cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional bioluminescence tomography with model-based reconstruction

A model-based image reconstruction method, bioluminescence tomography (BLT), is described. BLT has the potential to spatially resolve bioluminescence associated with gene expression in vivo, thus, offering a tomographic molecular imaging method. The three-dimensional spatial map of reporter genes is recovered using a diffusion equation model-based, finite element reconstruction algorithm. The imaging method is demonstrated using both numerical simulations and phantom experiments.
Elements of holographic video imaging

The elimination of visually unecessary information has made possible the demonstration of computer-generated, interactive, moving holographic video images possible for the first time. Here we present an overview of the basic conceptual and hardware principles involved.
Methylxanthine effects on caudate dopamine release as measured by in vivo electrochemistry.

The effects of caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) and theophylline (1,3-dimethylxanthine) on caudate dopamine release were examined in urethane anesthetized and freely moving rats using in vivo electrochemistry. In anesthetized animals, all doses (150, 250, and 500 mumole/kg, i.p.) produced significant decreases in caudate dopamine (DA) release, which were 14%, 30% and 58%, respectively, at 30 min. The decrease in caudate DA release appeared to be a selective effect with respect to drug and brain region. D-amphetamine (37 mumole/kg, i.p.) increased the caudate signal over a 150 min period. Caffeine, 250 mumole/kg, increased norepinephrine (NE) release in hippocampus by 37% at 30 min and 58% at 150 min. Motor cortical NE release was increased by 8% at 30 min and 44% at 150 min. In freely moving rats, caffeine and theophylline, 75 mumole/kg, increased caudate DA release by 39% and 66%, respectively, at 60 min. Caffeine, 250 and 500 mumole/kg, decreased caudate DA release by 31% and 52%, respectively, at 30 min. Theophylline, 250 mumole/kg, increased release by 25% at 75 min. A 500 mumole/kg dose of theophylline decreased caudate DA release by 44% at 30 min. Measurement of caudate methylxanthine concentrations showed that caudate caffeine levels were significantly higher than those of theophylline. These data are the first to show in an intact animal that methylxanthines affect the regional release of catecholamines (CA) in the central nervous system. This effect is dose dependent.
Purity Evaluation of As-Prepared Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Soot by Use of Solution-Phase Near-IR Spectroscopy

We report a rapid, quantitative procedure for the evaluation of the carbonaceous purity of bulk quantities of as-prepared single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) soot by the utilization of solution-phase near-IR spectroscopy. The procedure starts with two steps of homogenization followed by solution/dispersion spectroscopy of a representative part of the bulk sample. The purity is evaluated against a reference sample by utilizing the region of the second interband transition (S22) for semiconducting SWNTs. The procedure is found to be capable of reliably analyzing the carbonaceous purity of a 10-g batch of SWNTs produced by the electric arc discharge method to within 3%.
A textbook history of animal behaviour

Abstract The history of animal behaviour research over the last 50 years has been marked by a decline in traditional ethology and an increase in the prominence of behavioural ecology. Here I examine these changes in the discipline of animal behaviour during the past 50 years as reflected in specialized behaviour textbooks and introductory textbooks for general biology courses. Prior to 1975, all the behaviour texts devoted far more coverage to ethological research on the proximate causes of behaviour than to research on the adaptive value of behavioural traits. After 1975, ultimate questions about adaptation received much more attention than they had previously. The change took place because of events in the mid-1960s, including W. D. Hamilton's solution to the evolutionary puzzle of altruism and the group selection debate involving V. C. Wynne-Edwards, G. C. Williams and D. Lack. The effect of these events was to encourage researchers to use sound adaptationist theory untainted by species-benefit thinking. The theory helped identify many new questions about the adaptive value of behavioural traits, stimulating workers to give as much weight to these issues as had previously been devoted to research into the physiology and development of behaviour. Although pure ethological research appeared to decline after 1975, in fact the major proximate concerns of ethology were simply taken on by cell biologists and neurophysiologists who used tools not available to the classic ethologist. The result was the development of neuroethology, which has flourished over the years. However, classic (pre-1975) ethological research still receives considerable coverage in many introductory biology textbooks, possibly because of the weight given these studies by W. T. Keeton in his influential textbook. None the less, ever since the 1980s, most biology textbooks have also discussed some of the fruits of adaptationist theory, especially Hamilton's explanation for altruism, thereby providing a more balanced treatment of proximate and ultimate issues than was once the case. Copyright 2003 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Pulsatile infusion of growth hormone-releasing factor depresses growth of young broiler chickens.

