cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Error characteristics of the atmospheric correction algorithms used in retrieval of sea surface temperatures from infrared satellite measurements: Global and regional aspects

Abstract A database of cotemporal, collocated satellite and in situ observations is used to examine the association between the brightness temperature differences measured by the thermal infrared channels (T45) of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and water vapor estimates (ω) derived from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I). This channel difference is used to estimate the atmospheric correction (due mostly to water vapor absorption) in sea surface temperature (SST) algorithms. The association between T45 and ω is found to be greatest for tropical latitudes; for mid- and high latitudes, the association is best during summer. However, the association tends to decrease toward mid- and higher latitudes during other periods. SST residual errors (satellite − buoy) show a negative mean in the Tropics, suggesting undercorrection for water vapor attenuation in the Tropics. This underestimation is explicitly shown for SST residuals in the high-water-vapor regimes of the Arabian Sea. In m...
Elastic channel contributions from particle transfer between heavy ions

Abstract In certain nuclear collisions it is possible for particle transfer processes to occur for which the reaction products are indistinguishable from the initial participants in the collisions. In such cases the amplitude for the transfer process is a coherent addition to the optical model elastic amplitude. We use DWBA analysis to calculate the transfer matrix element. Two methods for combining the DWBA transfer and optical model elastic amplitudes are compared. The first method treats the transfer matrix element as the cross channel element of the K -matrix while the second uses it as the cross channel element of the T -matrix. The K -matrix approach includes in some measure the effects of repeated transfer processes. We calculated elastic scattering angular distributions for several nuclei at energies slightly above the Coulomb barrier and find that this method does reproduce the observed structure at backward angles. Our results indicate that for these cases only single transfer is important.
Polarity control of GaN thin films grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

Control of the polarity of GaN thin films grown on c-plane sapphire by low-pressure metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy has been achieved. Growth of either polarity was realized by identifying and selecting appropriate substrate pre-treatments and AlN LT-buffer growth conditions. N-face (–c) GaN films were only obtained by pre-nitridation of the sapphire substrate after a H2 anneal. Smooth films of each type of polarity were obtained by using N2 as a transport and dilution gas and a V/III ratio of less than 500. The same growth rate of 1.2 µm/h was observed for both types of polarities under the same growth conditions. Further analysis of the growth conditions demonstrated that by using N2 as the dilution gas the transport was mass-transfer limited. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The development of metabolic tolerance in the alcohol-preferring P rats: Comparison of forced and free-choice drinking of ethanol ☆

Experiments were performed to determine whether metabolic tolerance to alcohol develops in the alcohol-preferring P rats during free-choice drinking. In Experiment 1, alcohol elimination rates (AERs) in female Wistar and P rats were measured as a function of age from 26 to 180 days old. AERs calculated as mmol hr−1 per kg body weight fell with age, whereas AERs expressed as mmol hr−1 per rat increased to reach a constant value after 60 days of age. These data indicate that the chronic effects of ethanol on AER are most easily interpreted if experiments are performed in animals 60 days of age or older and AERs are calculated as mmol hr−1 per rat. In Experiments 2 and 3, P female rats were exposed to alcohol for 6–7 weeks either by free-choice drinking or by forced feeding with liquid diets. With free-choice drinking of alcohol, solid food containig 31 percent of the calories as protein, 10 percent ethanol (v/v) and water were made available ad lib. The liquid diets used for forced ethanol feeding were the Bio-Serv-711 diet, a protein-supplemented Bio-Serv-711 diet and the AIN diet and they contained 18, 32 and 22 percent calories as protein, respectively. When compared with pair-fed or ad lib controls, all the P rats exposed to alcohol by either free-choice or forced-feeding exhibited increased AERs (i.e., metabolic tolerance) after 6–7 weeks. However, if AERs before and after alcohol exposure in the same animals were compared, a net increase in AER was evident only in the P rats on free-choice drinking or forced-fed diets which contained at least 22 percent protein. Alcohol consumption and blood alcohol concentrations of P rats exhibited diurnal variation during free-choice drinking or when they were forced-fed alcohol diets which contained at least 22 percent protein. The high BACs attained in the P rats given the ethanol-containing Bio-Serv-711 diet, presumably because of the lower AERs under this condition, disrupted the diurnal cycling of alcohol ingestion and blood alcohol concentrations. The studies demonstrate that the P rats on chroinic free-choice drinking of alcohol develop metabolic tolerance to much the same degree as animals forced fed ethanol contained in liquid diets. Additionally, they demonstrate that, in animals fed ethanol-containing liquid diets, a net increase in AER after alcohol exposure is evident only if dietary protein constitutes at least 22 percent of the total calories.
Cadmium binding to human α2-macroglobulin

