cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A design methodology for minimizing power loss in integrated DC-DC converter with spiral inductors

In this paper we propose a design optimization technique for integrated DC-DC converters. We present a formulation of the relationships between the various converter parameters and numerical techniques for efficiently solving these formulations. These formulations capture the parasitic effects in the integrated converter and enable mitigating such effects. Mainly, we develop a relationship between the switching frequency and the inductor's inductance, which allows us to use a single-variable optimization technique to find the optimal design that would minimize the power losses in the converter. These relationships stem from the constraints on the system, which we use to achieve optimal and robust performance.
Estimation of the Parameters of the Earth's Polar Motion

The parameters of the Earth’s polar motion have been estimated by a method which accounts for observational error and which treats two possible statistical models for the polar motion excitation process. Both a 100 year and a 78 year long polar motion series have been used to estimate the Chandler wobble frequency, Fc, and quality factor, Qc; the noise level in the polar motion data; and the magnitude of the excitation process. Discussion of the annual component of polar motion has been omitted because its frequency (1 cycle per year (cpy)) and cause (annual motion of air and water) are presumed known.
Long-Term Shareholders and Time-Phased Voting

We explore Time-Phased Voting (“TPV”), an arrangement in which long-term shareholders receive more votes per share than short-term shareholders. TPV has gained prominence in recent years as a proposed remedy for perceived corporate myopia. We begin with theory, situating TPV relative to other corporate voting structures such as one-share-one-vote and dual-class stock. By decreasing the influence of short-term shareholders, TPV may encourage managers to act in the long-term interests of their firms. It may also facilitate controlling shareholder diversification and firm equity issuances by enabling controlling shareholders, who are generally long-term shareholders, to maintain their control with lower levels of ownership. In this respect, it resembles a milder form of dual-class stock, but is more targeted toward myopic behavior. We then investigate U.S. companies’ experiences with TPV in practice. Due to limited U.S. experience with TPV, our sample size is small from a statistical standpoint. Nevertheless, our findings are consistent with our theoretical analysis. Our ownership and voting data suggest that TPV empowers long-term shareholders, but that it does little to encourage long-term shareholding; this may be due to a lack of investor awareness regarding the few companies that have TPV. In the short term, TPV empowers insiders, increasing their control and creating a wedge between their ownership and control of the firm (though a smaller wedge than is typical of dual-class firms). However, in the long term we find that TPV is associated with reduced insider ownership and control. We see a transition in TPV companies, which are mainly mature, family-owned companies, from a concentrated to a more dispersed ownership structure. Relatedly, we find that TPV is associated with significant insider diversification and the issuance of additional equity. Overall, TPV firms significantly outperformed the market as a whole; an investor who invested in our TPV firm index in 1980 would have more than six times as much money at the end of 2013 as an investor who invested in the S&P 500. While it is not clear that TPV contributed to this strong performance, we believe that shareholders and corporations should be free to experiment with reasonable TPV plans if they so choose.The appendix to this paper is available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2746638.
Study of Electrophysiology of Thermal Shock in Higher Plants using High Speed Data Acquisition

Vascular plants such as the soybean plant, the Aloe vera plant, and the Mimosa pudica plant have developed mechanisms in order to respond quickly to external stimuli. Throughout the history of plant electrophysiology research, several scientists have attempted to measure the speeds of electrical signal propagation in higher plants in response to thermal stress and other stressors. Several earlier researchers produced signals which were erroneously reported as 0.1 mm/s to 20 cm/s, much slower than actual propagation speeds. These incorrect signaling data resulted from aliasing effects of antiquated data acquisition systems. In this research study, new high-speed data acquisition systems were used to obtain accurate speeds for electrical signals in higher plants. Our results show solitary waves in response to localized thermal stress, with speeds of propagation measured from a few meters per second to approximately 105 m/s [1,2]. In this study, possible mechanisms for electrical signal propagation in response to heat shock are also introduced.[1] Lang, R.D., A.G. Volkov (2008). Solitary waves in soybean induced by localized thermal stress. Plant Signal Behav 3, 224-228.[2] Volkov, A.G., R.D. Lang, M.I. Volkova-Gugeshashvili. (2007). Electrical signaling in Aloe vera induced by localized thermal stress. Bioelectrochem 71, 192-197.
Low toxicity for lung tumors near the mediastinum treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy

