cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiscale coupling schemes spanning the quantum mechanical, atomistic forcefield, and continuum regimes

Abstract Strategies for coupling quantum mechanical (QM), molecular mechanical (MM), and continuum mechanical (CM) methods are described. For QM/MM coupling, we consider two overlapping domain schemes: the widely-used ONIOM method that involves full overlap, and a new minimal-overlap scheme denoted as the “quantum to molecular mechanical overlapping domain” (QtMMOD) method. In the QtMMOD method, the part of the region that is treated by quantum mechanics does not require MM calculations, which makes the method suitable for systems containing localized regions that cannot be modeled by available empirical potentials. We describe how the QtMMOD method can in turn be coupled to a finite element model by the bridging domain method, another overlapping domain method, yielding a QM/MM/CM model. We also show how the QtMMOD scheme can be used to couple a finite element model directly with a QM model. These coupling methods were used to calculate the fracture properties of graphene sheets containing defects. We obtained good agreement between stress–strain curves and fracture strengths calculated by the three methods and benchmark results of a strictly QM calculation. An extension of an atomistic strain calculation method based on a moving least squares scheme, which is applicable to the treatment of material interfaces, is given.
Diagnosis and treatment of gestational trophoblastic disease: ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 53

Gestational trophoblastic disease comprises a spectrum of interrelated conditions originating from the placenta. Other terms often used to refer to these conditions include gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and gestational trophoblastic tumor. Histologically distinct disease entities encompassed by this general terminology include complete and partial hydatidiform moles, invasive moles, gestational choriocarcinomas, and placental site trophoblastic tumors. Before the advent of sensitive assays for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and efficacious chemotherapy, the morbidity and mortality from gestational trophoblastic disease were substantial. At present, with sensitive quantitative assays for beta-hCG and current approaches to chemotherapy, most women with malignant gestational trophoblastic disease can be cured and their reproductive function preserved. The purpose of this document is to address current evidence regarding the diagnosis, staging, and management of gestational trophoblastic disease.
Patterns of benzo[a]pyrene metabolism in normal human pulmonary alveolar macrophages

Pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) obtained by bronchopulmonary lavage from 6 normal non-smoking volunteers were incubated with [3H]-benzo[a]pyrene to ascertain the normal metabolism and conjugation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Through the use of a crude glucuronidase preparation, both glucuronic acid and sulfate conjugates were examined. Phenols and quinones were identified by high-pressure liquid chromatography as the principal free metabolites formed during 1 h incubation with benzanthracene induced PAMs. In addition, phenols and quinones were major substrates utilized by these cells for conjugation during the incubation period. The ranges of benzo[a]pyrene metabolites produced by PAMs from non-smokers were compiled and the variation in production as well as detoxification of proximate carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene metabolites are presented.
SU‐GG‐T‐60: Clinical Implementation and Quality Assurance of a New HDR Applicator for Partial Breast Irradiation

Purpose/Objectives: To present clinical implementation and a method of quality assurance for a new HDR applicator of Strut‐Adjusted Volume Implant (SAVI) for partial breast irradiation. Materials/Methods: The SAVI applicator has multi‐peripheral struts that can be differentially loaded with the HDR source in order to achieve a conformai dose distribution to the lumpectomy cavity. The treatment plan is evaluated by a dose volume histogram (DVH) as follows: V90 > 90% or V95 > 95%, V150 < 50 cc, and V200 < 20 cc. Patients undergo a CAT scan guided simulation using an alpha cradle immobilization for reproducibility. The SAVI device status is verified using both 3D CTimages and imagefusion in addition to AP and lateral scout films. A self‐developed Java program based on the AAPM TG‐43 is used for the dose verification and uncertainty analysis. Results: Fifteen patients to date at Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland were treated with SAVI device. The dosimetric data demonstrate the achievements of greater than 90% (95%) coverage for V90 (V95) at an average value of 97.9% (96.3%) while keeping a low V150 at 34.9 cc and V200 at 16.5 cc. Potential uncertainty induced by the SAVI applicator motion is evaluated to be a 3% variation in dose either by a 3‐mm translation along the SAVI long axis or 3*deg; rotation from the SAVI applicator. Conclusion: The feature of multiple catheters of the SAVI applicator allows for optimal and conformai dose distribution around a lumpectomy cavity while minimizing the dose to adjacent normal structures such as skin and ribcage. Reproducible patient setup is important for assessing inter‐fraction motion of the SAVI applicator. Multiple methods of AP and lateral scout films, 3D images, and CTimagefusion are able to provide valuable information such as cavity variation, strut collapse or relative motion, and device shift.
Survival of microorganisms in smectite clays: implications for Martian exobiology.

