cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Segmental mandibular regeneration by distraction osteogenesis. An experimental study.

• We report the use of distraction osteogenesis for segmental mandibular regeneration. This technique has been used in thousands of patients in the Soviet Union to regenerate as much as 30 cm of tubular bone in the extremities. However, we are unaware of previous experimental or clinical reports of segmental mandibular regeneration by distraction osteogenesis. In a canine model, 2.5-cm segmental mandibular defects were filled with regenerate bone in 25 days at a rate of 1.0 mm/d using bifocal distraction osteogenesis. The diameters of the regenerate segments were comparable with preexisting mandi ble, and all animals resumed normal oromandibular function following regeneration. The regenerate bone was evaluated radiographically, angiographically, and histologically. In the control group without distraction osteogenesis, the segmental defects failed to fill with regenerate bone. The theoretical basis for distraction osteogenesis, a detailed description of the technique, and a review of previous studies on experimental mandibular lengthening are presented. ( Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg . 1990;116:535-545)
A computer simulation platform for the optimization of a breast tomosynthesis system.

In breast tomosynthesis there is a compromise between resolution, noise, and acquisition speed for a given glandular dose. The purpose of the present work is to develop a simulation platform to investigate the potential imaging performance for the many possible tomosynthesis system configurations. The simulation platform was used to investigate the dependence of image blur and signal difference to noise ratio (SDNR) for several different tomosynthesis acquisition configurations. Simulated projections of a slanted thin tungsten wire placed in different object planes were modified according to the detector's modulation transfer function (MTF), with or without pixel binning. In addition, the focal spot blur (FSB), which depends on the location of the wire, the system geometry, the source-detector movement speed, and the exposure time, was also incorporated into the projections. Both expectation maximization (EM) and filtered back projection (FBP) based algorithms were used for 3D image reconstruction. The in-plane MTF was calculated from the reconstructed image of the wire. To evaluate the noise performance, simulated noiseless projections of calcification and tumor in uniform breast tissue were modified with the noise power spectrum (NPS) calculated from a cascaded linear system model for the detector for a given x-ray dose. The SDNR of themore » reconstructed images was calculated with different tomosynthesis configurations, e.g., pixel binning, view number, and angular range. Our results showed that for a source-to-imager distance (SID) of 66 cm, pixel binning (2x2) caused more degradation to the in-plane MTF than the blur caused by the moving focal spot and reconstruction. The in-depth resolution can be improved by increasing the angular range.« less
Asteroids and meteorites - Parent bodies and delivered samples

Asteroid physical strengths, which critically affect the quantity of ejecta that can be placed in orbits evolving so as to cross that of the earth, vary widely due to initial composition and size, and subsequent geophysical and collisional evolutions. The meteorite yield on earth additionally depends on meteorite strength, which affects longevity in space and survival through the atmosphere. It is presently shown that meteorites may be primarily derived by cratering rather than disruptive fragmentation, and from large, main-belt asteroids rather than from small, earth-approaching bodies. The model presented combines a variety of evidence from various disciplines to yield results that are consistent with meteorite statistics, although no claim is made for the uniqueness of the model and many of its elements remain uncertain.
Hadronic vacuum polarization effects in Bhabha and Moller scattering

Effects of hadronic vacuum polarization in the reactions e$sup +$e$sup - $ $Yields$ e$sup +$e$sup -$ and e$sup +-$e$sup +-$ $Yields$ e$sup +-$e$sup +-$ are discussed. The cross sections with spin polarization are given. Measurements of these effects could directly determine in the hadronic vacuum polarization at spacelike momentum transfers and could improve tests of quantum electrodynamics. (NL)
On the existence of prelinguistic categories: A case study

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether infants spontaneously form categories during the prelinguistic period and whether these categories are based on the same principles as adult basic-level categories. A new methodology, using a functional use measure as the determinant of category composition, was employed in a case study of one infant's horn category. Results indicated that this category met Schlesinger's (1982) criteria for a prelinguistic category and that the category was based on similarity relationships, as adult categories are.
Integrating legacy instruments in an LXI based test and measurement system

LAN Extension for Instrumentation (LXI) is a new standard for test and measurement industries. The idea promotes time based measurement capability with the aid of IEEE1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) running over the Ethernet network among test and measurement systems. However, legacy instruments do not have the sense of absolute time within the instrument to be synchronized with LXI units. Yet, some legacy instruments are not equipped with LAN interface for communication and control. Thus, an inter-device embody is needed to co-exist the legacy instruments and LXI units in a LXI test solution. This inter-device embody must have the ability to perform PTP synchronization and communication with LXI units, meanwhile interface with legacy instrument to perform time base measurement capability to the combination.
UPTAKE OF POTASSIUM AT LOW TEMPERATURES IN KIDNEY CORTEX SLICES OF HIBERNATING MAMMALS.

