cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perturbative QCD, Baryons, and Baryon Resonances

We will discuss applications of QCD using perturbation theory to baryons1,2 and to the baryon resonances. The subjects that nuclear physicists study are changing and Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is presumably the correct theory for the strong interactions, so that this is a suitable subject for this institute. At the same time, we should remember that many of the consequences of QCD, and all the ones to be mentioned in these lectures, are derived using perturbation theory and so are valid only at higher momentum transfers, perhaps at the upper reaches of what will be got at CEBAF. There are many motivations for pursuing these studies. The predictions are testable and this is always an encouragement to the experimenter. We can see what limits traditional nuclear physics must approach as the kinematics becomes more extreme. We may get some idea where the boundary lies between the “strong interaction region of QCD” (i.e., traditional nuclear modeling) and the “asymptotically free” region of QCD.
Sex ratio shift in offspring of male fixed-wing naval aviation officers.

ABSTRACTThe concept that aviators father more daughters than sons is a persistent rumor within aviation circles. This study was designed to determine the sex ratio among offspring of male fixed-wing naval aviation officers and to look for associations between sex ratio, flight hours, and mission. Through an online questionnaire, we asked for gender and date of birth of the child, monthly flying hours during the 4 months before conception, and the type of aircraft flown. Analysis revealed that the sex ratio of offspring from all participants in our study was not statistically significantly different from the general population. However, a significant sex ratio shift favoring daughters existed as the officer flew more hours during the 11th month before birth. As the implications of this are unknown, officers should be counseled that their chance of having a son or daughter is no different than the general population.
Leibniz’s Metaphysics and Metametaphysics: Idealism, Realism, and the Nature of Substance

According to the standard view of his metaphysics, Leibniz endorses idealism: the thesis that the world is made up solely of minds or monads and their perceptual and appetitive states. Recently, this view has been challenged by some scholars, who argue that Leibniz can be seen as admitting corporeal substances, that is, animals or embodied souls, into his ontology, and that, therefore, it is false to attribute a strict idealism to him. Subtler accounts suggest that Leibniz begins his philosophical career as an advocate of (some form of) the modern ‘mechanical’ philosophy and ends his career as an idealist, raising the issue when and why Leibniz adopts his monadological metaphysics. This article argues that, given a constellation of metaphysical, logical, and theological views, Leibniz is committed to the ontological primacy of mind or form even in his ‘middle years’.
Studies of the Bradyrhizobium japonicum nodD1 promoter: a repeated structure for the nod box.

Induction of nod genes in Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium species is dependent on the presence of plant-produced flavonoids, the NodD protein, and the cis-acting nod box promoter sequence. Although the nodD (nodD1) gene in Rhizobium species is constitutively expressed, nodD1 expression in Bradyrhizobium japonicum is inducible by isoflavones in a manner similar to that of the nodYABC operon. A consensus nod box sequence is found 59 of the nodYABC operon, whereas a presumptive, nod box-like sequence is found 59 of the nodD1 gene. As an initial step toward examining the nodD1 promoter, the transcriptional start sites of the nodD1 and nodYABC operons were determined and found to be 44 and 28 bp, respectively, downstream of their respective nod box sequences. A series of deletions of the nodD1 promoter were constructed and fused to the lacZ gene. Analysis of the activity of these deletions clearly showed that the divergent nod box sequence was essential for nodD1 induction by isoflavones or soybean seed extract. The induction of nodD1 expression requires NodD1, as tested in B. japonicum and in a heterologous system, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. On the basis of these data, we analyzed the published nod box sequences and propose a new consensus sequence composed of paired 9-bp repeats. Analysis of the nodD1 nod box and synthetic constructs of the nocYABC nod box indicate that at least two 9-bp repeats are required for NodD1-mediated induction. Furthermore, insertions between the paired repeats of the nodYABC nod box suggest that orientation of the repeats on opposite faces of the DNA helix is essential for maximum nod gene expression. Images
Test anxiety and online testing: A study

Test anxiety is known to negatively affect test performance. Having students write about their testing worries before taking a test was recently shown to improve test performance by reducing test anxiety. We conducted a controlled study to replicate this result in the context of students using online Computer Science tutors unsupervised and on their own time. Instead of using open-ended expressive writing exercise, we used a multiple-choice questionnaire that addressed student anxiety. During the study, we collected data from two tutors on advanced programming concepts over three semesters. We did ANOVA analysis of the number of problems solved, score per problem and time spent per problem with treatment as the between-subjects factor. The test group solved significantly more problems and scored more points per problem than the control group on one of the two tutors, but not the other. We discuss a possible explanation for the result and the significance of addressing test anxiety for broadening participation in Computer Science.
Prasugrel use in a patient allergic to clopidogrel: effect of a drug shortage on selection of dual antiplatelet therapy.