Abstract Purpose To report the local control, survival, and low toxicity observed at the Cooper University Hospital CyberKnife Center post stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in the treatment of lung tumors near the mediastinum. Methods and Materials Twenty-four medically inoperable lung cancer patients with tumors near the mediastinum were treated using the Accuray CyberKnife system (Accuray, Sunnyvale, CA) with Monte Carlo dose calculations and heterogeneity corrections from July 2008 to May 2010. The prescription dose ranged from 28.5 Gy to 60 Gy in 3-5 fractions. For conventional fractionation schemes, Emami et al 1 organized the dose tolerance limits into a unified format for clinical utility and partitioned them into 2 risk levels (5% and 50%) with preset volumes for most critical structures throughout the body. In contrast, statistical SBRT dose tolerance limits for mediastinal structures have not been established yet. We have sufficient experience at least to begin organizing a unified format with low-risk and high-risk partitions and preset volumes for 1-5 fractions exposing mediastinal structures. With the help of the (dose-volume histogram) DVH Evaluator, a software tool developed by our senior author, each treatment plan was assessed for safety and feasibility prior to treatment. The DVH Evaluator was also used to analyze the follow-up data and to create graphs of risk, called DVH Risk Maps, superimposing clinical data onto the unified SBRT dose tolerance limits. Results It was not feasible to prescribe the doses of peripheral lung lesions for all tumors near the mediastinum because of known toxicity. The crude local tumor control rate achieved in our series was 92%. Median survival was 26.8 months for the primary lung cases and 9.6 months for the metastatic cases. No patients experienced grade 3 or higher toxicities. Conclusions We affirm that SBRT is feasible in the treatment of centrally located lung cancers when the dose tolerance limits of critical structures are diligently respected. The low adverse event rates that we have experienced, combined with a good local tumor control rate, are encouraging.
Detecting a hidden periodic signal when its period is unknown

A simple method is presented for detecting an unknown periodic signal in additive noise. The period is unknown, but the amplitudes of the fundamental and the first M - 1 harmonics are known to be nonzero. One application is the detection of a torpedo by a submarine sonar system from the observed acoustic line spectrum generated by the torpedo's blade motion.
Advanced Diagnostic and Prognostic Technologies for Gas Turbine Engine Risk Assessment

Real-time, integrated health monitoring of gas turbine engines that can detect, classify, and predict developing engine faults is critical to reducing operating and maintenance costs while optimizing the life of critical engine components. Statistical-based anomaly detection algorithms, fault pattern recognition techniques and advanced probabilistic models for diagnosing structural, performance and vibration related faults and degradation can now be developed for real-time monitoring environments. Integration and implementation of these advanced technologies presents a great opportunity to significantly enhance current engine health monitoring capabilities and risk management practices.This paper describes some novel diagnostic and prognostic technologies for dedicated, real-time sensor analysis, performance anomaly detection and diagnosis, vibration fault detection, and component prognostics. The technologies have been developed for gas turbine engine health monitoring and prediction applications which includes an array of intelligent algorithms for assessing the total ‘health’ of an engine, both mechanically and thermodynamically. This includes the ability to account for uncertainties from engine transient conditions, random measurement fluctuations and modeling errors associated with model-based diagnostic and prognostic procedures. The implementation of probabilistic methods in the diagnostic and prognostic methodology is critical to accommodating for these types of uncertainties.Copyright © 2000 by ASME
The city's many uses: cultural tourism, the sacred monarchy and the preservation of Fez's Medina

How does something become heritage? By what processes does heritage, a nostalgic, intangible vision of the past, come to be inscribed on a particular site, transposed from an ethereal notion into a bounded and mappable place? To what desires or longings, economic exigencies or political purposes are these processes answering? Fez, Morocco's invention as a UNESCO ‘Cultural Heritage Site’ beginning in 1912 and culminating in 1981 affords us with one extended historical moment in which to examine these questions. The resulting study indicates that colonial and post‐colonial politics, tourism and a general conception of Morocco's national past collude to produce and sustain a site construed outside of time, but one that is paradoxically bound to constructions of the nation's presents.
A psychiatric continued treatment ward program.

This paper describes a treatment program for chronic psychiatric patients and the assumptions which underlie the program. Results, as measured by discharge and return rates, are reported, and the factors presumed to have played the major role in producing the results are offered for consideration.
The Evolution of National Nutrition Policy

Domestic regulatory efforts in the area of nutrition historically have focused on achieving and sustaining the highest possible level of food safety and availability. More recently, the linkages between certain dietary practices and the risk of chronic, degenerative diseases have also become a significant focus of public policy. In order to promote good nutrition practices, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now requires a detailed and informative Nutrition Facts food label on virtually all food packages. Other public policies promoted by the FDA and others include increasing public knowledge of the relationship between diet and health; promoting unified food and nutrition policies among all government agencies; educating the American consumer about sound dietary practices; and encouraging the development of technologies that may result in more healthful, more abundant, and more affordable foods.
Two-phase alkali-metal experiments in reduced gravity

Future space missions envision the use of large nuclear reactors utilizing either a single or a two-phase alkali-metal working fluid. The design and analysis of such reactors require state-of-the-art computer codes that can properly treat alkali-metal flow and heat transfer in a reduced-gravity environment. A literature search of relevant experiments in reduced gravity is reported on here, and reveals a paucity of data for such correlations. The few ongoing experiments in reduced gravity are noted. General plans are put forth for the reduced-gravity experiments which will have to be performed, at NASA facilities, with benign fluids. A similar situation exists regarding two-phase alkali-metal flow and heat transfer, even in normal gravity. Existing data are conflicting and indequate for the task of modeling a space reactor using a two-phase alkali-metal coolant. The major features of past experiments are described here. Data from the reduced-gravity experiments with innocuous fluids are to be combined with normal gravity data from the two-phase alkali-metal experiments. Analyses undertaken here give every expectation that the correlations developed from this data base will provide a valid representation of alkali-metal heat transfer and pressure drop in reduced gravity.
Hybrid formulation of kinematic wave models of watershed runoff