The survival of Baccillus subtilis, Azotobacter chroococcum, and the enteric bacteriophage MS2 has been examined in clays representing terrestrial (Wyoming type montmorillonite) and Martian (Fe3+ montmorillonite) soils exposed to terrestrial and Martian environmental conditions of temperature and atmospheric composition and pressure. An important finding is that MS2 survived simulated Mars conditions better than the terrestrial environment, probably owing to stabilization of the virus caused by the cold and dry conditions of the simulated Mars environment. This finding, the first published indication that viruses may be able to survive in Mars-type soils, may have important implications for future missions to Mars.
Document update summarization using incremental hierarchical clustering

Document summarization has become a hot topic in recent years. However, most of existing summarization methods work on a batch of documents and do not consider that documents may arrive in a sequence and the corresponding summaries need to be updated in real time. In this paper, we propose a new summarization method based on an incremental hierarchical clustering framework to update summaries as soon as a new document arrives. Extensive experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed method.
Thromboxane production and platelet aggregation in diabetic subjects with clinical complications.

Abstract The susceptibility of diabetic patients to pathophysiological complications and abnormalities in their platelet function prompted this investigation. A group of 180 insulin-dependent subjects were randomly selected: 38.9% with no other clinical complications; 16.7% with retinopathy; 15.0% - neuropathy; 3.9% - nephropathy; 4.4% - peripheral vascular disease; 21.1% - coronary arterial disease. Twenty seven subjects with no diabetic disease were used as controls. Thromboxane B 2 [stable metabolite of thromboxane A 2 (TXA 2 )], generated by exogenous arachidonic acid and quantitated by electron-capture gas chromatography (EC-GC) was significantly higher in platelets of diabetics with clinical complications than in controls. Platelets in platelet rich plasma (PRP) processed from citrated whole blood of diabetic subjects were more sensitive to ADP- or collagen-induced aggregation than those of non-diabetics. Platelets similarly obtained from diabetics, but separated on agarose gel column rather than obtained in PRP, aggregated with greater sensitivity to arachidonic acid than those of controls. Plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were similar in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. Platelet total phospholipid concentration, percent composition of molecular species and fatty acid distribution were similar in both groups of subjects indicating a similar substrate concentration for prostaglandin biosynthesis. It is postulated that in the platelets of diabetic subjects: a) the observed increase in TXA 2 synthesis is due to the increased activity of the thromboxane synthetase system at one or more sites; b) this increased enzyme activity is the mechanism of greater platelet sensitivity to aggregation.
Analysis of atmospheric hydrocarbons during winter MONEX

The distribution of gaseous atmospheric hydrocarbon compounds, halocarbons, and nitrous oxide were studied. Whole air samples were collected aboard the NCAR Electra aircraft platform during the Monsoon Experiment (MONEX) flights in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and on ferry flights to and from the United States. Foliage emission rates were also measured on some tropical plants. The average free tropospheric TNMHC (total non-methane hydrocarbon) levels from both the transit flight and mission flights were low (2.5 ?g/m 3 ). TNMHC just above the forest canopy over Borneo but within the mixing layer was higher and the concentrations over land were higher than those obtained over the ocean. The fluorocarbons showed a small latitude gradient or a difference between continental and oceanic air masses or (possibily) both. Methyl chloroform also showed a significant latitude profile. Nitrous oxide was uniformly distributed in the atmosphere. The C 2 hydrocarbons, ethane and acetylene, also showed latitudinal gradients. The emission rates of foliage in the tropics were higher than those reported by other investigators for the mid-latitudes. The species sampled indicated that most tropical vegetation emits predominantly isoprene, rather than terpenes. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1982.tb01803.x
Three decision-making tasks in cocaine-dependent patients: do they measure the same construct?

Aims. Substance-abusing populations perform poorly on decision-making tasks related to delay and risk. These tasks include: (1) the Delay Discounting Procedure (DDP), in which choices are made between smaller-sooner and later-larger rewards, (2) the Gambling Task (GT), in which choices are made between alternatives varying in pay-off and punishment, and (3) the Rogers Decision-Making Task (RDMT) in which subjects choose between higher or lower probability gambles. We examine the interrelationship among these tasks. Design. A test battery was created which included the DDP, GT and RDMT, as well as measures of impulsivity, intellectual functioning and drug use. Setting. Subjects completed the test battery at an outpatient center, prior to beginning 12 weeks of treatment. Participants. Thirty-two treatment-seeking cocaine dependent individuals (primarily African-American males) participated. Findings. Performance on the GT was significantly correlated with performance on the DDP ( r = 0.37; p = 0.04). Reaction times on the RDMT correlated with performance on the GT ( r = 0.36, p = 0.04) and DDP ( r = 0.33, p = 0.07), but actual choices on the RDMT did not ( p > 0.9 for both). While no significant relationships were observed between task performance and impulsivity, IQ estimate was positively correlated with both the GT ( r = 0.44, p = 0.01) and RDMT ( r = 0.41, p = 0.021). Split half reliability data indicated higher reliability when using only data from the latter half of the GT ( r = 0.92 vs. r = 0.80). Conclusions. These data offer preliminary evidence of overlap in the decision-making functioning tapped by these tasks. Possible implications for drug-taking behavior are discussed.
Prediction Method for Unsteady Axisymmetric Flow over Parachutes