alpha 2-Macroglobulin (alpha 2M) is one of the major cadmium-binding proteins of human plasma. As determined with equilibrium dialysis, alpha 2M bound 4.6 (+/- 0.7) mol Cd2+ per mol protein with an apparent dissociation constant of (9.6 (+/- 5.0] X 10(-7) M. Methylamine-modified alpha 2M (alpha 2M-Me) had a similar affinity for Cd2+ (Kd,app = 5.3 X 10(-7) M), but fewer binding sites. Cadmium produced a small increase in the amidolytic activity of trypsin in the presence of alpha 2M and soybean trypsin inhibitor. Using the binding parameters determined from the equilibrium dialysis studies, the Cd2+ concentration which produced a half-maximal increase in amidolytic activity corresponded to saturation of all Cd2+-binding sites in one-half of the alpha 2M molecules. From these results, a model is proposed in which one Cd2+-binding site is present in each of the four polypeptide chains which compose alpha 2M.
Design and Synthesis of Low Cost, Sustainable CO2-philes

Research conducted in the 1990s has demonstrated that one can design compounds which are “CO2-philic”, that is, they exhibit miscibility with CO2 at pressures significantly below that of conventional alkyl-functional analogues. The use of such CO2-philic functional groups in the design of surfactants and chelating agents has allowed successful implementation of CO2 in processes such as emulsion polymerization, heavy metal extraction, and others. However, the high cost of widely used fluorinated CO2-philes can render the economics of a CO2 process unfavorable. Consequently, we have investigated the design of CO2-philes composed of only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Using fundamental data on the thermophysical behavior of CO2 as a guide, we focused on the design and synthesis of functionalized polyethers and copolymers of cyclic ethers and carbon dioxide that were found to be soluble in liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide. By choosing the proper amount of incorporated carbon dioxide, we can generate pro...
Development of non-cognitive skills in minority engineering outreach programs

A broad array of efforts have focused on multiplying student pathways to engineering, particularly for groups that have been historically underrepresented such as ethnic minorities in the United States. Among such efforts, summer programs have been a widely used mechanism to stimulate and nurture engineering identity and agency in students from a relatively young age. At a large Midwestern University in the US, summer engineering workshops (SEWs) are executed for grades 6–12 to create awareness, increase student interest in engineering careers, enhance student preparation, and improve student access to resources required to pursue an engineering career. This paper presents an overview of the efforts of the aforementioned university to embed non-cognitive skills into the targeted learning outcomes of SEWs for secondary school students. These workshops range in duration from one to five weeks and the majority of instructors and staff are undergraduate and graduate students. Specifically, the paper outlines targeted non-cognitive learning outcomes and the elements designed to address them in 1) instructor/staff training and 2) workshop curriculum. Initial efforts will include the integration of active engagement strategies with the use of formative assessments and effective feedback tools as well as exposure to self-theories such as growth and fixed mindsets.
Mutual excitation of 22Ne and 126Te in inelastic scattering

Abstract Angular distribution data for the mutual excitation of the 126 Te and 22 Ne 2 + states have been measured for the inelastic scattering of 93.5 MeV 22 Ne on 126 Te. Data for transitions to the ground states, the 126 Te 2 + state and the 22 Ne 2 + state were also obtained. A coupled-channels analysis of the reaction is found to provide a good description of the general features of the data.
Reliability of two dependent paralleled devices with application to the electromigration failure phenomenon

Abstract A general expression is obtained for the reliability of two dependent paralleled devices, where the form of the dependency involves a change in the operating conditions or environment (and, accordingly, the life distribution) of the survivor when one of the devices fails. Applications are provided for the electromigration failure phenomenon with lognormal life and for exponential life.
Phosphorus and sulphur doping of diamond

Previous calculations on n-type doping of diamond by P and S predicted that S has a shallower level and a higher solubility than P. Our first-principles calculations show that the opposite is true: Phosphorus impurity in diamond gives rise to a shallower donor level, and has a higher bulk solid solubility than sulphur. This agrees with the trends expected from the strength of the atomic pseudopotentials. We predict that coherent epitaxial expansion would substantially increase the solubility of P, and that complex formation of P with H is exothermic, also leading to passivation of the P donor action; removal of H then is needed to achieve good n-type characteristicy.
Toxicology of drinking water disinfection byproducts from nutrients. Rate studies of destruction of polyunsaturated fatty acids in vitro by chlorine-based disinfectants

