cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlation of initial food reactions to observed reactions on challenges

Background Food allergies occur in 2% to 3% of the pediatric population. These reactions can vary from mild cutaneous manifestations to severe life-threatening reactions. Limited information is available on which specific factors may predict the severity of subsequent reactions. Objective To determine whether the organ system or the specific food involved in the initial allergic reaction predicts the outcome of subsequent food challenge. Methods Retrospective review of all food sensitive children who underwent food challenges at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, in a 5-year period (n = 998 challenges). The specific food, initial symptom on presentation, and reaction on open challenges were recorded. Results A total of 413 of 998 food challenges produced positive results. Milk, egg, and peanut were the most common foods to be associated with a positive challenge result. The most common presentation of food allergy was cutaneous followed by multiorgan reactions. Peanut, milk, and egg sensitivities were more likely to cause a multiple-organ system reaction on challenge than wheat or other foods. Patients with egg allergy were more likely to have a different reaction on rechallenge than other foods. Conclusions Milk, egg, and peanut are the most common foods associated with food challenges. Patients will typically experience similar reaction on re-exposure to the initial reaction. However, multiple-organ system reactions can occur after any initial clinical presentation, with milk, egg, and peanut having more multiple-organ reactions than other foods.
Isotope shifts and hyperfine structure of erbium, dysprosium, and gadolinium by atomic-beam diode-laser spectroscopy

A commercial diode laser system, without external frequency stabilization, has been used to study the isotope shifts and hyperfine structure in a near infrared transition of erbium, dysprosium and gadolinium. Specific mass shifts and relative values for the change in the radial nuclear charge parameters of the isotopes were obtained for erbium and dysprosium that compare well with literature values. The hyperfine structure constants measured for erbium fell within the range predicted from the results of other workers. The isotope shifts in the gadolinium transition investigated were too small for the spectrum to be resolved.
Salt causes ion disequilibrium‐induced programmed cell death in yeast and plants

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a fundamental cellular process conserved in metazoans, plants and yeast. Evidence is presented that salt induces PCD in yeast and plants because of an ionic, rather than osmotic, etiology. In yeast, NaCl inhibited growth and caused a time-dependent reduction in viability that was preceded by DNA fragmentation. NaCl also induced the cytological hallmarks of lysigenous-type PCD, including nuclear fragmentation, vacuolation and lysis. The human anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 increased salt tolerance of wild-type yeast strain and calcineurin-deficient yeast mutant (cnb1Delta) that is defective for ion homeostasis, but had no effect on the NaCl or sorbitol sensitivity of the osmotic hypersensitive hog1Delta mutant -- results that further link PCD in the response to the ion disequilibrium under salt stress. Bcl-2 suppression of cnb1Delta salt sensitivity was ENA1 (P-type ATPase gene)-dependent, due in part to transcriptional activation. Salt-induced PCD (TUNEL staining and DNA laddering) in primary roots of both Arabidopsis thaliana wild type (Col-1 gl1) and sos1 (salt overly sensitive) mutant seedlings correlated positively with treatment lethality. Wild-type plants survived salt stress levels that were lethal to sos1 plants because secondary roots were produced from the shoot/root transition zone. PCD-mediated elimination of the primary root in response to salt shock appears to be an adaptive mechanism that facilitates the production of roots more able to cope with a saline environment. Both salt-sensitive mutants of yeast (cnb1Delta) and Arabidopsis (sos1) exhibit substantially more profound PCD symptoms, indicating that salt-induced PCD is mediated by ion disequilibrium.
On the Nuclear Moments of Lithium, Potassium, and Sodium

The atomic beam method of "zero moments" was applied to the measurement of the nuclear spin and hfs separation of the normal $^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$ state of ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}$. The experimental arrangement was such that the precision obtained was about 1 percent. It was verified that the nuclear spin was 3/2, and the hfs separation was measured to be 0.0268\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0003 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. By using the modified Goudsmit formula the nuclear magnetic moment was calculated to be 3.20 nuclear magnetons compared with the value of 3.28 calculated from hyperfine structure measurements on the $^{3}P_{0}\ensuremath{-}^{3}S_{1}$ group ($\ensuremath{\lambda}5485$) of ${({\mathrm{Li}}^{7})}^{+}$ by Breit and Doerman using wave functions. The same method applied to potassium and sodium yielded hfs separations of 0.0154\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0002 and 0.0596\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0006 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, respectively, which lead to nuclear magnetic moments of 0.397 and 2.08 nuclear magnetons. With another arrangement of the apparatus yielding higher resolution than was previously obtained it was possible to set the value of 5/2 as an upper limit for the spin of the ${\mathrm{K}}^{41}$ nucleus. With the same arrangement applied to lithium it was found that the nuclear spin of ${\mathrm{Li}}^{6}$ is 2/2 or greater and that the magnetic moment of the nucleus is of the order of magnitude of that of the deuteron.
Predicting Receptiveness to Advice: Characteristics of the Problem, the Advice-Giver, and the Recipient