Abstract This study was conducted to determine the effects of programmed intravenous infusion of growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) on the growth and metabolism of young broiler chickens (4–7 weeks of age). Twelve 4-week-old chickens, fitted with jugular catheters, were randomly assigned to three treatment groups (four birds/group): pulsed infusion of saline [SAL-P] at 3 hr intervals, pulsed infusion of GRF1–44 (5μg/kg at 3 hr intervals)(GRF-P], or continuous infusion of GRF (40 μg/kg-day)(GRF-C]. The GRF-P treatment depressed (P
Microstructural evolution during the initial stages of spray atomization and deposition

The material used in the present investigation was 7150 Al with a composition (in wt%) of 5.9--6.9 Zn, 1.9--2.5 Cu, 2.0--2.7 Mg, 0.12 Si, 0.15 Fe, 0.10 Mn, 0.08--0.15 Zr, 0.04 Cr and 0.06 Ti, balance aluminum. The spray atomization and deposition experiment was conducted as follows. The alloy was melted and superheated to 850 C. The molten material was disintegrated into a dispersion of micron-sized droplets by using nitrogen at a pressure of 1.20 MPa. Subsequently, the atomized droplets were deposited onto a water-cooled copper substrate to be collected as a coherent, dense preform. The substrate was positioned at a distance of approximately 36 cm below the atomizer. The microstructural observation of the as-deposited material was conducted by using optical microscopy. Samples were sectioned along the central line of the deposited material. The polished samples were etched by using Keller`s reagent. The grain size was measured through the line intercept method.
Individual Case Analysis of Processing Speed Difficulties in Children With and Without Traumatic Brain Injury

Two studies were conducted to determine the frequency of processing speed difficulties relative to estimates of other problem-solving abilities in children with and without traumatic brain injury (TBI). The two samples consisted of 213 normally functioning school-age children and 65 TBI children and 19 trauma controls. All children were administered the WISC-III/IV Vocabulary, Block Design, and Coding subtests. The frequency of children in each sample having a Coding subtest score of 3 or 4 scale points below the Vocabulary or Block Design score (whichever one was lower) was calculated. Using a 3-point scale difference, the presence of processing speed deficits relative to other cognitive abilities in the school sample was low (5.2%), and was equivalent to that demonstrated by trauma controls (5.3%). However, in the TBI sample, 18 out of 65 TBI patients (27.7%) showed this same pattern. Using a 4-point discrepancy scale, 3.3% of normal children and 16.9% of TBI children showed this pattern. The frequency ...
RNA-Regulated TRA-1 Nuclear Export Controls Sexual Fate

TRA-1, a member of the GLI family of transcription factors, is required for C. elegans female development. We find that TRA-1 has a sex-specific distribution consistent with its role in female development: nuclear TRA-1 is higher in hermaphrodite intestines and in specific germline regions than in males. TRA-1 patterns rely on nuclear export since treatment with leptomycin B, a CRM1-dependent export inhibitor, increases nuclearTRA-1 in males. TRA-1 export requires TRA-1 binding to the tra-2 3' untranslated region (3' UTR), as disruption of binding increases nuclear TRA-1 and female development. Our data are consistent with coexport of a TRA-1/tra-2 mRNA complex reducing TRA-1 nuclear activity, and identify an interesting RNA-based mechanism for controlling transcriptional activity and cell fate determination.
Vegetative Life History of a Dominant Rain Forest Canopy Tree1

Tetramerista glabra has a remarkable combination of life history traits. It is a dense-wooded, large, common canopy tree in primary peat swamp rain forest. Its seedlings, although shade tolerant, can grow rapidly in high light conditions, but frequently lack structural stability. Most juvenile stems (94% in the understory and 38% in canopy gaps) collapse under their own weight or from branchfalls. Fallen stems then ramify into vegetative sprouts, which in turn may collapse, perpetuating a vegetative juvenile cycle. Most recruitment is from sprouts rather than from seed. Structural analysis of stem dimensions shows that stems 2-8 cm DBH (diameter at breast height) are close to the theoretical bucklihg limit, especially for those dependent on neighboring vegetation to maintain vertical form. Trees > 4 cm DBH persisting as upright stems develop stilt root support and become structurally independent at ca 8 cm DBH. Eventually, as stems thicken, stilt roots anastamose and trees adopt the cylindrical growth form of mature canopy trees (up to 150 cm DBH). Thus, the vegetative life history strategy of the species is to: (i) regenerate a large "ramet bank" from the majority of juveniles that fail structurally while suppressed in the understory, and (ii) to maximize height growth at the expense of diameter growth in high light conditions. The growth pattern and plastic form of T glabra shows how a shade tolerant species may adapt to utilize the ephemeral light resource in canopy gaps. The growth strategy of this species allows it to circumvent the normal trade-off between shade tolerance and rapid growth in canopy gaps.
Laminin-1 reexpression in Alport mouse glomerular basement membranes1