Abstract Current kinematic wave models of watershed runoff incorporate either numerical or analytical solutions, depending upon the type of input (rainfall pattern) and representation of watershed geometry. Numerical solutions are time-consuming; analytic solutions are not always feasible. This paper formulates these models in terms of an approach called hybrid approach which is part numerical and part analytical. By applying it to a set of rainfall-runoff events on a natural watershed, it is demonstrated that this approach is computationally far more efficient than a totally numerical one, and is applicable where analytical solutions are not feasible.
Magnetic resonance imaging for disorders of liver vasculature.

Summary:Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a noninvasive technique to evaluate the hepatic vasculature. Angiographic and flow-based techniques include intrinsic properties of MRI as well as those that use contrast media. Clinical and technical perspectives of a wide range of vascular disorder
A Convenient Synthesis of 2-Alkyl-3-Deutero-2-Cyclopropene-1-Carboxylic Acids

Abstract Cyclopropenes possess very high strain energies1 and their organic and organometallic chemistry has been widely studied. They are reactive dienophiles in the Diels-Alder reaction,2 and they undergo ring opening reactions under vigorous photochemical3 and thermal4 conditions.5 Transition metal promoted ring opening reactions of cyclopropenes occur under very mild conditions,6 and have also been the subject of a theoretical study.7
Whitney M. Borland and the Bureau of Reclamation, 1930-1972

Whitney McNair Borland was born November 6, 1905, in Holyoke, Colorado, and died in Peoria, Arizona, on October 2, 2001. He began his career with the United States Bureau of Reclamation ~USBR! in 1930, and in 1972 he retired from the bureau after distinguishing himself throughout the world in the sedimentation field. Within the bureau USBR he was known as “Mr. Sediment” in research, planning, construction, and operation and maintenance of irrigation, hydroelectric, and municipal water projects. Whit’s education began with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska and a master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley, both in mechanical engineering. While working for the USBR, he obtained a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Colorado in 1938. Whit’s career in the USBR spanned two periods, one from 1930 until 1942, and a second after World War II from 1946 to 1972. Whit served with the 10th Mountain Division during World War II ~from 1942 to 1946! where he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
The decline and fall of the IGF-I receptor

This review examines the effect of targeting the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-IR) in human cancers. The results are disappointing. The causes for the failure are discussed, as well as the possible use of the IGF-IR as a secondary target. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 675–679, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Subsonic interference characteristics of single and twin jet afterbodies

A model test program was conducted at 0.8 Macii number to examine important parameters in aircraft aft fuselage design. Thirteen twin jet interfairings were used to determine effects of interfairing length, interfairing base area, and engine spacing (combined with changes in maximum area and forebody shape). Three single jet configurations provided the effects of boattailing and served as a baseline for the twin jet tests. All configurations used a convergent (iris type) nozzle operating at a pressure ratio of 3.0. Test results show an optimum subsonic twin jet interfairing to be one that ends near the nozzle exit with zero base area. Small amounts of base area (3-8% of the maximum area) completely offset the favorable effects of interference between the exhaust jet and the freestream. Although geometrical changes that go along with increased engine spacing (larger maximum area, wider interfairing and flared forebody) tend to increase total drag, the effects on interference were small. Favorable interference levels, better than those of an equivalent pod, were obtained for all twin jet spacing ratios tested (S/DENG = 1.17, 1.43, and 2.37). It appears that the effects of increased spacing alone might be beneficial to afterbody performance.
Temperature Dependent Leaf Morphogenesis in Ranunculus flabellaris

INDIVIDUAL plants of the amphibious buttercup species Ranunculus flabellaris Raf. are known to produce leaves of differing morphologies in response to differing environments. Leaves produced in the aquatic phase are highly dissected, while terrestrially produced leaves are less dissected or simply trilobed. Bostrack and Millington1 have demonstrated that of the environmental variables to which the plants are normally exposed, changes in temperature produce the greatest changes in leaf morphology. An increase in leaf dissection occurs with a decrease in temperature. Similar observations have been made by Bauer2 and Fisher3 in taxonomically diverse aquatic and terrestrial species of Ranunculus.
Kidney transplantation in the elderly