IN hibernating hamsters and ground squirrels cationic concentration gradients between tissue cells and plasma are undiminished1,2. This fact probably accounts for the ability of the excitable tissues of these species to retain high resting potentials3, to conduct action potentials3–5 and to regulate fibre water content6 at the exceptionally low body temperatures of hibernation. In most mammalian tissues at normal, high body temperature the maintenance of cationic gradients across cell membranes is an active process requiring the expenditure of metabolic energy by mechanisms which transport cations against electrochemical gradients in the face of passive leaks. The question arises whether gradients continue to exist during hibernation because these mechanisms still function or because membranes are less permeable to ions at low temperature.
A Cultural Shift Toward Peace: The Need for a National Symbol

Countless brave Americans have publicly opposed U.S. wars and advocated for peace, yet history does not often document their contributions. National monuments honor those who have engaged in combat or died in war, but there are no national memorials to indicate that U.S. society values peace and citizens who take action to oppose war. In fact, these individuals are often held in contempt. Because culturally shared symbols reinforce commonly held social sentiment, it is anticipated that the developing US Peace Memorial will significantly contribute to a cultural shift by educating and inspiring new generations of Americans to embrace and advocate for peaceful alternatives to war.
COMPARISON OF TWO COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION TASKS

115 high school juniors were required to write a composition after reading an essay or just to write one without reading. Students were instructed in writing a summary, a synthesis, and an argument to prepare them to write a composition for the task which required reading an essay. Writing samples were collected before the study started and after instructions for each kind of writing, i.e., a summary, a synthesis, and an argument. When the first writing sample's scores were the covariate, the pretest mean was higher for writing in response to a topic without reading an essay than on the pretest for writing after reading an essay. Scores significantly improved following instruction in writing a summary for the task which required writing in response to reading an essay; however, scores declined significantly in response to instruction in writing a synthesis when the task required no essay reading.
Thermal Anomalies of He 3 : Pairing in a Magnetic Field

It is shown that the linear splitting in a magnetic field of the thermal anomaly ($A$) observed recently in liquid ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ at about 2.5 mK can be explained by postulating pairing in a state of odd relative angular momentum. Further structure is predicted, and implications of the theory and experiment are discussed.
Design of Under-Actuated Open-Chain Planar Robots for Repetitive Cyclic Motions

Under-actuated systems are unavoidable in certain applications. For example, a biped can not have an actuator between the foot and the ground. For industrial robots, underactuation is preferable due to cost considerations. A fully actuated system can execute any joint trajectory. However, if the system is under-actuated, not all joint trajectories are attainable. For such systems, it is difficult to characterize attainable joint trajectories analytically and numerical methods are generally used to characterize them. This paper investigates the property of differential flatness for under-actuated planar open chain robots and study its dependence on inertia distribution within the system. Once this property is established, trajectory between any two points in its differentially flat output space is feasible and can be shown to be consistent with the dynamics of the under-actuated system. It is shown that certain choices of inertia distributions make an under-actuated open-chain planar robot with revolute joints feedback linearizable, i.e., also differentially flat. Hence, both cyclic and point to point trajectories can be guaranteed with these under-actuated systems. The methodology proposed is demonstrated with an under-actuated three degree-of-freedom planar robot.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Algorithmic approach to utilization of CT scans for detection of internal hernia in the gastric bypass patient.

Abstract Background While surgical exploration remains the gold standard for diagnosing internal hernia (IH) after certain bariatric surgeries, decisions for operative intervention are often based on computed tomography (CT) findings. Objectives The aim of this study is to review our institutional experience and create an algorithm to approach patients presenting with abdominal pain and/or emesis after certain bariatric procedures. Settings University Hospital Methods Following institutional review board approval, a retrospective chart review of all patients presenting with obstruction symptoms after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) was performed at 2 institutions from 2008 to 2013. Patients without CT scans or with incidental hernia defect findings were excluded. CT and intraoperative findings were compared via univariate statistical analysis. Results Fifty-two patients who underwent an operation for a suspected IH were identified. Of the 50 patients, 25 (50%) had IH at operation. Twenty-nine patients (58%) had positive CT scans read for IH and/or obstruction. Of these 29, 19 (66%) were found to have IH at operation and 10 (34%) underwent negative diagnostic laparoscopy. Of the 21 patients with negative CT scans, 6 (29%) had IH at operation versus 15 (71%) who were negative. The sensitivity of CT scan to detect an internal hernia is 76% with 95% confidence interval (CI) [53% to 90%] and specificity is 60% with 95% CI [39% to 78%]. Sensitivity increased to 96% with 95% CI [78% to 99.8%] when combining CT scans with neutrophilia findings. Conclusion Positive CT scans are sensitive for IH but not specific. CT scans will not detect IH in 1:4 patients; despite negative findings, surgical exploration should remain the gold standard for patients with acute abdominal pain after LRYGB or biliopancreatic diversion when IH is a consideration.
Age group differences among veterans enrolled in a clinical service for behavioral health issues in primary care.