Research on advice in supportive interactions indicates that receptiveness to advice (the extent to which advice is wanted) has a strong influence on how advice is evaluated. The current study examined situational and trait predictors of advice receptiveness, including characteristics of the advice-giver (expertise, closeness to the recipient, history of influence on the recipient's behavior), characteristics of the problem for which the advice is received (problem seriousness, responsibility for the problem), and characteristics of the advice recipient (sex, expressivity, instrumentality). Participants (N = 280) completed questionnaires reporting on a recent instance of receiving advice with regard to a personal problem. Results indicated that closeness had the strongest impact on receptiveness to advice, followed by expertise and expressivity. Women were more receptive to advice than men but the difference was small and mediated by expressivity.
Infectious disease complications of GI endoscopy: Part I, endogenous infections.

Summary There is a wide variation in the rate of bacteremia after various endoscopic procedures. In general, most procedures are associated with a low frequency of bacteremia that is usually transient and does not cause clinical symptoms. Actual infectious complications are uncommon for most procedures. Recognition of infectious sequelae of endoscopic procedures can aid clinical management of these complications.
An adaptive Lagrangian method for computing 1D reacting and non-reacting flows

A method for computing one-dimensional unsteady compressible flows. with and without chemical reactions is presented. This work has focused on the accurate computation of the discontinuous waves that arise in such flows. The main feature of the method is the use of an adaptive Lagrangian grid. This allows the computation of discontinuous waves and their interactions with the accuracy of front-tracking algorithms. This is done without the use of additional grid points representing shocks, in contrast to conventional front-tracking schemes. The Lagrangian character of the present scheme also allows contact discontinuities to be captured easily. The algorithm avoids interpolation across discontinuities in a natural and efficient way. The method has been used on a variety of reacting and non-reacting flows in order to test its ability to compute accurately and in a robust way complicated wave interactions.
Nephrocalcinosis in animal models with and without stones

Nephrocalcinosis is the deposition of calcium salts in renal parenchyma and can be intratubular or interstitial. Animal model studies indicate that intratubular nephrocalcinosis is a result of increased urinary supersaturation. Urinary supersaturation with respect to calcium oxalate (CaOx) and calcium phosphate (CaP) are generally achieved at different locations in the renal tubules. As a result experimental induction of hyperoxaluria in animals with CaP deposits does not lead to growth of CaOx over CaP. Interstitial nephrocalcinosis has been seen in mice with lack of crystallization modulators Tamm–Horsfall protein and osteopontin. Sodium phosphate co-transporter or sodiumhydrogen exchanger regulator factor-1 null mice also produced interstitial nephrocalcinosis. Crystals plug the tubules by aggregating and attaching to the luminal cell surface. Structural features of the renal tubules also play a role in crystal retention. The crystals plugging the terminal collecting ducts when exposed to the metastable pelvic urine may promote the formation of stone.
Impact of electric field variability on Joule heating and thermospheric temperature and density

[1] A new quantitative empirical model of the high-latitude forcing of the thermosphere, which is the first empirical model with an electric field variability component consistent with the average electric field, is used with the NCAR-TIEGCM to investigate the influence of the electric field variability on the Joule heating, neutral temperature and density. The electric field variability increases the Joule heating by more than 100%, and significantly improves the agreement between the total Joule heating and integrated Poynting flux, while the horizontal distributions of the height-integrated Joule heating and the Poynting flux have some detailed differences in the polar cap and nightside regions. Including the electric field variability into the energy calculation results in significant changes in the neutral temperature and density. At 400 km, it causes a 120 K polar average temperature increase and the corresponding percentage difference of density is close to 30%.
Predictions of gas hydrate phase equilibria and amounts in natural sediment porous media

Hydrates in marine sediments are estimated to contain more methane than conventional reserves. Previous estimates of the amounts of methane hydrate ignore pore size effects and variations in hydrate saturation of the pore space. The model presented here uses sediment type, geothermal gradient, and seafloor depths as inputs, and leads to predictions for the maximum depth of hydrate stability for data collected in the Ocean Drilling Program with an average error of 5%. Reaction-mass transfer partial differential equations are solved to estimate the amount of hydrate filling of the pore space, rather than using previous ad hoc choices for hydrate saturation. Predictions for the amounts of methane hydrate in the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Northern Indian Ocean are made.
Interpersonal improvement in chronically depressed patients treated with desipramine

