cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the initialization of tropical cyclones with a three dimensional variational analysis

A method of initializing tropical cyclones in high-resolution numerical models is developed by modifying a data assimilation system, the NRL atmospheric variational data assimilation system (NAVDAS), which was designed for general mesoscale weather prediction using a three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) analysis with intermittent updates. The method includes the following three upgrades to overcome difficulties resulting from tropical cyclone initialization with the NAVDAS analysis. First, synthetic observation soundings are generated on 9 vertical levels at 49 points for strong storms (v max > 23.1 m s−1) and 41 points for weak storms around each cyclone center to supplement the observations used by the analysis. Secondly, a vortex relocation method for nested grids is developed to correct the cyclone position in the background fields of the analysis for each nested mesh. Lastly, the 3DVAR analysis is modified to gradually reduce the horizontal length scale and geostrophic coupling constraint near the center of a tropical cyclone for minimizing the problems introduced by improper covariances and coupling constraint used in the analysis. The synthetic observations significantly improve the intensity and structure of the analysis and the track forecast. The vortex relocation significantly improves the first guess background, avoiding the large analysis corrections that would be needed to correct cyclone position, and reducing the imbalance introduced by such large analysis increments. The modifications to the analysis length scale and geostrophic coupling constraint successfully improve the inner core analysis, providing a tighter circulation, and reducing the underestimate of the mass field gradient. Among the three upgrades, the vortex relocation provides the largest improvement to the tropical cyclone initialization and forecast.
Motor vehicle crash fatalities in the elderly: rural versus urban.

BACKGROUND: The elderly contribute disproportionately to hospital trauma mortality and expense. This population and its traffic fatality rate are increasing. The purpose of this study was to determine how the effect of age on vehicle-related mortality is modified by population density. METHODS: FARS data for vehicle drivers and passengers were analyzed after linkage to census age-specific county population and area estimates. Characteristics of crash fatalities in the elderly (> or =65 years old) were compared with younger victims, for each quartile of county population density. RESULTS: There were 5,905 fatalities among the elderly, and 26,159 among the younger population, yielding annual rates (per 100,000) of 17.6 and 11.4. Rates were higher in counties with lower population density, but always higher among the elderly. Elderly fatal crash victims in all county quartiles were less likely to be male, unrestrained, riding with an intoxicated driver, or traveling over 60 MPH; all these risk factors were more frequent at lower population densities, regardless of age. Fatal crashes at intersections were more likely in the elderly, especially at higher population densities. CONCLUSION: Older age and lower population density independently increase vehicle-related mortality. Differing characteristics in each category suggest different preventive strategies.
Self-organizing control framework for driverless vehicles

Development of in-vehicle computer and sensing technology, along with short-range vehicle-to-vehicle communication has provided technological potential for large-scale deployment of autonomous vehicles. The issue of intersection control for these future driverless vehicles is one of the emerging research issues. Contrary to some of the previous research approaches, this paper is proposing a paradigm shift based upon self-organizing and cooperative control framework. Distributed vehicle intelligence has been used to calculate each vehicle's approaching velocity. The control mechanism has been developed in an agent-based environment. Self-organizing agent's trajectory adjustment bases upon a proposed priority principle. Testing of the system has proved its safety, user comfort, and efficiency functional requirements. Several recommendations for further research are presented.
Regulation and Measurement of Nitrification in Terrestrial Systems

Understanding nitrification rates and their regulation continues as a key area of research for assessing human's increasing impact on the terrestrial N cycle. We review the organisms and processes responsible for nitrification in terrestrial systems. The control of nitrification by substrate availability is discussed with particular attention to the factors affecting ammonia/ammonium availability. The effects on nitrification rates of environmental controls including oxygen, water potential, temperature and pH are described. With this general understanding of the factors affecting nitrification rates as a basis, we present an in depth analysis of methods used to measure nitrification in terrestrial systems. Net, gross and potential nitrification rate measurements are explained including the use of isotopes and inhibitors to measure rates in soils. Methods for the estimation of nitrification kinetics and modeling are briefly described. Future challenges will require understanding the factors controlling nitrification across spatial scales from ecosystems to soil microsites if we are to sustainably manage reactive nitrogen in terrestrial environments.
Surface Conductivity of Lead Silicate Glass after Hydrogen Treatment