Objectives To examine age group differences in the identification, engagement, clinical outcomes, and monitoring of older, relative to middle aged and younger, veterans with behavioral health needs enrolled in an integrated care management program Design Cross-sectional and longitudinal Setting Primary care clinics affiliated with two Veterans Affairs Medical Centers Participants A total of9,087 veterans were referred to the Behavioral Health Laboratory (BHL) for a behavioral health assessment and 7,251 completed an initial assessment Measurements Data on consult source and reason for the referral, clinical assessment outcomes, and engagement were collected during a 3-year period. Variations in process and patient-level factors were examined as a function of age group. Results Although all age groups evidenced high rates of engagement in clinical assessment calls, older adults were slightly more likely to complete the assessments than young/middle-aged veterans. Clinical assessment outcomes revealed that although older adults were less likely to meet criteria for more complex, severe conditions, rates of disorder remained clinically significant, and comorbidity was common. Finally, older veterans receiving treatment monitoring for a newly prescribed antide- pressant consistently reported high rates of antidepressant adherence during the course of the monitoring calls and showed significant reductions in depressive symptomatology during the course of monitoring. Conclusions Results indicate age-related variability in processes and outcomes among veterans referred to the BHL and suggest that older veterans are just as likely to benefit from a program designed to facilitate the identification, engagement, monitoring, and care management of primary care patients experiencing behavioral health issues.
Synthetic triterpenoids have cytotoxicity in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines but cytotoxicity is independent of induced ceramide increase in MOLT-4 cells.

Synthetic triterpenoids have cytotoxicity in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines but cytotoxicity is independent of induced ceramide increase in MOLT-4 cells
Observation of the solar soft X-ray component; study of its relation to transient and slowly-varying phenomena observed at other wavelengths

Solar X-rays from 8–12 A have been observed with an ion chamber photometer and fluxes derived from the observations after an assumption concerning the spectral distribution. The time variation of the X-ray flux correlates well with the radio flux, plage index, and sunspot number. Comparisons of X-ray and optical events are given; flares seem to produce soft X-rays, but some soft X-ray bursts are apparently not associated with flares. The total energy involved in the soft X-ray bursts may be a significant amount of the total flare radiation.
Conversion of superoxide generated by polymorphonuclear leukocytes to hydroxyl radical: A direct spectrophotometric detection system based on degradation of deoxyribose

Abstract Hydroxyl radical is produced secondarily after phagocytic cells have been stimulated to generate superoxide anion. The systems used most commonly for detection of cell-generated hydroxyl radical are often inconvenient for routine biomedical research. We have modified an assay used heretofore in cell-free systems, that is, the degradation of deoxyribose, and adapted it for use with neutrophils. The time and dose responses of the system, requirement for chelated iron, inhibited profiles with various scavengers, and correlation with superoxide production have been ascertained. The method correlated strongly with a standard but more cumbersome technique. Values for a normal population are provided. The method can readily be used to study the parameters of superoxide-hydroxyl radical conversion by cells in various disease or treatment states.
Manganese(III) porphyrins complexed with P22 virus-like particles as T1-enhanced contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging.