Abstract Objective : Interpersonal difficulties of dysthymic patients are little studied. We used the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP) to assess baseline status and medication response in chronic depression. Method: 39 chronically depressed subjects answered the IIP at entry and after 10 weeks of desipramine (DMI). Seventeen DMI responders completed IIPs after a 16-week continuation phase. Results: Mean scores improved on all six IIP subscales during acute treatment. Continuation phase IIP improved non-significantly, approaching normative scores. Baseline IIP score correlated inversely with treatment outcome. Conclusions: Findings replicate in greater interpersonal detail research demonstrating rapid social amelioration in chronically depressed responders to antidepressant medication. The IIP may be useful as a predictive and interpersonal sensitivity measure in treatment studies of chronic depression.
Improved procedure for the isolation of S-adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylethionine.

Abstract Improvements in the preparation of S -adenosylmethionine and S -adenosylethionine from yeast cells are reported. For the biosynthesis of the compounds with l -configuration in the amino acid part, dried activated baker's yeast is the material of choice; for the corresponding biosynthesis from d -methionine and d -ethionine, Torulopsis is superior to Saccharomyces . Adaptive enzyme formation does not seem to play a part in the biosynthesis. The purification of the sulfonium compounds has been simplified by replacing one of the chromatographic procedures by precipitation with reinecke salt. The stability of the sulfonium compounds under storage conditions is discussed.
Odysseus almost makes it to Broadway: the "Ulysses africanus"of Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson

Between the end of 1938 and the beginning of 1939, Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson began working together on a musical comedy entitledUlysses Africanus, which was intended to be performed on Broadway. The play tells anOdyssey-like story set in the aftermath of the American Civil War. Various problems attended attempts to stage the play, and the project was eventually abandoned. Weill and Anderson later mined the play for elements of plot and several songs that were subsequently incorporated intoLost in the Stars, their best know work. While several scholars have studied the music originally written for the play, no one has yet studied its relationship to theOdyssey. While in no sense a masterpiece of dramatic art,Ulyasses Africanus—if more widely known—would certainly win a modest place among twentieth-century works influenced by Homer’sOdyssey.
Elektronenmikroskopische Beobachtungen an Fe(OH)3 und Al(OH)3, über 100°C in Gegenwart von Wasser erwärmt

Die morphologische Umwandlung von Al(OH)3 und Fe(OH)3 bei Erwarmung auf 200°C in Gegenwart von Wasser wird mit Elektronenmikroskop und Beugung untersucht. Die faserigen Kristalle von Al(OH)3 verwandeln sich in dunne und anisometrische Blattchen, und die Fe(OH)3-Teilchen werden ungefahr rundliche und dichte Kristalle. Dieses unterschiedliche kolloidchemische Verhalten dieser uberhitzten Hydroxyde erklart sich offenbar aus der verschiedenen Morphologie der Teilchen.
Characterization of a lactic acid bacterium, Carnobacterium piscicola LK5, with activity against Listeria monocytogenes at refrigeration temperatures

A lactic acid bacterium (LK5) originally isolated from raw ground beef was characterized in relation to its ability to inhibit the growth of Listeria monocytogenes. The isolate, which was identified as Carnobacterium piscicola, inhibited the growth of 17 of 21 strains of Listeria (L. monocytogenes, L. innocua, L. ivanovii, L. welshimeri, and L. grayii). Its activity was not due to either acid or hydrogen peroxide production, but was related to the production of a heat stable bacteriocin. The isolate was most active against L. monocytogenes at refrigeration temperatures due to the combined effect of the pathogen's increased susceptibility, LK5's rapid growth rate, and enhanced bacteriocin production at low temperatures. Examination of the effect of inoculum ratios in co-cultures of C. piscicola LK5 and L. monocytogenes Scott A indicated that the lactic acid bacterium was active against L. monocytogenes even when the initial level of the pathogen was 100-fold greater. Evaluation of the impact of oxygen availability, initial pH, and sodium chloride content on the effectiveness of LK5 suggested that the isolate could be used to suppress the growth of Listeria in a variety of refrigerated foods.
Modeling consumer-perceived web application fault severities for testing

Despite the growing usage of web applications, extreme resource constraints during their development frequently leave them inadequately tested. Because testing may be perceived as having a low return on investment for web applications, we believe that providing a consumer-perceived fault severity model could allow developers to prioritize faults according to their likelihood of impacting consumer retention, encouraging web application developers to test more effectively. In a study involving 386 humans and 800 web application faults, we observe that an arbitrary human judgment of fault severity is unreliable. We thus present two models of fault severity that outperform individual humans in terms of correctly predicting the average consumer-perceived severity of web application faults. Our first model uses human annotations of fault surface features, and is 87% accurate at identifying low-priority, non-severe faults. We also present a fully automated conservative model that correctly identifies 55% of non-severe faults without missing any severe faults. Both models outperform humans at flagging severe faults, and can substitute or reinforce humans by prioritizing faults encountered in web application development and testing.
A multiplier decomposition method to analyze poverty alleviation

