggests an autonomous role of aldosterone in causing hypertension separate from renin–angiotensin II. Article p 2604 Prospective and cross-sectional studies suggest that aldosterone contributes both to the development and the severity of hypertension. In a recent prospective analysis done as part of the ongoing Framingham Offspring Study, serum plasma aldosterone levels in normotensive subjects predicted subsequent increases in blood pressure and in the development of incident hypertension.1 During a 4-year follow-up, subjects in the highest quartile of serum aldosterone level, relative to subjects in the lowest quartile, had a 1.60-fold higher risk of significantly increased blood pressure and a 1.61-fold higher risk of hypertension. Cross-sectional studies demonstrate a significant correlation between plasma aldosterone levels and untreated 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure levels. In an evaluation of black American and white French Canadian subjects, supine and standing plasma aldosterone levels were significantly related to daytime and nighttime systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels in the black American subjects.2,3 In the white Canadian subjects, standing aldosterone levels correlated with both daytime and nighttime diastolic blood pressure. In both ethnic groups, blood pressure levels were unrelated to plasma renin activity, suggesting that aldosterone, more so than renin–angiotensin II, contributed to the severity of hypertension. Aldosterone excess as indicated by the presence of classic PA is surprisingly common in …
Efectos del clima y capacidad de almacenamiento de agua del suelo en la productividad de rodales de pino radiata en Chile: un análisis utilizando el modelo 3-PG

Resumen es: En Chile, pino radiata (Pinus radiata D. Don) ha sido plantado a lo largo de un amplio rango de suelos y climas, y las plantaciones exhiben amplias varia...
RECONSTRUCTION OF CHRONICALLY SUBLUXATED PROXIMAL INTERPHALANGEAL FINGER JOINT.

1. The etiology and pathology of recurvation deformity of the proximal interphalangeal joint are discussed. 2. Four cases of recurvation deformity and a simple operative procedure to correct this deformity are presented. 3. The results obtained in these cases warrant continued use of this procedure to correct a deformity heretofore difficult to manage.
Recovery of Hydrogen Peroxide-Sensitive Culturable Cells of Vibrio vulnificus Gives the Appearance of Resuscitation from a Viable but Nonculturable State

The viabilities of five strains of Vibrio vulnificus were evaluated during the storage of the organisms in sterile seawater at 5°C. The number of CFU was measured by plate count methods on rich media. The total cell numbers were determined by direct microscopic count methods. The titer of CFU declined logarithmically to undetectable levels over a period of 2 to 3 weeks, while the total cell numbers were unchanged. Midway through each study, higher culturable cell counts began to be observed on plates containing catalase or sodium pyruvate; during the latter stages of the study, the plate counts on such media were up to 1,000-fold higher than those on unsupplemented plates. Because autoclaving is known to generate hydrogen peroxide in rich media, and because catalase and sodium pyruvate are known to eliminate hydrogen peroxide, it appears that the conditions of the experiments led to the selection of a hydrogen peroxide-sensitive culturable cell subpopulation. At the time of the final stage of the decline in viability of each culture, hydrogen peroxide-sensitive cells were the only culturable cells present. Warming samples of the cultures to room temperature led to the growth of these residual culturable cells, utilizing nutrients provided by the nonculturable cells. The cells that grew recovered hydrogen peroxide resistance. When mixtures of culturable and nonculturable cells were diluted to the point where only nonculturable cells were present, or when the hydrogen peroxide-sensitive culturable cells had declined to undetectable levels, warming had no effect; no culturable cells were recovered. Warming has been reported to “resuscitate” nonculturable cells. Recognition of the existence of hydrogen peroxide-sensitive culturable cell populations, as well as their ability to grow to high levels in the warmed seawater microcosms, leads instead to the conclusion that while warming permits culturable cells to grow, it has no effect on nonculturable cells.
The role of striate cortex in visual function of the cat