Virus-like particles are powerful platforms for the development of functional hybrid materials. Here, we have grown a cross-linked polymer (cross-linked aminoethyl methacrylate) within the confines of the bacteriophage P22 capsid (P22–xAEMA) and functionalized the polymer with various loadings of paramagnetic manganese(III) protoporphyrin IX (MnPP) complexes for evaluation as a macromolecular magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent. The resulting construct (P22–xAEMA–MnPP) has r1,particle = 7,098 mM−1 s−1 at 298 K and 2.1 T (90 MHz) for a loading of 3,646 MnPP molecules per capsid. The Solomon–Bloembergen–Morgan theory for paramagnetic relaxivity predicts conjugating MnPP to P22, a supramolecular structure, would result in an enhancement in ionic relaxivity; however, all loadings experienced low ionic relaxivities, r1,ionic, ranging from 1.45 to 3.66 mM−1 s−1, similar to the ionic relaxivity of free MnPP. We hypothesize that intermolecular interactions between neighboring MnPP molecules block access of water to the metal site, resulting in low r1,ionic relaxivities. We investigated the effect of MnPP interactions on relaxivity further by either blocking or exposing water binding sites on MnPP. On the basis of these results, future design strategies for enhanced r1,ionic relaxivity are suggested. The measured r2,ionic relaxivities demonstrated an inverse relationship between loading and relaxivity. This results in a loading-dependent r2/r1 behavior of these materials indicating synthetic control over the relaxivity properties, making them interesting alternatives to current magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents.
Cell-mediated immunity to synovial antigens in rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract Patients with rheumatoid arthritis Summary were found to possess cell-mediated immunity to antigens present in rheumatoid synovium, but not to antigens contained in psoriatic or osteoarthritis synovial membranes. The majority of rheumatoid patients responded to extracts of both autologous and homologous rheumatoid synovia. These data raise the possibility that cell-mediated immune mechanisms may play a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid synovitis.
Evidence for hematotoxicity and tumorigenesis in rats exposed to 100 ppm benzene

A group of 40 Sprague-Dawley rats was exposed to 100 ppm benzene for 6 h/day, 5 days/week for life. Another group of 40 rats received air under the same exposure regimen. During the exposures, treated rats exhibited continuously depressed peripheral erythrocyte and lymphocyte counts. Although the incidences of these peripheral cell depressions were statistically significant, the magnitudes of the depressions were not. Histopathologic evaluation revealed that splenic hemosiderin pigments were much more prevalent in exposed rats than in controls, indicating either red cell hemolysis or ineffective erythropoiesis. The mortality-corrected tumor incidences between exposed and control mice were not statistically different. However, several exposed rats died with tumors that, because of their rare spontaneous incidence, are most likely treatment-related. Four rats died with liver tumors, two died with zymbal gland carcinoma, and one died with chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Uncore RPD: Rapid Design Space Exploration of the Uncore via Regression Modeling

A regression-based design space exploration methodology is proposed that models the impacts of the memory hierarchy and the network-on-chip (NoC) on the overall chip multiprocessor (CMP) performance. Designers cannot explore all possible designs for a NoC without considering interactions with the rest of the uncore, in particular the cache configuration and memory hierarchy which determine the amount and pattern of the traffic on the NoC. The proposed regression model is able to capture the salient design points of the uncore for a comprehensive design space exploration by designing memory and NoC-specific regression models and leveraging recent advances in uncore simulation. To show the utility of our methodology, Uncore RPD, two case studies are presented: i) analyzing and refining regression models for an 8-core CMP and ii) performing a rapid design space exploration to find best performing designs of a NoC-based CMP given area-constraints for CMPs of up to 64 cores. Through these case studies, it is shown that i) simultaneous consideration of the memory and NoC parameters in the NoC design space exploration can refine uncore-based regression models, ii) sampling techniques must consider the dynamic design space of the uncore, and iii) overall, the proposed regression models reduce the amount of simulations required to characterize the NoC design space by up to four orders of magnitude.
A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Medical Scribes and Electronic Medical Record System in an Academic Urology Clinic

Abstract Introduction Electronic medical records have introduced an additional level of complexity to the patient-provider encounter and medical scribes may offer a solution. We examined how a medical scribe system could support an academic urology clinic. To assess the financial feasibility of this model, we analyzed the additional costs associated with adding medical scribes and we discuss the potential benefits of this system. Methods We measured total patient wait and interaction times with staff, and estimated the additional staff required to maintain an increased patient load if medical scribes were introduced. We then calculated the average revenue per patient during the most recent 9 months of data to estimate the minimum increase in the number of patient visits needed to offset the additional staffing needs. Results Mean ± SD total wait time was 23 minutes 28 seconds ± 13 minutes 4 seconds. Average monthly expenses would increase by $17,452.50 for 6 additional staff members, including 1 nursing assistant, 1 patient service specialist, 1 nurse and 3 scribes. There was an average of 666 monthly office visits and average net revenue to the department was $107.78 per patient visit. The increase in the number of patient visits required to break even would be 162 additional patients per month, representing a 24.3% increase. Additional downstream revenue was considered. Conclusions A medical scribe system in the example of an academic urology clinic setting could increase patient flow and decrease the burden on medical providers by reducing computer charting. This model is only financially prudent if the increased expenses are offset by additional revenue from increased patient visits.
Convenient and accurate discretized path integral methods for equilibrium quantum mechanical calculations

