cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship of image algebra to the optical processing of signals and imagery

A method is proposed for the optical implementation of image algebra (IA) which would map the graph of a transformed IA expression directly to an optical architecture. The IA is a concise, mathematically rigorous notation which unifies linear and nonlinear mathematics in the image domain. Due to its clarity and inherent parallelism, the IA has been successfully employed in the specifications of image- and signal-processing algorithms for parallel computers such as the ERIM Cyto-SS, Honeywell Prep, and Thinking Machines' Connection Machine (CM-1 and CM-2). In this study, we consider the utility of IA as a descriptor of optical processing, as well as the optical implementation of image-algebraic operations over a finite subset of the Euclidean plane. For real-valued imagery, many IA operations can be realized via magnitude-only computation. Thus, incoherent illumination could be employed. Algorithmic examples are derived from the signal- and image-processing literature, as well as from set and graph theory, and include insertion sorting, cellular automata, morphological image operations, and morphological neural nets. Complexity analyses and implementational issues are discussed in terms of functional properties of the IA operator set, subject to optical propagation constraints.
Periodic expansion of modules and its relation to units

Abstract A finitely generated full Z-module in an algebraic number field is seen to have a “graphically periodic” expansion, which, in turn, leads to the fundamental units of the coefficient ring. This generalizes the classical periodic simple continued fraction expansion of a real quadratic irrational.
New approach to quantum corrections in synchrotron radiation. II

Continuing our efforts to provide a simple and elegant derivation of a compact (exact) expression for the radiated power of the synchrotron radiation, we here generalize our previous discussion of the radiation by a spin-0 charged particle to that of a spin-1/2 particle. As in the spin-0 case, we compute the spectrum of the radiated power by using the proper-time method to first calculate the forward Compton scattering amplitude and then apply the optical theorem. The complication due to the inclusion of spin is handled by first decomposing the spin-1/2 states into the two subspaces of ..gamma../sup 0/, and then using the connection between the two subspaces that is provided by the Dirac equation. Aside from the simple and straightforward operator procedures in computing the result, we also obtain a very simple and compact (one parameter) integral expression for the spectral and angular distribution of the radiated power. Its high-energy, weak-field limit agrees with that obtained from the conventional approach and that from the mass operator method.
Programmatic Party Cohesion in Emerging Postcommunist Democracies: Russia in Comparative Context

Across postcommunist states, studies of electoral competition reveal variation in the capacity of political parties to compete on the basis of clearly articulated issue-based programs. Notably, the development of programmatic party competition in the Russian Federation is lagging behind other postcommunist states. Over time it is likely that democratic institutions shape the learning process that enable politicians to adjust strategies of party competition, but learning is not likely to occur at the same pace across all countries. The authors explain the observed cross-national variation in party system development as a function of the aspiring political elites'capabilities to solve social choice problems through party formation against the backdrop of past experiences with collective mobilization under and before communist rule. The authors test this model using survey data of middle-level party elites in five countries and find that legacies decisively affect elite strategies in the initial rounds of de...
The λ − τ structured inverse eigenvalue problem

Let and be real numbers that satisfy the strict second-order Cauchy interlacing inequalities for and the nondegeneracy conditions for . Given a connected graph on vertices with adjacent vertices and , it is proven that there is a real symmetric matrix whose graph is such that has eigenvalues and has eigenvalues , provided some necessary combinatorial conditions on are satisfied. We also provide generalizations when the two deleted vertices are not adjacent, as well as interpretation of the results in terms of perturbing one or two diagonal entries.
Information requirements prototyping for decision support systems

Information requirements determination for Decision Support Systems (DSS) is often inadequately handled due to premature structuring thus precluding dynamic changes in the framing of the problem by managers. A review of relevant concepts in the behavioural decision making literature is provided. Case studies from three large business organizations illustrate system problems with information requirements. The authors suggest prototyping as a more valid approach to determining information requirements.
On Hydrostatic Free Surface Problems

We consider the hydrostatic Euler equations in a strip bounded by two free surfaces. We show that the initial value problem is well-posed only if the horizontal velocity is uniform in every cross section of the strip.
The Corn Laws and High Farming