Purpose A case illustrating multiple considerations in choosing safe and effective dual antiplatelet therapy for a patient with a history of clopidogrel allergy—including concerns relating to a national drug shortage—is described. Summary A 75-year-old woman required dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin plus a thienopyridine) after a cardiac catheterization procedure; during a prior emergency department visit for acute coronary syndrome, she had experienced an allergic reaction within 24 hours of receiving dual therapy including clopidogrel. A team of pharmacy and allergy staff determined that challenging the patient with prasugrel was the best treatment option. Key considerations in the decision-making process included (1) concerns that an alternative thienopyridine, ticlopidine, might be unavailable for long-term outpatient use due to an ongoing national drug shortage, (2) the patient’s concomitant use of metoprolol (cessation of β-blocker use is recommended for four days before attempted clopidogrel desensitization), and (3) recent reports of the safe use of prasugrel in three patients with a history of clopidogrel allergy. In the case described here, prasugrel administration was effective and did not result in adverse effects; however, the risk of cross-reactivity of clopidogrel and ticlopidine or prasugrel remains largely unknown. The case highlights the importance of careful consideration of a number of patient- and drug-specific factors in the selection of the most appropriate antiplatelet dual therapy for patients with a history of allergic reactions to clopidogrel. Conclusion A shortage of ticlopidine prompted the use of prasugrel in a clopidogrel-allergic patient requiring dual antiplatelet therapy. Prasugrel therapy was well tolerated, with no evidence of allergic reaction. Am J Health-Syst Pharm 2013; 70:511–3
Synthesis of layered sodium lanthanum selenide through ion exchange reactions

Layered hexagonal KLaSe2 ({alpha}-NaFeO{sub 2}-type) was synthesized using the reactive flux method and analyzed by powder XRD to determine its lattice constants (space group R-3m, a = 4.40508(5) A, c = 22.7838(5) A). NaLaSe{sub 2}, which normally crystallizes as a disordered rock salt structure with mixed Na+/La + 3 sites, was synthesized through a solid state ion exchange reaction at 585 deg. C from a 1:3 molar ratio mixture of KLaSe{sub 2}:NaI. The product of this reaction was hexagonally layered NaLaSe{sub 2} (space group R-3m, a = 4.3497(3) A, c = 20.808(2) A) isostructural to KLaSe{sub 2}. This product was analyzed by comparison with members of the set of solid solutions Na{sub (1-x)}K{sub (x)}LaSe{sub 2} to confirm that the extent ion exchange in this reaction was complete. Cubic (disordered) NaLaSe{sub 2} was also reacted with KI to yield the poorly crystalline hexagonally layered product with the approximate formula Na{sub 0.79}K{sub 0.21}LaSe{sub 2}.
The effects of successive distortions on a turbulent boundary layer in a supersonic flow

Experiments were conducted to investigate the response of a high-Reynolds-number turbulent boundary layer in a supersonic flow to the perturbation presented by a forward-facing ramp. Two ramps were used: one with sharp corners, the other with rounded corners having radii of curvature equal to 15 initial boundary layer thicknesses. The flow was turned through 20° in each of the compressions and expansions. Hence, there was no net change in the flow direction over the ramps and only a small change in free-stream conditions due to the entropy increase across relatively weak shocks. The two experiments gave similar results. In the middle of the relaxing boundary layer, the streamwise Reynolds stress undershot the undisturbed levels and exhibited a response similar to that observed in subsonic boundary layer flows recovering from an impulse of streamline curvature (Smits, Young & Bradshaw 1979 b ). The turbulent shear stress vanished throughout most of the boundary layer, and an overall destruction of the turbulence production mechanisms was apparent as the boundary layer exhibited a slow recovery.
Establishing the definition and inter-rater reliability of cortical silent period calculation in subjects with focal hand dystonia and healthy controls.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a clearly defined manual method for calculating cortical silent period (CSP) length that can be employed successfully and reliably by raters after minimal training in subjects with focal hand dystonia (FHD) and healthy subjects. A secondary purpose was to explore intra-subject variability of the CSP in subjects with FHD vs. healthy subjects. Two raters previously naive to CSP identification and one experienced rater independently analyzed 170 CSP measurements collected in 6 subjects with focal hand dystonia (FHD) and 9 healthy subjects. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated to quantify inter-rater reliability within the two groups of subjects. The relative variability of CSP in each group was calculated by the coefficient of variation (CV). Relative variation between raters within repeated measures of individual subjects was also quantified by CV. Reliability measures were as follows-mean of three raters: all subjects: ICC=0.976; within healthy subjects: ICC=0.965; in subjects with FHD: ICC=0.956. The median within-subject variability for the healthy group was CV=7.33% and in subjects with FHD:CV=11.78%. The median variability of calculating individual subject CSP duration between raters was CV=10.23% in subjects with dystonia and CV=10.46% in healthy subjects. Manual calculation of CSP results in excellent reliability between raters of varied levels of experience. Healthy subjects display less variability in CSP. Despite greater variability, the CSP in impaired subjects can be reliably calculated across raters.
Response of lactic acid bacteria to amino acid derivatives. III. Effect of lyophilization on utilization of phenylalanine, phenyllactic acid, and phenylpyruvic acid