In the path integral representation of quantum theory, a few body quantum problem becomes a classical many body problem. To exploit this isomorphism, it becomes necessary to develop methods by which degrees of freedom can be explicitly removed from consideration. The interactions among the remaining relevant variables are described by effective interactions. In this paper, we present a general methodology to carry out the reduction in numbers of degrees of freedom. Certain path integral algorithms are shown to correspond to reference systems for the full isomorphic classical many body problem. The correspondence allows one to determine systematic corrections to the algorithms by low order perturbation approximations familiar in the theory of simple classical fluids. We show how to use discretized path integrals to compute rigorous upper and lower bounds to the free energy for nontrivial quantum systems, and we discuss how to optimize the upper bounds with variational theories. Several illustrative example...
Measurement of Vapor Superheat in Post-Critical-Heat-Flux Boiling

A differentially-aspirated superheat probe was developed to measure vapor temperatures in post-critical-heat-flux, dispersed-flow boiling. Measurements obtained for water, at low-to-moderate pressures and mass flow rates in a tube, indicated very significant nonequilibrium, with vapor superheats of several hundred degrees (/sup 0/C). Predictions of published correlations showed unsatisfactory agreement with the experimental results.
The design and fabrication of two portal vein flow phantoms by different methods

Purpose: This study outlines the design and fabrication techniques for two portal vein flow phantoms. Methods: A materials study was performed as a precursor to this phantom fabrication effort and the desired material properties are restated for continuity. A three-dimensional portal vein pattern was created from the Visual Human database. The portal vein pattern was used to fabricate two flow phantoms by different methods with identical interior surface geometry using computer aided design software tools and rapid prototyping techniques. One portal flow phantom was fabricated within a solid block of clear silicone for use on a table with Ultrasound or within medical imaging systems such as MRI, CT, PET, or SPECT. The other portal flow phantom was fabricated as a thin walled tubular latex structure for use in water tanks with Ultrasound imaging. Both phantoms were evaluated for usability and durability. Results: Both phantoms were fabricated successfully and passed durability criteria for flow testing in the next project phase. Conclusions: The fabrication methods and materials employed for the study yielded durable portal vein phantoms.
Low-level biological dosimetry of heterocyclic amine carcinogens isolated from cooked food

The bioavailability and the bioreactivity of the carcinogenic heterocyclic amine [2-14C]2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenyl-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) have been investigated at a dose approximating that l...
Hold-up studies in a pilot scale continuous ball mill: dynamic variations due to changes in operating variables

In the past experimental studies on mill hold-up were done using tracers and residence time distribution analysis (RTD). In one or two studies the entire content of the mill was weighed after the experimental run. Either as a result of inflexible experimental setup or difficulties in measuring hold-up in closed-circuit industrial mills via the RTD approach, the published correlation between hold-up measurements and mill feed rate disagree with each other. In this study a carefully constructed pilot mill enabled hold-up measurements in real time while the mill was operating. Therefore, extremely accurate hold-up data and transient hold-up data were obtained. In light of this data the correct trends in hold-up as a function of operating conditions are established. Explanations for the observed trends are provided throwing much light on anomalies on previously published data.
Numerical calculation of stable and unstable periodic solutions to the Hodgkin-Huxley equations

Abstract We have calculated periodic solutions to the space-clamped Hodgkin-Huxley equations for constant applied depolarizing current I . For each I , I v I I 2 , there is a stable periodic solution which corresponds to repetitive firing. For I I 1 and I > I 2 , where I v I 1 , the unique singular point is stable; for other values of I it is unstable. These results have been found by other investigators as well. In the overlap range I v I I 1 , where a stable periodic solution and a stable singular point coexist, we have verified computationally the conjecture that there is an additional periodic solution which is unstable. In an analysis of linear stability we demonstrate instability by direct calculation of growth rates of unstable modes. The two sets of periodic solutions (stable and unstable) form one continuous family with two limbs which coalesce at I = I v . The periodic solutions emerge with zero amplitude through Hopf bifurcation for I = I 1 , I 2 . The temperature dependence of the solutions is examined. For 6.3°C the limb of unstable solutions has a curious switchback region so that for some I values this limb exhibits three unstable limit cycles. Moreover, additional branches of unstable periodic solutions emerge from this region through successive period-doubling bifurcations. The numerical method we use to calculate a periodic solution is insensitive to the stability of the solution; a full description is provided.
Investigating the Molecular Basis of cPLA2α Membrane Bending