Conductivity was developed in the surface layer of a lead silicate glass containing 61% lead oxide by certain prescribed hydrogen treatments. The conducting layer was found to be from 50 to 100 a.u. thick. The specific resistance was 800 ohm-cm., or more, depending on the hydrogen treatment. The ratio of hot-to-cold resistance was constant for various values of cold resistance. This showed that the conducting substance was a semiconductor, probably with reduced lead atoms serving as the centers which supplied the electrons. Their density was found to be one-millionth of the total density of lead atoms in the glass. The remainder of the lead gathered into aggregates which gave the glass a black color but made no contribution to the conductivity. A coating of this glass was applied to porcelain by powdering, spraying, and firing the glass. After hydrogen treatment the coating had a resistance of about 1000 megohms per square, which could be increased to higher values by treatment in boiling water. The coating was stable at voltage gradients up to 100 kv. per in. when the resistance was high enough to keep the wattage input below about 0.2 watt per sq. in. The resistance increased with increasing temperature, corresponding to bk= 0.065 e.v. at 25° to 100°C. and bk= 0.11 e.v. at 335° to 440°C.
Bone Loss and Caries in Rats Infected with Human Streptococci

Gnotobiotic rats infected orally with various human cariogenic Streptococcus mutans strains or a Streptococcus salivarius strain exhibited greater alveolar loss of bone than control rats. The same strains also showed considerable differences in their cariogenic activity. There was a positive correlation between the extent of bone loss and carious surfaces.
Genetically engineered large animal model for studying cone photoreceptor survival and degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa

Patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) typically develop night blindness early in life due to loss of rod photoreceptors. The remaining cone photoreceptors are the mainstay of their vision; however, over years or decades, these cones slowly degenerate, leading to blindness. We created transgenic pigs that express a mutated rhodopsin gene (Pro347Leu). Like RP patients with the same mutation, these pigs have early and severe rod loss; initially their cones are relatively spared, but these surviving cones slowly degenerate. By age 20 months, there is only a single layer of morphologically abnormal cones and the cone electroretinogram is markedly reduced. Given the strong similarities in phenotype to that of RP patients, these transgenic pigs will provide a large animal model for study of the protracted phase of cone degeneration found in RP and for preclinical treatment trials.
Preparation and linewidth of 125Sb(Cu) Mössbauer sources

Abstract A recipe for preparing 125 Sb(Cu) Mossbauer sources is given. The fwhm of these sources was found narrow and reproducible and a value of (5.83 ± 0.29) mm/s was observed with a thin ZnTe absorber.
Murine interstitial nephritis. VIII. Characterization of Igh-V restriction determinants in the development of anti-idiotypic immunity using blocking antibodies.

We have prepared antisera specific for Igh-V-linked determinants (αIgh-V) in order to study Igh-V restriction during the development of protective, T cell-mediated anti-idiotypic immunity in autoimmune interstitial nephritis. Suppressor T cells in this network use an antigen-binding (RE-Id+) factor (TsF1) secreted by first-order suppressor cells (Ts-1) to induce an anti-idiotypic (RE-αId+) soluble factor (TsF2) released by effectorphase, Ts-2 suppressor cells. Each of these soluble suppressor factors requires homology in the Igh-V region to complete its regulatory functions. Our αIgh-V antisera, adsorbed against network idiotypes, can interfere with the Igh-V restriction used in the induction of Ts-2 suppression by TsF1. The antisera bind both TsF1 and TsF2 in an allele-specific manner and are cytotoxic to induced Ts-2 cells, but not their precursors. These Igh-V determinants appear to behave like activation molecules. They lie outside of the ligand-binding site, do not map with the serologic binding of idiotype, and thus act as distinct associative-recognition elements in the maturation of anti-idiotypic immunity.
Effective size and the persistence of ecosystems

Ecosystems distributed in space have an effective size, reflecting both their absolute size (extent) and their fine-scale physical structure (viscosity). In this paper, a general mathematical model of a predator-prey interaction is presented via the phase-plane graphs of Rosenzweig and MacArthur (1963) to show one reason why ecosystems of larger effective size should persist longer than smaller ones: oscillations of population densities tend to be displaced farther from extinction thresholds—even in spatially homogeneous systems. Experimental results obtained by Gause and Luckinbill with protozoa and Huffaker with mites are interpreted in this context.
Targeted disruption of the glutaredoxin 1 gene does not sensitize adult mice to tissue injury induced by ischemia/reperfusion and hyperoxia

To understand the physiological function of glutaredoxin, a thiotransferase catalyzing the reduction of mixed disulfides of protein and glutathione, we generated a line of knockout mice deficient in the cytosolic glutaredoxin 1 (Grx1). To our surprise, mice deficient in Grx1 were not more susceptible to acute oxidative insults in models of heart and lung injury induced by ischemia/reperfusion and hyperoxia, respectively, suggesting that either changes in S-glutathionylation status of cytosolic proteins are not the major cause of such tissue injury or developmental adaptation in the Glrx1-knockout animals alters the response to oxidative insult. In contrast, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) isolated from Grx1-deficient mice displayed an increased vulnerability to diquat and paraquat, but they were not more susceptible to cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and diamide. A deficiency in Grx1 also sensitized MEFs to protein S-glutathionylation in response to H2O2 treatment and retarded deglutathionylation of the S-glutathionylated proteins, especially for a single prominent protein band. Additional experiments showed that MEFs lacking Grx1 were more tolerant to apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor αplus actinomycin D. These findings suggest that various oxidants may damage the cells via distinct mechanisms in which the action of Grx1 may or may not be protective and Grx1 may exert its function on specific target proteins.
Diurnal expression of NGF1-A mRNA in retinal degeneration slow (rds) mutant mouse retina