A method which is capable of solving the axisymmetric flowfield over bluff bodies consisting of thin shells such as disks, partial spheres, rings, and other such shapes is presented in this article. The body may be made up of several shells whose edges are separated by gaps. The body may be moved axially according to arbitrary velocity time histories. In addition, the surfaces may posses axial and radial degrees of flexibility such that points on the surfaces may be allowed to move relative to each other according to some specified function of time. The surfaces may be either porous or impervious. The present solution technique is based on the axisymmetric vorticity transport equation. This technique requires relatively large numbers of ring vortices (1000 or more) to obtain good simulations. Since the direct calculation of perturbations from large numbers of ring vortices is computationally intensive, a fast multipole method was used to greatly reduce computer processing time. Several example calculations are presented for disks, disks with holes, hemispheres, and vented hemispheres. These results are compared with steady and unsteady experimental data.
Oxygen migration, agglomeration, and trapping: key factors for the morphology of the Si-SiO(2) interface.

The measured activation energies for oxide growth rates at the initial and late stages of oxidation of Si are 2 and 1.2 eV, respectively. These values imply that oxidation can proceed at temperatures much smaller than the 800 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C normally used to obtain devices with exceptionally smooth $\mathrm{Si}\mathrm{\text{\ensuremath{-}}}{\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ interfaces. Here, we use first-principles calculations to identify the atomic-scale mechanisms of the 2 eV process and of additional processes with higher barriers that control the interface morphology and ultimately provide for smooth layer-by-layer oxide growth, as observed at high temperatures.
Understanding voter behavior on wildlife ballot initiatives: Colorado's trapping amendment

Abstract Voters are unlikely to be guided by a systematic assessment of information regarding the consequences of wildlife ballot initiatives; the time investment is too high and the topic involvement is too low. Instead, they form heuristics or decision rules to guide their behavior. Heuristics are formed from a subset of available information that triggers general attitudes or basic beliefs that are already formed and easily accessible to the individual. Guided by this explanation, a telephone survey was used to determine the basis for voting behavior on a Colorado ballot initiative to ban steel‐jawed traps and snares that passed in November 1996. Open‐ended, thought‐listing procedures were used in asking voters why they voted their stated position. A high proportion of people listed few beliefs associated with their voting behavior, a finding more prevalent with yes‐voters, (those in favor of banning trapping) than no‐voters (those against a ban on trapping). While the substance of beliefs listed by no...
Thoracic Surgical Resident Education: A Costly Endeavor

Background We sought to define an accurate measure of thoracic surgical education costs. Methods Program directors from six distinct and differently sized and geographically located thoracic surgical training programs used a common template to provide estimates of resident educational costs. These data were reviewed, clarifying questions or discrepancies when noted and using best estimates when exact data were unavailable. Subsequently, a composite of previously published cost-estimation products was used to capture accurate cost data. Data were then compiled and averaged to provide an accurate picture of all costs associated with thoracic surgical education. Results Before formal accounting was performed, the estimated average for all programs was approximately $250,000 per year per resident. However, when formal evaluations by the six programs were performed, the annual cost of resident education ranged from $330,000 to $667,000 per year per resident. The average cost of $483,000 per year was almost double the initial estimates. Variability was noted by region and size of program. Faculty teaching costs varied from $208,000 to $346,000 per year. Simulation costs ranged from $0 to $80,000 per year. Resident savings to program ranged from $0 to $135,000 per year and averaged $37,000 per year per resident. Conclusions Thoracic surgical education costs are considerably higher than initial estimates from program directors and probably represent an unappreciated source of financial burden for cardiothoracic surgical educational programs.
Would Space-Based Defenses Improve Security?

Will a move to use space in support of missile defenses improve U.S. security? How will such a move affect strategic stability and how will the international community view such actions? Are space-based defenses even technologically possible?
Detection of Toxic Emissions from Incinerators

Continuous monitoring techniques are needed for assurance that the stack gases of hazardous and municipal waste incinerators do not emit unacceptable levels of dangerous compounds. The development of suitable on-line “real-time” monitors may help answer current public concerns regarding the safety of thermal processing methods and may simplify the permitting process for new facilities. Recent research is reviewed which suggests that resonance ionization mass spectrometry is capable of real-time monitoring of wide classes of toxic molecules at the part-per-billion level against complex backgrounds of interferant species. Recent advances in laser technology promise to make on-line repetitive multispecies monitoring of hazardous emissions a practical reality.
Efficient Inorganic Deoxyribonucleases. Greater than 50-Million-Fold Rate Enhancement in Enzyme-Like DNA Cleavage