Signal transduction mediates disease through key molecular targets that initiate signaling networks. As protein-lipid interactions have been examined in the literature, their role in cellular signaling has become more prevalent as lipid-binding proteins have become high impact drug targets in cancer, inflammation and viral egress. One such target, termed cytosolic phospholipase A2 α (cPLA2α), has been shown to play a key role in the production of the inflammatory mediators prostaglandins and leukotrienes. A novel function of the protein was recently discovered in our lab showing cPLA2α bends zwitterionic membranes using model membranes, a process that is mediated by cPLA2α's ability to deeply penetrate membranes. Others in the field have reported cPLA2α to participate in Fc mediated phagocytosis, intra-Golgi trafficking and endosomal trafficking which further supports cPLA2α's ability to bend membranes in biological processes. In addition, direct evidence has been reported using siRNA showing that cPLA2α induced vesiculation in cells. These results translate into our cellular system as cells transfected with eGFP-cPLA2α form cytoplasmic vesicular structures. We have preliminary evidence showing cPLA2α membrane bending is mediated by oligomerization. The origin of oligomerization is currently under further investigation using both in vitro and cellular techniques.
Incident angle modifiers for flat-plate solar collectors: analysis of measurement and calculation procedures

Existing test procedures for measuring and rating thermal performance require the determination of the angular response of collectors in order to account for nonnormal incident beam irradiance. Angular response measurements for four different types of collectors, each type tested by three different laboratories, are presented and analyzed. Substantial differences, both within and between laboratories, are reported for the same type collectors. An analysis of the measurement procedure shows that experimentally determined angular response parameters are subject to relatively large uncertainties. The problem results to a large extent from measuring collector efficiencies at non-normal incident angles where measurement uncertainty is of the same order of magnitude as the efficiency reduction attributable to these off-normal angles. Other factors which can affect angular response measurements and the method of correlating results are also discussed. A theoretical analysis shows that shading of the absorber by the collector air space side- and end-walls for non-normal incident angles can be of the same order of importance as the decrease in the transmittance of the cover assembly. While this situation complicates an analytical approach, it is concluded that calculations are adequate to depict the angular response of conventional flat-plate tube-in-sheet collector designs. A simplified analytical procedure andmore » nomographs are presented for rapid calculation of incident angle modifiers. The predicted seasonal performance of solar energy systems and clear-day ratings of typical flatplate collectors are shown to be relatively insensitive to large uncertainties in incident angle modifiers. Typically, the values of these calculated quantities could be affected by approximately five percent as a result of uncertainty in the test-derived angular response parameter.« less
Battery-dynamics driven tdma mac protocols for wireless body-area monitoring networks in healthcare applications

We propose the cross-layer based battery-aware time division multiple access (TDMA) medium access control (MAC) protocols for wireless body-area monitoring networks in wireless healthcare applications. By taking into account the joint effect of electrochemical properties of the battery, time-varying wireless fading channels, and packet queuing characteristics, our proposed schemes are designed to prolong the battery lifespan of the wireless sensor nodes while guaranteeing the reliable and timely message delivery, which is critically important for the patient monitoring networks. In addition, we develop a Markov chain model to analyze the performance of our proposed schemes. Both the obtained analytical and simulation results show that our proposed schemes can significantly increase the battery lifespan of sensor nodes while satisfying the reliability and delay-bound quality of service (QoS) requirements for wireless body-area monitoring networks. Furthermore, the case study of the electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring application shows that besides meeting the delay requirements, our proposed schemes outperform the IEEE 802.15.4 and Bluetooth protocols in terms of battery lifespan.
Low-coherence enhanced backscattering of light: characteristics and applications for colon cancer screening

The phenomenon of enhanced backscattering (EBS) of light, also known as coherent backscattering (CBS) of light, is a spectacular manifestation of self-interference effects in elastic light scattering, which gives rise to an enhanced scattered intensity in the backward direction. Although EBS has been the object of intensive investigation in non-biological media over the last two decades, there have been only a few attempts to explore EBS for tissue characterization and diagnosis. We have recently made progress in the EBS measurements of biological tissue by taking advantage of lowcoherence (or partially coherent) illumination, which is referred to as low-coherence EBS (LEBS) of light. LEBS possess novel and intriguing properties such as speckle reduction, self-averaging effect, broadening of the EBS width, depth-selectivity, double scattering, and circular polarization memory effect. After we review the current state of research on LEBS, we discuss how these characteristics apply for early cancer detection, especially in colorectal cancer (CRC), which is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. Although colonoscopy remains the gold standard for CRC screening, resource constraints and potential complications make it impractical to perform colonoscopy on the entire population at risk (age > 50). Thus, identifying patients who are most likely to benefit from colonoscopy is of paramount importance. We demonstrate that LEBS measurements in easily accessible colonoscopically normal mucosa (e.g., in the rectum of the colon) can be used for predicting the risk of CRC, and thus LEBS has the potential to serve as accurate markers of the risk of neoplasia elsewhere in the colon.
Real-time accurate optical flow-based motion sensor