We examined the contribution of area 17 to visual function in two cats whose fixation was monitored by means of scleral search coils. Ibotenic acid lesions were made within the physiologically identified representation of the lower left visual field of area 17. In a detection task in which the cats simply indicated the presence or absence of a vertical grating, contrast sensitivity loss was greatest at middle spatial frequencies with no loss in spatial resolution. However, when cats were required to discriminate between vertical and horizontal gratings, sensitivity loss was profound at both middle and high spatial frequencies with an octave loss of spatial resolution. This greater loss was not due to disrupted orientation discrimination since sensitivity to the orientation of coarse gratings was unaffected in the lesioned hemifield. We also found deficits in the ability to discriminate the direction of grating motion, but only at higher spatial and lower temporal frequencies. The role of area 17 in perceiving the global motion of complex patterns was also studied with high contrast, dynamic random dots drifting at high speeds. Paradoxically, area 17 lesion improved the perception of global motion. This improvement was eliminated by spatially filtering the dot patterns to remove high spatial frequencies, suggesting that the lesion has enhanced performance by interfering with masking by high spatial frequencies. Our results demonstrate that the performance of traditional detection tasks may be insensitive to the effects of area 17 lesions. Discrimination tasks, on the other hand, revealed that area 17 neurons play a major role in the perception of higher spatial frequency stimuli as long as they move or flicker at low rates, but contribute little to these functions when the stimuli are coarse and move at high speeds.
Centroids of nilpotent lie algabras

(1992). Centroids of nilpotent lie algabras. Communications in Algebra: Vol. 20, No. 12, pp. 3649-3682.
A smoothing kernel for spatially related features and its application to speaker verification.

Most commonly used kernels are invariant to permutations of the feature vector components. This characteristic may make machine learning methods that use such kernels suboptimal in cases where the feature vector has an underlying structure. In this paper we will consider one such case, where the features are spatially related. We show a way to modify the objective function of the support vector machine (SVM) optimization problem to account for this structure. The new optimization problem can be implemented as a standard SVM using a particular smoothing kernel. Results are shown on a speaker verification task using prosodic features that are transformed using a particular implementation of the Fisher score. The proposed method leads to improvements of as much as 15% in equal error rate (EER).
Mucolipin-3 Regulates Luminal Calcium, Acidification, and Membrane Fusion in the Endosomal Pathway

Mucolipin-3 (MCOLN3) is a pH-regulated Ca2+ channel that localizes to the endosomal pathway. Gain-of-function mutation in MCOLN3 causes the varitint-waddler (Va) phenotype in mice, which is characterized by hearing loss, vestibular dysfunction, and coat color dilution. The Va phenotype results from a punctual mutation (A419P) in the pore region of MCOLN3 that locks the channel in an open conformation causing massive entry of Ca2+ inside cells and inducing cell death by apoptosis. Overexpression of wild-type MCOLN3 produces severe alterations of the endosomal pathway, including enlargement and clustering of endosomes, delayed EGF receptor degradation, and impaired autophagosome maturation, thus suggesting that MCOLN3 plays an important role in the regulation of endosomal function. To understand better the physiological role of MCOLN3, we inhibited MCOLN3 function by expression of a channel-dead dominant negative mutant (458DD/KK) or by knockdown of endogenous MCOLN3. Remarkably, we found that impairment of MCOLN3 activity caused a significant accumulation of luminal Ca2+ in endosomes. This accumulation led to severe defects in endosomal acidification as well as to increased endosomal fusion. Our findings reveal a prominent role for MCOLN3 in regulating Ca2+ homeostasis at the endosomal pathway and confirm the importance of luminal Ca2+ for proper acidification and membrane fusion.
INVERSE CASCADE OF NONHELICAL MAGNETIC TURBULENCE IN A RELATIVISTIC FLUID