Laminin-1 reexpression in Alport mouse glomerular basement membranes. Background Alport disease is a heritable basement membrane disorder caused by mutations in genes encoding the α3, α4, or α5 chains of type IV collagen, which normally comprise the collagenous network of mature glomerular basement membranes (GBMs). In Alport disease, the α3(IV), α4(IV), α5(IV) collagen network is absent and substituted for by α1(IV), and α2(IV) collagen, which normally is present only in developing, immature GBMs. The disease is marked by progressive GBM thickening and delamination, proteinuria, and renal failure. In addition to collagen IV dysregulation, abnormal GBM laminins also occur and may contribute to the pathogenesis of Alport glomerulopathy. Methods To investigate laminin dysregulation in a mouse model of Alport disease, we used antibodies specific for laminin-α1 and -β1 chains (to recognize laminin-1), and -α5 chain (to recognize laminin-11), and evaluated their distribution during glomerular development in α3(IV) collagen-deficient mice. Results Developing glomeruli of infant α3(IV) collagen knockout mice underwent normal down-regulation of laminin-1, but laminin-1 chains were then reexpressed in maturing glomeruli, becoming concentrated in the subepithelial GBM projections typical of Alport disease. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that laminin-1 reexpression took place in both glomerular endothelial cells and podocytes. Conclusions The absence of a α3(IV), α4(IV), α5(IV) network may stimulate reexpression of laminin-1 by Alport mouse endothelial cells and podocytes. This abnormal GBM, which is more characteristic of immature glomeruli, may promote podocyte foot process effacement and reversion to a less differentiated state.
Role conflicts for internal evaluators

Abstract Internal evaluators, by definition of their work, must perform several different roles in their organizational context. These roles are related to being a professional evaluator, a member of a community focusing on some substantive issue or topic, and a member of some organization. These various roles are inherently conflictual making the work of internal evaluators an exercise in negotiating and managing conflict.
A semantic model of program faults

Program faults are artifacts that are widely studied, but there are many aspects of faults that we still do not understand. In addition to the simple fact that one important goal during testing is to cause failures and thereby detect faults, a full understanding of the characteristics of faults is crucial to several research areas in testing. These include fault-based testing, testability, mutation testing, and the comparative evaluation of testing strategies. In this workshop paper, we explore the fundamental nature of faults by looking at the differences between a syntactic and semantic characterization of faults. We offer definitions of these characteristics and explore the differentiation. Specifically, we discuss the concept of "size" of program faults --- the measurement of size provides interesting and useful distinctions between the syntactic and semantic characterization of faults. We use the fault size observations to make several predictions about testing and present preliminary data that supports this model. We also use the model to offer explanations about several questions that have intrigued testing researchers.
America's low.wage path

The economic performance of the United States is sometimes viewed as very successful, especially in comparison to Europe. After all, unemployment has been lower than in Europe and job creation has been higher. The relative superiority of job creation in the United States is frequently exaggerated, however, by comparisons of the absolute numbers of jobs created - a flawed measure because the size of the labor force has been relatively stagnant in Europe while growing in the United States. Moreover, it is infrequently recognised that U.S. job creation in the 1980s was actually inferior to that of the 1970s.Nevertheless, the bigger fault with the claim of U.S. economic superiority (and the implied superiority of "flexible", deregulated labor markets and laissez-faire policies) is that it ignores the deterioration in the standard of living of most Americans over the last 15 years. This paper reviews recent income and wage trends in the United States and finds that widespread income problems have been a contin...
Evidence for a single pedigree source of the hyperkalemic periodic paralysis susceptibility gene in Quarter Horses

The pedigree origin of a base pair substitution in the horse muscle sodium channel gene that confers susceptibility to the muscle disease hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP) was investigated with a set of 978 Quarter Horses. The horses were chosen at random, based on a collection of blood samples taken between 1989 and 1991 to meet parentage testing requirements, primarily but not exclusively from breeding stallions. The frequency of Quarter Horses positive for the base pair substitution, all heterozygotes, was 4.4%, which corresponds to an allelic frequency of 0.02. All horses positive for the gene traced to a single previously identified stallion as first, second or third generation descendants. A higher frequency of the HYPP susceptibility trait than expected by random occurrence was found among his descendants in this study.
Streptococcal endophthalmitis from contaminated donor corneas after keratoplasty. Clinical and laboratory investigations.

• We report three cases of Streptococcus viridans endophthalmitis following penetrating keratoplasty in which S viridans was cultured from the recipient eye, McCarey-Kaufman (M-K) media, and corneoscleral rims. As a laboratory correlation, we investigated the ability of S viridans to survive in M-K medium supplemented with gentamicin. After M-K medium was inoculated with S viridans , it was stored overnight at 4°C, after which the temperature was raised to 23°C. Periodic colony counts were performed for up to 24 hours after warming. No killing occurred in the cold. Ten hours passed before there was one log reduction in the bacterial colony count. Organisms could still be cultured at 24 hours. We conclude that gentamicin alone may be inadequate prophlyaxis against S viridans contamination of donor corneas.
Endoscopic and histological patchiness in treated ulcerative colitis.