Summary The response to phenylalanine, phenyllactic acid, and phenylpyruvic acid of serially transferred stab and revitalized lyophilized cultures of seven phenylalanine-requiring strains of lactic acid bacteria from the collections of the authors and the American Type Culture Collection has been investigated. Definite variations in requirements were found, particularly for Lactobacillus gayonii (8289). The implications of these findings are discussed.
Critical values and powers for tests of uniformity of directions under multivariate normality

The Rayleigh, Ajne, Gine and two new tests of uniformity of directions are investigated as tests for multivariate normality when the population mean vector and covariance matrix are assumed to be unknown. The new tests include one which is designed especially to detect for bimodal alternatives and one which is designed to perform well under a wide variety of alternatives. Simulated percentile points are obtained under the assumption that the variates constitute a random sample from a multivariate normal distribution. Powers of the five tests are compared under alternatives in the bivariate as well as higher dimensional settings.
Results of studies on advanced winged space transportation systems

Various winged spaceplane concepts which appear viable as the post-Shuttle generation of launch vehicles are reviewed. The designs all yield improvements in size and mass compared to the STS, provided certain emerging technologies are successfully applied. Single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicles would burn LOX/LH fuels in SSME-derived engines with two position nozzles. SSTO could be realized in either vertical or horizontal take-off configurations, but all would have 29,500 kg payload capacities and horizontal landing capabilities. Consideration is given to alternative fuels, the effects of adding air-breathing engines, various ways of attaching and deploying payloads, containing the fuels and providing thermal protection during reentry. It is found that similar technology advances are needed for all the concepts.
Models of Supervision: Choices

Supervision of teachers is an important part of both pre-service and in-service teacher education programs, and teacher educators have a wide choice of supervisory behaviors which they can use in the process of training second language teachers. It seems to be the case, however, that many second language teacher educators continually limit themselves to the same reasons for doing supervision and the same supervisory behaviors. This article illustrates how limiting some styles of supervision can be and then, in exploring alternative ways that supervision can be done, encourages teacher educators to experiment in their use of supervisory behaviors. Five models of supervision are discussed: 1) directive, 2) alternative, 3) collaborative, 4) non-directive, and 5) creative.
An improved vacuum formulation for 2D finite-difference modeling of Rayleigh waves including surface topography and internal discontinuities

Rayleigh waves are generated along the free surface and their propagation can be strongly influenced by surface topography. Modeling of Rayleigh waves in the near surface in the presence of topography is fundamental to the study of surface waves in environmental and engineering geophysics. For simulation of Rayleigh waves, the traction-free boundary condition needs to be satisfied on the free surface. Avacuum formulation naturally incorporates surface topographyinfinite-difference(FD) modeling by treating the surface grid nodes as the internal grid nodes. However,theconventionalvacuumformulationdoesnotcompletely fulfill the free-surface boundary condition and becomes unstableformodelingusinghigh-orderFDoperators.Wedeveloped a stable vacuum formulation that fully satisfies the free-surface boundary condition by choosing an appropriate combination of the staggered-grid form and a parameter-averaging scheme. The elastic parameters on the topographic free surface are updated with exactly the same treatment as internal grid nodes. The improved vacuum formulation can accurately and stably simulate Rayleigh waves along the topographic surface for homogeneous and heterogeneous elastic models with high Poisson’s ratios (>0.4). This method requires fewer grid points per wavelength than the stress-image-based methods. Internal discontinuities in a model can be handled without modification of the algorithm.Onlyminorchangesarerequiredtoimplementtheimproved vacuum formulation in existing 2D FD modeling codes.
On the use of co-ordinate stretching in the numeral computation of high frequency scattering

The scattering of the sound of a jet engine by an airplane fuselage is modeled by solving the axially symmetric Helmholtz equation exterior to a long thin ellipsoid. The integral equation method based on the single layer potential formulation is used. A family of coordinate systems on the body is introduced and an algorithm is presented to determine the optimal coordinate system. Numerical results verify that the optimal choice enables the solution to be computed with a grid that is coarse relative to the wavelength.
Self‐esteem as a moderator: A comparison of global and organization‐based measures

This study examined whether self-esteem moderates the relationship between role stressors and both psychological and physical strains. Unlike previous studies, however, both global and organization-based self-esteem measures were utilized. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that moderator effects would be most prevalent using the organization-based measure when both stressors and strains were measured from an organizational frame of reference. When both stressors and strains were not measured from an organizational frame of reference, it was felt that an organization-based self-esteem measure would not necessarily produce more moderator effects. Overall, results showed some support for moderator effects. However, these differed very little as a function of self-esteem measurement. Implications for the study of self-esteem in occupational stress research are discussed.
Eicosanoid activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 in human epidermoid carcinoma cells.