The outcome of renal transplantation in older patients has been improving steadily over the past decade such that advanced age alone is no longer an independent contraindication to this procedure. Review of this center's experience with kidney transplantation in patients older than 60 yr of age revealed an overall 1 year patient and graft survival of 82%. Low risk patients, defined as those without diabetes or cardiovascular disease, had markedly improved patient (91%) and graft (84%) survival rates. Review of the literature revealed 1 year patient and graft survivals of 60–77% and 48–74% respectively for patients transplanted in the pre-cyclosporine era. Under cyclosporine immunosuppression, kidney transplant outcomes were generally improved with patient and graft survival ranges of 79–97% and 67–93%, respectively. Although medical complications such as myocardial infarction, pneumonia; and steroid induced diabetes are more frequent in the elderly, irreversible allograft rejection appears to occur less frequently than in younger patients. Consequently, rigorous pretransplant screening for comorbidity is very important and posttransplant strategies of reduced immunosuppression may be prudent. With increasing numbers of older patients awaiting kidney transplantation, advanced age is now being reevaluated as a contraindication to kidney donation.
Absence of shocks in an initially dilute collisionless plasma

The Cauchy Problem for the relativistic Vlasov-Maxwell equations is studied in three space dimensions. It is assumed that the initial data satisfy the required constraints and have compact support. If in addition the data have sufficiently smallC2 norm, then a uniqueC1 solution to this system is shown to exist on all of spacetime.
Study on the dynamics of grass microgametophytes from urban vegetation

Urban sprawl and increasing economical pressure on agricultural production raises new unprecedented environmental questions. The presented study proved that higher level of fertilization of the urban vegetation significantly increases the concentration of male microgametophytes in the air during the flowering season. The levels of fertilization had no significant effect on the pollen grain size, nor on the profile and content of the phenolic compounds, however, the content of tryptophan (protein with a key role in allergies) was significantly influenced. The metabolism of tryptophan and its role in human imunilogy is not yet completely understood, however, it is recommended to avoid unnecessary fertilization in urbanized areas.
Response to Letter Regarding Article, “Coronary Artery Calcium: Should We Rely on This Surrogate Marker?”

Drs Schmermund and Erbel take issue with my assertion1 that coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores, as of now, are not reliable predictors of cardiac events. However, they offer no data to refute this statement. First, they correctly note that CAC is related to coronary atherosclerosis. This relation, however, does not mean CAC is a predictor of cardiac events. Indeed, as coronary atherosclerosis is so prevalent, “only a small proportion of persons with atherosclerosis and detectable coronary calcium will eventually develop clinical coronary events.”2 Therefore, …
Immediate postoperative 5-FU does not decrease colonic anastomotic strength

Background and Objectives The use of continuous infusion 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) immediately after surgery may improve the adjuvant treatment of resected colon cancer and is the subject of a national phase III trial (Intergroup no. 0136). The aim was to determine the effect of continuous infusion 5-FU on the bursting pressure of a colon anastomosis. Methods Twenty Lewis rats weighing approximately 300 g were subject to sigmoid colectomy and single-layer anastomosis. Ten rats received 5-FU continuously at 600 mg/m2 per day for 7 days; 10 rats served as controls. Ten days postoperatively, the rats were sacrificed and bursting pressure of the colon containing the anastomosis was determined. Results No anastomotic leaks or intra-abdominal abscesses were identified. Burst pressure of the colon in controls (124 ± 13 mm Hg; mean ± SEM) was not significantly different from those animals receiving 5-FU (115 ± 9, P > 0.05). The control rats gained weight (13 ± 7 g), which is significantly different from the rats receiving 5-FU (-19 ± 13, P = 0.04). Conclusions Continuous infusion 5-FU postoperatively results in weight loss, but does not affect anastomotic bursting strength in rats. This evidence supports the safety of continuous infusion 5-FU postoperatively in humans. J. Surg. Oncol. 1998;69:125–127. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The nature of the litter size loss in senescent hamsters.

Young and senescent female hamsters were sacrificed on days 8, 10, 12, 14 and 15 of pregnancy, and the number of viable and resorbing conceptuses was determined. The ovulation rate for each group was also recorded. At each day, there was a reduction in the litter size in senescent animals as compared to the young, but the number of ovulations in each age group was equal. The results indicated that the litter size loss, in senescent hamsters, is not due to a reduction in the ovulation rate, but to a seven fold increase in preimplantation deaths and to a two fold increase in resorption.
Effectiveness of aerial seeding and straw mulch for reducing post-wildfire erosion, North-Western Montana, USA

Various methods are available to reduce post-wildfire erosion, but there is limited quantitative information on the relative effectiveness of these techniques. We used rainfall simulations to compare the erosion and runoff rates from adjacent 0.5-m2 plots treated with aerial grass seeding and straw mulch with untreated control plots following the July 2002 Fox Creek Fire in north-west Montana. In the first summer after the fire, plots seeded at a rate of 9 kg ha–1 had a mean of less than 5% ground cover and the seeding treatment had no effect on the rainsplash erosion rate. In contrast, straw mulch application at a rate of 2.24 Mg ha–1 resulted in ~100% ground cover and an 87% reduction in rainsplash erosion relative to the control (P = 0.001). Measurements on a subset of the plots in the second summer after the fire indicated that ground cover in the treatments and the control averaged 39%, and neither treatment provided a significant increase in ground cover or reduction in erosion relative to the control. These results add to the growing weight of evidence that straw mulch application is highly effective in reducing erosion in the first year after fire, whereas grass seeding is often ineffective because of the limited increase in ground cover that it produces.
Slime Formation on Cottage Cheese