Abstract The objective of this paper is to present a multiplier decomposition method focusing on poverty alleviation. The decomposition captures the various mechanisms and linkages through which a production sector's output contributes to poverty alleviation within a socioeconomic system represented by a Social Accounting Matrix (SAM). It is shown that a multiplier can be broken down into two multiplicative effects, the distributional and interdependency effects. The decomposition method is applied to the case of Indonesia. A key policy implication is that the human capital of the poor needs to be enhanced if they are not to be sealed off from the industrialization process.
Design and manufacturing enablement for three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (ICs)

This paper presents an overview of design and manufacturing readiness for silicon interposer based 3D integration. We present a field programmable gate array research and development vehicle to demonstrate the capabilities of 3D technology. The characterization results show minimal performance impact due to through silicon via (TSV) to 10Gbps transceivers and potential improvement in performance by integrating metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor on silicon interposer. We also provide an overview of various process steps involved in the creation and integration of TSV on silicon interposer and methods to optimize them for performance and cost. Cost reduction can be achieved by process optimization at an integrated or holistic level, better alignment of interposer specification with application requirements, and die-package co-design.
Thermal oxidation of deuterated polypropylenes

This paper describes some of the aspects of the thermal oxidation of deuterated isotactic polypropylenes. Several polymers of propylene, deuterated at different sites along the polymer chain, were subjected to a kinetic treatment designed to establish the comparative rates of oxidation at different temperatures. Infrared spectroscopy was used to follow the kinetics over the temperature interval 100–130°C. These experiments have shown the existence of a deuterium isotope effect for the thermal oxidation of polypropylene.
Enhanced dispersion in groundwater caused by temporal changes in recharge rate and lake levels

Dispersion of solutes in groundwater is caused mainly by spatial variation in aquifer properties (i.e., heterogeneity) but additional dispersion can be induced by temporal fluctuations in the flow field. We studied dispersion of an oxygen isotope plume in an aquifer in northern Wisconsin, where significant fluctuations in the velocity field are caused by temporal changes in recharge rate and lake levels. The enhanced vertical spreading caused by these transient effects was quantified by tracking pathlines for approximately 32 years of simulated time in a transient cross-sectional model of the groundwater flow system. In this system heterogeneity, fluctuations in recharge rate, and distance from the transient boundary stresses have a significant influence on the vertical transverse dispersion of the plume, while dispersion caused by fluctuations in lake levels alone have a relatively small effect.
Rotational diffusivity of rodlike molecules in amorphous polymeric matrices

In this note, scaling laws for rotational diffusivity of dilute monodisperse rigid-rod molecules (guest rods) in semidilute amorphous polymer solutions (host molecules) are derived. The coillike matrix molecules are modeled as a collection of flexibly connected rigid subunits. This allows an analogy with the Doi-Edwards theory for monodisperse rigid rods in semidilute solutions to be used in the analysis. Very strong dependencies are predicted for the rotational diffusivity of the rods on host polymer volume fraction and rod length. In semidilute polymer solutions the coils dramatically hinder the rotational freedom of the rods for r2 ≫ ψp−1, r being the rod aspect ratio and ψp the polymer volume fraction.
Consequences of wall stiffness for a β -soft potential

Modifications of the infinite square well E(5) and X(5) descriptions of transitional nuclear structure are considered. The eigenproblem for a potential with linear sloped walls is solved. The consequences of the introduction of sloped walls and of a quadratic transition operator are investigated.
POWER DENSITY CONSIDERATIONS FOR PERMANENT MAGNET MACHINES

Abstract Electrical motors and generators used on mobile platforms--including aircraft and ship and land vehicles--are required to exhibit as high a power density as practically possible. With the advent of high-energy permanent magnets, it appears possible to build permanent magnet machines which can compete with electrically excited machines in terms of power density. This paper presents a discussion of the power density limitations as they apply to synchronous-type permanent magnet machines using rare earth cobalt permanent magnets. It also presents guidelines for future material development necessary to improve the power density of this class of machines.
The incidence and significance of pulmonic regurgitation after pulmonary valvulotomy.