Glycosylated natural products such as bleomycin, neocarzinostatin, and calicheamicin γ1 are efficient antitumor agents that cleave ds DNA by pathways that involve redox chemistry. In this paper we demonstrate the use of metalloderivatives of natural aminoglycosides as efficient DNA cleavage agents in the absence of external reducing agents. Kinetic characterization of DNA cleavage by copper neamine under Michaelis−Menten-“type” reaction conditions revealed a maximal reaction velocity Vmax‘ = 0.031 min-1, equivalent to a greater than 50-million-fold rate enhancement in DNA cleavage, when uncorrected for catalyst concentrations. Under true Michaelis conditions, a maximal reaction velocity Vmax = 0.0595 min-1 was obtained (with kcat = 5.95 × 10-4 min-1), corresponding to a million-fold rate enhancement using micromolar concentrations of Cu2+−neamine. The specificity constants for DNA cleavage by copper neamine (kcat/KM = 4.8 × 105 h-1 M-1) are 2 orders of magnitude greater than those reported elsewhere for s...
Recurrent nephrolithiasis associated with atazanavir use

A 64-year-old man with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (including atazanavir, a protease inhibitor) presented with left flank pain, nausea and vomiting. A kidney stone was suspected, and a CT scan demonstrated left hydronephrosis but failed to demonstrate nephrolithiasis or extrinsic compression. The patient had a ureteral stent placed which relieved his symptoms. A few months later, he underwent left ureteroscopy and a large ureteral calculus was found. The stone was removed and analysis showed 43% atazanavir and 57% calcium oxalate. Several months later, the patient developed flank pain on the opposite side. A renal ultrasound suggested right-sided nephrolithiasis and he subsequently underwent ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy of two stones. Stone analysis showed that they were composed of 100% atazanavir. This case highlights the fact that patients treated with protease inhibitors remain at risk for developing nephrolithiasis. Ultrasonography can be a useful diagnostic tool in the setting of these radiolucent calculi.
SU‐GG‐T‐563: System for Treating Tumors with Necrotic Cores: Modeling and Experimental Results

Purpose: Our goal was to develop and refine a method that can target a periphery of the tumor with central necrosis. By translation of a collimated source off‐axis it is possible to deliver an eccentric cylindrical ‘mantle’. Overall requirements to target the necrotic center are decreased resulting in a dose savings to the sensitive normal tissue that surrounds the tumor that would normally be in the path when using techniques as 3DCRT. For radiation therapy planning, we applied DCE‐MRI to evaluate the vascular supply to the interior as an indicator to locate the locality of the necrotic core. Method and Materials: We evaluated through experimentation and Monte Carlo simulation using MCNPx. For empirical validation, we applied a 40 kVp, 20W source for 30 seconds. The X‐ray tube to lead slit = 36 inches, X‐ray tube to center‐of‐object = 39.5 inches and X‐ray tube‐to‐detector surface = 44.75 inches (for demonstration purposes of the technology only) Results: We were able to achieve interrater reliability in spatial locality comparisons from 80.4%, decreasing to 41.3% on a series of MCNP models and experiments. Regions of does were highly dependent on beam collimation and beam focusing. Monte Carlo modeling could be used to enhance targeting. Conclusion: Multi‐source and off‐axis Radiation Therapy Methods have a potential to reduce dose in targets particularly if necrotic cores can be localized. Agreement between experimental results and Monte Carlo Simulation provide ample information for planning. Such techniques have a future with advancing technologies such as Multileaf collimator which can enhance localization potential. Offsetting and multiple sources (not necessary, but can provide additional speed to the therapy) are used not only to spare dose to the center but reduce the dose in the path of the radiation that inefficiently may target regions of necrosis, as seen with such techniques as 3DCRT.
SAFE: A Statistical Approach to F0 Estimation Under Clean and Noisy Conditions

A novel Statistical Algorithm for F0 Estimation (SAFE) is proposed to improve the accuracy of F0 estimation under both clean and noisy conditions. Prominent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) peaks in speech spectra constitute a robust information source from which F0 can be inferred. A probabilistic framework is proposed to model the effect of noise on voiced speech spectra. Prominent SNR peaks in the low-frequency band (0 - 1000 Hz) are important to F0 estimation, and prominent SNR peaks in the middle and high-frequency bands (1000-3000 Hz) are also useful supplemental information to F0 estimation under noisy conditions, especially the babble noise condition. Experiments show that the SAFE algorithm has the lowest gross pitch errors (GPEs) compared to prevailing F0 trackers in white and babble noise conditions at low SNRs. Experimental results also show that SAFE is robust in maintaining a low mean and standard deviation of the fine pitch errors (MFPE and SDFPE) in noise. The code of SAFE is available at http://www.ee.ucla.edu/~weichu/safe.
VHD rearrangements in human immunoglobulin heavy chain minilocus transgenic mice

Typically, immunoglobulin VHDJH recombination is performed in two steps with D to JH rearrangement preceding VH to DJH rearrangement. Using a human immunoglobulin heavy chain transgenic minilocus, we previously demonstrated that a non-conventional human D gene segment termed DIR2 could be recombined to a VH gene segment to form VHD rearrangements. Here, we demonstrate that VHD rearrangements involve conventional D gene segments as well. VHD rearrangements are easily detected and are diverse. Similarly to DJH rearrangements, VHD rearrangements occur by deletion and inversion. They occur approximately 1000 times less frequently than DJH rearrangements. VHD rearrangements can constitute intermediates for the formation of VHDDJH rearrangements.
Responding to Globalization: The Evolution of Agnès Varda