In polemical terms the repeal of the Corn Laws was by far the most important element in that legislative package which Sir Robert Peel presented to the House of Commons on the evening of 27 January I 846. But if the other elements in the package are ignored -in effect, if polemical importance is allowed to become the sole measure of significance the meaning of repeal to the men who drafted the Corn Importation Bill tends to be distorted. It becomes confused with the meaning of repeal to those other men who did so much to project the Corn Laws to the forefront of British politics. Almost inevitably, such a procedure obscures the variety of factors which made it essential that a solution to the corn law question be found. Almost inevitably, it also obscures the fundamental distinction between those factors on the one hand which made a solution essential and those on the other which, by making a solution possible, defined its nature. In large part the need to do something about the Corn Laws derived from their growing polemical importance. In the context of such new types of social movement as Chartism, which focused attention on class unity and the lines of division between classes, the Corn Laws served to reinforce the status of the existing elites of both town and countryside by re-emphasizing the notion that the prosperity of the various classes which composed the same interest group was primarily affected not by one another but by a rival interest group. However, the Corn Laws only served to strengthen the traditional units of British society up to that point at which the dangers inherent in interest group rivalry did not exceed the benefits inherent in interest group cohesion. By i846 many men believed such a point had been reached. As a rule, however, they accepted the arguments at face value which had served so well to enhance the cohesion of the urban and rural interest groups. In consequence they helped to create the impression that the nature of corn law repeal is to be explained in terms of the major reason it became essential that the corn laws were repealed not only to prevent interest group rivalry from degenerating into violence but also to register the victory of the urban interest group over the rural.1 In effect, they assumed that the Corn Laws were really that boon to the landed interest which interest group polemics required them to be. By the 'forties, however, the economic value of the Corn Laws to the landed interest was no longer so clear. The Corn Laws were predicated on the notion that rural prosperity could only be had on the basis of high arable prices. It was this which lay behind the Act
Comparison of density functional and Hartree–Fock average local ionization energies on molecular surfaces

We investigated whether an average local ionization energy defined within the framework of Hartree–Fock theory is physically meaningful in Kohn–Sham density functional theory, in view of the uncertainty in relating the latter orbital energies to electronic ionization energies. In a preliminary study of N2O using several different exchange/correlation functional combinations, it was found that the orbital energies in each case correlate roughly with experimental binding energies. Average local ionization energies are computed on the molecular surfaces of 11 monosubstituted benzene derivatives using both Hartree–Fock and density functional procedures. Both sets of results correctly predict the ortho/para- or meta-directing tendencies of the substituents, as well as their ring-activating or -deactivating effects. Excellent correlations were obtained with the Hammett substituent constants. This initial study suggests that Kohn–Sham average local ionization energies should be physically meaningful, on a relative basis. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 69: 607–613, 1998
Estimation of Nutation Time Constant Model Parameters for On-Axis Spinning Spacecraft

Calculating an accurate nutation time constant for a spinning spacecraft is an important step for ensuring mission success. Spacecraft nutation is caused by energy dissipation about the spin axis. Propellant slosh in the spacecraft fuel tanks is the primary source for this dissipation and can be simulated using a forced motion spin table. Mechanical analogs, such as pendulums and rotors, are typically used to simulate propellant slosh. A strong desire exists for an automated method to determine these analog parameters. The method presented accomplishes this task by using a MATLAB Simulink/SimMechanics based simulation that utilizes the Parameter Estimation Tool.
Seeing the World Upside Down: Visual Culture and Ekphrasis in Carmen Martín Gaite's El cuarto de atrás

Criticism on Carmen Martin Gaite's El cuarto de atras (1978) consistently has produced studies on the intertextual relationships the novel establishes with cultural artifacts from the Franco period, including popular songs and novelas rosas. Curiously absent from that criticism is a discussion of the narrative uses of ekphrasis that also describe popular visual ‘texts’. This article will demonstrate that, like the literary or musical intertexts, the visual images C. describes reveal her position with regard to national history and life after Franco, seen through a subjectively-mediated lens. While she uses the images derived from Francoist visual culture to demythify the regime's notion of femininity and to dismantle their discourse, in her home she utilizes art to propose a counter-discourse based on disorder and the problematics of subjectivity. These opposed sets of images never descend into Manichean polarity and help to highlight the ambivalent nature of the Transition in Spain and its effects on the...
514— Oxidase-cofactor electrodes aimed at the quantitative measure of substrate concentrations

Abstract Two approaches are described briefly for utilizing oxidase enzymes in electrochemical sensors. In one approach an oxidase enzyme flavin cofactor was covalently coupled to the electrode surface with the anticipated readout being a current proportional to the concentration of enzyme substrate. In the second approach enzyme glocose oxidase was immobilized on platinum such that the potential of the platinum varied with the concentration of glucose in a solution buffered at pH 7.4. The status of the two projects is described.
Elimination of C/EBPα through the ubiquitin-proteasome system promotes the development of liver cancer in mice