Abstract Detailed clinical and hemodynamic studies were made in 23 patients after surgical correction of valvular pulmonic stenosis. In each, pulmonic regurgitation was shown to be present by the appearance of a diastolic murmur postoperatively and/or by the results of indicator-dilution studies made during postoperative cardiac catheterization. The latter method proved that the pulmonic valve was incompetent in every patient in whom it was applied, including those in whom no diastolic murmur was audible. Satisfactory relief of stenosis was achieved in every patient but right ventricular prominence frequently persisted radiographically in spite of electro-cardiographic evidence of regression of right ventricular hypertrophy. These findings suggest that the principal response to the incompetent valve is ventricular dilatation. The results of the study indicate that pulmonic regurgitation is an invariable sequel to adequate pulmonary valvulotomy. In the absence of an associated lesion, however, the hemodynamic burden imposed by the regurgitant flow is apparently well tolerated.
Metabolic and biomechanical effects of velocity and weight support using a lower-body positive pressure device during walking.

Grabowski AM. Metabolic and biomechanical effects of velocity and weight support using a lower-body positive pressure device during walking. Arch Phys Med Re- habil 2010;91:951-7. Objectives: To determine how changes in velocity and weight support affect metabolic power and ground reaction forces (GRFs) during walking using a lower-body positive pressure (LBPP) device. To find specific velocity and weight combinations that require similar aerobic demands but different peak GRFs. Design: Repeated measures. Setting: University research laboratory. Participants: Healthy volunteer subjects (N10). Interventions: Subjects walked 1.00, 1.25, and 1.50m/s on a force-measuring treadmill at normal weight (1.0 body weight (BW)) and at several fractions of BW (.25, .50, .75, .85 BW). The treadmill was enclosed within an LBPP apparatus that supported BW. Main Outcome Measures: Metabolic power, GRFs, and stride kinematics. Results: At faster velocities, peak GRFs and metabolic demands were greater. In contrast, walking at lower fractions of BW attenuated peak GRFs and reduced metabolic demand compared with normal weight walking. Many combinations of velocity and BW resulted in similar aerobic demands, yet walking faster with weight support lowered peak GRFs com- pared with normal weight walking. Conclusions: Manipulating velocity and weight using an LBPP device during treadmill walking can reduce force yet maintain cardiorespiratory demand. Thus, LBPP treadmill training devices could be highly effective for rehabilitation after orthopedic injury and/or orthopedic procedures.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF ASTER CURTUS (ASTERACEAE), A PACIFIC NORTHWEST ENDEMIC

Aspects of the reproductive biology of Aster curtus were investigated to shed light on the current rarity of the species, which is endemic to grasslands of western Washington and Oregon. A bagging experiment showed that excluding insect pollinators significantly decreased the production of viable seeds. Where insects were allowed access, seed production by this perennial forb was not unusually low. Seeds of A. curtus exposed to light germinated over a wide range of temperatures, but few seeds germinated in the dark. Stratification improved germination. Aster curtus was shown to be a stress-tolerant species that grows very slowly under all conditions. Although seed production and germination do not appear to limit A. curtus, competition from other species probably restricts seedling recruitment in undisturbed communities. Habitat loss due to agriculture, urban expansion, and the natural conversion of grasslands to Douglas fir forests appears to be a more important reason for the historic loss of A. curtus populations. RARE SPECIES now receive considerable attention in the United States due to their recognition in laws such as the Endangered Species Act of 1973. At least in part because of these laws, much of the work on rare species emphasizes their preservation (Meagher, Antonovics and Primack, 1978; Morse and Henifin, 1981; Synge, 1981). Where a rare species exists as a single population, it may be impossible to gather the life history data necessary to preserve the species without damaging the population (Kruckeberg and Rabinowitz, 1985). Thus, a general understanding of rare species, derived from studies of narrow endemics and comparisons with common species, may be the only basis for managing extremely rare species. The study described here was an attempt to determine which aspects of the life history of Aster curtus Cronq. contribute to its rarity. Aster curtus is a perennial forb native to lowelevation grasslands of the Pacific Northwest. It is a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1985) and it is on the list of threatened taxa in Washington (Washington Natural Heritage Program, 1984). Two small popula
On the maximal achievable accuracy in nonlinear filtering problems

The optimal filtering error for a class of nonlinear cone-bounded filtering problems is analyzed for the case of observation noise intensity tending to zero. A sufficient condition for the resulting optimal error covariance matrix to tend to zero is derived by relating the nonlinear filtering problems to linear ones. The results are specialized for the case of nonlinear autoregressive moving-average (ARMA) processes. >
The effect of soil moisture upon soil albedo