The retinal degeneration slow (rds) mutant mouse is a model for studying the retinal dystrophy for human disease, retinitis pigmentosa (RP). To continue our effort towards a possible mechanism of photoreceptor cell death in retinal dystrophies, we have studied the impact of the rds mutation on diurnal expression of a ‘zinc-finger’ DNA-binding protein, NGF1-A mRNA in the isolated retinas ofrds mutant mice compared to those of BALB/c mice. Background levels of NGF1-A mRNA were maintained during the subjective light period. Higher levels of NGF1-A mRNA were observed immediately after the light offset and peaked two hours into the light offset for both the BALB/c and the rds mutant retinas and remained higher for several hours in the dark. If the animals were left continuously in light during the subjective dark period, NGF1-A mRNA levels were not induced and remained lower. On the other hand NGF1-A mRNA levels were transiently induced during the transition of the dark-to-light phase. These data suggest that NGF1-A mRNA is differentially regulated by light and dark stimuli in the retina and an absence of rod outer segments in the rds mutant retina does not alter the normal diurnal cycle of NGF1-A mRNA expression.
Genetic variant of human erythrocyte malate dehydrogenase.

MALATE dehydrogenase exists in two distinct forms in a variety of mammalian tissues, one of which is in the cytoplasm as a soluble or supernatant enzyme and the other is tightly bound to the mitochondria1. These two forms have different chemical, physical and kinetic properties2–4 and each has a characteristic electrophoretic pattern5. Unlike most tissues erythrocytes possess only cytoplasmic malato dehydrogenase, as would be expected in the absence of mitochondria. This report concerns an inherited electrophoretic variant of erythrocyte (supernatant) malate dehydrogenase which was found in a survey of haemolysates prepared from 2,910 individuals, of whom 1,440 were white and 1,470 were North American Negroes. All were unrelated so far as is known, and consisted of unselected patients and personnel of three Buffalo hospitals. In the family investigations, both haemolysates and leucocyte extracts were electrophoresed.
When Infinite Regresses Are Not Vicious

Infinite regresses are notoriously suspect. Indeed, even the label "infinite regress" as opposed to "infinite series" suggests that there might be problems lurking. But setting that verbal uneasiness aside, there remain many reasons offered for distrusting regresses. I want to focus on one of them here, namely what Carl Gillett calls "The Structural Objection" to my proposal that in order for a person, S, to be justified in believing a proposition, p, there must be an infinite set of propositions available to S that can be arranged in a non repeating series such that the first member, rx is a reason for p, and the second member, r2 is a reason for r1? and r3 is a reason for r2, etc., and no r? repeats in the series.1 I argued that this partial account of justification, what I call "infinitism," offers a better solution than either foundationalism or coheren tism to the "regress of reasons" problem that is posed in The Outlines of Pyrrhonism by Sextus Empiricus.2 The reasons I gave were based upon epis
Engineering computer-based laboratories for research in the social sciences

Real-time process-control computer technology can now be effectively utilized to facilitate experimental research in the social sciences. The impact of such technology on the quality of experimental research in behavioral science laboratories suggests that computer-controlled experimentation is of as great a use in the social sciences as it has become in the physical sciences. This paper summarizes the kinds of behavioral research suitable for computer control, reviews the computer technology which has been used by social science experimenters, presents a framework integrating the research to date and concludes with a stage hypothesis for future developments.
Curability of Multiple Myeloma

Among 792 patients with multiple myeloma treated from 1987 to 2010 and assessed after 18 months, there were 167 patients with complete remission. For those 60 patients treated between 1987-1998 and with long followup, the latest relapse occurred after 11.8 years, so that 13 patients have remained in sustained complete remission for longer than 12 years (range 12-22 years). These results suggest that 3% of all patients treated during that period may be cured of multiple myeloma. In addition to immunofixation, more sensitive techniques for the detection of residual disease should be applied more consistently in patients with apparent complete remission in order to identify those with potential cure.
On the effect of asperity-pair elastic joints on friction resistance

Abstract One of the exact approaches to the problem of two bodies in contact is the analysis of their composite structure whose stiffness consists of the stiffnesses of the two bulk material bases as well as the interface weak stiffness caused by asperity geometry and junction conditions. In this paper, the material bases are assumed to be rigid compared with a simple elastic joint of surface asperities. The analysis emphasizes the contribution of asperity stiffness to some surface-related phenomena; mainly the significance of shear resistance, interface compliances under combined loading and stickslip motion. If a system of interlocked asperities is sheared by a tangential force, four consecutive phases can be distinguished: stick loading (S1), stick lifting (S2), micro slip lifting (S3) and finally gross sliding (S4). Governing equations of these phases are derived to correlate main parameters of interest with asperity stiffness and geometry. The dependences illustrated here provide more details about motion initiation and sliding resistance.
Ultrasonographic identification of dilated intrahepatic bile ducts and their differentiation from portal venous structures