Despite significant advancements in our understanding of cancer development, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the formation of liver cancer remain largely unknown. C/EBPalpha is a transcription factor that regulates liver quiescence. Phosphorylation of C/EBPalpha at serine 193 (S193-ph) is upregulated in older mice and is thought to contribute to age-associated liver dysfunction. Because development of liver tumors is associated with increasing age, we investigated the role of S193-ph in the development of liver cancer using knockin mice expressing a phospho-mimetic aspartic acid residue in place of serine at position 193 (S193D) of C/EBPalpha. The S193D isoform of C/EBPalpha was able to completely inhibit liver proliferation in vivo after partial hepatectomy. However, treatment of these mice with diethylnitrosamine/phenobarbital (DEN/PB), which induces formation of liver cancer, actually resulted in earlier development of liver tumors. DEN/PB treatment was associated with specific degradation of both the S193-ph and S193D isoforms of C/EBPalpha through activation of the ubiquitinproteasome system (UPS). The mechanism of UPS-mediated elimination of C/EBPalpha during carcinogenesis involved elevated levels of gankyrin, a protein that was found to interact with the S193-ph isoform of C/EBPalpha and target it for UPS-mediated degradation. This study identifies a molecular mechanism that supports the development of liver cancer in older mice and potential therapeutic targets for the prevention of liver cancer.
Of Silicon and Political Science – Computationally Intensive Techniques of Statistical Estimation and Inference

If the automobile business had developed like the computer business, a Rolls Royce would cost $2.75 and run for 3 million miles on one gallon of gas.Forrester, Hight-Tech SocietyTom Forrester, High-Tech Society (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1987), p. 18.The computer power available to political scientists has increased at least one thousandfold since 1970. We can now make millions of calculations in a few seconds, generate beautiful and meaningful graphics, and communicate instantly around the world, all at virtually no cost. But in what ways has this computer power helped us make more accurate statements about political phenomena? Beyond simply doing faster and more cheaply that which we had done previously, this computer revolution has made possible a qualitative leap in our analysis of political behaviour.
Curvature and Tangential Deflection of Discrete Arcs: A Theory Based on the Commutator of Scatter Matrix Pairs and Its Application to Vertex Detection in Planar Shape Data

This paper introduces a new theory for the tangential deflection and curvature of plane discrete curves. Our theory applies to discrete data in either rectangular boundary coordinate or chain coded formats: its rationale is drawn from the statistical and geometric properties associated with the eigenvalue-eigenvector structure of sample covariance matrices. Specifically, we prove that the nonzero entry of the commutator of a piar of scatter matrices constructed from discrete arcs is related to the angle between their eigenspaces. And further, we show that this entry is-in certain limiting cases-also proportional to the analytical curvature of the plane curve from which the discrete data are drawn. These results lend a sound theoretical basis to the notions of discrete curvature and tangential deflection; and moreover, they provide a means for computationally efficient implementation of algorithms which use these ideas in various image processing contexts. As a concrete example, we develop the commutator vertex detection (CVD) algorithm, which identifies the location of vertices in shape data based on excessive cummulative tangential deflection; and we compare its performance to several well established corner detectors that utilize the alternative strategy of finding (approximate) curvature extrema.
The variety of an indecomposable module is connected

Let G be a finite group and let K be an algebraically closed field of characteristic p > 0. The connections between the modular representation theory of finite groups and cohomology theory is currently a topic of great interest. In particular, cohomology theory has been used to attach to each finitely generated KGmodule M a homogeneous affine variety V(M). If we let 17(M) be the corresponding projective variety, then our main result is the following.
Modeling of a PVDF based gesture controller using energy methods

In this paper the concept of a PVDF based gesture controller is introduced and accompanied by a supporting model derived using Hamilton’s principle. The model incorporates strain contributions from two loading situations: beam subject to transverse loading and axial loading. The prototype gesture controller is comprised of a compression sleeve with a spatially shaded PVDF element situated above the extensor muscles of the right forearm. The goal of the gesture controller, at this stage, is to be able to measure and discern forearm muscle activity for three distinct hand gestures. In this study the system was modeled and simulated. Test data was then collected for each hand gesture and compared to simulations.
Effects of blast-induced neurotrauma on the nucleus accumbens.

Blast-induced neurotrauma (BINT) leads to deterioration at the cellular level, with adverse cognitive and behavioral outcomes. The nucleus accumbens (NAC) plays an important role in reward, addiction, aggression, and fear pathways. To identify the molecular changes and pathways affected at an acute stage in the NAC, this study focused on a time course analysis to determine the effects of blast on neurochemical and apoptotic pathways. By using a rodent model of BINT, acute damage to the NAC was assessed by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1) H-MRS), high-performance liquid chromatography, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. The results demonstrated ongoing neuroprotective effects from elevated levels of Bcl-2, an antiapoptotic marker, at 24 hr and N-acetyl aspartate glutamate at 48 hr following blast exposure. Selective loss of serotonin levels at 24 hr, increased levels of inflammation (elevated glycerophosphocholine at 48 and 72 hr), and increased levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein were also observed at 24 and 48 hr, leading to disruptive energy status. Furthermore, active cell death was indicated by the increased levels of the apoptotic marker Bax, decreased actin levels, and signs excitotoxicity (glutamate/creatine). In addition, increased evels of caspase-3, an apoptotic marker, confirm active cell death in NAC. It is hypothesized that blast overpressure causes inflammation and neurochemical changes that trigger apoptosis in NAC. This cascade of events may lead to stress-related behavioral outcomes and psychiatric sequelae. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en
Narrow-Sense Heritability for and Relationship Between Seed Imbibition and Grain Moisture Loss Rate in Maize