The formation of slime on cottage cheese held at relatively low temperatures is one of the important bacteriological defects of this product. The rate of formation, color, and general appearance of the slime suggest that the defect may be produced by a variety of microorganisms. Also, descriptions of the slime defect by various manufacturers indicate that the character of the slime, as well as the odor of the product, is variable. Elliker (2) attributed the slimy-curd defect to contamination of milk from poorly cleaned equipment subsequent to pasteurization. The ropy-milk bacteria, Alcaligenes viscosus and Aerobacter aerogenes , were suggested as causative organisms. Parker et al. (3) demonstrated that three species of bacteria, Alcaligenes metalcaligenes, Pseudomonas viscosa , and Pseudomonas fragi , were responsible for the gelatinous or slimy curd defect of cottage cheese. Contaminated equipment and water used to wash the curd were believed to be the important sources of the organisms. Limited control of the defect was attained by regulating the pH of the final product.
Studies of the effect of T2 RNA formed with purified RNA polymerase on amino acid incorporation into protein.

Incorporation of [ 14 C]valine into protein with an amino acid incorporation system from Salmonella typhimurium is shown to be stimulated by the addition of T2 phage DNA plus purified RNA polymerase or by T2 RNA prepared with the polymerase. T2 RNA isolated by several procedures is active in stimulating [ 14 C]valine incorporation into protein and, in contrast to the DNA stimulation, the effect is not dependent on addition of RNA polymerase or affected by DNase addition. The stimulation by T2 RNA is considerably less than that of DNA plus the polymerase. The stimulatory T2 RNA shows heterogeneous sedimentation properties, as determined by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, and, on the average, sediments slightly faster than ribosomal RNA. DEAE cellulose column chromatography of labeled soluble protein formed with a 30,000 g supernatant fraction of Salmonella typhimurium suggests formation of a different protein or proteins on addition of T2 DNA.
Subcellular localization of γ-glutamyl carboxypeptidase and of folates

The subcellular distributions of glutamyl carboxypeptidase, folate specific activities, and radioactive metabolites of injected [3H] folic acid were studied in rat liver. The specific activity of glutamyl carboxypeptidase in the lysosomal fraction was near or greater than four times that in the other subcellular fractions. The specific activity of folates was highest in the soluble fraction (102 ng folate/mg protein) and lowest in the microsomal fraction (22 ng folate/mg protein). Nuclear, mitochondrial, and lysosomal folates were 95% folate polyglutamates, and microsomal and soluble folates were 85--90% folate polyglutamates. Injected [3H] folic acid was initially concentrated in the microsomal fraction, as measured by 3h cpm per ng folate. Initially, injected [3H] folic acid was found converted to folate penta- and hexaglutamates in all fractions to a similar extent except in the microsomes where the percentage conversion was much less, as measured by the percentage of total 3H cpm determined to be [3H] folate penta- and hexaglutamates. At 24 h, the conversion of [3H] folates to penta- and hexaglutamates in each fraction was less than that found for the endogenous folates. Injected [3H] folic acid after 2h was found to consist of 94% reduced folates in the soluble fraction, 56% in the mitochondrial, 55% in the nuclear, 20% in the lysosomal, and 15% in the microsomal fraction.
Activation of single potassium channels in rat cerebellar granule cells by volatile anesthetics.

Abstract 1. We recently reported that volatile anesthetics activate a potassium channel (S channel) in neurons of the marine mollusk, Aplysia (Winegar et al., 1996. Anesthesiology 85(4) 889–900). 2. These studies were extended to investigate volatile anesthetic actions on potassium channels in rat cerebellar granule cells. 3. Noninactivating potassium channels were observed across a wide range of potentials. 4. Channel activity increased during volatile anesthetic perfusion while the i-V relations were unchanged and remained weakly inward-rectifying with a conductance at negative potentials of ∼30 pS. 5. Frequent opening of inward rectifiers by volatile anesthetics may stabilize the resting potential near EK to resist depolarizing stimuli.
Noncardiac Point-of-Care Ultrasound by Nonradiologist Physicians: How Widespread Is It?