OBJECTIVE: Traditionally, contiguous distribution of inflammation (endoscopic and histological) with rectal involvement is thought to be important in distinguishing ulcerative colitis (UC) from Crohn’s disease of the colon. Little longterm data are available that prove whether this rule holds during the course of disease as it is modified by time and treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of endoscopic and histological patchiness and rectal sparing in treated UC over time and to correlate these findings with treatment at the time of endoscopy. METHODS: Patients with well-established UC who underwent sequential colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy with biopsies were included in this study. Patients’ medical records including endoscopy/biopsy reports and clinical status/symptoms/treatment at the time of endoscopy were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 32 patients (14 men, 18 women; median age, 45 yr; median UC duration, 15 yr) underwent 175 sequential endoscopies with biopsies (161 colonoscopies, 14 sigmoidoscopies; median, five endoscopies per patient; range, 3‐10). Endoscopic and/or histological patchiness was present in 20 of 175 (11%) sequential endoscopies with biopsies over time from 12 of 32 (38%) patients. Endoscopic and/or histological rectal sparing was present in 27 of 175 (15%) of sequential endoscopies with biopsies over time from 14 of 32 (44%) patients. Seven patients had both patchiness and rectal sparing. Therefore, in 47 (27%) follow-up endoscopies in 19 (59%) patients, there was either patchy disease, rectal sparing, or both sometime during the course of disease with treatment. There was no significant difference in treatment, including steroid use and rectal therapy, between those with patchiness and/or rectal sparing and those without. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to traditional teaching, endoscopic and histological patchiness of inflammation and rectal sparing are common during the course of disease in treated UC and seem to be unrelated to specific therapy. (Am J Gastroenterol 1999;94:3258 ‐3262. © 1999 by Am. Coll. of Gastroenterology)
Electro-optic sensor from high-Q resonance between optical D-fiber and slab waveguide

An electric-field sensor is specially fabricated with an optical D-fiber that utilizes weak evanescent coupling with a lithium niobate slab waveguide. Resonant modes with a Q-factor of ~13,000 yield high sensitivity for detecting electric fields.
An efficient symbolic approach to time delay optimization of CMOS circuits

An approach to automatic generation of symbolic models relating a digital cell delay to CMOS transistor dimensions is proposed and used for deterministic and statistical delay optimization in combinational CMOS VLSI circuits. The models used provide about 5% accuracy with respect to the SPICE-3 circuit simulator, but are up to 5 to 6 orders of magnitude faster. A first order statistical device model is introduced. Examples of optimization of several VLSI circuits are shown, the largest being composed of about 1200 transistors, with 380 gate widths and 10 different active delay paths optimized in 308 CPU seconds. A generic optimization system, able to perform the relevant deterministic and statistical optimization tasks, is described. >
Left main coronary arterial patency assessed with cross-sectional echocardiography

Abstract To assess the ability to visualize the left main coronary artery with cross-sectional echocardiography, 123 patients scheduled to undergo coronary arteriography were studied prospectively. The left main coronary artery was visualized with a phased array sector scanner. Coronary arteriography revealed a normal left main coronary artery in 108 of the 123 patients and more than 50 percent stenosis of this vessel in 15 patients. The left main coronary artery was adequately visualized with crosssectional echocardiography in 62 (57 percent) of the 108 patients with an arteriographically normal artery and in 9 (80 percent) of 15 patients with more than 50 percent stenosis of this vessel. Cross-sectional echocardiography indicated a normal left main coronary artery In 59 of the 108 patients with a normal left main vessel on coronary arteriography. In three patients thought to have greater than 50 percent stenosis of the distal left main coronary artery on cross-sectional echocardiography, coronary arteriography revealed significant stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery and a normal left main coronary artery. In all nine patients with more than 50 percent stenosis of the left main coronary artery on coronary arteriography and adequate visualization of this vessel on cross-sectional echocardiography, the latter technique revealed narrowing of the lumen of this vessel. It is concluded that: (1) When the left main coronary artery is adequately visualized with crosssectional echocardiography, the presence or absence of more than 50 percent stenosis of this vessel can be assessed. (2) Stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery may mimic a distal left main coronary arterial stenosis. (3) Studies on larger numbers of subjects with left main coronary artery disease will help to delineate further the role of cross-sectional echocardiography in evaluating a patient with suspected disease of this artery.
Pediatric provider vaccine hesitancy: An under-recognized obstacle to immunizing children.