ABSTRACT Heritability of seed imbibition rate (IMR) in maize (Zea mays L.) is not known. Imbibition rate could provide information on grain moisture loss rate (GMLR), were there a relationship between IMR and GMLR. The purposes of this research were: (1) to measure IMR and GMLR of F1 and F2 hybrids to estimate their narrow-sense heritability, and (2) to determine the correlation between IMR and GMLR. Thirty-five commercial hybrids (F1 seed) and their F2 seed were evaluated for IMR and GMLR estimated after imbibition. Imbibition rate was measured in six consecutive, 30-minute periods. After the final imbibition period, seeds were evaluated for GMLR in four consecutive, 15-minute periods. Narrow-sense heritabilities, determined via parent-offspring regression, were relatively high for imbibition rate (h2 n = 82%) and for grain moisture loss rate following imbibition (h2 n = 81%). Thus, both imbibition rate and grain moisture loss rate were genetically controlled traits and can be improved via cyclic selecti...
That There Might Be Vague Objects (So Far as Concerns Logic)

Rejetant l'argument formel de G. Evans concluant a l'impossibilite des objets vagues, l'A. defend l'existence d'une propriete semantique faible dans les affirmations d'identite qui garantit le caractere vague de l'objet dont il est question. Soulignant la necessite de distinguer les axiomes des regles d'inference, ainsi que l'insatisfaisabilite d'une formule de la validite de sa negation, dans le cadre de la logique non-classique et modele-theorique du vague, l'A. definit les objets vague a la lumiere de la notion de deduction et a la lumiere de la loi de Leibniz, d'une part, et defend la these anti-realiste de l'indefinitisme contre Evans, d'autre part
Deficiencies in pro-thyrotropin-releasing hormone processing and abnormalities in thermoregulation in Cpefat/fat mice.

Cpefat/fat mice are obese, diabetic, and infertile. They have a mutation in carboxypeptidase E (CPE), an enzyme that converts prohormone intermediates to bioactive peptides. The Cpefatmutation leads to rapid degradation of the enzyme. To test whether pro-thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) conversion to TRH involves CPE, processing was examined in theCpefat/fat mouse. Hypothalamic TRH is depressed by at least 75% compared with wild-type controls. Concentrations of pro-TRH forms are increased in homozygotes. TRH-[Gly4-Lys5-Arg6] and TRH-[Gly4-Lys5] represent approximately 45% of the total TRH-like immunoreactivity inCpefat/fat mice; they constitute ∼1% in controls. Levels of TRH-[Gly4] were depressed in homozygotes. Because the hypothalamus contains some TRH, another carboxypeptidase must be responsible for processing. Immunocytochemical studies indicate that TRH neurons contain CPE- and carboxypeptidase D-like immunoreactivity. Recombinant CPE or carboxypeptidase D can convert synthetic TRH-[Gly4-Lys5] and TRH-[Gly4-Lys5-Arg6] to TRH-[Gly4]. When Cpefat/fat mice are exposed to cold, they cannot maintain their body temperatures, and this loss is associated with hypothalamic TRH depletion and reduction in thyroid hormone. These findings demonstrate that theCpefat mutation can affect not only carboxypeptidase activity but also endoproteolysis. BecauseCpefat/fat mice cannot sustain a cold challenge, and because alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis can affect metabolism, deficits in pro-TRH processing may contribute to the obese and diabetic phenotype in these mice.
Apixaban for the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation

Until recently, pharmaceutical options for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation were restricted to aspirin or vitamin K antagonist therapy. In recent years development has been underway for alternatives. Apixaban, a direct Factor Xa inhibitor, is orally dosed, target selective and has few known drug or food interactions. As such, it is a member of a new generation of anticoagulants expected to revolutionize the way we approach anticoagulation for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. Apixaban has been studied in Phase II and Phase III trials for a variety of indications. The AVERROES trial established apixaban as superior to aspirin for stroke reduction in patients with atrial fibrillation for whom vitamin K antagonist therapy is unsuitable. The recent ARISTOTLE trial found apixaban to be superior to warfarin for stroke prevention in a wide range of patients with atrial fibrillation, with significantly lower bleeding risk, and lower risk of all-cause mortality.
The thermal control of the new solar telescope at Big Bear Observatory