An accurate real-time motion sensor implemented in an FPGA is introduced in this paper. This sensor applies an optical flow algorithm based on ridge regression to solve the collinear problem existing in traditional least squares methods. It additionally applies extensive temporal smoothing of the image sequence derivatives to improve the accuracy of its optical flow estimates. Implemented on a customized embedded FPGA platform, it is capable of processing 60 320 × 240 images or 15 640 × 480 images per second. By evaluating its accuracy on synthetic sequences, it is shown here that the proposed design achieves very high accuracy compared to other known hardware-based designs.
First-Principles Full-Vectorial Eigenfrequency Computations for Axially Symmetric Resonators

Starting from the time-harmonic Maxwell's equations in cylindrical coordinates, we derive and solve the finite-difference (FD) eigenvalue equations for determining vector modes of axially symmetric resonator structures such as disks, rings, spheres and toroids. Contrary to the most existing implementations, our FD scheme is readily adapted for both eigenmode and eigenfrequency calculations. An excellent match of the FD solutions with the analytically calculated mode indices of a microsphere resonator provides a numerical confirmation of the mode-solver accuracy. The comparison of the presented FD technique with the finite-element method highlights the relative strengths of both techniques and advances the FD mode-solver as an important tool for cylindrical resonator design.
Experimental evaluation of high-speed optical fiber communication using nonbinary LDPC coded modulation with layered decoding

In this paper, we present a reduced-latency nonbinary low-density parity-check (LDPC) coded modulation scheme suitable for high-speed optical fiber communication featuring the layered LDPC decoding algorithm. The use of the layered decoder in place of the conventional flooding decoder helps reduce by half the number of iterations taken in decoding. This in turn reduces the decoding latency, increases the decoding throughput, and significantly lowers the power consumption at the receiving ends of optical transport networks. We show by using the experimental data collected from a 4-ary rate-0.8 LDPC-coded NRZ-DQPSK modulation system that layered decoding indeed halves the required number of decoding iterations. We also show that, in the back-to-back configuration, even with a single iteration of layered decoding, one can attain a 7 dB gain in performance at the bit error ratio (BER) of 10−5 when compared to using only the maximum a posteriori probability detector output based on the Bahl-Cocke-Jelinek-Raviv (BCJR) algorithm.
Stable inversions for complete moment tensors

SUMMARY The seismic moment tensors for certain types of sources, such as volcanic earthquakes and nuclear explosions are expected to contain an isotropic component. Some earlier efforts to calculate the isotropic component of these sources are flawed due to an error in the method of Jost & Herrmann. We corrected the method after Herrmann & Hutchensen and found great improvement in the recovery of non-double-couple moment tensors that include an isotropic component. Tests with synthetic data demonstrate the stability of the corrected linear inversion method, and we recalculate the moment tensor solutions reported in Dreger et al. for Long Valley caldera events and Dreger & Woods for Nevada Test Site nuclear explosions. We confirm the findings of Dreger et al. that the Long Valley volcanic sources contain large statistically significant isotropic components. The nuclear explosions have strikingly anomalous source mechanisms, which contain very large isotropic components, making it evident that these events are not tectonic in origin. This indicates that moment tensor inversions could be an important tool for nuclear monitoring.
Path-protection-based routing and wavelength assignment in wavelength-division multiplexing optical networks under a scheduled traffic model

Feature Issue on High Availability in Optical NetworksWe study the optimal survivability design problem under a scheduled traffic model in wavelength-convertible WDM optical mesh networks. In this model, a set of demands is given, and the setup and tear-down time of a demand are known in advance. We formulate the joint routing and wavelength assignment problems as integer linear problems that maximally exploit network resource reuse in both space and time. Moreover, we propose efficient heuristic algorithms with different demand-ordering policies to solve large survivable routing and wavelength assignment problems under the scheduled traffic model. Our simulation results indicate that the optimization of resource sharing in space and time enabled by our connection-holding-time-aware protection schemes can achieve significantly better resource utilization than schemes that are holding-time unaware. In addition, the proposed heuristic algorithms are shown to be indeed very effective.
Intrinsic strangeness and charm of the nucleon using improved staggered fermions

We calculate the intrinsic strangeness of the nucleon,hNj ssjNi h 0j ssj0i, using the MILC library of improved staggered gauge congurations using the Asqtad and HISQ actions. Additionally, we present a preliminary calculation of the intrinsic charm of the nucleon using the HISQ action with dynamical charm. The calculation is done with a method which incorporates features of both commonly-used methods, the direct evaluation of the three-point function and the application of the FeynmanHellman theorem. We present an improvement on this method that further reduces the statistical error, and check the result from this hybrid method against the other two methods and nd that they are consistent. The values for hNj ssjNi and hNj ccjNi found here, together with perturbative results for heavy quarks, show that dark matter scattering through Higgs-like exchange receives roughly equal contributions from all heavy quark avors. PACS numbers:
An adaptive technique for high resolution time-varying spectral estimation