Abstract Objective To describe vaccine attitudes among pediatric healthcare providers attending immunization conferences. Study design Attendees of 5 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)-sponsored vaccine conferences held between June and November 2013 anonymously completed a questionnaire assessing vaccine attitudes and practices prior to the opening of educational sessions. Pearson's chi-square tests and Fisher's exact tests were used to analyze associations between vaccine attitudes, vaccine practices and provider characteristics. Results 680 providers attending AAP-sponsored vaccine conferences were included. 661/666 (99%) enrolled providers state they routinely recommend standard pediatric vaccines, yet, 30 (5%) state that they do not routinely recommend influenza and/or human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. These providers expressed vaccine safety (87/680 (13%)) and efficacy (21/680 (31%)) concerns and stated belief in vaccine misperceptions: vaccine causes autism (34/668, 5%), multiple vaccines at a single visit reduces vaccine efficacy (43/680, 6%) or overwhelms the immune system (63/680, 9%), and administering HPV vaccine will increase the likelihood of unprotected adolescent sexual activity (29/680, 4%). Six percent of providers who do not routinely recommend all pediatric vaccines correctly identified themselves as vaccine hesitant. Conclusion Vaccine hesitancy is under-recognized among pediatric providers attending AAP-sponsored immunization conferences. Educational interventions tailored to address provider vaccine concerns are needed to improve provider vaccine confidence.
A haptic based virtual grinding tool

We present a concept of a versatile 'haptics' based operator training tool. A system for the training of machine operators and path planners is developed. A tool-work piece contact force model is developed to simulate resultant haptic force feedback. Details of implementation issues are provided followed by experimentation. Results and analysis have been presented that proves the hypothesis.
Systolic counters with unique zero state

Systolic counters have a clock period independent of counter size at the expense of representing the count value as a redundant number. Previously proposed systolic counters need to be initialized to non-zero values in order to enter the desired repetitive sequence without a transient phase. This is due to the non-unique redundant representation of the zero-state for up-counters. We propose a systolic down-counter that enters a repetitive sequence directly after reset as it has a unique representation of the zero state. We show that the uniqueness of the zero state is also convenient for modulo-p systolic counters.
Twentieth-century variability in snow-cover conditions and approaches to detecting and monitoring changes : status and prospects

The extent, and variability of seasonal snow cover are important parameters in the climate system. Changes in snow cover may provide an indicator of global climatic trends and are of considerable practical significance. The question of the most suitable indices of changes in snow cover conditions, in terms of their use for change detection and for monitoring applications, is discussed. The use of passive microwave-derived estimates of snow cover extent and water equivalent for continental and regional-scale mapping is illustrated. Problems in interpreting the microwave signatures, as well as difficulties in comparing such data to ground observations, are also noted.Up to now analyses have focused primarily on trends in Northern Hemisphere snow extent based on monthly averages using the NOAA weekly snow charts 1972-present, or on station data spanning 50-100 years. However, the latter are generally less readily available, or accessible. An overview is provided of current information on recent hemispheric t...
Patients can accurately identify when they have a dermatologic condition.

Abstract The use of "gatekeepers" may be rational when patients do not know what specialist to see for their condition. Using representative data on outpatient practice in the United States, we tested the hypothesis that when patients believe they have a skin condition, they have a dermatologic disease. At least 95% of visits for skin symptoms are associated with dermatologic diagnoses. Patients who believe they have skin conditions do have dermatologic diseases and are able to choose the appropriate specialist. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1999;41:784-6.)
Pulmonary Vein Contraction Before and After Radiofrequency Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Pulmonary Vein Contraction After Ablation. Introduction: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) may provide a noninvasive method to test for pulmonary vein (PV) isolation after ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) by detecting changes in PV contraction. Methods: PV contraction (the maximal percentage change in PV cross-sectional area [CSA] during the cardiac cycle) measured 1 month before and 2 months after PV isolation was compared in 63 PVs from 16 patients with medically refractory AF. Repeat cMRI imaging and invasive catheter mapping was performed prior to repeat PV ablation in 50 PVs from 14 additional patients with recurrent AF. Contraction in PVs with sustained isolation after the initial ablation was compared to contraction in PVs with electrical reconnection to adjacent atrium. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cutoff PV contraction value for prediction of PV-atrial reconnection after ablation. The cutoff value was then prospectively tested in 40 PVs from 12 additional patients. Results: PV contraction decreased after AF ablation (22.4 ± 10% variation in CSA before ablation vs 10.1 ± 8% variation in CSA after ablation, P 17% variation in PV CSA predicted reconnection with a sensitivity of 84.6% and specificity of 66.7%. Conclusion: PV contraction is reduced by ablation. PV contraction measurement may provide a noninvasive method to test for PV isolation after ablation procedures. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 22, pp. 169-174, February 2011)
On Constitutive Models for Limited Elastic, Molecular Based Materials

Dedicated to Professor Cornelius O. Horgan in esteem and friendship, with highest regard. Abstract: The response function for a general class of elastic molecular based materials characterized by their limiting molecular chain extensibility and depending on only the first principal in - variant of the Cauchy-Green deformation tensor together with a certain molecular based limiting extensibility parameter is introduced. The constitutive response function for the Gent material is then derived inversely as the (0/1) Pade approximant of this class, a re- sult that leads naturally to an infinite geometric series representation of its response func - tion. Truncation of this series function characterizes a familiar class of quadratic materials now having physically relevant material constants. It is shown that the (0/2) approximant of the response function for the general class of restricted elastic materials leads inversely to a new constitutive model and its series representation. Of course, many familiar limited elastic material models are members of the general class. The Pade approximants for some response functions are not, and empirical modifications that admit these as members of the general class are described. Examples of two limited elastic models in the class that are not Pade approximants are noted. The strain energy functions for a few of the restricted elastic models described are presented.
Accommodating species identification errors in transect surveys.