As model reactions between unsaturated fats and water disinfectants in the GI tract, relative rates of destruction of seven polyunsaturated fatty acids (L, alpha Ln, gamma Ln, Ara, EPA, DH, and DT) by OCl- and NH2Cl were investigated in vitro. Using millimolar solutions of seven PUFAs combined with various OCl- mole ratios, disappearance of PUFAs was followed by UV spectrophotometry at pH = 9.5 and at 35 degrees C via conjugated hydroperoxydienes at 234 nm. While OCl- rapidly destroyed all PUFAs, NH2Cl was inert. Overall second-order rate constants computed for L at increasing times disclosed that the attack on the cis-CH=CHCH2CH=CH moiety by OCl- does not follow simple second-order kinetics. Using a logit-log transform and second-order polynomial regression analysis of L's disappearance in a stoichiometric ([L] = 1.2 mM; [ClO-] = 2.4 mM) mix, data were analyzed by the time ratio method of Schwemer and Frost. These agreed with a sequential system of at least two irreversible second-order reactions having k1 = 15.6 L.mol-1.s-1 and k2 = 2.6 L.mol-1.s-1. Preliminary GC/MS analysis indicated that the initial product is a mix of chlorohydrin isomers. These undergo second addition of HOCl and/or lose halogens and polymerize. Additional minor products were also C5-C9 mono- and bifunctional carboxylates and mixed acid aldehydes. Studies with mol equiv of Cl- - free 36ClO- allowed estimation of covalent binding of Cl by L at various times, supporting the kinetic findings. For other PUFAs of higher degree unsaturation, the complexity of feasible reactions precluded an analogous approach.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Correlation of relaxation time with water content in muscle and brain tissues

Abstract Proton T1 of water in muscle and brain tissues was studied as a function of water content at 25°C and 5, 30, and 100 MHz. Muscle samples were bathed in modified Krebs solutions that have the same ionic strength but different osmolarity in order to change the water content. At all three frequencies their 1/T1 extrapolated to the same value of 0.6 s−1 for zero dry weight, indicating that T1 for the majority of water molecules in normal muscle and brain is frequency-independent. Dehydrated muscle, homogenized brain tissue suspended in modified Krebs solution and dehydrated brain tissue provide samples with wide ranges of water content. Their T1 values at all three frequencies can be well accounted for by a simple equation derived from the two-state model.
Calculate (Don't Guess) the Effect of Symbol Size on Usefulness of Color

Everyone knows that the colors of smaller objects are less distinct than the colors of larger images. This fact is of practical importance in the design of visual display formats. Color is useful to speed visual search and to organize categories of information. Because display space is precious, symbols are made as small as possible. The display designer must make a tradeoff between symbol size and operator performance. The purpose of this paper is to provide a quantitative basis for the tradeoff. Methods to calculate the effect of symbol size are evaluated, design tricks are highlighted, and the reader is alerted to pitfalls.
Defocusing digital particle image velocimetry: a 3-component 3-dimensional DPIV measurement technique. Application to bubbly flows

This paper describes a three-dimensional imaging system for the purpose of mapping two-phase bubbly flows. The defocusing digital particle image velocimetry instrument records high resolution images of the bubble field and is capable of providing bubble size and bubble location within a cubic foot volume. The velocity field is calculated from the volumetric cross-correlation of consecutive three-dimensional sets of bubble locations. The bubble size information is estimated from the bubble scattered peak intensity. Both quantities correlate following a power law, as predicted by the Mie scattering theory. The technique is applied to the study of the dynamics of sub-millimeter air bubbles in a three-dimensional vortical flow generated by a propeller. Velocity, bubble size distribution and void fraction are briefly discussed.
The global accounting profession in the United States

For several decades during its nearly 123-year history, the AICPA has worked to meet the changing needs of an increasingly global economy. Today, virtually all the issues at the top of our agenda have a significant international component. Many of them relate to how CPAs, companies and investors can productively navigate through international waters. As the world becomes flatter, international convergence in accounting and auditing standards and ethics codes, as well as the mobility of accountants into foreign lands, have increased in importance. At the same time, as the United States (along with the rest of the world) struggles to emerge from the worst recession in eight decades, the CPA profession is at the forefront of efforts to address problems in our financial system, and to contribute toward effective solutions.
Sub-optimum fast Bayesian techniques for joint leak detection and localisation

A fast tree-search algorithm for joint leak detection and localisation using surface-borne ultrasonic acoustic signals is developed through a wireless sensor network. Owing to environmental noise and multipath fading of ultrasonic signals, false sensor observations are frequent in the observation data. The problem is modelled as a Bayesian inference model and the maximum a posteriori solution is approximated through a tree-search structure. The algorithm initially divides the area into large cells and approximates the observation likelihood function over these large cells. In a tree structure, a large cell with high likelihood is divided into smaller cells and the tree is expanded until the required estimation precision is obtained. Simulation and experimental results reveal advantages of the proposed technique in terms of estimation error and convergence speed in comparison with other conventional Bayesian techniques such as particle filtering.
Information and Locus of Control as Factors in the Outcome of Surgery