12(S)-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12(S)-HETE), a 12-lipoxygenase metabolite of arachidonic acid, has multiple effects on tumor and endothelial cells, including stimulation of invasion and angiogenesis. However, the signaling mechanisms controlling these physiological processes are poorly understood. In a human epidermoid carcinoma cell line (i.e. A431), 12(S)-HETE activates extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), which is mediated by upstream kinases MEK and Raf. 12(S)-HETE stimulates phosphorylation of phospholipase Cgamma1 and activity of protein kinase Calpha (PKCalpha). In addition, independent of PKC 12(S)-HETE increases tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc, and Grb2, stimulates association between Shc and Src, and increases the activity of Ras, via Src family kinases. Furthermore, at low (10-100 nm) concentrations 12(S)-HETE counteracts epidermal growth factor-stimulated activation of ERK1/2 via stimulating protein tyrosine phosphatases. We also present evidence that 12(S)-HETE stimulates ERK1/2 via G proteins and that A431 cells have multiple binding sites for 12(S)-HETE. Finally, inhibition of 12-lipoxygenase induced apoptosis of A431 cells, which was reversed by addition of exogenous 12(S)-HETE. Collectively we demonstrate that the activation of ERK1/2 by 12(S)-HETE may be regulated by multiple receptors triggering PKC-dependent and PKC-independent pathways in A431 cells.
The Effects of Tenotomy on the Morphology of the Rabbit Digastric Muscle

The digastric muscles of 17 New Zealand White rabbits were subjected to tenotomy. A sham operation was performed on six animals. Groups of three or four animals were killed at one hour, one day, 10 days, 30 days, and 60 days after the tenotomy. There was evidence of tendon regeneration by 10 days, and by 30 days the tendon appeared normal macroscopically. The tendon was normal in microscopic appearance in the animals examined at 60 days.Muscle belly length and fascicle length decreased after the tenotomy, and the angle of pinnation increased. Sarcomere lengths underwent a transient decrease within one hour of the tenotomy, but then were as long as or longer than those in the sham-operated group.A biomechanical analysis suggests that the net result of the morphological changes produced by the tenotomy leads to a reduction in force capability of only about 12%. The shorter belly and fascicle lengths, however, may diminish the effective range over which effective force can be exerted.
Plate Tectonics and New Proposed Intercontinental Reconstruction: ABSTRACT

Published reconstructions of the pre-drift positions of North and South America have failed to take into account many geologic continuities present in the Paleozoic fold belts of southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and northwestern South America. The well-known Bullard "fit" terminates Mexico at about 23°N lat., but if southern Mexico and Central America are added, they overlap the Guianan shield of South America. Dietz and Holden attempted to solve this problem by postulating crustal blocks that filled the Gulf of Mexico and subsequently rotated southwestward to form part of Central America. We propose a new reconstruction in which the Gulf of Mexico is completely closed by northern South America and where Mexico is adjacent to northern and northwestern South America. The evidence for this reconstruction is found in the similar geologic history of the Appalachian, Ouachita, Marathon, and Coahuila fold belts as well as throughout the eastern Andean Cordillera of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. We further propose that the Gulf of Mexico resulted from (1) the separation of North and South America by spreading and transform faulting, (2) the opening of a sphenochasm to produce the Mississippi embayment, and (3) great left-lateral displacements of the initially linear Paleozoic mobile belt along the Wichita, Texas, Coahuila, and other megashears. End_of_Article - Last_Page 422------------
Soybean Cultivar Yield Response to Benomyl, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Irrigation Levels

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production for greatest yield involves intensive management of resource inputs. Proper cultivar selection, irrigation, and P application on P-deficient soils have all been shown to increase yields. Nitrogen applications have resulted in variable yield effects. Under sprinkler irrigation, several diseases caused by species of Diaporthe [D. phaseolorum var. sojae (Lehman) Wehm., and D. phaseolorum var. caulivora Athow. G Caldwell.] and Phomopsis longicolla Hobbs, the Diaporthe/Phomopsis complex, may also be yield limiting (...)
Comparison of geometrical effects in radio and stellar occultations

An important difference between the radio and stellar occultation techniques for probing planetary atmospheres is that a crucial equation relating refraction angle with ray impact parameter is solved in opposite directions in the two techniques. The solution is tolerant of small geometrical errors for stellar occultations but, unfortunately, not for radio occultations.
Management of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and concurrent thyroid disease: an evolving field.