Ultrasonographic evaluation of hepatic parenchyma has improved remarkably since the introduction of gray scale equipment. Bistable recordings are capable of outlining the organ and showing gross parenchymal abnormalities. Much information regarding the internal architecture of the liver, however, is lost on bistable sonograms. Gray scale technique has revealed that normal hepatic parenchyma is fairly uniform in its echo pattern. Hepatic parenchymal echoes are stronger than those emanating from normal renal tissue, but are weaker than echoes reflected from pancreatic tissue.
A simplified approach for determining the information content of radio tracking data.

Navigational accuracy dependence on spacecraft geometry, determining information content and critical error sources of earth based Doppler radio tracking data
Display Of Color Images With A Limited Set Of Colors

Many present-day color display systems incorporate Color Look-Up Tables (CLUTs) to compensate for small video refresh memory. The selection of color palette (representing colors selected for the CLUT) is critical for natural display of color images since the number of distinct colors displayable simultaneously is quite limited. This paper describes an efficient algorithm for optimal palette selection for a CLUT. The algorithm fully utilizes the distribution of pixels in three-dimensional color space. The algorithm is independent of the choice of color space. The results of computer simulation demonstrate that the algorithm is particularly useful for terminals with small refresh memory.
Darkfield electron microscopy: A simple method for the examination of glass micro-electrodes in the electron microscope ☆

Abstract Darkfield electron microscopy produces images of glass micro-electrode tips which are superior to those obtained with transmission electron microscopy. The micro-electrode tips can be mounted for electron microscopy on slot grids by bringing them into contact with a drop of adhesive on the grid under visual control, and allowing the adhesive to harden before the barrel of the micro-electrode is broken off.
Genetic Basis of the Low-Phytate Trait in the Soybean Line CX1834

The low-phytate (LP) trait in plant seeds offers important nutritional and environmental benefits for food and feed uses. Mutants with reduced phytate content are commonly produced by chemical mutagenesis, as is the case for soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] line CX1834. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for LP in CX1834 have previously been reported, however the genetic basis for this trait has not been identified. In this study, we examined several possible chromosomal map locations for the LP mutation in CX1834. After eliminating the myo-inositol phosphate synthase (MIPS) gene family as the location of the LP mutations based on mapping studies, we focused on candidate genes in regions of known low-phytate QTL on linkage groups (LGs) L and N. Using the soybean whole-genome sequence, we identified genes encoding two putative multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRPs). The sequence of a segment of the CX1834 MRP gene on LG N was compared with sequences from 16 other soybean lines with normal phytate content. A single nucleotide mutation from A to T, resulting in substitution of a stop codon for an Arg residue, was detected in the MRP gene on LG N of the low phytate line, but not in the normal counterparts. Further comparative sequence analysis of normal and LP progeny from a cross of CX1834 with V99-3337 (normal phytate) also indicated the A to T substitution in LP individuals, suggesting a mutation in an MRP gene as the possible cause of the low-phytate phenotype.
Stationary axially symmetric perturbations of a rotating black hole

A stationary axially symmetric perturbation of a rotating black hole due to a distribution of test matter is investigated. The Newman-Penrose spin coefficient formalism is used to derive a general set of equations describing the perturbed space-time. In a linear approximation we show that the mass and angular momentum of a rotating black hole is not affected by the perturbation. The metric perturbations near the horizon are given. We conclude that given a perturbing test fluid distribution, one can always find a corresponding metric perturbation such that the mass and angular momentum of the black hole are not changed. It was also noticed that when a → M, those perturbed spin coefficients and components of the Weyl tensor which determine the intrinsic properties of the incoming null cone near the horizon grow indefinitely.
Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MR Imaging of the Liver: Current Status and Future Directions

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MR imaging) is emerging as a tool that can quantify changes in liver perfusion that occur in both diffuse and focal liver diseases. Recent data show promise for DCE-MR imaging of the liver in diagnosing fibrosis and cirrhosis before morphologic changes can be detected. It may also be valuable in the assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastases. Acquisition parameters, postprocessing methods, applications, and recent results of DCE-MR imaging of the liver are also described. Finally, it reviews the limitations and future directions of DCE-MR imaging for liver applications.
Neurocognitive impairments in schizophrenia: a piece of the epigenetic puzzle.