We present the basic design of the THermal Control System (THCS) for the 1.6-meter New Solar Telescope (NST) at the Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO), California. The NST is an off-axis Gregorian telescope with an equatorial mount and an open support structure. Since the telescope optics is exposed to the air, it is imperative to control the local/dome seeing, i.e., temperature fluctuations along the exposed optical path have to be minimized. To accomplish this, a THCS is implemented to monitor the dome environment and interact with the louver system of the dome to optimize instrument performance. In addition, an air knife is used to minimize mirror seeing. All system components have to communicate with the Telescope Control System (TCS), a hierarchical system of computers linking the various aspects of the entire telescope system, e.g., the active mirror control, adaptive optics, dome and telescope tracking, weather station, etc. We will provide an initial thermal model of the dome environment and first measurements taken in the recently replaced BBSO dome.
Has myelin basic protein received a fair trial in the treatment of multiple sclerosis

Autosensitization to some central nervous system antigen still remains one of the best hypotheses for the continuing pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Enough is now known about the cause, pathogenesis, and treatment of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) to test this hypothesis. Reports of therapeutic failure of the encephalitogen myelin basic protein (BP) in the treatment of MS have their counterparts in similar therapeutic failures in EAE. Only highly inbred strain 13 guinea pigs respond consistently to BP therapy, and this only when BP is administered in relatively high doses. Noninbred guinea pigs respond much less well to simple BP therapy, and monkeys hardly at all. In both strains of monkeys so far studied, a nonspecific adjunctive factor--an antibiotic in Macaca mulatta and a steroid in Macaca fascicularis--is also required. Accordingly, human trials of the therapeutic efficacy of BP in MS should include its administration in large concentrations together with an adjunctive agent.
Genetic relationships between Bidens forbesii and six species in the Hawaiian and the Marquesas Islands

A crossing program was carried out between the Kauai endemicB. forbesii and six other Polynesian species, five of which are Hawaiian and one Marquesan. All crosses produced vigorous F1 hybrids, portraying a strong genetic relationship betweenB. forbesii and the other species. The results indicate a close systematic relationship among the Polynesian species ofBidens placed by Sherff in sect.Campylotheca and strengthen the argument that this group dispersed from North America to the Hawaiian Islands, then from Hawaii to the Marquesas Islands.
Caregiving system in transition: an illustration from Shanghai China.

Population aging, the diminution of family networks, and increasing demands for care create a substantial burden for the current family-based system of caregiving for the elderly in Shanghai. Using existing data, we explore recent and future changes in demographic composition, family structure, and elderly needs in Shanghai, and evaluate how these changes affect the care of the elderly. Within this context, we also describe the current caregiving system and discuss its limitations. Finally, we propose an improved caregiving system that features a greatly expanded role of the community, but maintains an integral role of the family as caregivers. We also outline two strategies that might be followed in the development of this new system.
Biases in measuring the brain: The trouble with the telencephalon

When correlating behavior with particular brain regions thought responsible for the behavior, a different region of the brain is usually measured as a control region. This technique is often used to relate spatial processes with the hippocampus, while concomitantly controlling for overall brain changes by measuring the remainder of the telencephalon. We have identified two methods in the literature (the HOM and TTM) that estimate the volume of the telencephalon, although the majority of studies are ambiguous regarding the method employed in measuring the telencephalon. Of these two methods, the HOM might produce an artificial correlation between the telencephalon and the hippocampus, and this bias could result in a significant overestimation of the relative hippocampal volume and a significant underestimation of the telencephalon volume, both of which are regularly used in large comparative analyses. We suggest that future studies should avoid this method and all studies should explicitly delineate the procedures used when estimating brain volumes.
DataMods: Programmable File System Services

As applications become more complex, and the level of concurrency in systems continue to rise, developers are struggling to scale complex data models on top of a traditional byte stream interface. Middleware tailored for specific data models is a common approach to dealing with these challenges, but middleware commonly reproduces scalable services already present in many distributed file systems. We present DataMods, an abstraction over existing services found in large-scale storage systems that allows middleware to take advantage of existing, highly tuned services. Specifically, DataMods provides an abstraction for extending storage system services in order to implement native, domain-specific data models and interfaces throughout the storage hierarchy.
Localization of pre-mRNA splicing in mammalian nuclei

IN mammalian nuclei, precursor messenger RNA splicing factors are distributed non-uniformly. Antibodies directed against struc-tural polypeptides of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs)1 and some non-snRNP splicing factors2 have shown that these components are concentrated in about 20-50 nuclear 'speckles'. These and other non-homogeneous distributions have been proposed to indicate nuclear 'compartments' that are distinct from the sites of transcription and in which RNA processing occurs3–9. We have tested this idea using a new approach. Previous structural10–13 and biochemical14–16 data have shown that splicing can occur in association with transcription. Nascent RNA of specific genes can be detected by in situ hybridization as intense spots of nuclear stain which map to the sites of transcription17–19. Here we identify active pre-mRNA splicing sites by localizing the nascent spliced mRNA of specific genes. We find that splicing occurs at the sites of transcription, which are not coincident with intranuclear speckles. We conclude that the nucleus is not compart-mentalized with respect to transcription and pre-mRNA splicing.
Infrared thermal imaging: a review of the literature and case report.