Abstract The relation between albedo and water potential was determined for three soils and compared to the corresponding relation between albedo and water content. Homogeneous disks of soil were equilibrated at different water potentials, and their albedo measured outdoors, using a pyranometer with a 28° view angle. The albedo varied with water potential over a small range, different for each soil, but apparently related to texture. Outside that range, the albedo was essentially constant. This abrupt change in albedo with water potential does not accord with the mechanism proposed by Dolgov and Vinogradova (1973), which explains that the change in albedo results from the change in conformation of the soil water body, as the amount of water in the soil varies. However, it does support the mechanism of total internal reflectance proposed by Angstrom (1925). Our findings suggest that the relation between albedo and water potential can be established with fewer measurements than the relation between albedo and water content.
A Scale to Measure Nonattachment: A Buddhist Complement to Western Research on Attachment and Adaptive Functioning

The Buddhist notion of "nonattachment" (release from mental fixations) is related to but distinguishable from the Western construct of attachment. Secure (or insecure) attachment is based on internal working models related to security (or insecurity), whereas nonattachment is based on insight into the constructed and impermanent nature of mental representations. Based on historical and contemporary Buddhist scholarship, we designed the Nonattachment Scale and evaluated its psychometric properties in various samples. We also present evidence consistent with Buddhist theory that nonattachment is psychologically and socially adaptive, and we offer directions for further research on nonattachment.
Theoretical model of new beam quality paradigm for high-power laser optics

In this paper we describe a different mathematical technique which derives from the MTF of a system. This technique evaluates the loss of flux density in the central lobe of the Airy Disc caused by aberration of the diffraction image caused by the mode shape of the laser cavity, the thermal-mechanical distortion of the optical components in the high power laser beam train and ultimately the focusing optical components. The theoretical model, which we call Central Lobe Energy Distribution Technique, provides the equations for evaluating optical distortion caused by the absorbed thermal flux density on the mirrors, the mechanical bowing and subsequent distortion of the mounting configuration and the criteria for sizing the optical components in relation to the laser beam diameter. A comparison is made for both the Strehl criteria and for the M2 technique, showing examples.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Fault Diagnosis, Prognosis and Self-Reconfiguration for Nonlinear Dynamic Systems Using Soft Computing Techniques

Diagnosis and prognosis are processes of assessment of a system's health. The former is an assessment about the current health of a system based on observed symptoms, while the latter is an assessment of the future health. System reconfiguration or accommodation is essential once faults are detected and identified. This paper presents model-free fault diagnosis, prognosis and self-reconfiguration using soft computing techniques (i.e. neural networks, fuzzy logic and Taguchi methods). A three-tank nonlinear dynamic system was chosen to demonstrate the presented techniques. The diagnosis detects and classifies a fault, and also determines the degree of each fault. The prognosis estimates the remaining life at any time. While a fault cannot be repaired by itself, the faulty system can be quickly reconfigured to avoid reaching the catastrophic level. A fast self-reconfiguration technique by means of instant optimization and fuzzy inference is presented.
Sequential Outbreaks of Infections by Distinct Acinetobacter baumannii Strains in a Public Teaching Hospital in Houston, Texas

Invasive disease due to Acinetobacter baumannii is an increasing problem in health care settings worldwide. Whether certain clones of A. baumannii are more likely to cause invasive disease in hospitalized patients is unknown. We studied all patients at a public teaching hospital in Houston, Texas, from whom the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex was isolated over a 14-month period in 2005 to 2006. One hundred seven unique patient isolates were identified, with 87 of the strains classified as being A. baumannii, the majority of which were multidrug resistant. The A. baumannii isolates were comprised of 18 unique pulsed-field types, with strains of clone A and clone B accounting for 66 of the 87 isolates. Epidemiologic analysis showed the predominance of the two A. baumannii clones at distinct time periods, with the remainder of the A. baumannii and non-A. baumannii strains being evenly distributed. Patients from whom clone A strains were isolated were more likely to be bacteremic than were patients with other A. baumannii isolates. Conversely, clone B strains were more likely to be isolated from patients with tertiary peritonitis. Patients from whom clone A was isolated had a significantly higher rate of mortality. Multilocus sequence typing demonstrated that clones A and B are related to each other and to A. baumannii strains previously isolated in Western Europe, sharing five of seven alleles. Taken together, we conclude that the outbreak of the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex in our institution was due to two distinct A. baumannii clones that were associated with significantly different patient outcomes.
Lessons learned from a yearlong deployment of customizable breast cancer tablet computers