This paper is a review of studies examining the neurobehavioral antecedents of schizophrenia which flesh out neurodevelopmental models of schizophrenia by detailing the time course of the ontogeney of neurobehavioral impairments in schizophrenia. A follow back design was used to identify precursors of psychotic symptoms in children with a schizophrenic disorder. The vast majority of children with a schizophrenic disorder had significant developmental delays beginning early in life. For example, gross deficits in early language development were found in almost 80% of the schizophrenic children. Somewhat later in development impairments in fine motor and bi-manual coordination are noted. Some of these early developmental delays are transitory. For example, basic language skills are among the best preserved neurocognitive functions in children and adults with schizophrenia. The results of our crosssectional neurocognitive studies suggest that children with schizophrenia suffer from limitations in the ability to engage in effortful cognitive processing or impairments in working memory. The links between these elementary neurocognitive impairments and the development of formal thought disorder as well as discourse deficits in children with a schizophrenic disorder will be discussed.
Vouchers versus prizes : Contingency management treatment of substance abusers in community settings

Contingency management (CM) interventions usually use vouchers as reinforcers, but a new technique awards chances of winning prizes. This study compares these approaches. In community treatment centers, 142 cocaine- or heroin-dependent outpatients were randomly assigned to standard treatment (ST), ST with vouchers, or ST with prizes for 12 weeks. CM patients remained in treatment longer and achieved greater durations of objectively confirmed abstinence than did ST patients; CM conditions did not differ significantly. Although abstinence at 6- and 9-month follow-ups did not differ by group, the best predictor of abstinence was longest duration of abstinence achieved during treatment. Thus, prize and voucher CM systems are equally efficacious in promoting long durations of abstinence, which in turn are associated with benefits posttreatment.
Field of Deferred Dreams: Baseball and Historical Amnesia in Marilynne Robinson's Gilead and Home

In her interrelated novels Gilead (2004) and Home (2008), Marilynne Robinson portrays American racism in a surprising and subtle way. Apart from Jack Boughton’s African American wife and son, Della and Robert Miles, whose existence he keeps secret and who appear only in the last pages of Home, the characters in these novels are all Caucasian and are living in all-white Gilead during the summer of 1956. Yet the books are clearly concerned with the evils arising from American slavery and the failure of Reconstruction, including the sort of white racism that exists in the absence of other races and takes the form of indifference to the consequences of prejudice. The novels show that despite Gilead’s isolation in rural western Iowa, the town reflects American history and attitudes, including a desire to forget or rewrite disturbing events in the past. In both of these novels, baseball, presented primarily as a social phenomenon rather than a sport, is seen as a vehicle of both inclusion and exclusion. Major League Baseball—the game most closely associated with American values, including cultural assimilation—is used to highlight the sorry history of American race relations from around 1890 to the middle of the twentieth century, while in a related theme amateur baseball is shown to be neither healing nor particularly welcoming of outsiders. Baseball therefore becomes a powerful symbol for what has been lost in the town—and in the country—and what might be restored to it. Whenever baseball appears in either popular or literary fiction, it tends to carry a symbolic weight, often focusing on American values. Popular baseball fiction is typically about the “straight white male [who] is the default value American” (Morris 109) and is, according to Cordelia Candelaria, “participating in a closed activity of the dominant—that is, white, male, Christian, and capitalist—culture” (3). In contrast, literary novels that include baseball may condemn exclusion based on race, religion, or other prejudicial criteria. In Candelaria’s terms, baseball functions in fiction as a “cultural metonym,” a “slice of American life that
The Dawn of Terrestrial Digital Television Broadcasting in the United States

With over 50 digital television stations on the air and thousands of digital TV receivers sold, the dawn of terrestrial digital broadcasting has finally arrived. It is now almost 12 full years since the FCC issued its Notice of Inquiry concerning Advanced Television, and it is almost 4 years since the ATSC Digital Television Standard was published. But at long last the implementation of this very flexible standard is underway. The standard supports both high definition and standard definition video and surround-sound. It will soon be supplemented by other ATSC standards that will enable pay-TV and data broadcasting to be implemented. By the end of 1999 there will be over 120 digital TV stations on the air and, according to some estimates, nearly 200,000 digital receivers in use.
The role of prior austenite grain size on the tensile ductility and fracture toughness of 18Ni maraging steels

This communication describes the results of an investigation which was undertaken to clarify the contradictory effects of grain size variation on the tensile ductility and fracture toughness of aged 18Ni maraging steel and the possible underlying causes for the fracture mode transitions observed. Varying prior austenite grain size does not effect tensile ductility or fracture toughness. Increasing grain size does result in a decrease in tensile ductility. Fracture mode changes in the aged condition.
Bronchial Circulation in Severe Multiple Peripheral Pulmonary Artery Stenosis: Case Report Illustrating the Origin of Continuous Murmur

In an infant with severe, multiple, peripheral pulmonary artery stenoses angiography clearly demonstrated enlarged tortuous bronchial arteries, especially in the right lung, where a major tortuosity corresponded closely to the point of maximal intensity of a loud continuous murmur. Increased bronchial circulation may be responsible for continuous murmurs in patients with severe multiple peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis.
Ascending aortic extension for enlargement of the aortopulmonary space in children with pulmonary artery stenosis.