The present study was aimed at assessing the relationships of locus of control and amount of information patients possess regarding their surgery to several criteria of post-surgical adjustment, utilizing a self-report measure of pain, number of analgesics taken, days in hospital and frequency of complaints. 48 patients about to undergo elective cholecystectomy were evaluated one day prior to surgery and five days subsequent to surgery. The results supported the hypothesis that amount of information was negatively related to outcome especially with respect to pain. There was a correlation of .38 between information and the subjective and behavioral criteria of pain for internal individuals and of .39 between information and the subjective measure of pain found for external individuals. The results were discussed relative to their implications for interventions with surgical patients and the training of health personnel.
Modeling of Radiation Heat Transfer in the Drawing of an Optical Fiber With Multilayer Structure

A numerical model is developed to study the radiative heat transfer in a furnace for optical fiber drawing with a core-cladding structure in the fiber. The focus is on the effect of the difference in composition and thus the radiation properties in the two regions on radiative transport. The zonal method is applied to calculate the radiative heat transfer within the neck-down region of the preform. The radiative heat transfer between the preform and the furnace is computed by an enclosure analysis. A parallel computational scheme for determining the direct exchange areas is also studied. The radiation model is verified by comparisons with benchmark problems. Numerical results for a pure silica preform, a GeO 2 -doped silica core with a pure silica cladding preform, and a pure silica core with a B 2 O 3 -doped silica cladding preform are presented. Radiation properties for these are obtained from the literatures and a three-band model is developed to represent the values. It is found that radiative heat flux on the surface of the preform is strongly affected by the differences in the absorption coefficient due to doping. However, changes of about 1% in the refractive index have only a small effect on radiative heat transfer. The basic approach is outlined in order to form the basis for simulating optical fiber drawing processes, which typically involve fibers and preforms with a core and a cladding. Furthermore, the approach can apply to estimate the multi-layer fiber drawing, which is of interest in the fabrication of specialty fibers that have been finding uses in a variety of practical applications. The model can be extended to other similar processes, which involve multiple regions with different radiation properties. The main interest in this study is on the approximate representation of radiation properties and on the modeling of the transport process.
Chiral Conflict. The Effect of Temperature on the Helical Sense of a Polymer Controlled by the Competition between Structurally Different Enantiomers: From Dilute Solution to the Lyotropic Liquid Crystal State

Helical polymers appended with paired structurally different enantiomers, which have opposing helical sense preferences, yield a new kind of relationship between optical activity and temperature, and also reveal unusual details of the nature of chiral interactions. Consistent with a statistical physical theory developed for these experiments, the proportion of the competing chiral groups, determined by synthesis, fixes the compensation temperature at which the helical senses are equally populated. The lyotropic liquid crystal state formed by these polymers yields therefore a nematic state at any chosen temperature over a very wide range, with a cholesteric state arising with tightening pitch as temperature deviates from this point. Far from the nematic temperature, the pitch reaches the nanometer scale and therefore the reflection of visible light. Before crossing zero at the nematic temperature, the optical activity becomes so large that it may be observed with the unaided eye through crossed polarizers.
High-resolution gene expression analysis of the developing mouse kidney defines novel cellular compartments within the nephron progenitor population

The functional unit of the kidney is the nephron. During its organogenesis, the mammalian metanephric kidney generates thousands of nephrons over a protracted period of fetal life. All nephrons are derived from a population of self-renewing multi-potent progenitor cells, termed the cap mesenchyme. However, our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying nephron development is at an early stage. In order to identify factors involved in nephrogenesis, we performed a high-resolution, spatial profiling of a number of transcriptional regulators expressed within the cap mesenchyme and early developing nephron. Our results demonstrate novel, stereotypic, spatially defined cellular sub-domains within the cap mesenchyme, which may, in part, reflect induction of nephron precursors. These results suggest a hitherto unappreciated complexity of cell states that accompany the assembly of the metanephric kidney, likely reflecting diverse regulatory actions such as the maintenance and induction of nephron progenitors.
A zero- and K-inflated mixture model for health questionnaire data

In psychiatric assessment, Item Response Theory (IRT) is a popular tool to formalize the relation between the severity of a disorder and the associated responses to questionnaire items. Practitioners of IRT sometimes make the assumption of normally distributed severities within a population; while convenient, this assumption is often violated when measuring psychiatric disorders. Specifically, there may be a sizable group of respondents whose answers place them at an extreme of the latent trait spectrum. In this article, a zero- and K-inflated mixture model is developed to account for the presence of such respondents. The model is fitted using an expectation–maximization (E-M) algorithm to estimate the percentage of the population at each end of the continuum, concurrently analyzing the remaining ‘graded component’ via IRT. A method to perform factor analysis for only the graded component is introduced. In assessments of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder, the zero- and K-inflated model exhibited better fit than the standard IRT model. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Advancements in gene transfer-based therapy for hemophilia A