The presence of thyroid disease can complicate the evaluation and surgical management of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Retrospective analysis has shown that approximately 20–50% of patients with PHPT also have thyroid disease. 1–3 The reported incidence of thyroid malignancy in patients with PHPT is approximately 3–4%. 1,4 There is no uniformly accepted protocol for the evaluation of patients with thyroid pathology before operative intervention for PHPT. Neck exploration for PHPT normally provides excellent access to the thyroid, whereas minimally invasive parathyroidectomy offers a more limited exposure of the thyroid gland. The increased application of the minimally invasive approach has increased the reliance on preoperative imaging. Modalities for localizing abnormal parathyroid glands such as 99m Tcsestamibi scintigraphy (Tc-MIBI), I-123, and neck ultrasound can also identify thyroid pathology. Onkendi et al. analyzed the results from a series of patients with PHPT and concurrent thyroid nodules who underwent dual-isotope Tc-MIBI and radioiodine (I-123) subtraction imaging. 5 The most significant finding is that the phenotype Tc-MIBI-Hot/I-123-Cold has a negative predictive value for malignancy of 90%. Patients with the Hot/Cold phenotype were almost 3 times as likely to have a malignant thyroid lesion, indicating that these patients should be evaluated more aggressively with a lower threshold for fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and thyroid resection. Patients with thyroid nodules that had any other phenotype (Hot/Hot, Cold/Hot, Cold/Cold) had a much lower potential for thyroid malignancy, and therefore, it may be appropriate to treat these patients with close follow-up rather than FNAB or thyroid resection. Onkendi et al. further identified a group of patients who were found during surgery to have a false-positive imaging result, characterized by a Hot/Cold scan with no abnormal parathyroid found corresponding to the imaging localization. Patients with underlying thyroid malignancy were more likely to have a false-positive parathyroid scintigraphy (45% compared to 22% of patients with benign thyroid disease). These data indicate that patients undergoing neck exploration who are found to have a false-positive dual imaging result should have further intraoperative evaluation for the potential of an undiagnosed thyroid malignancy.
Evaluation of sorghum root branching using fractals

Root branching and architecture play a significant role in water and nutrient uptake, but description of these parameters has not been easy due to the difficulty of observing roots in their natural arrangement. Fractal geometry offers a novel method for studying the branching patterns of roots. Plants of ten diverse sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) genotypes (five of African origin, three of US origin and two hybrids composed of African×US lines) were grown in root boxes containing 80% sand and 20% fine-textured Sharpsburg silty clay loam topsoil. The root fractal dimension (D) and abundance (log K) were determined at nine regions within the profile. Roots were washed free of growth media and photographic slides were taken of each region. Values of D and log K were determined by projecting photographs onto grids of progressively increasing sizes. The number of intersects was regressed on log grid size. Differences in D were found among genotypes (1·44[les ]D[les ]1·89) suggesting that these sorghum genotypes may be associated with greater root branching patterns. Greater fractal dimension (branching) and abundance values occurred in the 0–35 and 35–70 cm depths of the soil profile within the root box, indicating a greater root distribution in that part of the profile. Significant differences were also noted in branching patterns for sorghum genotypes derived from different sources. In general, the African sorghums were more branched and deeper rooted than the US-derived genotypes. Results indicated that fractal dimension can be used for the description of sorghum root system morphology and provides a good measure of branching patterns which can be distinguished.
Direct observation of substrate induction of resistance mechanism in Pseudomonas aeruginosa using single live cell imaging

Abstract The resistance mechanism in three strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa , ΔABM (devoid of MexAB-OprM), WT, and nalB-1 (overexpression of MexAB-OprM), was investigated using real-time single live cell imaging and fluorescence spectroscopy. Time courses of fluorescence intensity of these three strains in ethidium bromide (EtBr) showed that accumulation kinetics and extrusion machinery were highly dependent upon pump substrate (EtBr) concentration. At high substrate concentration (100 μM), the accumulation kinetic profiles in the cells at earlier incubation times were similar to those observed in low concentration. As EtBr accumulated in the cells reached a critical concentration, the fluorescence intensity of ΔABM decreased below the fluorescence intensity of EtBr in buffer solution. This result suggested an inductive mechanism in the development of substrate resistance in P. aeruginosa . Substrates appeared to trigger the degradation of EtBr in ΔABM. Unlike bulk measurements, single live cell imaging overcame the ensemble measurement of bulk analysis and showed that efflux machinery and resistance mechanism in individual cells were not synchronized.
A Water Quality Model for Regional Stream Assessment and Conservation Strategy Development

Non-point-source (NPS) pollution remains the primary source of stream impairment in the United States. Many problems such as eutrophication, sedimentation, and hypoxia are linked with NPS pollution which reduces the water quality for aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Increasingly, NPS pollution models have been used for landscape-scale pollution assessment and conservation strategy development. Our modeling approach functions at a scale between simple landscape-level assessments and complex, data-intensive modeling by providing a rapid, landscape-scale geographic information system (GIS) model with minimal data requirements and widespread applicability. Our model relies on curve numbers, literature-derived pollution concentrations, and land status to evaluate total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and suspended solids (SS) at the reach scale. Model testing in the Chesapeake Bay watershed indicated that predicted distributions of water quality classes were realistic at the reach scale, but precise estimates of pollution concentrations at the local scale can have errors. Application of our model in the tributary watersheds along Lake Ontario suggested that it is useful to managers in watershed planning by rapidly providing important information about NPS pollution conditions in areas where large data gaps exist, comparisons among stream reaches across numerous watersheds are required, or regional assessments are sought.
Cerebellar and parkinsonian phenotypes in multiple system atrophy: similarities, differences and survival