Purpose The use of point-of-care (POC) ultrasound by nonradiologist physicians has recently been advocated. The aim of this study was to see how widespread this practice is. Methods The Medicare Part B databases for 2004 to 2009 were used. Global and professional component claims for noncardiac ultrasound were tabulated, and utilization rates per 1,000 beneficiaries were calculated. Provider specialty was determined. Utilization rates of ultrasound by radiologists and other specialists were compared, and changes over the years were studied. Results In 2009, 425.3 Medicare noncardiac ultrasound examinations per 1,000 beneficiaries were performed (+21% since 2004). Of these, radiologists performed 233.7 (55%), and another 15.6 (4%) were done at independent diagnostic testing facilities, for which provider specialty could not be determined. The remaining 175.7 (41%) constituted POC ultrasound by nonradiologists. Between 2004 and 2009, radiologists' utilization rate increased by 17%, compared with 28% for nonradiologists. Radiologists' market share of noncardiac ultrasound was 56.6% in 2004 and 54.9% in 2009. Other major specialties involved in POC ultrasound and their 2009 rates per 1,000 and percentage increases since 2004 were cardiology (39.7 [+60%]), vascular surgery (34.9 [+36%]), primary care (27.2 [+11%]), general surgery (24.2 [+8%]), and urology (22.3 [+12%]). Conclusions Between 2004 and 2009, there was a 21% increase in the overall utilization rate of noncardiac ultrasound. Point-of-care ultrasound by nonradiologists amounted to 41% of all studies done in 2009. Multiple nonradiologic specialties are involved, but radiologists' involvement is far higher than any other single specialty. Radiologists' ultrasound market share remained relatively stable between 2004 and 2009.
Electrical, optical and chemical properties of indium-tin oxidized films grown by sequential electron beam deposition of indium and tin

Abstract A novel technique of layer-by-layer deposition of indium and tin by electron beam deposition and subsequent annealing in oxygen atmosphere to form indium tin oxide was attempted here. The tin content in the sample was varied by changing the relative thickness of the indium and tin layers. The as-deposited samples did not result in the expected layered structures as evidenced by the Auger depth profile plots. Instead, an In-Sn alloy of almost uniform composition was achieved. Resistivity measurements on as-deposited samples by the four-point probe technique yielded a graph typical of binary eutectic alloys. These samples were also highly reflective and exhibited no optical transmission. Annealing 50% Sn samples at 500°C for 60 min in flowing oxygen gas resulted in 50% transmission in the range from 330 nm to 820 nm with a resistivity of 4.56 × 10 -4 Ω cm . Many samples were tin deficient after annealing, resulting in poor optical transmission data. Possible reasons for the absence of tin after annealing are discussed.
Investigation of diode-pumped, self-frequency doubled RGB lasers from Nd:YCOB crystals

Abstract As a new self-frequency doubling crystal, Nd:YCOB demonstrates a great potential for diode-pumped cw visible solid state lasers in a simple hemispherical cavity. We previously reported 62 mW cw green output with less than 1 W diode pump power absorbed in the crystal. Now we present more than 16 mW red cw laser at 666 nm from 5% Nd:YCOB crystal. As far as we know, it is the first time that diode-pumped cw red lasing is achieved by self-frequency doubling. Our effort on blue laser is also addressed.
Unmanned aerial vehicle-based remote sensing for rangeland assessment, monitoring, and management.

Rangeland comprises as much as 70% of the Earth's land surface area. Much of this vast space is in very remote areas that are expensive and often impossible to access on the ground. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have great potential for rangeland management. UAVs have several advantages over satellites and piloted aircraft: they can be deployed quickly and repeatedly; they are less costly and safer than piloted aircraft; they are flexible in terms of flying height and timing of missions; and they can obtain imagery at sub-decimeter resolution. This hyperspatial imagery allows for quantification of plant cover, composition, and structure at multiple spatial scales. Our experiments have shown that this capability, from an off-the-shelf mini-UAV, is directly applicable to operational agency needs for measuring and monitoring. For use by operational agencies to carry out their mandated responsibilities, various requirements must be met: an affordable and reliable platform; a capability for autonomous, low altitude flights; takeoff and landing in small areas surrounded by rugged terrain; and an easily applied data analysis methodology. A number of image processing and orthorectification challenges have been or are currently being addressed, but the potential to depict the land surface commensurate with field data perspectives across broader spatial extents is unrivaled.
Computer graphics aided geometric modeling and mesh generation schemes for preprocessing and finite element analysis

The paper describes automated generation and editing schemes together with the development of computer-aided geometric models for general applications. For the construction of general finite element models of complex shapes, conventional approaches typical of wireframe, surface, or solid modeling cannot be effectively utilized for generating continuum solid models as well as discrete models simultaneously. In view of these facts, features to generate and model two-dimensional as well as threedimensional continuum and discrete models by isoparametric mapping/solid geometrical modeling techniques via a common interactive processor are described. The proposed scheme is demonstrated for modeling structural, thermal, or flow networks that are commonly encountered in engineering applications. In a research environment, the techniques addressed in this paper should prove to be very useful in providing flexibility and thereby significantly reducing the work load of frequent CAD users.
Reconstitution of protein kinase C alpha function by the protein kinase C beta-I carboxy terminus