Gene therapy has promised clinical benefit to those suffering with hemophilia A, but this benefit has not yet been realized. However, during the past two decades, basic and applied gene therapy research has progressed and the goal of gene therapy for hemophilia A is once again in our sights. The hemophilia A patient population suffers from a disease that requires invasive, lifelong management, is exorbitantly expensive to treat, has geographically limited treatment access and can become untreatable due to immune reactions to the treatment product. Subsequent to the cloning of the factor VIII gene and cDNA in the early 1980s, academic and commercial research laboratories began to pursue gene transfer-based therapies to supplement or supplant the available protein replacement therapy. However, to date, clinical trials for gene therapy of hemophilia A have been unsuccessful. Three trials have been conducted with each having tested a different gene-transfer strategy and each demonstrating that there is a considerable barrier to achieving sustained expression of therapeutic amounts of factor VIII. Recent progress has been made in gene-transfer technology and, relevant to hemophilia A, towards increasing the biosynthetic efficiency of factor VIII. These advances are now being combined to develop novel strategies to treat and possibly cure hemophilia A.
Spectral implementation of an adaptive moving mesh method for phase-field equations

Phase-field simulations have been extensively applied to modeling microstructure evolution during various materials processes. However, large-scale simulations of three-dimensional (3D) microstructures are still computationally expensive. Among recent efforts to develop advanced numerical algorithms, the semi-implicit Fourier spectral method is found to be particularly efficient for systems involving long-range interactions as it is able to utilize the fast Fourier transforms (FFT) on uniform grids. In this paper, we report our recent progress in making grid points spatially adaptive in the physical domain via a moving mesh strategy, while maintaining a uniform grid in the computational domain for the spectral implementation. This approach not only provides more accurate treatment at the interfaces requiring higher resolution, but also retains the numerical efficiency of the semi-implicit Fourier spectral method. Numerical examples using the new adaptive moving mesh semi-implicit Fourier spectral method are presented for both two and three space dimensional microstructure simulations, and they are compared with those obtained by other methods. By maintaining a similar accuracy, the proposed method is shown to be far more efficient than the existing methods for microstructures with small ratios of interfacial widths to the domain size.
Essential Features of the Peptidyl Transferase Center in the Yeast Mitochondrial Ribosome

The principal function of the mitochondrial translational apparatus in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is to synthesize seven polypeptide subunits of the energy transducing enzyme complexes of the inner mitochondria) membrane. The components of the organellar translation system are specified by a relatively small number of genes in the mitochondrial genome and by a much larger contribution from the nuclear genome. Genes in mtDNA encode the large (21S) and small (15S) rRNAs, a set of 24 tRNAs, an RNA component of mitochondrial RNase P, and the VAR1 protein, an essential component of the mitochondrial small ribosomal subunit (for reviews, see Grivell, 1989; Costanzo and Fox, 1990). The other components, including 70 to 80 ribosomal proteins, are encoded by 120 or more nuclear genes, synthesized in the cytoplasm, and, with a few notable exceptions, targeted for exclusive function in the mitochondrion.
A Predictive Model for the Compressive Strength of 3D Woven Textile Composites

The compressive response of 3D woven textile composites (3DWTC), that consist of glass fiber tows and an epoxy matrix material, is studied using a finite element (FE) based micromechanics model. A parametric Representative Unit Cell (RUC) model is developed in a fully three-dimensional setting with geometry and textile architecture for modeling the textile microstructure. The RUC model also accoutns for the nonlinear behavior of the fiber tows and matrix. The computational model is utilized to predict the compressive strength of 3DWTC and its dependence on various geometrical and material parameters. The finite element model is coupled with a probabilistic analysis tool to provide probabilistic estimates for 3DWTC compressive strength. I. Introduction hree-dimensional woven textile composites (3DWTCs) are gaining ever-increasing attention from various engineering sectors due to numerous structural advantages of the material system over conventional laminated composites 1-3 . Typical laminated composites have very good in-plane properties in the direction of the fiber tows, but tend to have low strength properties perpendicular to the fiber direction. The interfaces between the layers are the weakest link and delamnation is a common failure mode of laminated composites. Textile composites can have fiber tows in multiple directions and thus can have better properties in all loading directions. Through 3D weaving processes, 3DWTCs can implement Z-yarns woven around warp and weft fiber tows, improving the resistance to delamination failure dramatically. Advanced weaving technologies make the tow architecture tailorable to achieve desired mechanical performance for numerous applications. However, it is not easy to design and tailor 3DWTC for specific applications since it is very difficult to predict the mechanical performance of textile composites due to the complex textile architecture. Currently textile composites, especially with three dimensional architectures, are designed by an expensive build-and-test approach, which is a time consuming and costly process. There exists a stong need for a predictive model that is capable of reliably predicting mechanical performance of textile composites including basic stiffness and strength properties. In the present study, a finite element model for 3DWTCs is developed to predict the mechanical properties, specifically with a focus on compressive strength prediction. The modeling strategy, originally developed by Song et. al. 1 for two-dimensional tri-axially braied textile composites, will be extended here for 3DWTCs. They have shown good correlations with 2D in-plane woven systems for determining stiffness and strength properties, and also in describing progressive damage. The proposed model utilizes the true measured 3D geometry and nonlinear behavior of individual constituents to estimate compressive strength.
SMC1A Expression and Mechanism of Pathogenicity in Probands with X-linked Cornelia de Lange Syndrome

Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is a dominantly inherited heterogeneous genetic disorder with multi-system abnormalities. 60% of probands with CdLS have heterozygous mutations in the Nipped-B- like (NIPBL) gene, 5% have mutations in the SMC1A gene, and 1 proband was found to have a mutation in the SMC3 gene. Cohesin is a multi-subunit complex consisting of a SMC1A and SMC3 heterodimer and two non-SMC subunits. SMC1A is located on the human X chromosome and is reported to escape X inactivation. We show that 29 unrelated CdLS probands with 21 unique SMC1A mutations have been identified by our group and others including 7 males. All mutations identified to date are either missense or small deletions with all presumably preserving the protein open reading frame. Both wild type and mutant alleles are expressed. Females quantitatively express twice the amount of SMC1A mRNA as compared to males. The transcriptional profiling of 23 selected genes is different in SMC1A mutant probands, controls and NIPBL mutant probands. These results suggest that mechanistically SMC1A-related CdLS is not due to altered levels of the SMC1A transcript, but rather that the mutant proteins maintain a residual function in males and enact a dominant negative effect in females.
Dispersion measurements with white-light interferometry

White-light interferograms provide a simple, accurate, and physically intuitive picture of what happens to broadband optical pulses on transmission through, or reflection from, common optical materials. Quantitative measurement of group delay are made with an accuracy of ±0.1 fs and with high spectral resolution. This measurement accuracy is applied to the determination of d2n/dλ2 and d3n/dλ3 of fused silica with an accuracy of ±5 × 10−5μm−2 and ±1 × 10−3μm−3, respectively. Further applications are found in the measurement of the dispersion of broadband mirrors and a multiple-quantum-well structure.
Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation Without Fluoroscopy Using Intracardiac Echocardiography and Electroanatomic Mapping

Background— Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation is currently guided by x-ray fluoroscopy. The associated radiation risk to patients and medical staff may be significant. We report an atrial fibrillation ablation technique using intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) and electroanatomic mapping without fluoroscopy. Methods and Results— Twenty-one patients with atrial fibrillation (age, 42 to 73 years; 14 male; 14 paroxysmal, 7 persistent; body mass index, 26 to 38) underwent ablation. A decapolar catheter was advanced through the left subclavian vein until stable coronary sinus electrograms appeared on all electrodes. Two 9F sheaths were advanced transfemorally over a guide wire to the right atrium. A rotational ICE catheter was advanced through a deflectable sheath. Double transseptal puncture was performed with ICE guidance and facilitated by electrocautery. A 3D MRI left atrial image was registered to the ostia of the pulmonary veins using ICE. Catheter ablation was performed using ICE and electroanatomic mapping navigation. In 19 cases, no fluoroscopy was used and the staff did not wear protective lead. In 2 cases, 2 to 16 minutes of fluoroscopy was used to assist transseptal puncture. Median procedure time was 208 (188 to 221) minutes; coronary sinus cannulation took 5 (2 to 26) minutes; double transseptal took 26 (17 to 40) minutes; left atrial ablation time was 103 (90 to 127) minutes. All patients underwent circumferential pulmonary vein ablation and 8 patients underwent additional left atrial ablation. There were no procedure-related complications. Conclusions— Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation without fluoroscopy is feasible and merits further attention. This technique may be especially helpful in preventing x-ray exposure in children, pregnant women, and obese patients undergoing left atrial ablation. Received April 9, 2009; accepted July 20, 2009.
Effect of eicosapentaenoic acid in asthma

The role of arachidonic acid metabolites in the pathogenesis of airway inflammation and clinical asthma is currently unknown. The addition of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to the diet of humans has been shown to generate metabolites that are less potent than their arachidonic acid counterparts. The substitution of EPA for arachidonic acid metabolites in patients might cause a decrease in airway inflammation and an improvement in clinical asthma. We studied the effect of addition of EPA to the diet of twelve asthmatic patients. Standard clinical evaluations and pulmonary function tests were done on weeks 0, 3, 6, 10, 12 and 14. Patients ingested either low-dose EPA (0.1 g/day) or high-dose EPA (4.0 g/day) from weeks 6-14 (total of 8 weeks). There was no difference in clinical status or pulmonary function between groups at the start of the study. There was no change in clinical status or pulmonary function between or within groups at the end of 8 weeks of EPA ingestion.
Segmental partially ordered generalized patterns