Long before Luc Besson shot Fifth Element (1997) in English, and long before the squabble over whether Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Un long dimanche de fiancailles (A Very Long Engagement [2004]) was really a French film or a Warner Brothers’ film, the “national” in French national cinema was complicated. And yet a quick glance at the course offerings of most film departments will tell us that the discipline of Film Studies persists in employing a national cinema model when conceptualizing non-Hollywood cinema. In fact, French cinema has been global from its inception, if we think of globalization as the “increasing speed, ease, and extent with which capital, goods, services, technologies, people, cultures, information, and ideas now cross borders” (Gordon and Meunier 5). Indeed, throughout the history of French film, we can find examples of films, filmmakers, and business models that challenge a unified notion of national cinema. The crossing of national borders, whether in terms of production, distribution or exhibition, occurred in French cinema early on in the history of the medium. Indeed, “in its first decades (prior, say, to World War I) a primary way that film understood itself was as a medium that could express a new sense of a global identity” (Gunning 11). Following the invention in 1895 of the first moving picture camera, the cinematographe, the Lumiere brothers began almost immediately sending cameramen around the world to shoot and exhibit films. By 1903, Pathe had opened offices in London, New York and Moscow (Millar 35). Hollywood’s Paramount Pictures set up shop in the Joinville Studios in Paris from 1929-31 and made multiple-language films (Danan). During the 1930s and the 1940s, Jean Renoir, Jacques Tourneur, Julien Duvivier, Maurice Chevalier, Simone Simon and Charles Boyer all worked in Hollywood. New Wave directors such as Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut were adept at the international promotion of their work, traveling to film festivals around the world. Most obviously, perhaps, films regularly bear the influence of films made in other countries. French cinema—and indeed, cinema traditions around the world—absorbed many of the norms of classical Hollywood cinema. More specifically, the influence of German cinematographers on 1930s French film has been well documented. Another, more auteur-specific
Effects of low-pH stress on the morphology and activity of bacteria from lakes receiving acid precipitation

Field and laboratory studies on the effects of low-pH stress are reported here for lacustrine bacteria. Two biochemical parameters, respiration and substrate utilization, reveal a marked decrease under severe low-pH stress. Bacterial ultrastructure and cell diversity can be correlated with a given level of pH. Structural changes in the cell envelope as a function of pH are highlighted. The biochemical, physiological and morphological observations are united into a hypothesis which seeks to relate cell adaptation to environmental stress.
Relationship between neuroticism and circadian rhythms.

Investigations have explored relationships between morningness-eveningness and different personality traits (1 , 2, 4, 6, 8 ) . While trends were noted linking extraversion to eveningness and introversion to morningness, results were nonsignificant. Levy ( 7 ) found significant differences on optimism and pessimism, with evening types more pessimistic than morning types. It was hypothesized here that evening types, scoring higher than morning types on pessimism, would also score higher on neuroticism. Subjects were 116 university students (52 men and 64 women) between the ages of 20 and 64 yr., with a mean age of 34 yr. All subjects were administered the Maudsley Personality Inventory (3) to measure neuroticism and introversion-extraversion. They were categorized as morning or evening types on the basis of w o criteria, MorningnessEveningness Questionnaire ( 5 ) and self-judgment of circadian type. Prior research ( 7 ) showed subjec:~' self-ratings were accurate when compared to M-E Questionnaire scores. Scores for morning and evening types of the dimension of neuroticism and inuoversion-extraversion were compared by t test. Means support the hypothesis that evening types score higher on neuroticism than morning types.
Development of a Jet Engine Experiment for the Energy Systems Laboratory

Recently, a jet engine experiment was added to the Energy Systems Laboratory at Kettering University (formerly GMI). The educational objectives of this experiment are: to familiarize the students with the operation of a turbojet engine, the theory behind the thermodynamic processes involved, and the linear momentum equation; to determine theoretical and measured engine thrust and the efficiencies of the compressor, the combustion chamber, and the turbine; to determine the effect of engine speed on thrust-specific fuel consumption (TSFC) and engine emissions; to analyze the combustion process; and to perform a complete energy balance on the jet engine. The apparatus used is a small TTL model SR-30 turbojet engine capable of kerosene and diesel liquid fuel start and operation. Using an automatic data acquisition system, the students operate the engine at 50,000–75,000 rpm and measure various pressures and temperatures as well as fuel flow rate, air flow rate, engine emissions and engine thrust. The data is then used to calculate the TSFC, component efficiencies and the A/F ratio. By using the linear momentum principle, engine thrust is calculated and compared with the measured value. This paper presents the measured test data and analytical results obtained by using the Engineering Equation Solver (EES). Experimental results compare favorably with theoretical predictions.© 2003 ASME
An analytic solution to the Förster energy transfer problem in two dimensions.