An adaptive technique which determines the spectral coefficients of a time-varying signal is presented. The algorithm performs a least-squares decomposition of the signal onto a high-resolution nonharmonic Fourier basis. The spectral estimate is updated sample by sample and produces a decomposition with very good localization in both the time and frequency domains. This yields a distribution of signal intensities in the time-frequency plane which tracks the instantaneous frequency and local bandwidth of the signal. The detection of tones spaced closer than expected by the uncertainty distance (super-resolution) is shown by computer simulation. Numerical results demonstrate the super-resolving capability and fast tracking rate as well as the stability in the presence of additive noise. Potential applications of this method include tracking of frequency hopping communications, FM demodulation, and formant tracking in speech signals. >
Survival expectations of the obese: Is excess mortality reflected in perceptions?

FALBA, TRACY A. AND SUSAN H. BUSCH. Survival expectations of the obese: is excess mortality reflected in perceptions? Obes Res. 2005;13:754–761. Objective: This study compared self-reported subjective life expectancy (i.e., probability of living to age 75) for normalweight, overweight, and obese weight groups to examine whether individuals are internalizing information about the health risks due to excessive weight. Research Methods and Procedures: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, a total of 9035 individuals 51 to 61 years old were analyzed by BMI category. The primary outcome measure was individuals’ reports about their own expectations of survival to age 75. Absolute and relative risks of survival were compared with published estimates of survival to age 75. Results: Consistently, higher levels of BMI were associated with lower self-estimated survival probabilities. Differences relative to normal weight ranged from 4.9% (p 0.01) for male nonsmokers to 8.8% (p 0.001) for female nonsmokers. However, these differences were substantially less than those obtained from published survival curve estimates, suggesting that obese individuals tended to underestimate mortality risks. Discussion: Individuals appeared to underestimate the mortality risks of excessive weight; thus, knowledge campaigns about the risks of obesity should remain a top priority.
Edge-Preserving Image Regularization Based on Morphological Wavelets and Dyadic Trees

Despite the tremendous success of wavelet-based image regularization, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of the exact factor that controls edge preservation and a principled method to determine the wavelet decomposition structure for dimensions greater than 1. We address these issues from a machine learning perspective by using tree classifiers to underpin a new image regularizer that measures the complexity of an image based on the complexity of the dyadic-tree representations of its sublevel sets. By penalizing unbalanced dyadic trees less, the regularizer preserves sharp edges. The main contribution of this paper is the connection of concepts from structured dyadic-tree complexity measures, wavelet shrinkage, morphological wavelets, and smoothness regularization in Besov space into a single coherent image regularization framework. Using the new regularizer, we also provide a theoretical basis for the data-driven selection of an optimal dyadic wavelet decomposition structure. As a specific application example, we give a practical regularized image denoising algorithm that uses this regularizer and the optimal dyadic wavelet decomposition structure.
Localized content based image retrieval

Classic Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) takes a single non-annotated query image, and retrieves similar images from an image repository. Such a search must rely upon a holistic (or global) view of the image. Yet often the desired content of an image is not holistic, but is localized. Specifically, we define Localized Content-Based Image Retrieval as a CBIR task where the user is only interested in a portion of the image, and the rest of the image is irrelevant. Many classic CBIR systems use relevance feedback to obtain images labeled as desirable or not desirable. Yet, these labeled images are typically used only to re-weight the features used within a global similarity measure. In this paper we present a localized CBIR system, acciop, that uses labeled images in conjunction with a multiple-instance learning algorithm to first identify the desired object and re-weight the features, and then to rank images in the database using a similarity measure that is based upon individual regions within the image. We evaluate our system using a five-category natural scenes image repository, and benchmark data set, SIVAL, that we have constructed with 25 object categories.
The History of Rubella and Rubella Vaccination Leading to Elimination

Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) was discovered in the 1940s, rubella virus was isolated in the early 1960s, and rubella vaccines became available by the end of the same decade. Systematic vaccination against rubella, usually in combination with measles, has eliminated both the congenital and acquired infection from some developed countries, most recently the United States, as is confirmed by the articles in this supplement. The present article summarizes the clinical syndrome of CRS, the process by which the vaccine was developed, and the history leading up to elimination, as well as the possible extension of elimination on a wider scale.