The free decay of nonhelical relativistic magnetohydrodynamic turbulence is studied numerically, and found to exhibit cascading of magnetic energy toward large scales. Evolution of the magnetic energy spectrum PM (k, t) is self-similar in time and well modeled by a broken power law with subinertial and inertial range indices very close to 7/2 and –2, respectively. The magnetic coherence scale is found to grow in time as t 2/5, much too slow to account for optical polarization of gamma-ray burst afterglow emission if magnetic energy is to be supplied only at microphysical length scales. No bursty or explosive energy loss is observed in relativistic MHD turbulence having modest magnetization, which constrains magnetic reconnection models for rapid time variability of GRB prompt emission, blazars, and the Crab nebula.
MR Compatible ERF Driven Hand Device for Rehabilitation After Stroke

This paper presents the design, fabrication and testing of a novel, one degree of freedom, magnetic resonance (MR) compatible, computer controlled, variable resistance hand device that will be used in fMRI studies of the brain and motor performance during rehabilitation after stroke. The device consists of four major subsystems: a) the Electro-Rheological Fluid (ERF) resistive element; b) the gearbox; c) the handles and d) the sensors: one optical encoder and one force sensor was implemented into the device design to measure the patient induced motion and force, respectively. A key feature of the device is the use of electro rheological fluids (ERF) to achieve resistive force generation. ERFs are fluids that experience dramatic changes in rheological properties, such as viscosity or yield stress, in the presence of an electric field. Using the electrically controlled rheological properties of ERFs, compact resistive elements with an ability to supply high resistive torques in a controllable and tunable fashion, have been developed. The hand device is designed to resist up to 50% of maximum level of gripping force of a human hand and be controlled in real time. Our study demonstrates that there is neither an effect from MR environment on the ERF properties and performance of the sensors, nor significant degradation on MR images by the introduction of ERF driven hand device in the MR environment. The results are encouraging in combining functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, with MR compatible robotic devices for improved effectiveness of rehabilitation therapy.
Misclassification rates, critical values and size of the design in measurement systems capability studies

Measurement systems capability analysis aims to test if the variability of a measurement system is small relative to the variability of a monitored process. At present some open questions are related both to the interpretation of the critical values of the indices typically used by practitioners to assess the capability of a gauge and to the choice of the size of the experimental design to test the repeatability and the reproducibility of the measurement process. In this paper, starting from the misclassification rates of a measurement system, we present a solution to these issues. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Short-wavelength ultraviolet light-emitting diodes based on AlGaN

We review our progress toward realization of highly-efficient ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV LEDs) based on high Al-composition Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/N. Milliwatt level optical output powers have been measured at wavelengths as short as 247 nm.
Polychromatic Pulsed Dye Laser

Abstract One of us had previously reported an instrument that produces plused laser beams with multiple colors.1 A pulsed nitrogen laser was focused on a 1 cm fluorometer cell mounted on a circular rotating table. As the table was rotated by a motor, the nitrogen laser was triggered synchronously as another cell moved into the focal point, and the dye laser output was obtained as a spacially superimposed beam. By filling the cells with various laser dye solutions, it was possible to tune to a number of wavelengths.
Field Evaluation of Essential Oils for Reducing Attraction by the Japanese Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Forty-one plant essential oils were tested under field conditions for the ability to reduce the attraction of adult Japanese beetles, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), to attractant-baited or nonbaited traps. Treatments applied to a yellow and green Japanese beetle trap included a nonbaited trap, essential oil alone, a Japanese beetle commercial attractant (phenethyl proprionate:eugenol:geraniol, 3:7:3 by volume) (PEG), and an essential oil plus PEG attractant. Eight of the 41 oils reduced attractiveness of the PEG attractant to the Japanese beetle. When tested singly, wintergreen and peppermint oils were the two most effective essential oils at reducing attractiveness of the PEG attractant by 4.2x and 3.5x, respectively. Anise, bergamont mint, cedarleaf, dalmation sage, tarragon, and wormwood oils also reduced attraction of the Japanese beetle to the PEG attractant. The combination of wintergreen oil with ginger, peppermint, or ginger and citronella oils reduced attractiveness of the PEG attractant by 4.7x to 3.1x. Seventeen of the 41 essential oils also reduced attraction to the nonbaited yellow and green traps, resulting in 2.0x to 11.0x reductions in trap counts relative to nonbaited traps. Camphor, coffee, geranium, grapefruit, elemi, and citronella oils increased attractiveness of nonbaited traps by 2.1x to 7.9x when tested singly, but none were more attractive than the PEG attractant. Results from this study identified several plant essential oils that act as semiochemical disruptants against the Japanese beetle.
Disrupting protein tyrosine phosphatase σ does not prevent sympathetic axonal dieback following myocardial infarction