An analytic solution of the Forster energy transfer problem in two dimensions is presented for the case in which the orientation factor is independent of the donor-acceptor distance, and both the donors and acceptors are randomly distributed in a plane. A general solution based on the method of Forster is possible since all distances are measured in units of R0. The analytic solution is extended to the cases of donors embedded in structures that exclude acceptors, and donors that bind acceptors. The validity of the analytic solutions is demonstrated by comparison with numerical simulation calculations. Numerical approximations to the exact solutions are given for ease of computation. Specific applications to the case of fluorescence quenching of a membrane-bound donor by membrane-bound acceptors are presented.
Improving the Volumetric Energy Densities of Nanostructured V 2 O 5 Electrodes Prepared Using the Template Method

Membrane-based template synthesis was used to prepare nanostructured V 2 O 5 electrodes with high Li-insertion rate capahilities and improved volumetric charge capacities. Two methods were used to increase volumetric capacity. The first entailed chemically etching the template membrane prior to template-synthesis of the V 2 O 5 within the pores of the membrane. Chemical etching increased both the pore diameter and porosity of the membrane. Nanostructured electrodes were prepared by depositing an alkoxide V 2 O 5 precursor within the pores of the etched template membranes. The resulting electrodes consisted of V 2 O 5 nanofibrils protruding from a Pt current collector surface like the bristles of a brush. The second approach for increasing volumetric capacity entailed applying additional V 2 O 5 to the nanostructured electrodes prepared from the etched membranes. Results of investigations of the volumetric and geometric rate capabilities and the cycling performance of these electrodes are presented here.
Characterization of ventricular myocardium in atrial fibrillation: looking where the light is best.

Catheter ablation has been established as an important option in the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation. This therapy currently carries a class I indication in patients with atrial fibrillation who have failed to respond to antiarrhythmic drug therapy and a class IIb indication in
The relationship of pain and symptom management to patient requests for physician-assisted suicide

Uncontrolled pain and multiple adverse symptoms compel some cancer patients with advanced disease to consider suicide or to request physician-assisted suicide as their only option. Any debate that focuses on the options to terminate life in patients with advanced disease must give adequate consideration to the existing level of care for patients with these distressing symptoms. Numerous studies have described the educational, attitudinal, and legislative barriers that exist and prevent patients from receiving acceptable pain and symptom management during their illness. Lack of knowledge about the use of analgesics, coupled with the lack of sophistication in diagnosing and treating the psychological complications of cancer, are examples of such educational barriers. Existing continuing care programs, like hospice, that manage symptoms in patients with far-advanced disease are currently insufficient to meet the needs of this large population. We need to address the access to expert care of distressing symptoms including pain and psychological distress as well as the quality of life of this patient population before we can fully address the options for terminating life.
A model for multi-grained parallelism (extended abstract)

Multi-grained parallel computers can be very effective on computationally intensive problems that have important serial and parallel components. We introduce the Mesh SuperHet, a model of this type consisting of the close coupling of a d-dimensional toroidal mesh of coarse-grained processors to a serial machine consisting of memory modules connected via a low-diameter network to a serial processor. We exhibit problems for which the Mesh SuperHet is superior to its serial or parallel components alone and develop tight performance bounds for sorting, the fast Fourier transform, and matrix multiplication. As multi-grained machines become more common, studies such as this will both reveal the fundamental limitations on such architectures and set the context for algorithm development.
Anyos jedlik, an inventor of the dynamo-electric principle

Simultaneous discoveries by independent workers are not uncommon, but the work of Anyos Jedlik has not been as widely acclaimed as that of Wheatstone and Siemens, despite evidence that his discovery of the dynamo-electric principle predates those of his illustrious contemporaries.
Conformational modularity of an abiotic secondary-structure motif in aqueous solution

We have investigated an abiotic secondary structure based on the stacking of alternating electron-rich (1,5-dialkoxynaphthalene (Dan)) and electron-deficient (1,4,5,8-naphthalene-tetracarboxylic diimide (Ndi)=benzo[lmn][3,8]phenanthroline-1,3,6,8(2H,7H)-tetrone) aromatic units. Previously, the specifics of conformational behavior were uncovered in the minimal folding unit, namely the dimer, consisting of one Dan and one Ndi unit linked through various amino acid residues. Here is reported the investigation of a series of larger oligomers (trimers and tetramers) composed of selected dimer units. We determined that some of the larger oligomers displayed conformational modularity, that is, the persistence of subunit-conformational propensities when those subunits were used as components of larger structures. Conformational modularity can be viewed as a desirable property of folding molecules because it simplifies not only the design of larger, more complex oligomers, but also the structural analyses of such species.
Building asynchronous geospatial processing workflows with web services