Abstract Intraoperative Thermal Imaging (ITI) is a novel neuroimaging technique that can potentially locate the margins of primary and metastatic brain tumors. As a result, the additional real-time anatomical and pathophysiological information may significantly contribute to an improved extent of tumor resection. Our objectives in this article are i) to briefly discuss the current status of intraoperative imaging modalities including ITI and ii) to present a case report that evaluates the usefulness of ITI in detection of brain tumor and its margins. In this case report, ITI was used in a patient with a metastatic intracortical melanoma. The thermal profile of the tumor and surrounding normal cerebral cortex were mapped with a ThermaCAM P60 (TCP60) infrared camera by FLIR Systems. The data obtained by TCP60, intra-operatively, revealed a clear demarcation of tumor with significant temperature differences, up to 3.3 °C, between the tumor core (36.4 °C) and the surrounding normal tissue (33.1 °C). Ultrasound and pre-resection MR and CT confirmed the position and size of the metastasis. The volume of the tumor was preoperatively calculated using the CyberKnife™ software and postoperative volumetric measurement of the tumor residual was calculated by the Gamma Knife™ software. Our result, along with previously published results of others, suggests that thermal imaging could be used to provide a rapid, non-invasive, and real-time intra-operative imaging.
Cuba No; Miami Sí: Cuban Americans Coping with Ambiguous Loss

This study explores the lifelong loss that Cuban emigres experienced after leaving Cuba following the 1959 revolution. Many left thinking they would remain in exile for a brief period, but a return no longer seems possible. Nevertheless, their attachment to the lost homeland persists. The annual Cuba Nostalgia event at the Miami Expo Center attests to this enduring sense of attachment. Employing a phenomenological framework, we interviewed 10 older attendees who left Cuba between 1959 and 1979. Themes that emerged from the interviews are consistent with ambiguous loss theory and also reveal positive coping skills and resilience.
Oxidative stress-induced apoptosis is associated with alterations in mitochondrial caspase activity and Bcl-2-dependent alterations in mitochondrial pH (pHm)

Oxidative stress, the result of cellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), has been implicated in a number of diseases of the eye. Exposure of eye tissues (e.g. the cornea and retina) to oxidative stress over time has been hypothesized to underlie the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and maturity onset cataract formation. Light-induced free radicals can damage the eye, and alterations in the antioxidant defenses of the eye have been suggested to play a role in the etiology of glaucoma. Mitochondria are both a major endogenous source and target of ROS, and oxidative stress has been shown to induce apoptotic cell death by targeting the mitochondria directly. Mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis has been shown to require release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and subsequent activation of a specific class of cytoplasmic proteases known as caspases. Bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic protein localized to mitochondria, has been shown to inhibit cytochrome c release and protect against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Here we demonstrate that oxidative stress causes activation of mitochondrial matrix caspase-2 and -9 activity that is associated with Bcl-2-inhibitable acidification of mitochondrial pH (pH(m)). In conjunction with recent reports that caspase activation is maximal at acidic pH, these findings have led us to hypothesize that Bcl-2 may modulate cytochrome c release following oxidative stress by modifying the pH-dependent activation of mitochondrial caspase activity. These studies provide an increased understanding of the mechanism(s) by which oxidative stress damages tissues, and may have important therapeutic implications for treatment of opthamological diseases.
Positron Emission Tomography Measurement of Tumor Metabolism and Growth: Its Expanding Role in Oncology

This work highlights the explosion and evolution of positron emission tomography (PET) for use in oncology research and clinical practice. 2-Deoxy-2-[F-18]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG)-PET is important in the staging of cancer, estimation of prognosis, and for its ability to predict therapeutic outcome. A number of new imaging agents are under development and may find a place in oncology when studies prove their utility. This scientific overview includes a review of the development of a number of thymidine analogs, such as 18F-3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine (FLT) and 18F-1-(2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl)-thymine (FMAU), including chemical structure variations; their application in a variety of tumors; and the role of various kinetic models for understanding cellular proliferation. The greatest unmet need for PET is in further developing and validating its use in the measurement of treatment response.
The achromatic number of a graph

Abstract The concept of coloring a graph has been shown to be subsumed by that of an homomorphism. This led in [3] to the definition of a complete n -coloring of a graph G and suggested therefore a new invariant, which we now call the “achromatic number” ψ(G) . While the chromatic number χ(G) is the minimum number of colors required for (a complete coloring of) the points of G , the achromatic number is the maximum such number. We obtain several bounds for ψ(G) in terms of other invariants of a graph, and in particular we show that, for any graph G having p points, x (G)+(G)¯⩽p+1 , a result which generalizes a theorem of Nordhaus and Gaddum [4].
Some Effects of Parent Involvement in Schools.