Abstract The Ca 2+ and phospholipid-dependent Ser/Thr kinase protein kinase C (PKC) plays important roles in the transduction of cellular signals. Various PKC isoforms exist in mammalian cells which share conserved and variable regions as defined by cDNA sequence comparisons. To test whether carboxyl (C) terminal sequences of distinct isoforms can complement each other to yield functional chimeric molecules, we have constructed a PKC chimera in which amino acids 595–672 at the C-terminus of bovine PKC alpha (a) were replaced with the corresponding C-terminal amino acids (598–671) of rat PKC beta-I (b) to yield the chimera alpha/beta-I (ab). The chimera was then characterized biochemically and functionally, and compared with the parental isoforms. Since structure/ function analysis of PKC in mammalian experimental systems is complicated by multiple PKC isoforms and by cellular complexity, we stably introduced the PKC constructs into the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae , a simple, lower eukaryote with a short doubling time and well established molecular genetics. In yeast, the faithfully expressed PKCab chimera and normal PKC isoforms bound radiolabelled phorbol ester and were recognized on immunoblots by PKC-specific antibodies. The chimera phosphorylated substrate peptides in a PMA- and Ca 2+ -dependent manner, and, upon activation, increased the cell doubling time and the rate of Ca 2+ uptake into cells. In addition, PKCab displayed characteristics distinct from normal PKCb, but virtually indistinguishable from normal PKCa. Our findings indicate the reconstitution of PKCa function by the PKCb carboxyl terminus.
Rapidly repeated determinations of the cardiac output with the indicator-dilution technic

T HE indicator-dilution technic has been extensively used in the study of the circulation under a variety of conditions.1-10 Although it has been in use for a relatively long time, only a few have attempted to employ it in man for rapidly repeated determinations of cardiac output.“-I4 In these previous reports the time intervals between injections were kept above 5 minutes. Determination of cardiac output by the Fick principle does not allow sequential observations at short time intervals. However, moment-to-moment changes may occur, as, for example, in response to short periods of exercise, during administration of short-acting cardiac drugs or during various states such as experimental shock and acute hypervolemia. In these instances rapidly repeated serial determinations of cardiac output in man or in intact experimental animals are highly desirable. The present study was undertaken (a) to verify the random, systematic variability of rapidly repeated determinations of the cardiac output in man by the dye-dilution technic, and (b) to determine its possible usefulness in studying circulatory changes over a short period of time during a variety of conditions.
4-{(2R)-[3-Aminopropionylamido]-3-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)propionyl}-1-{2-[(2-thienyl)ethylaminomethyl]phenyl}piperazine as a Potent and Selective Melanocortin-4 Receptor AntagonistDesign, Synthesis, and Characterization

Recent studies have demonstrated that melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) antagonists can prevent weight loss in tumor-bearing mice, which indicates clinical usage for the treatment of cachexia. In our efforts to develop potent and selective antagonists of the human MC4R, we designed piperazinebenzylamines bearing a 2,4-dichlorophenylalanine, by utilizing information derived from structure−activity relationships of MC4R agonists and mutagenesis results of the MC4R and peptide ligands. On the basis of known MC4R agonists such 6, we successfully synthesized potent MC4R antagonists exemplified by 10, which possesses a Ki value of 1.8 nM in binding affinity. 10 does not stimulate cAMP release in HEK 293 cells expressing the human MC4 receptor at 10 μM concentration. It was demonstrated by Schild analysis that 10 was a competitive functional antagonist with a pA2 value of 7.9 in the inhibition of α-MSH-stimulated cAMP accumulation. 10 also penetrated into the brain when dosed intravenously in rats.
Monoclonal rat anti-mouse brain antibody detects Abelson murine leukemia virus target cells in mouse bone marrow

Abstract We report the characterization of a monoclonal antibody which detects a surface antigen expressed by the bone marrow target cell of A-MuLV. Treatment of bone marrow cells with this antibody and complement results in >95% loss of the A-MuLV-derived in vitro transformed foci. The surface antigen detected by this antibody is also expressed on A-MuLV-transformed lymphoid cell lines, thymocytes, and some peripheral lymphocytes. This antigen is not expressed, however, by the pluripotent hematopoietic stem cell defined by the spleen colony-forming assay. We present evidence that the antigen detected is neither a virally encoded product, nor exclusively associated with the BALB/c genome.
Soft segmentation weighted IECO descriptors for object recognition in satellite imagery

Object recognition from remote sensing systems is a task of immense interest. With the vast deployment of aerial vehicles and space borne sensors for a wide variety of purposes, it is critical to have robust image processing techniques to analyze massive streams of collected data. Herein, we explore the utility of a feature descriptor learning framework, called improved Evolution-COnstructed (iECO) features. Additionally, an investigation into the combination of iECO features with soft features is conducted. Soft features are a deterministic approach to highlighting pertinent information for improving the quality of features extracted specific to the object of interest while iECO is a way to learn from data the relevant information. Experiments are conducted using four-fold (scene based) cross-validation and are reported in terms of target recognition rates and false alarm rates. Results indicate that iECO features are individually best overall and the combination of iECO and soft features can lead to improved results.
Detection of hot spots in thin metal films via thermal noise measurements

A technique to detect local hot spots in thin aluminum films is discussed. Electromigration-damaged aluminum films of different dimensions have higher effective noise temperatures than undamaged films (good conductors) when they have the same environmental temperature and carry the same current density. The differences in noise temperature are attributed to film local joule heating associated with voids or poor film adhesion to the substrate. >
Experience, Learning, and the Process of Expert Development