Geoscience research and applications often involve a geospatial processing workflow. This workflow includes a sequence of operations that use a variety of tools to collect, translate, and analyze distributed heterogeneous geospatial data. Asynchronous mechanisms, by which clients initiate a request and then resume their processing without waiting for a response, are very useful for complicated workflows that take a long time to run. Geospatial contents and capabilities are increasingly becoming available online as interoperable Web services. This online availability significantly enhances the ability to use Web service chains to build distributed geospatial processing workflows. This paper focuses on how to orchestrate Web services for implementing asynchronous geospatial processing workflows. The theoretical bases for asynchronous Web services and workflows, including asynchrony patterns and message transmission, are examined to explore different asynchronous approaches to and architecture of workflow code for the support of asynchronous behavior. A sample geospatial processing workflow, issued by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Service, Phase 6 (OWS-6), is provided to illustrate the implementation of asynchronous geospatial processing workflows and the challenges in using Web Services Business Process Execution Language (WS-BPEL) to develop them.
Patterns of substance use initiation among Indigenous adolescents

Abstract Background The data for this study come from an eight-wave panel study of Indigenous (Canadian First Nations and American Indian) adolescents from three U.S. reservations and four Canadian reserves. Objectives Our objective was to investigate variations in patterns of substance use initiation from early adolescence through early adulthood using data collected annually for 8 years. Method At baseline the sample included 675 Indigenous adolescents ( M age = 11.10, SD = .83; 50.3% girls). First, we calculated cumulative rates of substance use initiation by age. We then examined whether the cumulative initiation rates were moderated by gender using logistic regression analyses. Second, we calculated hazard rates for substance use initiation by age. Third, we focused on the ordering of two substances, paired two substances, and three substance initiation sequences. Results If one looks only at the cumulative rates of substance use initiation there appears to be support for a sequential progression of substance use during early adolescence. In contrast to the cumulative rates of substance use initiation, the hazard analyses showed a much more mixed, less progressive sequence. Among two substance pairings a nicotine to marijuana initiation sequence was most likely, followed by a nicotine to alcohol sequence. An alcohol to marijuana sequence was nearly twice as likely as a marijuana to alcohol sequence. Refined analyses to conform to those of many of the traditional gateway studies by introducing paired two substance orderings indicated that nicotine and/or alcohol prior to marijuana use was by far the most likely sequence. In two of the three most likely three substance sequences (nicotine to alcohol to marijuana and nicotine to marijuana to alcohol) nicotine was the first substance initiated. Conclusion This study refines the gateway hypothesis for Indigenous adolescents by providing an in-depth analysis of substance use initiation. The only evidence for a “gateway” substance that emerged in our analyses was for nicotine use which was likely to precede alcohol and marijuana use in both two-substance pairings and to a lesser extent in three-substance initiation sequences.
Hydrogen embrittlement of 4340 steel due to condensation during vaporized hydrogen peroxide treatment

Abstract Hydrogen peroxide vapor has been proposed as a sterilant/decontaminant for usage in buildings and transportation vehicles including emergency vehicles, buses, trains and aircraft. Although the efficacy of the process has been demonstrated, questions regarding the compatibility of vaporized hydrogen peroxide treatments with the many diverse materials of construction have been raised. This paper presents results on the embrittlement of high strength AISI 4340 steel as a result of condensation of the vapor during exposure to vaporized hydrogen peroxide. Notched four point bending samples of AISI 4340 steel were tested using the standard test methods of ASTM F519-06 to quantify susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement in this aggressive service environment. No embrittlement effects were observed for samples exposed to strictly vapor phase hydrogen peroxide for concentrations up to 1000 ppm H2O2 and exposure times of 4.8 h. Higher concentrations of 1300 and 1600 ppm H2O2 led to the condensation of the vapor throughout the process chamber and brittle fracture of samples. These results were confirmed by examination of the fracture surfaces of samples using scanning electron microscopy. Samples that were not considered embrittled possessed dimpled fracture surfaces consistent with ductile failure. Embrittled samples exhibited inter-granular fractures along prior austenitic grain boundaries near the root of the notch – a common characteristic of hydrogen embrittlement.
Chemotactic behavior of Campylobacter jejuni.

The chemotactic behavior of Campylobacter jejuni was determined in the presence of different amino acids, carbohydrates, organic acids, and preparations and constituents of mucin and bile. L-Fucose was the only carbohydrate and L-aspartate, L-cysteine, L-glutamate, and L-serine were the only amino acids producing a chemotactic (positive) response. Several salts of organic acids, including pyruvate, succinate, fumarate, citrate, malate, and alpha-ketoglutarate, were also chemoattractants, as were bile (beef, chicken, and oxgall) and mucin (bovine gallbladder and hog gastric). Most constituents of bile tested individually were chemorepellents, but the mucin component was chemoattractant. The chemotactic behavior of C. jejuni toward L-fucose, a constituent of both bile and mucin, may be an important factor in the affinity of the organism for the gallbladder and intestinal tract. Images
Spectro-temporal Gabor features for speaker recognition