This study examines the interrelationships among components of parent involvement at schools and investigates their effects on school outcomes. The study used data collected during an evaluation of California's Early Childhood Education Program. Varinbles included socioeconomic status, the frequency of school-parent communications, parent awareness of school events, amount of parent involvement at the school, parent influence in school decision making, the nature of parent-teacher relationships, parent satisfaction with the school, and student achievement in reading and mathematics. The results indicated that there are positive effects associated with parent involvement at schools, and the interrelationships between the endogenous variables suggested ways in which such benefits may be maximized.
Repair of right ventricular rupture complicating mediastinitis

A treatment strategy for rupture of right ventricle complicating mediastinitis is presented. We used two strips of anterior rectus sheath to buttress the ventricular closure during femoral-femoral bypass.
Advantages and disadvantages of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts for portacaval shunting

The authors report the largest published experience with PTFE H-grafts in the portacaval position. Cumulative late patency of 8- and 10-mm grafts has been 97%, but acute perioperative thromboses ha...
An adaptive ensemble Kalman filter for soil moisture data assimilation

[1] In a 19-year twin experiment for the Red-Arkansas river basin we assimilate synthetic surface soil moisture retrievals into the NASA Catchment land surface model. We demonstrate how poorly specified model and observation error parameters affect the quality of the assimilation products. In particular, soil moisture estimates from data assimilation are sensitive to observation and model error variances and, for very poor input error parameters, may even be worse than model estimates without data assimilation. Estimates of surface heat fluxes and runoff are at best marginally improved through the assimilation of surface soil moisture and tend to have large errors when the assimilation system operates with poor input error parameters. We present a computationally affordable, adaptive assimilation system that continually adjusts model and observation error parameters in response to internal diagnostics. The adaptive filter can identify model and observation error variances and provide generally improved assimilation estimates when compared to the non-adaptive system.
Ironless permanent magnet synchronous machine stiffness calculations for flywheel energy storage systems

This paper describes an analytical method for determining the magnetic field and radial stiffness of an ironless permanent magnet synchronous machine, provided a geometrical description of conductor arrangements, off-centering value for the rotor magnet, and permanent magnet characteristics. A simple expression for calculating the magnetic field external to a uniformly magnetized parallelepiped is extrapolated to describe the macroscopic field surrounding a cylindrical rotor magnet. Sample calculations of the radial forces, stiffness, and cross-stiffness are provided within the context of a high-speed, two-pole ironless permanent magnet flywheel used in materials testing.
Accuracy of identification of patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura through administrative records: a data validation study.

Administrative data are commonly used to estimate the prevalence of a disease, but the validity of the coding system needs to be evaluated before its use. We assessed the validity of the International Classification of Disease, 9th version, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code of 287.3 for identifying patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Administrative data from inpatients and outpatients seen were retrieved if the patient or insurer was billed with one of three ICD-9-CM codes for thrombocytopenic disorders, 287.3, 287.4, and 287.5, as a primary or secondary diagnosis; or was physician-identified as having ITP. The electronic medical records for these patients were systematically reviewed to identify patients with ITP and with non-ITP diagnoses. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and κ scores were calculated separately for inpatients and outpatients. Four-hundred eighteen records were reviewed. Among inpatients, the sensitivity of code 287.3 for indicating a diagnosis of ITP was 100% [95% confidence interval 94–100%]. The specificity was 89% [95% confidence interval 84–94%]. The percent agreement was 92%, and the κ statistic was 0.80. For outpatients, the sensitivity of the billing code 287.3 was 84% [95% confidence interval 76–91%], a conservative estimate because of how the patients with other diagnoses were selected. The specificity for outpatients was 66% [95% confidence interval 56–76%]. ICD-9-CM code 287.3 in administrative billing data is likely to be sufficiently sensitive and specific, particularly when inpatient data are used, for the estimation of the prevalence of ITP. Am. J. Hematol. 75:12–17, 2004. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
SiC Precipitate Formation During High Dose Carbon Implantation Into Silicon

The formation of SiC precipitates during the high-dose implantation of carbon ions into Si(100) is studied by means of TEM for implantation conditions, which are suitable for the ion beam synthesis of buried SiC layers in silicon. It is observed that in crystalline silicon nm-sized epitaxially oriented 3C-SiC precipitates are formed which are almost identical in size, nearly independent of the depth and dose (4--9 {times} 10{sup 17} C{sup +}/cm{sup 2}). With increasing dose, it is mainly the density of precipitates which increases. Amorphization of the silicon host lattice leads to depth intervals with a strongly decreased density of oriented crystalline SiC precipitates. The irradiation induced formation of larger randomly oriented SiC crystallites is observed to occur in amorphized regions after prolonged implantation. Both the irradiation induced destruction and formation of SiC precipitates contribute to the generation of a nearly box-shaped precipitate density distribution at doses near the stoichiometry dose.
Crystallographic texture evolution in 1008 steel sheet during multi-axial tensile strain paths