The neuronal receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor σ (PTPσ) inhibits axonal extension upon binding to chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) in scar tissue. We recently demonstrated that modulating or deleting PTPσ promoted re-innervation of the CSPG-containing cardiac scar after ischemia-reperfusion (I-R). However, it remains unknown if the lack of PTPσ or early treatment with the PTPσ modulator, intracellular sigma peptide (ISP), prevents the initial injury-induced axonal dieback. To address this, we carried out I-R in PTPσ -/- mice or control littermates treated with ISP or vehicle immediately at the time of I-R, and then assessed sympathetic innervation of the scar and surrounding myocardium 3days later. Vehicle-treated WT controls displayed sympathetic denervation within the scar and viable tissue adjacent to the scar, as well as distal myocardium farther from the scar. PTPσ -/- and ISP-treated animals also displayed denervation of the scar and adjacent tissue, but regions distal to the scar were innervated normally. This suggests that PTPσ does not mediate axonal dieback but its disruption enhances axonal regrowth in the heart. CSPG digestion alters the macrophage response to prevent axonal dieback in spinal neurons, so we investigated whether targeting PTPσ might alter the macrophage response in the heart. The macrophage response after I-R was similar in vehicle and ISP-treated groups. Mice lacking PTPσ trended toward an increased M2 response, but were not significantly different than the other groups. These data suggest that PTPσ is not involved in axonal dieback or the early macrophage response following cardiac I-R.
Medical malpractice concerns and defensive medicine: a nationwide survey of breast pathologists.

Objectives “Assurance behaviors” in medical practice involve providing additional services of marginal or no medical value to avoid adverse outcomes, deter patients from filing malpractice claims, or ensure that legal standards of care were met. The extent to which concerns about medical malpractice influence assurance behaviors of pathologists interpreting breast specimens is unknown. Methods Breast pathologists (n = 252) enrolled in a nationwide study completed an online survey of attitudes regarding malpractice and perceived alterations in interpretive behavior due to concerns of malpractice. Associations between pathologist characteristics and the impact of malpractice concerns on personal and colleagues’ assurance behaviors were determined by χ2 and logistic regression analysis. Results Most participants reported using one or more assurance behaviors due to concerns about medical malpractice for both their personal (88%) and colleagues’ (88%) practices, including ordering additional stains, recommending additional surgical sampling, obtaining second reviews, or choosing the more severe diagnosis for borderline cases. Nervousness over breast pathology was positively associated with assurance behavior and remained statistically significant in a multivariable logistic regression model (odds ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–6.1; P = .043). Conclusions Practicing US breast pathologists report exercising defensive medicine by using assurance behaviors due to malpractice concerns.
Cannabinoid CB1 receptor inhibition blunts adolescent-typical increased binge alcohol and sucrose consumption in male C57BL/6J mice.