In this work, we have investigated the performance of 2D Gabor features (known as spectro-temporal features) for speaker recognition. Gabor features have been used mainly for automatic speech recognition (ASR), where they have yielded improvements. We explored different Gabor feature implementations, along with different speaker recognition approaches, on ROSSI [1] and NIST SRE08 databases. Using the noisy ROSSI database, the Gabor features performed as well as the MFCC features standalone, and score-level combination of Gabor and MFCC features resulted in an 8% relative EER improvement over MFCC features standalone. These results demonstrated the value of both spectral and temporal information for feature extraction, and the complementarity of Gabor features to MFCC features.
A Summary Review of Mediating Explanations of Exposure Phenomena

Six mediating explanations of exposure effects were reviewed. Existing evidence suggests that correlated hypotheses, response competition, or attitude formation can explain exposure effects on novel stimuli, but only attitude formation can explain exposure effects on meaningful stimuli. It was suggested that future research should resolve technical problems and then study all mediating processes as contributing factors rather than as sufficient causes if exposure effects are to be more fully understood.
EFFECT OF WIDE TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATION ON THE BLUE-GREEN ALGAE OF BEAD GEYSER, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Optimal temperatures for photosynthesis and growth were determined for thermal bluegreen algae inhabiting the drainway of a small geyser in Yellowstone National Park. The sparse algal mat was exposed to high temperatures only during the brief, highly periodic eruptions of the geyser. Optimal temperatures for the algae were higher than the mean environmental temperatures; as a consequence the algae experienced temperatures optimal for photosynthesis and growth only during a small fraction of the time. A heat-treatment experiment indicated that the algae of this mat were resistant to the high temperatures that occurred during eruption, whereas organisms having the same optimal temperatures but inhabiting a thermally constant environment were more heat sensitive. The thermally fluctuating environment appears to limit the extent of algal growth.
Neuroimaging of NREM sleep in primary insomnia: a Tc-99-HMPAO single photon emission computed tomography study.

Study Objectives: The objectives of this study were to: 1) demonstrate the feasibility of combining polysomnography and SPECT neuroimaging to study NREM sleep in primary insomnia and 2) evaluate possible functional CNS abnormalities associated with insomnia. Design: Patients with insomnia and good sleeper controls were studied polysomnographically for three nights with a whole brain SPECT Scan of NREM sleep on Night 3. Groups were screened for medical/psychiatric history, substance use, and matched on age, body mass index, and education. Setting: Sleep Research Laboratory and Nuclear Medicine Center Participants: Nine females, 5 patients with chronic psychophysiologic insomnia and 4 healthy good sleepers (mean age 36 years, SD 12, range 27-55). Interventions: N/A Measurements and Results: Tomographs of regional cerebral blood flow during the 1st NREM sleep cycle were successfully obtained. Contrary to our expectations, patients with insomnia showed a consistent pattern of hypoperfusion across all 8 pre-selected regions of interest, with particular deactivation in the basal ganglia (p=.006). The frontal medial, occipital, and parietal cortices also showed significant decreases in blood flow compared to good sleepers (p<.05). Subjects with insomnia had decreased activity in the basal ganglia relative to the frontal lateral cortex, frontal medial cortex, thalamus, occipital and parietal cortices (p<.05). Conclusions: This study demonstrated the feasibility of combining neuroimaging and polysomnography to study cerebral activity in chronic insomnia. These preliminary results suggest that primary insomnia may be associated with abnormal central nervous system activity during NREM sleep that is particularly linked to basal ganglia dysfunction.
Patient trust in physicians and adoption of lifestyle behaviors to control high blood pressure

Objective To assess the relationship between patients’ trust in their physician and self-reported adoption of lifestyle modification behaviors and medication adherence for control of hypertension.
Suppression of propanoic acid, acetic acid and 3-methylbutanoic acid production by other volatiles in a Swiss cheese curd slurry system

Abstract The effect of the addition of 5–100 ppm 2,3-butanedione, butanoic acid, methyl mercaptan, ethyl butanoate, diethyl sulfide, 3-methylbutanoic acid, acetaldehyde and ethanol on production of propanoic acid, acetic acid and 3-methylbutanoic acid in a Swiss cheese slurry system was investigated. Enumeration of propionic acid bacteria (PAB) was done to monitor the microbial count in the systems. A Swiss cheese slurry system was used to simulate cheese manufacturing based on accelerated ripening for a 6-day incubation period. The headspace concentrations of propanoic acid, acetic acid and 3-methylbutanoic acid were significantly decreased by the addition of 2,3-butanedione, butanoic acid, and methyl mercaptan, but were generally unaffected by ethyl butanoate, diethyl sulfide, 3-methylbutanoic acid, acetaldehyde and ethanol. Microbial enumeration also showed that there was a significant reduction of PAB in slurry systems with 100 ppm 2,3-butanedione, butanoic acid, and methyl mercaptan.
P‐261L: Late‐News Poster: Automatic Gamma and VCOM Calibration in TFT‐LCD Panel

Optimizing gamma and VCOM setting in a LCD panel is a tedious and time consuming process that usually takes engineers days in the lab. This paper describes an automatic calibration system that is able to achieve the optimum VCOM and Gamma setting in less than one minute, enabling automatic gamma and VCOM optimization in the production line.