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a neurodegenerative disease with two motor phenotypes: parkinsonian (MSA-P) and cerebellar (MSA-C). To elucidate whether in addition to the motor abnormalities there are other significant differences between these phenotypes, we performed a retrospective review of 100 patients (61 males, 39 females) with a diagnosis of possible (12 %), or probable (88 %) MSA. Four patients eventually had post-mortem confirmation (i.e., definite MSA). Sixty percent were classified as having MSA-P and 40 % as MSA-C. MSA-C and MSA-P patients had similar male prevalence (60 %), age of onset (56 ± 9 years), and frequency of OH (69 %). Brain MRI abnormalities were more frequent in MSA-C patients (p < 0.001). Mean survival was 8 ± 3 years for MSA-C and 9 ± 4 years for MSA-P patients (p = 0.22). Disease onset before 55 years predicted longer survival in both phenotypes. Initial autonomic involvement did not influence survival. We conclude that patients with both motor phenotypes have mostly similar survivals and demographic distributions. The differences here identified could help counseling of patients with MSA.
Advances in contrast enhancement for DLP projection displays

Increased contrast ratios are essential to the continued success of DLP products in the marketplace, from rear-projection televisions and home-theatre systems to large venue displays and DLP Cinema. The contrast of DLP projection systems has increased steadily over the past 5 years due to improvements in illumination and projection optics, as well as changes to the DMD itself. The authors will present an overview of the contrast performance of DLP projectors over time as well as describe illumination and projection techniques that optimize the performance of the DMD.
On the Structure of the Homogeneous Multiprocessor

The structure of the homogeneous multiprocessor where each processing element owns its local memory and has access to the memory elements of its two immediate neighbors via dypamically created extended buses is discussed. The algorithm that controls the operation of the extended buses is presented and liveness and safeness properties for the algorithm are proven. Finally, potential uses of the homogeneous multiprocessor, in the fields of image processing and neural network simulation are outlined.
The relationship of light duration to oxygen consumption in the green, freshwater sponge Spongilla lacustris

Abstract 1. 1. Oxygen consumption of green Spongilla lacustris in the light is lower than that in the dark. 2. 2. The relationship between oxygen consumption (OC in μl O 2 /mg dry wt/hr) and hours of continuous light (HL) is: OC = 1.207—0.0143 (HL) 2 . 3. 3. For light durations greater than 9 hr. symbiotic zoochlorellae produce photosynthetically derived oxygen in excess of the needs of the symbiotic complex.
Nociception before and after exercise in rats bred for high and low aerobic capacity

Exercise and stress are known to influence pain perception. However, little is known about how level of fitness influences pain perception and the experience of pain. In the present study, pain perception before and after exercise to exhaustion was examined in 6 rats systematically bred to have a high aerobic capacity (HCR animals) and 6 rats systematically bred to have a low aerobic capacity (LCR animals). HCR animals had significantly higher pain thresholds compared to LCR animals before and after exercise (7.66 s compared to 6.01 s, t = −3.07, p < .05; and 6.89 s versus 4.73 s, t = − 3.73, p < .01, respectively). In addition, both groups of animals displayed evidence of hyperalgesia following exercise compared to baseline. However, the pain thresholds of HCR animals returned to baseline levels faster than LCR animals following exercise. The findings support the hypothesis that level of fitness plays a role in the perception of pain. In addition, a higher level of fitness may serve as buffer against the effects of stress and help to reduce or prevent the experience of clinical pain. Further research is needed to examine the mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon.
NEOCAM: The Near Earth Object Chemical Analysis Mission

The prime measurement objective of the Near Earth Object Chemical Analysis Mission (NEOCAM) is to obtain the ultraviolet spectra of meteors entering the terrestrial atmosphere from ∼125 to 300 nm in meteor showers. All of the spectra will be collected using a slitless ultraviolet spectrometer in Earth orbit. Analysis of these spectra will reveal the degree of chemical diversity in the meteors, as observed in a single meteor shower. Such meteors are traceable to a specific parent body and we know exactly when the meteoroids in a particular shower were released from that parent body (Asher, in: Arlt (ed.) Proc. International Meteor Conference, 2000; Lyytinen and van Flandern, Earth Moon Planets 82–83:149–166, 2000). By observing multiple apparitions of meteor showers we can therefore obtain quasi-stratigraphic information on an individual comet or asteroid. We might also be able to measure systematic effects of chemical weathering in meteoroids from specific parent bodies by looking for correlations in the depletions of the more volatile elements as a function of space exposure (Borovicka et al., Icarus 174:15–30, 2005). By observing the relation between meteor entry characteristics (such as the rate of deceleration or breakup) and chemistry we can determine if our meteorite collection is deficient in the most volatile-rich samples. Finally, we can obtain a direct measurement of metal deposition into the terrestrial stratosphere that may act to catalyze atmospheric chemical reactions.
Critical Loading During Serve: Modeling Stress-Induced Bone Growth in Performance Tennis Players