We continue the study of partially ordered generalized patterns (POGPs) considered in [E. Babson, E. Steingrimsson, Generalized permutation patterns and a classification of the Mahonian statistics, Seminaire Lotharingien de Combinatoire, 2000, B44b:18pp] for permutations and in [A. Burstein, T. Mansour, Words restricted by patterns with at most 2 distinct letters, Electron. J. Combin. 9 (2) (2002) #R3] for words. We deal with segmental POGPs (SPOGPs). We state some general results and treat a number of patterns of length 4. We prove a result from [S. Kitaev, Multi-avoidance of generalized patterns, Discrete Math. 260 (2003) 89-100] in a much simpler way and also establish a connection between SPOGPs and walks on lattice points starting from the origin and remaining in the positive quadrant. We give a combinatorial interpretation of the powers of the (generalized) Fibonacci numbers. The entire distribution of the maximum number of non-overlapping occurrences of a generalized pattern with no dashes in permutations or words studied in [S. Kitaev, Partially ordered generalized patterns, Discrete Math. to appear, S. Kitaev, T. Mansour, Partially ordered generalized patterns and k-ary words, Ann. Combin. 7 (2003) 191-200], respectively, has its counterpart in case of SPOGPs.
PEARS: A Power-Aware End-to-End Mobility Management Scheme

SIGMA is an IP diversity-based mobility management scheme that aims to reduce handoff latency and packet loss of mobile IP. In this paper, we propose a power-aware version of SIGMA (called PEARS) which reduces power consumption by intelligently switching off network devices, and improves handoff performance by reducing the number of unnecessary handoffs. The effectiveness of PEARS and SIGMA have been evaluated on a Linux-based experimental testbed. PEARS has been found to require considerably less power than SIGMA. The schemes used in PEARS can also be used to reduce power consumption of multihomed mobile nodes and routers.
Essential versus complex autism: Definition of fundamental prognostic subtypes

Heterogeneity within the autism diagnosis obscures the genetic basis of the disorder and impedes our ability to develop effective treatments. We found that by using two readily available tests, autism can be divided into two subgroups, "essential autism" and "complex autism," with different outcomes and recurrence risks. Complex autism consists of individuals in whom there is evidence of some abnormality of early morphogenesis, manifested by either significant dysmorphology or microcephaly. The remainder have "essential autism." From 1995 to 2001, 260 individuals who met DSM-IV criteria for autistic disorder were examined. Five percent (13/260) were microcephalic and 16% (41/260) had significant physical anomalies. Individually, each trait predicted a poorer outcome. Together they define the "complex autism" subgroup, comprising 20% (46/233) of the total autism population. Individuals with complex autism have lower IQs (P=0.006), more seizures (P=0.0008), more abnormal EEGs (46% vs. 30%), more brain abnormalities by MRI (28% vs. 13%). Everyone with an identifiable syndrome was in the complex group. Essential autism defines the more heritable group with higher sib recurrence (4% vs. 0%), more relatives with autism (20% vs. 9%), and higher male to female ratio (6.5:1 vs. 3.2:1). Their outcome was better with higher IQs (P=0.02) and fewer seizures (P=0.0008). They were more apt to develop autism with a regressive onset (43% vs. 23%, P=0.02). Analysis of the features predictive of poor outcome (IQ<55, functionally non-verbal) showed that microcephaly was 100% specific but only 14% sensitive; the presence of physical anomalies was 86% specific and 34% sensitive. The two tests combined yielded 87% specificity, 47% sensitivity, and an odds ratio of 4.8:1 for poor outcome. Separating essential from complex autism should be the first diagnostic step for children with autism spectrum disorders as it allows better prognostication and counseling. Definition of more homogeneous populations should increase power of research analyses.
Biosynthesis of polyketides. Purification and inhibition studies of 6-methylsalicylic acid synthase

Abstract 6-MSA 3 synthase has been purified 190-fold with 33% yield. The purification was found to be dependent on the presence of glycerol. The acetylenic inhibitors 3-pentynoyl- and 2-hexynoyl-NAC completely inhibit 6-MSA production at concentrations in which fatty acid synthesis, TAL production as well as NADPH oxidation are only partially affected. These results confirm earlier studies on the specificity of inhibition by acetylenic inhibitors and support a mechanism wherein the NADPH-mediated reduction step occurs on a 6-carbon rather than on an 8-carbon intermediate.
Flexible disk--Read/write head interface

The response of a rotating flexible magnetic disk interacting with a stationary read/write head is analyzed using a theory that accounts for the effects of bending forces, membrane forces of rotation, and inertia forces. The solution thus obtained is coupled with the solution to the Reynolds equation to determine the pressure profile and film thickness (flying height) between the head and disk.
Effect of Light on Agitation in Institutionalized Patients With Severe Alzheimer Disease