Patient-centered technologies demonstrate great promise for users, however they often focus on solitary moments or singular tasks within a broader healthcare journey. We utilized a technology probe to investigate how patients managing long-term diseases use flexible health tools throughout their health journeys. Through a yearlong deployment, we provided 36 cancer patients with a suite of resources on customizable mobile tablets. The majority of our participants did engage with the technology throughout treatment and into survivorship. We analyzed participants' tablet adoption, usage patterns, and customization and describe how each of these influenced technology engagement and changes in use. Finally, we identified a set of lessons researchers can use to guide the design of future patient-centered technologies. Specifically, we discovered that customizable tools reveal insights into patients' goals and values, integrating health and non-health resources encourages participants to return to health resources when needed, and a need exists to expand our definition of health resources.
Application of multivariable measurement and control strategies to a problem in heat conduction

A detailed analysis of the boundary control of a one-dimensional heat conduction system is performed using recent results in multivariable feedback theory. Non-interacting control, optimal control, inverse Nyquist array and characteristic locus techniques were applied to the system. An analysis is made of the potential improvements in performance through the use of extra measurements and through the change in measurement location. Results show the advantages and disadvantages of the techniques and point to the flexibility of the characteristic locus method with and without the squaring down of extra measurements.
Learnable similarity functions and their applications to clustering and record linkage

Many problems in machine learning and data mining depend on distance estimates between observations, e.g., instance-based classification, clustering, information retrieval, and record linkage in databases. However, the appropriate notion of similarity can vary depending on the particular domain, dataset, or task at hand. Consequently, a large number of functions that compute similarity between objects have been developed for different data types, varying greatly in their expressiveness, mathematical properties, and assumptions (Gusfield 1997; Duda, Hart, & Stork 2001). Additionally, there exists a substantial body of research on feature space transformations that attempt to provide a more salient representation of data than the original feature space, e.g. Principal Component Analysis (Jolliffe 1986) and Locally Linear Embedding (Saul & Roweis 2003). All of these techniques make certain assumptions about the optimal representation of data and its influence on computing similarity which may or may not be applicable for specific datasets and tasks. Therefore, it is desirable to learn accurate similarity functions from training data to capture the correct notion of distance for a particular task at hand in a given domain. Recently, several approaches have been suggested for training such functions using pairwise relations between instances, e.g. pairwise equivalence (Ristad & Yianilos 1998; Cohen & Richman 2002), common cluster membership (Xing et al. 2003), and relative comparisons (Schultz & Joachims 2004). These approaches have shown improvements over traditional similarity functions for different data types such as vectors in Euclidean space, strings, and database records composed of multiple text fields. While these initial results are encouraging, there still remains a large number of similarity functions that are currently unable to adapt to a particular domain. In our research, we attempt to bridge this gap by developing both new learnable similarity functions and methods for their application to particular problemsin machine learning and data mining. In preliminary work, we proposed two learnable similarity functions for strings that adapt distance computations given training pairs of equivalent and non-equivalent strings (Bilenko & Mooney 2003a). The first function is based on a probabilistic model of edit distance with affine gaps (GusCopyright c
Awards: ASCE Technical Council on Forensic Engineering

The ASCE Technical Council on Forensic Engineering (TCFE) has announced the recipients of the 2009 and 2010 Forensic Engineering Awards, planned for presentation at the Sixth Forensic Engineering Congress, in San Francisco, California, October 31-November 3, 2012. The Forensic Engineering Award recognizes individuals for outstanding contributions to the field of forensic engineering. The award is not necessarily given every year. There have been 13 recipients since the establishment of the award in 1989. Past recipients of the award are John P. Bachner (1990), Jack R. Janney (1991), Joseph S. Ward (1992), Lev Zetlin (1993), George F. Sowers (1994), Kenneth L. Carper (1997), Narbey Khachaturian (1998), John M. Hanson (1999), W. Gene Corley (2002), Paul F. Mlakar (2003), Lewis L. Zickel (2006), Howard F. Greenspan (2007) and Henry Petroski (2008).
Nonclassical Transport Proteins and Peptides: An Alternative to Classical Macromolecule Delivery Systems

The number of peptides and proteins known to exhibit nonclassical transport activity has increased significantly in recent years. In most cases, these entities have been studied in relation to their ability to deliver high molecular weight compounds, including proteins and DNA, for the ultimate purpose of developing new drug delivery strategies. In this review, an overview of the various types of vectors is presented. The in vitro and in vivo delivery successes of this technology, as well as preliminary therapeutic efforts, are described. Although a comprehensive mechanism of nonclassical transport has not yet been clearly established, we propose a straightforward model based on the cationic nature of the vectors and the need for lack of highly organized structure. In this hypothesis we suggest that the movement of polycations is mediated by a network of extra- and intracellular polyanions while transport across the bilayer is facilitated by cation–π interactions between the vectors' basic groups and aromatic amino acid side chains in the bilayer spanning helices of membrane proteins. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.
Slip and fracture in brittle solids