On September 27, 2004 Andy Roddick hit the current world record 155 mph serve in his Davis Cup match against Belarus, which set him up with three match points against Vladimir Voltchkov. By that time, at 22 years of age, Roddick had broken his own speed record for the third time. In tennis, like in almost all other high performance sports, professional athletes tend to reach their peak performance at a much younger age than they used to several decades ago. Accordingly, athletes have to start full-time practice in their early childhood that strongly overlaps with the period of skeletal and muscular development. It is the responsibility of their coaches and physicians to design efficient training programs targeted at maximal performance and minimal risk of injury. Biomechanics can play a crucial role in supporting the design of these training strategies. By predicting the functional adaptation of bones and muscles, biomechanics simulation can help to explain and eventually prevent common forms of injuries caused by chronic overuse.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Exact solutions of gas-particle nozzle flows

An exact invei se method foi the calculation of gaspal tide flows, with aibitraiy velocity and temperature lags, in locket nozzles is presented In this method, the functional dependence of the particle velocity is assumed, and the corresponding nozzle shape and flow" paiameters ate calculated It is shown that, foi paiticle velocities of aibitrary complexities, the exact deteimination of the flow field and nozzle shape i equires, at most, two quadratui es The method is illustrated by an example
214 EFFECT OF DOPAMINE AND VOLUME EXPANSION ON VISCERAL BLOOD FLOW IN ACUTE ABDOMINAL DISTENSION (AAD)

We have shown that AAD reduces visceral blood flow(BF).cardiac index(CI), and urine output(UO) in the dog. To see if BF and UO could be restored by dopamine (D) and/or volume expansion (V), 7 chloralose anesthetized dogs had their abdomens distended with N2 gas to 20 mmHg. Each experiment had five 30 minute steps––two distention control(C) periods and three intervention periods (D at 10μg/kg/min; V(D5LR) at 40 ml/kg/30'; or V+D). Left ventricular, pulmonary artery, aortic(Aop), inferior vena cava(IVC), and abdominal pressures were measured. Animals were sacrificed and renal cortical(ren), small bowel(sbo), and liver(lvr) samples obtained. BF was measured by radioactive microspheres. Results (X±SEM, *p<0.05 vs C; †p<0.01 vs C) In the presence of AAD, both V and D enhance abdominal visceral BF apparently in excess of their effects on driving pressure (Aop-IVC). UO and CI were significantly increased by V but unaltered by D. Thus, in the setting of AAD, V appears superior to D in restoring UO and systemic perfusion.
Integrative Research Review of Risk Behaviors Among Adolescents in Rural, Suburban, and Urban Areas

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this integrative review was to describe the state of the science regarding adolescent risk behaviors, with particular emphasis on comparisons among rural, urban, and suburban populations. Method: The review was done at two levels, moving from the major national survey studies which included data collected in the late 1980s up to 1993, to more focused topical areas including studies with data collection and publication between 1990 and 1996 within each identified category of adolescent health issues. A total of 137 published works across several disciplines were reviewed. Suggestions for clinical practice were drawn from the significant research findings. In addition, risk behaviors were compared to national baseline data and objectives. Results: The level of research in this topic area was primarily descriptive. Currently, only a small portion of the national objectives for decreasing adolescent risk behaviors have been met. Successful intervention programs, although few in number, usually included not only topical education but also adolescent interaction with peers and support systems to raise awareness and change behaviors. Conclusions: The risk behaviors for the adolescent population as a whole have been well described. Education alone is not sufficient to change behaviors. Objective outcomes must be identified and health care providers need to use research findings in their practice with adolescents. It is time to intervene with developmentally and culturally appropriate strategies. There was a large gap in the literature regarding risk behaviors and protective factors for rural adolescents. The few studies that included subjects from rural settings indicated that the view that rural adolescents are engaged in fewer or less severe risk behaviors is misleading.
Multi-input multi-output direct model reference adaptive control for systems with known nonminimum-phase zeros

This paper presents a direct model reference adaptive controller for multi-input multi-output linear systems with known nonminimum-phase zeros. This controller uses a surrogate tracking error, which approximates the true tracking error. The recursive-least-squares-based adaptive law is developed by minimizing an integral quadratic cost of the surrogate tracking error.
The relative influences of host plant genotype and yearly abiotic variability in determining herbivore abundance.