OBJECTIVE Preliminary data suggest that morning bright light might improve symptoms of agitation, a serious problem in patients with dementia. The authors expand on an earlier pilot study by evaluating the effect of bright light therapy on agitated behavior in a large sample of patients with severe dementia. METHODS Ninety-two patients were randomly assigned to morning bright light, morning dim red light, or evening bright light. Agitation was rated by research staff who observed the patients every 15 minutes throughout the treatment period and by caregivers at one time-point before and one time-point after treatment. RESULTS Morning bright light delayed the acrophase of the agitation rhythm by over 1.5 hours. Bright light was associated with improved caregivers' ratings but had little effect on observational ratings of agitation. CONCLUSION Although the result that light shifted the peak of the agitated behavior might be generalizable to patients with milder forms of AD, the fact that agitation was not ameliorated might not be. Because the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of patients with severe AD is likely to be more degenerated, and the circadian activity rhythms deteriorate as the disease progresses, it is still possible that patients with more intact SCNs, that is, patients with mild or moderate AD, might benefit from light treatment even more than those with severe AD.
Why some cities have abandoned manager charters I. Defects in manager charters

This is the first installment of a study of the reasons for the abandonment of manager charters in seventeen cities. The concluding installment will appear later.
Gender and Racial Differences in Focal and Global Acetabular Version

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare the acetabular version between male and female pelvises. We hypothesized that female acetabula would demonstrate more retroversion because Pincer-type femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is associated with acetabular retroversion, which is more commonly observed in females. 120 bony pelvic specimens were randomly collected. The version was measured at three different axial sections of each acetabulum: cranial, central, and caudal. Males demonstrated significantly less anteversion than females in every section. The global version (the average of all three measurements) was also significantly different between males and females (16°±7° and 19°±8° respectively, P P =0.353) between global version of African Americans (18°±9°) and Caucasians (17°±7°). The results of this study suggest that symptomatic FAI in the female population likely reflects a complex interplay of femoral and acetabular dysmorphology and cannot be explained by differences in acetabular version alone.
Leadership and Spirituality: The Indivisible Leadership of African American School Administrators as Pastors.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the role that spirituality plays in the leadership of African American men who are both a pastor and a public school administrator. Very little has been written about the role of African American spirituality in educational leadership or about school administrators who are also pastors. This study examined the role of spirituality in the leadership of eight African American men who were both public school administrators and pastors of Christian congregations. The epistemological scope for this study came from social constructionism. The three-interview series method (Seidman, 1991) was used to collect data gathered from individual interviews. The key research question was, “What role does spirituality play in the leadership of African American school administrators who are also pastors?” This study contributes to the understanding of the role of spirituality in leadership from an African American male perspective. The findings suggest that the role that spirituality played in leadership of the administrators/pastors was that their spirituality connected them to: (a) their family values; (b) the way they built relationships with teachers, students, and the community; and (c) opportunities to serve. The findings suggest that school administrators should not overlook the role of spirituality to cultivate a nurturing, caring, and supportive school environment. The practical significance that the findings suggest for educational administration programs are: (a) develop professional development workshops; (b) include a course on spirituality and leadership as a choice within the leadership preparation classes; (c) teach the method of code switching; and (d) create partnerships with school, community, and church organizations.
Thermal Modeling of Laser Based Additive Manufacturing Processes within Common Materials

Abstract Process optimization is an important area requiring further research in the field of rapid prototyping and manufacturing. Current research efforts are focused on enhancing metallic powder bed additive manufacturing processes such as Laser Melting and Electron Beam Melting (EBM). Optimizing this class of manufacturing processes can lead to revolutionary changes in part quality and repeatability. Modeling and simulation can be used as a facilitating tool to predict the behavior of materials and processes and alleviate the need for extensive random experiments. This paper presents finite element simulation of thermal modeling thermal modeling of laser melting process to determine the melt pool geometry and temperature distribution in powder bed. This model was used to compare these characteristics between commonly used powder materials to include Ti6Al4 V, Stainless Steel 316L, and 7075 Aluminum powders. Initially, a common set of parameters were used for all materials and it was found that melt pool could not be sustained in aluminum and steel and only titanium process resulted deep and complete melting and solidification. Optimized process parameter sets are suggested to develop consistent melt pools throughout the build process for aluminum and steel. It was discovered that steel powder beds require higher beam power than titanium powder beds to establish a consistent melt pool. Aluminum powder beds need higher beam power than both titanium and steel powder beds and also require a reduced scan speed to maintain a consistent melt pool.
Evaluation of Male and Female Ability: Bias Works Two Ways:

47 male and 50 female college students rated 1 of 4 stimulus persons on competence and intelligence. Data showed highly competent males were rated more positively than highly competent females and males of low competence lower than similar females. Ss' sex was nonsignificant.