Background Complex reconstruction of the aorta can be complicated by compression within the aortopulmonary space resulting in airway or pulmonary artery narrowing. Pulmonary artery compression is especially problematic in children with single ventricle physiology in which an increase in pulmonary vascular resistance may impair systemic venous flow and reduce cardiac output. Methods We operated on 7 patients (mean age, 2.9 years) with pulmonary artery stenosis presenting after a complex neonatal aortic reconstruction. All 7 patients underwent aortic extension with a polytetrafluoroethylene interposition graft and homograft patch angioplasty of the pulmonary artery to open the aortopulmonary space and relieve pulmonary artery narrowing. Five patients (hypoplastic left heart syndrome, n=2; transposition of the great arteries with tricuspid atresia and aortic hypoplasia, n=1; double outlet right ventricle with aortic hypoplasia, n=2) had previously undergone first stage repairs for single ventricle morphology. Two of the patients had multiple interim procedures, including placement of bilateral pulmonary artery stents, prior to our repair. Results There was 1 early death secondary to fungal sepsis. Six patients were discharged from the hospital. There was 1 late, noncardiac death from aspiration pneumonia in a patient with a severe craniofacial defect. Follow-up echocardiograms in the intermediate term have demonstrated relief of pulmonary artery narrowing and unobstructed aortic flow. Conclusions Aortic extension is an option in children with pulmonary artery compression of structures in the aortopulmonary space after complex aortic reconstruction.
A basic theoretical study of the temperature rise in sliding contact with multiple contacts

Abstract The objectives of this paper are to develop a theoretical solution for the temperature rise due to sliding contact between surfaces with multiple, interacting asperities and to use this solution to examine the effects of the important contact area and system parameters. A solution based on the Green's function method is developed for the basic problem of two half-space regions in sliding contact with any arbitrarily specified arrangement of rectangular asperities. Studies are conducted to demonstrate the effects of the contact area parameters, namely the number, size, spacing and orientation of the contacts, as well as sliding velocity. Results indicate that the contact temperatures are extremely sensitive to the number and relative spacing between contacts, where subdivision of a single contact into separated pieces significantly reduces the contact temperature rises. The orientation of the contacts relative to the sliding direction is shown to have only a small influence on temperature. The shape of the contacts also has only a small influence, except in the case of contact patches with large aspect ratios where significantly lower surface temperatures can occur. Sliding speed is shown to be extremely important in that increased speed causes both higher temperature levels and greater interaction between contacts due to the convective effect. The current paper is intended to describe the basic solution methodology for calculating temperature rises due to multiple, interacting contacts and to show some fundamental trends for a selected set of regularly arranged contact area distributions.
The Microbiota of the Vagina and Its Influence on Women’s Health and Disease

Abstract Explorations of the vaginal microbiota (VMB) began over 150 years ago. Using light microscopy and bacterial cultures, the concept of normal versus abnormal microbiota in women began to emerge. The latter became known by the term “bacterial vaginosis” (BV). BV microbiota is dominated by Gardnerella vaginalis and includes a number of anaerobic organisms. In contrast, normal flora is dominated by various Lactobacilli . BV microbiota is associated with vaginal discharge, poor pregnancy outcomes, pelvic inflammatory disease, postoperative wound infections and endometritis after elective abortions. In addition, BV flora predisposes women to infection by human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted diseases. Application of molecular techniques over the past decade has significantly advanced our understanding of the VMB. It is far more complex than previously recognized and is composed of many previously unknown organisms in addition to those already identified by culture. Analyses using high-throughput sequencing techniques have revealed unique microbial communities not previously recognized within the older, established vaginal flora categories. These new findings will inform the design of future clinical investigations of the role of the VMB in health and disease.
Welfare, child support and family formation

Abstract This article provides preliminary tests of the hypothesis that welfare and child support policies designed to accommodate the needs of women (and children) impoverished by fathers who discontinue financial support of children following marital dissolution, have adverse effects on family formation among young unwed parents who were poor even before their children were born. The tests are preliminary because there is too little variation among our policy variables to control for selection. We derive a generalized logit model of the mother' planned and actual family formation outcomes, allowing for her to choose no father involvement, father involvement, co-habitation, and marriage. We estimate this model using baseline data (seven cities) of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The results indicate that more generous welfare benefits and aggressive child support enforcement, increase the odds that disadvantaged unwed mothers' will move from to more stable planned and actual family formation (father involvement, co-habitation, marriage) with the fathers of their children. Besides the effects of these direct policy variables, the fathers employment status, which could also be influenced by policy, also has a large, positive effect on mothers' planned and actual family formation.
Pysb: A Modeling Framework to Explore Biochemical Signaling Processes and Cell-Decisions