This paper examines the relationship between experience and its differential effects on the types of knowledge that drive an auditor's expert-like behaviors during performance of field tasks. A descriptive model showing how the accessibility of an auditor's environmental and strategic knowledge are affected by task experience is presented. Properties that account for the accessibility of an auditor's knowledge are defined and an experimental methodology proposed whereby the effects of exposure to a task environment are quantified. The model and methodology are then applied to an analysis of the task behaviors of four first-year auditors who performed audit-related tasks in simulated auditing environments. Findings provide insight into the process of expert development and limitations on the rate at which expertise can be acquired.
Protein and energy sparing of glucose added in hypocaloric amounts to peripheral infusions of amino acids

After abdominal surgery, patients were given peripheral infusions of amino acids alone for 4 days followed by amino acids plus glucose for 4 days, or the same solutions in the reverse order. Although there was a wide variation in the response of individual subjects, the typical effect of glucose under these conditions was to reduce both nitrogen excretion (average of 2.8 g N/day) and resting metabolic expenditure (average of 110 kcal/day).
Bipolar Synchroneity of Late Cenozoic Paleoclimatic Cycles: ABSTRACT

There are now evidences that during the past 700,000 years, the Brunhes Normal Magnetic Epoch, temperatures were significantly cooler in both polar areas, in temperate regions, and even in tropical areas. In the Arctic there was a significant ice cover during the Brunhes; in the Antarctic, temperatures ranged between about 0 and 5°C in contrast to temperatures mostly above this during the Matuyama Reversed Magnetic Epoch. Evidences of cooler temperatures in temperate areas during the Brunhes consist of invasions in both hemispheres of sinistrally coiled populations of Globorotalia pachyderma (Ehrenberg), a cold-water planktonic foraminifer. Some climatic cooling took place in tropical areas during the Brunhes as shown by the invasions of tropical areas by temperate species of planktonic foraminifers, the Globorotalia inflata and G. puncticulata padana groups, and the marked decline in the abundance of the tropical index Sphaeroidinella dehiscens. Bipolar synchroneity of paleoclimatic events is supported by independent isotope analyses of ice samples for the Wisconsin cold interval. Earlier major bipolar cooling cycles occur in the Pliocene, Neogene Zone 21, and the late Miocene, with the maximum cooling in the Neogene Zone 17. Evidences consist of the major expansions of polar sinistrally coiled populations of Globorotalia pachyderma (Ehrenberg) into temperate areas during these cooling cycles, paleobotanical indications of cooling, and the association of marine glacial deposits with late Neogene polar faunas beginning in the late Miocene. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2468------------
Studies of Magnetic Flux Penetration in a Chemically Synthesized Bi(Pb)SrCaCuO Superconductor

Magnetic measurements were conducted on a sample of chemically synthesized Bi{sub 1.5}Pb{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 1.5}Ca{sub 1.75}Cu{sub 2}O{sub x} using an a.c. susceptometer and a vibrating sample magnetometer. The sample showed a large fraction of the phase with a superconducting onset temperature of 110 K. This high-temperature superconducting phase appears to have extremely narrow hysteresis loops above liquid-nitrogen temperatures, showing a small number of effective flux pinning sites. Below 40 K, a dimpling can be observed in the hysteresis loop under certain conditions.
Megafaunal-habitat associations at a deep-sea coral mound off North Carolina, USA

Deep-sea corals provide important habitat for many organisms; however, the extent to which fishes and other invertebrates are affiliated with corals or other physical variables is uncertain. The Cape Fear coral mound off North Carolina, USA (366–463 m depth, 33° 34.4′N, 76° 27.8′W) was surveyed using multibeam sonar and the Johnson-Sea-Link submersible. Multibeam bathymetric data (2006) were coupled with in situ video data (2002–2005) to define habitat associations of 14 dominant megafauna at two spatial scales. Results suggested greater habitat specificity of deep-reef fauna than previously documented, with fishes showing greater affinity for certain habitat characteristics than most invertebrates. High vertical profile, degree of coral coverage, and topographic complexity influenced distributions of several species, including Beryx decadactylus, Conger oceanicus, and Novodinia antillensis on the smaller scale (30 × 30 m). On the broad scale (170 × 170 m), several suspension feeders (e.g., N. antillensis, anemones), detritivores (Echinus spp.), and mesopelagic feeders (e.g., Beryx decadactylus, Eumunida picta) were most often found on the south-southwest facing slope near the top of the mound. Transient reef species, including Laemonema barbatulum and Helicolenus dactylopterus, had limited affiliations to topographic complexity and were most often on the mound slope and base. Megafauna at deep-water reefs behave much like shallow-water reef fauna, with some species strongly associated with certain fine-scale habitat attributes, whereas other species are habitat generalists. Documenting the degree of habitat specialization is important for understanding habitat functionality, predicting faunal distributions, and assessing the impacts of disturbance on deep-reef megafauna.