Abstract The conclusion is reached that the condition for slip and fracture in a solid must be expressed by an inequality rather than an equation to meet the requirements imposed by general stress distributions. A general condition for slip and fracture is proposed and it is found that a special case of this condition suffices to explain the slight deviations of the planes of slip and fracture from the planes of maximum shearing stress which are sometimes observed in ordinary tension and compression tests on flat plates. Defining a perfectly brittle body as one in which slip and fracture will occur without plastic deformation, it is shown that a slip discontinuity will be propagated in such bodies with the velocity of a longitudinal wave and the velocity of a crack will be equal to the velocity of a shear wave in the strained medium. The more realistic case where plastic deformation precedes the occurrence of fracture has not been discussed specifically; however, it is surmised from the results of one of our earlier papers that the velocity of propagation of a crack in the presence of plastic deformation will be less than the velocity of a shear wave and will depend on the rate of energy release which is considered to be one of the characteristic features of the fracture process.
An efficient self-oscillating mixer for communications

The optical control of the distributed electronics in phased array antennas requires specialized circuits which are compatible with the T/R level data mixing architecture. This paper presents a novel circuit, a push-pull self-oscillating mixer, that can provide the following important advantages: 1) very stable free running oscillation and low FM noise without using a frequency stabilizing dielectric resonator; 2) large subharmonic injection locking range; 3) high frequency conversion efficiency; and 4) low noise figure for the self-oscillating mixer. This proposed circuit efficiently oscillates and mixes with a low prime power consumption. A circuit topology based on this concept was analyzed and designed at 12 GHz using a MESFET pair. Efficient subharmonic injection locking was demonstrated by selecting the optimum operating point corresponding to efficient mixing. The measured down-conversion gain was as high as 13 dB with a double sideband noise figure of 8 dB. This topology can be directly applied for MMIC applications. >
Development of PCR Assays for Diagnosis and Detection of the Pathogens Phacidiopycnis washingtonensis and Sphaeropsis pyriputrescens in Apple Fruit.

Abstract Speck rot caused by Phacidiopycnis washingtonensis and Sphaeropsis rot caused by Sphaeropsis pyriputrescens are two recently reported postharvest diseases of apple. Infection by these two pathogens occurs in the orchard but remains latent before harvest. Symptoms develop after harvest and are similar to those of gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. Accurate diagnosis of these diseases is important during the fruit inspection process, particularly in the instance of fruit destined for export. Early near-harvest detection of latent infections in apple fruit is an important step to implement relevant pre- and postharvest measures for disease control. The aim of this study was to develop polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for diagnosis and early detection of latent infections of apple fruit by P. washingtonensis and S. pyriputrescens. Species-specific primers based on the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region were designed for use in PCR assays. Conventional and real-time PCR assays w...
A Collision Between Dynamics and Thermodynamics

Philosophers of science have found the literature surrounding Maxwell's demon deeply problematic. This paper explains why, summarizing various philosophical complaints and adding to them. The first part of the paper critically evaluates attempts to exorcise Maxwell's demon; the second part raises foundational questions about some of the putative demons that are being summoned.
Optimization of toroidal field coil conductor properties for BPX

Mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties, as well as its commercial availability in large plate form, made CDA C17510 copper alloy the primary candidate for use as the TF (toroidal field) coil conductor. Research was performed in order to improve the material properties. A set of small plates having different production processes was produced with enhanced strength, ductility, and electrical conductivity. Results of the program led to the production of a C17510 plate with properties optimized for the BPX (Burning Plasma Experiment). >
Systems with More Than One Degree of Freedom

Thus far, the theory of vibration of damped and undamped single degree of freedom systems was considered. Both free and forced motions of such systems were discussed and the governing differential equations and their solutions were obtained. Basic concepts and definitions, which are fundamental in understanding the vibration of single degree of freedom systems, were introduced. It is the purpose of this chapter to generalize the analytical development presented in the preceding chapters to the case in which the systems have more than one degree of freedom. We will start with the free and forced vibrations of both damped and undamped two degree of freedom systems.
Contagion or Real Linkages? Some Evidence from China's Emerging Parallel Markets

This paper empirically tests the existence of contagion using data on China's five parallel markets with different entry barriers for foreign capital. Taking the 1997 stock market crash as our experiment and using data on A, B and H shares, red chips and American depository receipts, the present paper tests whether these China-backed market returns respond differently to foreign shocks during the pre-1997 and post-1997 crash period. Evidence suggests that the contagion effects are stronger in markets with fewer entry barriers. An important implication of our findings is that countries vulnerable to contagion could be justified to impose some limits on capital flows.