Experiments often result in observations that suggest conflicting biochemical mechanisms in signaling networks. Mathematical modeling of biological systems could be used to probe knowledge derived from experimental observations. However, probing multiple mechanistic hypotheses in biological modeling often involves the instantiation of complex systems of equations that can make model revision, extension, and sharing challenging. To address these modeling barriers, we have developed a modeling framework that brings a program-based approach to biological modeling. In our approach, biological models are written as Python programs that encode biological functions as executable code. I will discuss the development and implementation of these methods to explore intracellular signaling pathway crosstalk and response to external cues in the context of programmed cell death and life/death decision processes in cancer biology will be presented. Our approach to model calibration to experimental data, extracting important knowledge from biochemical signaling networks, and developing tools to relate models to experiment will be discussed. We will also highlight how a programming language for biological modeling facilitates model tracking, sharing, and dissemination.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Isomorphism of Planar Graphs (Working Paper)

An algorithm is presented for determining whether or not two planar graphs are isomorphic. The algorithm requires O(V log V) time, if V is the number of vertices in each graph.
Circadian synchrony in networks of protein rhythm driven neurons

BINDS Laboratory, Department of Computer Science, University of Massassachusetts–Amherst,Amherst, Massachusetts 01002This paper was submitted as an invited paper resulting from the “Understanding Complex Systems”conference held at the University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign, May 2005Received September 30, 2005; revised April 20, 2006; accepted April 20, 2006The interaction between gene activation and cellular activity has recently emerged as a critical aspect ofbrain behavior, but the dynamics of networks incorporating these interactions are poorly understood. Aninteresting phenomena arises when the genetic activation oscillates endogenously and a network of suchcells synchronize to a coherent rhythm, such as is the case with the suprachiasmatic nucleus. To explain thissynchronization, we propose a model in which a mRNA/protein expression cycle drives neurons electricalactivity, and synaptic activation shifts the phase of the protein rhythm. Using lattice networks, wedemonstrate that these interactions are sufﬁcient to generate coherent oscillation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals,Inc. Complexity 12: 67–72, 2006
Lepton number violation in softly broken supersymmetry (II)

Abstract We study the implications of explicit lepton-number violating soft operators in a general low-energy effective theory with softly broken supersymmetry. Nonzero but relatively small VEVs of scalar neutrinos could exist. In the case where the VEVs of scalar neutrinos vanish, appreciable coefficients of the lepton-number violating soft operators are allowed. We also emphasize the role played by the mixing between the superpartners of the left- and right-handed leptons in the lepton family number violating process μ → eγ .
Complement Receptor 3-deficiency influences lesion progression during Leishmania major infection in BALB/c mice.

Leishmania major is an obligately intracellular protozoan parasite that causes cutaneous leishmaniasis. Like numerous intracellular pathogens, Leishmania exploits cell surface receptors as a means of entry into host cells. Complement receptor 3 (CR3; also called CD11b/CD18), a 2 integrin on phagocytic cells, is one such receptor. Ligation of CR3 has been shown to inhibit the production of interleukin-12, the cytokine that is pivotal in establishing the cell-mediated response necessary to combat intracellular infection. Here we investigate the role that CR3 plays in the establishment and progression of cutaneous leishmaniaisis in vivo. Dermal lesions of wild-type BALB/c mice are characteristically progressive and lead to extensive tissue necrosis coupled with elevated parasite burdens; CD11b-deficient BALB/c mice, however, demonstrate an intermediate phenotype characterized by chronic lesions and a reduced incidence of tissue damage. Infection followed by a reinfection challenge indicates that both susceptible (BALB/c) and resistant (C57BL/6) mice, regardless of CD11b status, develop resistance to L. major. In addition, CD11b does not bias the T helper cytokine response to L. major infection. Our results further indicate that CD11b is not necessary for disease resolution in resistant mice; rather, this protein appears to play a minor role in susceptibility. Leishmania species are a group of intracellular protozoan parasites that infect cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. These parasites cause a range of clinical manifestations, from localized, self-limiting cutaneous lesions to systemic fatal infections. Approximately 350 million people are at risk of infection worldwide (3), and an estimated 2 million new infections occur annually (16). Leishmania entry into host cells is receptor mediated. Leishmania parasites have been shown to engage Fc receptors (FcR) (62), mannose receptor (8), Toll-like receptors 2, 3 (24), and 4
Presence and Middle School Students' Participation in a Virtual Game Environment to Assess Science Inquiry.