Both plant genotype and yearly abiotic variation affect herbivore population sizes, but long-term data have rarely been used to contrast the relative contributions of each. Using a hierarchical Bayesian model, we directly compare effects of these two factors on the population size of a common herbivore, Aceria parapopuli, on Populus angustifolia × fremontii F1 hybrid trees growing in a common garden across 8 years. Several patterns emerged. First, the Bayesian posterior estimates of tree genotype effects on mite gall number ranged from 0.0043 to 229 on a linear scale. Second, year effect sizes across 8 years of study ranged from 0.133 to 1.895. Third, in comparing the magnitudes of genotypic versus yearly variation, we found that genotypic variation was over 130 times greater than variation among years. Fourth, precipitation in the previous year negatively affected gall abundances, but was minimal compared to tree genotype effects. These findings demonstrate the relative importance of tree genotypic variation in determining herbivore population size. However, given the demonstrated sensitivity of cottonwoods to drought, the loss of individual tree genotypes from an altered climate would have catastrophic impacts on mites that are dependent upon these genotypes for their survival.
Combinatory piezoelectric and inductive vibration energy harvesters

This paper provides an overview of vibration energy harvesting techniques using combinatory piezoelectric and inductive vibration energy harvesters. We provide detailed analysis of both mechanisms by comparing and contrasting the design, operating principle, and performance of each harvester. After introducing the two types of mechanisms, we discuss the methods to increase the power density through optimization of electromechanical coupling factor. The electromechanical coupling factor directly couples the input mechanical energy to the output electrical energy. The paper concludes with review of state-of-the-art for combinatory vibration energy harvesters citing their volume and bandwidth.
Measuring outcomes in back care.

STUDY DESIGN Narrative review. OBJECTIVE Describe current issues of outcomes assessment in spine research, with a focus on their application to advocacy oriented research. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Outcomes measurement in back pain has advanced substantially over the past decade. METHODS Qualitative assessment of outcomes assessment methods when used in advocacy settings. RESULTS Researchers and clinicians now have multiple instruments that can assess patient outcomes with adequate psychometric properties. The domains generally assessed include: biologic measures (range of motion, fusion rate); patient-reported outcomes (functional status, quality of life); process measures (hospital days, medication use); and outcomes of interest to society (days off work, health care costs). When research is conducted in the context of advocacy work, care is needed to avoid introduction of bias into the work. Bias in outcomes assessment can occur through multiple phases of the research process, including selection of the research question, study design, measurement, choice of the outcome measures used, and analysis. Bias can also occur in assessing outcomes across studies in literature synthesis. CONCLUSIONS Transparency in research methods and clear communication can avoid many of the described pitfalls in outcomes assessment, allowing researchers to advocate appropriately for improvement in patient care.
On the theory of the synthesis of single and dual offset shaped reflector antennas

Since Kinber (Radio Technika and Engineering-1963) and Galindo (IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagat.-1963/1964) developed the solution to the circular symmetric dual shaped synthesis problem, the question of existence (and of uniqueness) for offset dual (or single) shaped synthesis has been a point of controversy. Many researchers thought that the exact offset solutions may not exist. Later, Galindo-Israel and Mittra (IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagat.-1979) and others formulated the problem exactly and obtained excellent and numerically efficient but approximate solutions. Using a technique similar to that first developed by Schruben for the single reflector problem (Journal of the Optical Society-1973), Brickell and Westcott (Proc. Institute of Electrical Engineering-1981) developed a Monge-Ampere (MA) second-order nonlinear partial differential equation for the dual reflector problem. They solved an elliptic form of this equation by a technique introduced by Rall (1979) which iterates, by a Newton method, a finite difference linearized MA equation. The elliptic character requires a set of finite difference equations to be developed and solved iteratively. Existence still remained in question. Although the second-order MA equation developed by Schruben is elliptic, the first-order equations from which the MA equation is derived can be integrated progressively (e.g., as for an initial condition problem such as for hyperbolic equations) a noniterative and usually more rapid type solution. In this paper, we have solved, numerically, the first-order equations. Exact solutions are thus obtained by progressive integration. Furthermore, we have concluded that not only does an exact solution exist, but an infinite set of such solutions exists. These conclusions are inferred, in part, from numerical results.
Racial differences in prostate cancer related to loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 8p12-23.

Abstract Purpose: To determine if there is a racial difference in prostate cancer related to loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosome 8p12–23, the region most frequently altered in prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: A total of 51 prostate cancer patients, consisting of 23 African Americans and 28 Caucasians, were included in this study. All patients underwent radical prostatectomy, and patients in the two racial subgroups were matched for median serum PSA, Gleason score, and pathological stage of cancer. Paired normal prostate and cancer tissue DNA was isolated and amplified with 13 polymorphic markers mapped to 8p12–23 by radiolabeled polymerase chain reaction. The amplified products were resolved by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, autoradiographed, and analyzed for allelic losses. Results: The overall incidence of LOH at 8p12–23 was 53%, and 16% showed homozygous deletions. The incidence of LOH in Caucasians was 68% compared to 35% in African Americans. On univariate ( p = 0.02) and multivariate logistic regression analysis ( p = 0.02), only Caucasian race was a significant predictor for LOH. The other clinicopathologic parameters did not have any significant effect on incidence of LOH. Conclusion: These results highlight the independent influence of Caucasian race on incidence of LOH at 8p12–23, and suggest that genetic differences at specific tumor suppressor loci may be a factor responsible for racial variations observed in prostate cancer.