Ecologists often use transect surveys to estimate the density and abundance of animal populations. Errors in species classification are often evident in such surveys, yet few statistical methods exist to properly account for them. In this paper, we examine biases that result from species misidentification when ignored, and we develop statistical models to provide unbiased estimates of density in the face of such errors. Our approach treats true species identity as a latent variable and requires auxiliary information on the misclassification process (such as informative priors, experiments using known species, or a double-observer protocol). We illustrate our approach with simulated census data and with double-observer survey data for ice-associated seals in the Bering Sea. For the seal analysis, we integrated misclassification into a model-based framework for distance-sampling data. The simulated data analysis demonstrated reliable estimation of animal density when there are experimental data to inform misclassification rates; double-observer protocols provided robust inference when there were “unknown” species observations but no outright misclassification, or when misclassification probabilities were symmetric and a symmetry constraint was imposed during estimation. Under our modeling framework, we obtained reasonable apparent densities of seal species even under considerable imprecision in species identification. We obtained more reliable inferences when modeling variation in density among transects. We argue that ecologists should often use spatially explicit models to account for differences in species distributions when trying to account for species misidentification. Our results support using double-observer sampling protocols that guard against species misclassification (i.e., by recording uncertain observations as “unknown”).
The Court of Wards in a Princely State: Bank Robber or Babysitter?

Scholarship on institutional history rarely brings the academe to a heightened state of excitement. However, when institutions cross spans of time and place while intersecting with multiple cultural identities and levels of power, things can become more captivating. An ideal institution for examination of this very process is the Court of Wards. Originally devised in Tudor England, the Court was later brought to India by members of the East India Company and put into wide use throughout the subcontinent. In India, its purpose was to shelter child heirs and their estates, eventually returning heir and estate to autonomy when ruling age was reached. However, while the Court in England and in India has received some critical review, we can extend its investigation one step further by examining its use in the ‘other India’, that of the princely states. How did this administrative unit become adopted and adapted to some of India's 560 princely states? To what degree were the Court and its administrators able to rectify an inherent tension within the Court's purpose? It was largely designed to protect child heirs and their estates, and return them in due time. But, in a princely state, in some circumstances, the ultimate ‘owner’ of any land was the chief prince. Did the Court mediate between the wishes of the ruling prince and his (or her) smaller ‘little kings?’ In short, to what extent was the Court of Wards at times a babysitter, and at other times a bank robber?
Book review: Reliable Books About Reliability and Related Concepts

Handbook of Reliability Engineering, edited by Hoang Pham, 2003, Springer Verlag Publication, New York, USA, ISBN: 1 85233 453 3, pp. . $199.00 System Reliability Theory: Models, Statistical Methds...
Mixed Quantum Classical Simulations of Vibrational Excitations in Peptide Helices

The theory of Davydov solitons largely has been been studied using semi-classical techniques that invoke an adiabatic approximation. We test for the soliton formation under conditions that include important features of a true biological system-300K temperature, a solvent, hydrogen bond breaking and reforming.
Transitory Fluidic Control of Turbulent Shear Flows

*† The evolution of large-scale vortical structures in a single-stream, plane shear layer is radically altered by transitory actuation using intermittent pulse trains where the characteristic pulse period is much shorter than the period of the fundamental instability. The flow evolution is investigated in the limits of low- and high pulse duty-cycles. It is shown that a single actuation pulse induces the formation of a single large-scale vortical structure and time-periodic repetition results in a flow that is similar to a time-harmonically-forced flow. The interaction of these pulse-induced vortical structures with intermittent pulse trains of increasing duty cycle is also investigated. In the limit of a continuous pulse train, the large vortical structures are absent in the forced flow and the evolution of the flow is markedly different from the flows that are subjected to transitory actuation. Finally, it is shown that when the flow is forced by continuous high-frequency pulse train, its receptivity to external acoustic disturbances (e.g., “acoustic feedback”) is substantially diminished.
FRACTIONAL FLOW RESERVE IN PATIENTS WITH ANGINA IN THE ABSENCE OF OBSTRUCTIVE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE: IS THERE SUCH A THING AS NORMAL CORONARY ARTERIES?