Increased binge alcohol consumption has been reported among adolescents as compared to adults in both humans and rodent models, and has been associated with serious long-term health consequences. However, the neurochemical mechanism for age differences in binge drinking between adolescents and adults has not been established. The present study was designed to evaluate the mechanistic role of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor in adolescent and adult binge drinking. Binge consumption was established in adolescent and adult male C57BL/6J mice by providing access to 20% alcohol or 1% sucrose for 4 h every other day. Pretreatment with the CB1 antagonist/inverse agonist AM-251 (0, 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg) in a Latin square design dose-dependently reduced adolescent alcohol consumption to adult levels without altering adult intake. AM-251 (3 mg/kg) also reduced adolescent but not adult sucrose consumption. Adolescent reductions in alcohol and sucrose were not associated with alterations in open-field locomotor activity or thigmotaxis. These findings point to age differences in CB1 receptor activity as a functional mediator of adolescent-typical increased binge drinking as compared to adults. Developmental alterations in endocannabinoid signaling in the adolescent brain may therefore be responsible for the drinking phenotype seen in this age group.
Optimal Oviposition by the Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Whorl-Stage Sweet Corn

Commercial fields of sweet corn in coastal southern California were sampled for corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), eggs in 1986 and 1987. Staggered planting schedules within each study site produced fields of varying maturity that overlapped in occurrence. Using stepwise regression, we quantified the dependence of egg density on field size, adult population level as estimated with pheromone traps, and field maturity as estimated by plastochron index. Also included were three variables associated with the probability of female moths finding a more suitable host: the hectares of older corn available, distance to the closest older cornfield, and the mean distance to all older cornfields. We found egg density to be significantly related to field maturity and the distance to the closest older cornfield. In 1987, when the average distance between fields was less than in 1986, egg density was more closely associated with field maturity and, therefore, host suitability. These results are discussed in relation to optimal oviposition theory.
The Stability and Development of Feedback Orientation Over Time: A Qualitative Study

London and Smither presented a need to research individual differences in the way individuals respond to feedback, coining feedback orientation. In response, Linderbaum and Levy developed the Feedb...
What God only knows: a reply to Rob Lovering

Rob Lovering has recently argued that God is not omniscient on the grounds that (1) in order to be omniscient a subject must not only know all truths always but also know what it's like not to know a truth, and (2) God cannot fulfil both of these requirements. I show that Lovering's argument is unsuccessful since he inadequately supports (1) and (2), and since there are several serious doubts about (2). I also show that Lovering does not otherwise indicate that God is not maximally great.
Abstract B13: High-risk human papillomavirus prevalence in oral and oropharyngeal premalignant lesions: A critical literature review

Introduction: During the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV) related squamous cell cancer of the oropharynx, especially those of the tonsil and tongue base. HPV-16 and HPV-18 have been linked to these malignant neoplasms. Generally, oral epithelium undergoes a sequence of histopathological pre-malignant transformations before the development of invasive carcinoma. A study evaluating the prevalence of HPV-16/18 types in histopathologically diagnosed oral pre-malignant lesions (OPL) is lacking. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive literature review to estimate the prevalence of HR HPV types in different grades of OPLs. Study Design: A critical literature search was conducted using Pubmed and SCOPUS databases for the key terms human papillomavirus infection, head and neck cancer, oral cancer, oral hyperplasia, oral dysplasia, and oral leukoplakia. A total of 90 articles related to HPV in oral tissue and pre-malignant lesions were identified. Of these, 29 articles evaluated the prevalence of HPV in histopathological OPLs (hyperplasia and dysplasia). In addition, 11 out of these 29 articles determined the prevalence of HPV in histologically evaluated leukoplakic samples. Only research articles published from 1990 — 2009 were used for this review. Results: Overall, the 29 articles evaluated high-risk (HR) HPV in 1,171 OPLs. This included 140 hyperplasias, 467 dysplasias, 425 leukoplakic lesions without dysplasia, and 139 leukoplakic lesions with dysplasia. The prevalence of any type of HPV in hyperplasia, dysplasia, leukoplakia without dysplasia, and leukoplakia with dysplasia was 24%, 25%, 28%, and 20% respectively. The prevalence of HR HPV-16/18 in these lesions was 24%, 21%, 26% and 26% respectively. The difference in prevalence of different grades of OPLs was not statistically significant. The prevalence of any HPV type in mild, moderate, and severe dysplastic lesions was 43%, 39%, and 33% respectively. The prevalence of HR HPV-16/18 in mild, moderate, and severe dysplastic lesions was 39%, 32%, and 28% respectively. Conclusion: High-risk HPV infection has been noted even in early stage histopathological OPLs like hyperplasias and mild dysplasias, and their prevalence rate is very similar to high grade OPLs, and oral (OC) and oropharyngeal cancers (OPC). Larger studies are needed to obtain a more precise estimate of the prevalence and persistence of HR HPV in histopathologically diagnosed OPLs in order to better understand the etiopathogenesis of HPV related OC and OPC. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(12 Suppl):B13.
Optimal design of geodesically stiffened composite cylindrical shells