The authors thank Steve Banovic, Tim Foecke, Mark Iadicola and Mark Stoudt at the NIST Center for Automotive Lightweighting for advice and assistance, and the Research Associate Program at the National Academies for supporting this work. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------NIST Disclaimers------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Certain commercial equipment, instruments, or materials are identified in this dataset in order to specify the experimental and computational procedure adequately. Such identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor is it intended to imply that the materials or equipment identified are necessarily the best available for the purpose. The software package "PF" was developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology by employees of the Federal Government in the course of their official duties. Pursuant to title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code this software is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. It is an experimental system. NIST assumes no responsibility whatsoever for its use by other parties, and makes no guarantees, expressed or implied, about its quality, reliability, or any other characteristic. We would appreciate acknowledgement if the software is used. This software can be redistributed and/or modified freely provided that any derivative works bear some notice that they are derived from it, and any modified versions bear some notice that they have been modified.
A study of electric stress enhancement. Part 2. Stress enhancement on semiconductive shields

For pt.I see ibid., vol.11 p.976-82, (2004).This paper evaluates the electric stress enhancement due to surface protrusions on the tape of semiconductive shield compounds used in power cables. The results of a conventional grade and a supersmooth grade shield compounds are reported. Using a laser-scanning instrument, the shape of protrusions on the tape surface of these compounds can be quantitatively determined. An algorithm is developed to portray the geometry of a protrusion so as to allow the calculation of its stress enhancement. First the supersmooth grade shield compound is illustrated as much smoother than the conventional shield compound. Besides exhibiting a lower number of protrusions, the surface protrusions on a supersmooth shield compound also are much "flatter" than those of the conventional shield compounds. Insulation thickness is confirmed to influence the stress enhancement and, consequently, different distributions of stress enhancement factor are observed with low voltage, say, 15 kV, and high voltage, say, 500 kV, applications. The conventional shield compound exhibits higher stress enhancement than the supersmooth grade compound in higher voltage cables, though the difference is much less with lower voltage settings. Since the total number of protrusions on the conventional shield surface is more than one order of magnitude higher, the supersmooth shield therefore can offer much better protection to a cable by minimizing the electric stress degradation in its insulation material.
Blood Volume Measurements in Patients With Heart Failure and a Preserved Ejection Fraction: Implications for Diagnosing Anemia

Racial differences in the prevalence of anemia in patients with heart failure have been noted. The diagnosis of anemia in heart failure patients can be confounded by many factors. Plasma volume expansion is one of the most prominent confounders. The authors investigated the difference of anemia prevalence using two different diagnostic techniques: peripheral hemoglobin recommended by the World Health Organization criteria and blood volume (BV) analysis. Racial disparities in the prevalence of anemia using both measures were compared. Sixty patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) underwent measurement of BV by a radio-labeled albumin technique. Anemia was defined by both WHO criteria and by measured red blood cell volume (RBCV) >10% below ideal. Anemia was found in 67% of patients by the peripheral hemoglobin technique with no racial disparity. Only 35% of the patients had anemia by the BV analysis, with a 2-fold higher prevalence among Hispanics compared with whites and blacks. In patients with HFPEF, the diagnosis of anemia based on hemoglobin is confounded by plasma volume derangements resulting in significant overdiagnosis in this cohort. Racial differences in the rate of anemia were found. Such data could have important implications for the diagnosis and management of anemia in ethnic minorities with HFPEF.
Computed tomographic detection of retroperitoneal adenopathy

This prospective study of 50 patients was designed to evaluate the effect of computed tomographic section spacing on the detection of retroperitoneal adenopathy. Contiguous 1-cm-thick sections were obtained in all patients and compared with scans obtained at 2-cm intervals in these same patients. In 45 of the 50 patients, there was agreement between the two sets of scans; in only two of the 50 cases were there major disagreements. These results suggest that scans obtained at 2-cm intervals are nearly as accurate as contiguous scans at 1-cm intervals in the detection of retroperitoneal adenopathy.
Analysis of HEMT multilayered structures using a 2D finite volume model

This paper uses a 2D finite volume numerical model to predict the steady state and transient temperature distributions in a High-Electron-Mobility Transistor (HEMT). The numerical predictions are confirmed through comparison with analytical solutions of the one and two dimensional steady and transient heat equations. We analyze the thermal performance of several HEMT geometries with varying substrate materials. Devices with wider gates lying directly on highly conductive substrates (e.g., diamond) have significantly less thermal resistance, by as much as 90 percent. Finally, we investigate the temperature response to a frequency modulated heating event. This result indirectly applies to thermal measurements using 3? electrical thermometry.