Technology offers many opportunities for educators to support teaching, learning and assessment. This paper introduces a project to design and implement a virtual environment (SAVE Science) intended to assess (not teach) middle school students’ knowledge and use of scientific inquiry through two modules developed around curriculum taught in middle schools in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. We explore how the concept of ‘presence’ supports these efforts, as well as how Piaget’s theory of developmental stages can be used as a lens to understand whether these students achieved presence in the modules. Findings are presented from a study looking at 154 middle school students’ perceived sense of presence in a virtual world developed for the SAVE Science research project as demonstrated through a post module survey and a post module discussion with their teacher. Age and gender differences are explored. In addition we use content analysis, as described by Slater and Usoh (1993), of student talk in the post module discussion transcripts to identify levels of “presence.” In the end, participating seventh grade students demonstrated achieving some level of presence, while the sixth grade students did not.
Networks of Effective Action: Implementing an Integrated Approach to Peacebuilding:

Organizations in the peacebuilding field face the imperative of taking a holistic, integrated approach to peacebuilding that combines traditionally distinct disciplines such as human rights, humanitarian assistance, sustainable development, environment, conflict resolution, security, and the rule of law in order to be effective in today’s complex conflicts. The concept of a Network of Effective Action is proposed as a set of practices for collaboration that is capable of facilitating integrated approaches to peacebuilding both on the ground and in terms of the theoretical development of the field.
Verification of an EBC’s Protective Capability by First-Stage Evaluation in a High Temperature, High-Pressure Furnace

High-temperature, high-pressure exposure furnaces (commonly referred to as Keiser Rigs) have been used successfully to evaluate the ability of environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) on continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites and monolithic Si3 N4 to protect the underlying substrate at high temperatures and H2 O pressures. The ORNL rig provides for a relatively inexpensive way to conduct high sample throughput, first-stage evaluation of an EBCs protective capability on small ceramic specimens under a range of temperatures, pressures, and H2 O contents. The exposure of the EBCs in the Keiser Rig is coupled with extensive microstructural analysis to evaluate EBC failure and degradation mechanisms.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Resuscitation of Asphyxia in the Newborn: Physiologic Aspects

In an effort to arrive at a set of definite indications for the use of positive pres sure and intubation resuscitation technics, we studied the physiology of the cardio respiratory mechanisms active in the new born infant's transition to extra-uterine life.
Membraneless microseparation by asymmetry in curvilinear laminar flows

Membraneless microseparation by asymmetric inertial migration is studied in curvilinear laminar flows and evidence of the microseparation is presented. Along a curvilinear laminar flow, transverse particle migration involves competition between three shear-flow effects; the tubular pinch effect, centrifugal force, and Dean's vortex. Equilibrating control of migration allows for particle separation to different outlets. No filter-media or external force is necessary for the microseparation utilizing only shear-flow characteristics. A double-spiral design effectively controls the migration to optimize microseparation. The concentration ratio of 10 μm beads from the two different outlets was 660 times at 92 mm/s of flow velocity. This new technology has great potential for high-throughput and low cost in bio-agent and particulate separation at both macro and micro scales.
MANAGEMENT OF FUNCTIONAL ABDOMINAL PAIN AND IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Functional abdominal pain (FAP) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are among the most commonly diagnosed medical problems in pediatrics. Symptom-based Rome III criteria for FAP and IBS have been validated and help the clinician in making a positive diagnosis. The majority of patients with mild complaints improve with reassurance and time. For a distinct subset of patients with more severe and disabling illness, finding effective treatment for these disorders remains a challenge. Over the years, a wide range of therapies have been proposed and studied. The lack of a single, proven intervention highlights the complex interplay of biopsychosocial factors probably involved in the development of childhood FAP and IBS, and the need for a multidisciplinary, integrated approach. This article reviews the current literature on the efficacy of pharmacologic, dietary and psychosocial interventions for FAP and IBS in children and adolescents.
Scaffold attachment factor B1: an intrinsic inhibitor of androgen receptor downregulated in prostate cancer

The androgen receptor (AR) is a pleiotrophic transcription factor that regulates expression of a large number of genes involved in many diverse cellular processes. The AR activation pathways have been studied extensively. However, the molecular mechanism and biological significance of AR inhibitory signals remain poorly understood. Mukhopadhyay et al. have now identified the nuclear matrix protein scaffold attachment factor B1 (SAFB1) as a novel AR corepressor. The authors found that SAFB1 physically associates with AR protein and inhibits AR transcriptional activity and androgen-sensitive gene expression. SAFB1 had no effect on chromatin occupancy of AR, but silencing of SAFB1 abolished recruitment MST1, a known AR repressor, at AR target loci. They also showed that SAFB1 interacts with EZH2, SUZ12 and EED, three core components of the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which catalyzes the gene repression histone modification H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3). The authors further showed that forced expression of SAFB1 increases H3K27me3 at AR target loci and this effect requires EZH2. Finally, the authors demonstrated that expression of SAFB1 is downregulated in human prostate cancer (PCa) specimens and SAFB1 knockdown results in an aggressive phenotype of PCa. These findings identify SAFB1 as an important node for integration of multiple inhibitory signals of AR, which represents a viable pathway for therapeutic intervention of PCa.