An optimization system based on general-purpose finite element code CSM Testbed and optimization program ADS is described. The system can be used to obtain minimum-mass designs of composite shell structures with complex stiffening arrangements. Ply thicknesses, ply orientations, and stiffener heights can be used as design variables. Buckling, displacement, and material failure constraints can be imposed on the design. The system is used to conduct a preliminary design study of geodesically stiffened shells. For comparison purposes, optimal designs of unstiffened shells, and ring and longitudinal stringer stiffened shells are also studied. Trends in the design of geodesically stiffened shells are identified. Features that enhance the capabilities and efficiency of the design system are described.
Triphosphine-Ligated Copper Hydrides for CO2 Hydrogenation: Structure, Reactivity, and Thermodynamic Studies

The copper(I) triphosphine complex LCu(MeCN)PF6 (L = 1,1,1-tris(diphenylphosphinomethyl)ethane), which we recently demonstrated is an active catalyst precursor for hydrogenation of CO2 to formate, reacts with H2 in the presence of a base to form a cationic dicopper hydride, [(LCu)2H]PF6. [(LCu)2H]+ is also an active precursor for catalytic CO2 hydrogenation, with equivalent activity to that of LCu(MeCN)+, and therefore may be a relevant catalytic intermediate. The thermodynamic hydricity of [(LCu)2H]+ was determined to be 41.0 kcal/mol by measuring the equilibrium constant for this reaction using three different bases. [(LCu)2H]+ and the previously reported dimer (LCuH)2 can be synthesized by the reaction of LCu(MeCN)+ with 0.5 and 1 equiv of KB(OiPr)3H, respectively. The solid-state structure of [(LCu)2H]+ shows threefold symmetry about a linear Cu–H–Cu axis and significant steric strain imposed by bringing two LCu+ units together around the small hydride ligand. [(LCu)2H]+ reacts stoichiometrically with...
Improvement of Postoperative Pain Control Processes and Outcomes in Veterans of a Surgical Intensive Care Unit.

Background Postoperative pain remains undertreated in critically ill patients. We hypothesized that the adequacy of pain control in our Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) was above the reported average of 71 % in the literature and that the introduction of the critical care pain observation tool (CPOT) could improve it. We used a Lean Six Sigma methodology to improve our processes and quantify our improvement.
Superimposed Pilots Vs. Conventional Pilots for Channel Estimation

We study two competing pilot symbol based schemes, viz. superimposed pilots (SP) and conventional pilots (CP) for the estimation of a single-input multiple-output (SIMO) wireless channel. We derive expressions for the mean-squared error (MSE) and Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) of estimation of the SIMO channel. It is demonstrated that the asymptotic CRB of SP is 3dB lower than the MSE of the simplistic mean estimator. We propose a semi-blind SP scheme which asymptotically achieves this CRB. In the second part, we quantify the throughput performance of the estimation schemes by developing a framework for the worst case capacity of a channel with correlated symbols and noise. It is observed that while CP outperforms SP in terms of MSE of estimation, SP has an overall advantage over CP in terms of net throughput and is therefore bandwidth efficient. Further, we derive expressions for the optimal source to noise power ratio (SNR) as a function of the pilot to noise power ratio (PNR) in the context of SP.