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is valuable in determining hemodynamic significance of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). While morphologic and pathophysiologic abnormalities have been shown to correlate with FFR in patients with significant CAD, little is known whether these relationships
Effect of two times maintenance dose of dermatophagoides farinae drops on efficacy and expulsion rate of allergic rhinitis

Objective To investigate the effect of two times maintenance dose of dermatophagoides farinae drops on rapid desensitization efficacy and expulsion rate of allergic rhinitis.Methods 173 allergic rhinitis patients sensitive to dermatophagoides farinae were enrolled in this open control study,and divided into the study group and the control group.The study group was treated with sublingual two times maintenance dose of dermatophagoides farinae drops treatment,while the control group was treated with routine dose of desensitization therapy.The curative effect,safety and effect on expulsion rate of the two groups were observed and compared.Results After 12 months of immunotherapy,the markedly effective rate of the study group was 52.56%,and the total effective rate was 84.62%;while the markedly effective rate of the control group was 23.16%,and the total effective rate was 61.05%(P0.05).After 6 months and 12 months of immunotherapy,the expulsion rate of the study group were 3.85%,6.41% respectively,while that of the control group were 15.79%,25.26% respectively(P0.05).The adverse reactions of patients in the two groups were both mild,and no serious adverse reactions cases happened.Conclusion Two times maintenance dose of dermatophagoides farinae drops desensitization therapy has rapid onset,good efficacy,safety,good compliance of patients,and can significantly reduce the expulsion population,and is worthy of clinical application.
Localized QoS-aware MAC protocol for real-time dynamic sensor networks

Sensor networks have found important applications on real-time sensing and control. In those applications, the stringent quality of service (QoS) requirements (e.g., delay, jitter) and the dynamic nature of low-power wireless communication render existing MAC protocols undesirable. In this paper, we present RoMac, a localized QoS-aware TDMA MAC protocol for real-time dynamic sensor networks. The key contributions of RoMac include: (1) it provides collision-free communication and persistent QoS guarantee such as constant packet jitter and bounded latency; (2) it is resilient to topology dynamics and truly traffic adaptive in dynamic environments. To our best knowledge, this is the first TDMA MAC protocol that can achieve the resilience to dynamic topologies; (3) its localized design eases the need of scheduling message exchange beyond the initialization phase. We present an implementation of the protocol using the TinyOS operating system running on the iMote2 sensor mote platform. Our experiment result shows that RoMac can achieve the adaptability to dynamic changes in data collection sensor networks and provide persistent QoS support in terms of timeliness, packet jitter and fairness. 1 Keywords-QoS-Aware, Media Access Control, Real-time, Dynamic Sensor Networks
Jury Nullification: What It Is and How to Do It Ethically

In the late 1960s, Dr. Benjamin Spock was active in opposing the War in Vietnam, which he and many others had come to regard as illegal and immoral. 1 As a result of various anti-War activities, Spock and four others were prosecuted in federal court in Boston for conspiring to counsel, aid, and abet draft evasion. 2 Each of the defendants had a separate lawyer, but the lawyers worked closely together. I was asked to represent one of the defendants. Because none of the facts establishing the offense were in dispute, and conviction was certain, I said I would do so only with the understanding that I would raise jury nullification in the trial. That is, I wanted to inform the jury that they had the power to acquit Spock and the others if the jurors believed that they should not be convicted as felons and punished for their conscientious opposition to this particular war. Unfortunately, the lawyers who had already been retained had made a motion in limine, 3 asking Trial Judge Francis Ford to allow them to inform the jury of their power of nullification. 4 Judge Ford had not only refused, but had warned them that if they did so, he would hold them in
Introductionto the 2004 AIS Award Papers on Innovation in Information Systems Education

This article describes the 2004 AIS Award Papers on Innovation in Information Systems Education. It includes the rationale for the awards and lists the papers selected and the selection committee.
RETROLUNAR DISLOCATION OF THE CAPITATE WITH FRACTURE OR SUBLUXATION OF THE NAVICULAR BONE

1. Retrolunar dislocation of the capitate bone with fracture or with subluxation of the navicular is one type of carpal injury. 2. Reduction of the dislocation by manipulation can be accomplished if done early. If this is not successful, open reduction must be carried out. 3. If there is an associated navicular fracture, and satisfactory alignment of the fragments is not obtained by manipulation, open reduction and insertion of a bone graft should be done. 4. In neglected cases of this type of injury, the choice of treatment rests between excision of the first row of the carpus and wrist fusion.
Abstract A103: The neurotransmitter norepinephrine and β2-AR activation of MB-231 breast cancer cells alters fibrillar collagen structure

The impact of psychosocial stress on breast cancer pathogenesis has become an area of intense research in the past several years. Sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation and release of the catecholamine norepinephrine (NE) is a major stress pathway that promotes breast cancer pathogenesis. We have evidence that SNS activation can regulate breast tumor growth and metastasis by altering the tumor extracellular matrix (ECM), specifically fibrillar collagen. Alterations in fibrillar collagen microstructure can be detected using second harmonic generation multiphoton laser scanning microscopy (SHG MPLSM). This non-linear optical technique takes advantage of endogenous light scattering by non-centrosymmetric structures, including collagen. Stress-induced changes to the tumor collagen microstructure can be quantified by measuring the ratio of forward- to backward-scattered light (F/B ratio), as well as the directional coherence of resident collagen fibers. Here, we demonstrate that NE can directly stimulate breast cancer cells and tumor stromal cells to elicit changes in collagen microstructure. In these experiments, cells were pretreated with NE, washed to remove NE, and placed in 3D-type I collagen matrices. Pretreatment of MDA-MB-231 metastatic breast cancer cells with NE significantly lowered the F/B ratio and decreased fiber directional coherence of type I collagen gels. Treatment of MB-231 cells with the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) selective agonist, terbutaline, mimicked the effects of NE. Furthermore, NE pretreatment of the β-AR-negative metastatic breast cancer line, 4T1, did not elicit alterations in SHG F/B ratio or fiber coherence in collagen gels, compared to control cells. These results suggest that NE acts through tumor cell β2-AR to alter collagen microstructure. Future experiments will elucidate the molecular mediators of this collagen reorganization and determine the impact of such changes on tumor metastatic capacity. These experiments will provide new insights into mechanisms underlying stress-induced tumor pathogenesis that may reveal new therapeutic avenues for the treatment of breast cancer. Citation Format: Ryan P. Dawes, Kathleen A. Burke, Petr Stastka, Edward B. Brown, Kelley S. Madden. The neurotransmitter norepinephrine and β2-AR activation of MB-231 breast cancer cells alters fibrillar collagen structure. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research: Genetics, Biology, and Clinical Applications; Oct 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2013;11(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A103.
Bayesian Network Methods for Modeling and Reliability Assessment of Infrastructure Systems

Infrastructure systems are essential for a functioning society. These systems, however, are aging and subject to hazards of increasing frequency and severity. This chapter presents novel Bayesian network (BN) methodologies to model and assess the reliability of complex infrastructure systems. BNs are particularly well suited to the analysis of civil infrastructures, where information about the systems is often uncertain and evolving in time. In this environment, BNs handle information probabilistically to support engineering decision making under uncertainty, and are capable of updating to account for new information as it becomes available. This chapter addresses one of the major limitations of the BN framework in analyzing infrastructure systems, namely the exponentially increasing memory storage required as the size and complexity of the system increases. Traditionally, this has limited the size of the systems that can be tractably modeled as BNs. Novel compression and inference algorithms are presented to address this memory storage challenge. These are combined with several heuristics to improve the computational efficiency of the algorithms. Through the application of these algorithms and heuristics to example systems, the proposed methodologies are shown to achieve significant gains in both memory storage and computation time. Together, these algorithms enable larger infrastructure systems to be modeled as BNs for system reliability analysis.
Deciphering Adsorption Structure on Insulators at the Atomic Scale

We applied Scanning Probe Microscopy and Density Functional Theory (DFT) to discover the basics of how adsorbates wet insulating substrates, addressing a key question in geochemistry. To allow experiments on insulating samples we added Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) capability to our existing UHV Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM). This was accomplished by integrating and debugging a commercial qPlus AFM upgrade. Examining up-to-40-nm-thick water films grown in vacuum we found that the exact nature of the growth spirals forming around dislocations determines what structure of ice, cubic or hexagonal, is formed at low temperature. DFT revealed that wetting of mica is controlled by how exactly a water layer wraps around (hydrates) the K+ ions that protrude from the mica surface. DFT also sheds light on the experimentally observed extreme sensitivity of the mica surface to preparation conditions: K atoms can easily be rinsed off by water flowing past the mica surface.
Relation of Prolonged P-Wave Duration to Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death in the General Population (from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study).

Prolonged P-wave duration, a marker of left atrial abnormality, is associated with myocardial fibrosis, atrial fibrillation, and all-cause death. It is not known if prolonged P-wave duration is associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the general population. We aimed to evaluate whether prolonged P-wave duration is independently associated with SCD risk in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, a community-based prospective cohort study. We included 15,321 participants in our analysis (age 54.2 ± 5.7 years, 55.2% women, 26.4% black). Prolonged P-wave duration was defined as maximum P-wave duration >120 ms and was determined from 12-lead electrocardiograms obtained during 4 exams (1987 to 1999). SCD was physician adjudicated and defined as a sudden, pulseless condition in a previously stable patient without evidence for noncardiac cause of death. We used Cox proportional hazard models to assess the association between prolonged P-wave duration and SCD, adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and conditions including atrial fibrillation. During a mean follow-up of 12.5 years (1987 to 2001), 268 SCDs were identified. The multivariable hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of prolonged P-wave duration for SCD was 1.70 (1.31 to 2.20). This association was attenuated but remained significant after updating covariates to the end of follow-up with a hazard ratio of 1.35 (1.04 to 1.76). In conclusion, prolonged P-wave duration is independently associated with an increased risk of SCD in the general population. This association is independent of atrial fibrillation and is only partially mediated by shared cardiovascular risk factors.