cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating motor performance after stroke with a custom MR-conditional upper extremity reach and grasp system

We developed an MR conditional upper extremity reach and grasp movement evaluation (UE R/G) system to evaluate the reach and grasp movements of stroke survivors before and after robot-assisted practice of activities of daily living. This paper describes reaching motor performance of 12 low and high functioning stroke survivors using UE R/G with some comparison made to reach-to-grasp task. A model is presented that correlates recovery level measured with standard clinical assessment tools with kinematic measures of motor performance derived from analyzing movement trajectories captured by the UE R/G system. We examined one subject's movements measured by the UE R/G system inside and outside a 3.0 Tesla Magnetic Scanning environment and saw high correlations. The results demonstrate the utility of the MR-conditional UE R/G system to be multi-purpose tool for measurement of motor performance during fMRI activities. This should allow better correlation to any brain activation changes seen during the performance of these tasks.
A protocol based on gas chromatography--flow counting for monitoring intermediary metabolism.

Abstract A method is described which allows the user to track the influence which changes in nutritional state have on specific areas of intermediary metabolism. The approach relies on combined gas chromatography-gas flow proportional counting; data processing programs are used. To illustrate the operation and potential of the method, the effect of serum supplementation of the growth medium on overall fatty acid metabolism in HeLa cells is reported.
Thermal vision system for protective coat coverage inspection

The Subsurface dynamic thermographic procedure has been applied in a wide range of industries, yet; the static applications are still limited to Predictive Plant Maintenance PPM qualitative routines. This work is concerned with the development of a quantitative static thermographic application, which is intended to evaluate the coverage of automotive protective coat applied on steel substrates. This developed system is an automated replacement for subjective inspection procedures, in contrast to currently applied methods, provides repeatable and precise detection. An in-house static image analysis code is developed for acquired thermograms processing.
Clinical presentation of patients with a thyroid follicular neoplasm: are there preoperative predictors of malignancy?

Studies examining differences in presentation of patients with benign [follicular adenoma (FA)] and malignant follicular thyroid neoplasms [follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) or follicular variant papillary thyroid carcinoma (FVPTC)] include only one or two of these subtypes, and none has considered clinical, cytological, and sonographic features together. We therefore examined presenting clinical features of all benign and malignant follicular neoplasm subtypes in an attempt to identify predictors of malignancy. Consecutive patients with a surgically resected follicular thyroid neoplasm at a tertiary hospital from 2005 to 2013 were reviewed. Age, gender, symptoms, history, physical findings, nodule size, sonographic, cytologic, and final pathologic results were recorded. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine variables that contributed to a diagnosis of malignant follicular neoplasm. A total of 616 patients (163 males, 453 females) presented with 441 FAs, 17 FTCs, and 158 FVPTCs. On multivariate analysis, male sex [odds ratio (OR) 1.87, p = 0.008], family history of thyroid cancer (OR 5.16, p 45 (OR 2.03, p = 0.001), dysphagia (OR 3.48, p = 0.001) or pressure sensation (OR 3.00, p = 003), concomitant hyperthyroidism (OR 4.76, p = 0.01), nodules ≥4 cm (OR 3.68, p < 0.001), and multinodularity on physical examination (OR 1.93, p = 0.004) were associated with an increased odds of a benign lesion. Independent clinical predictors exist that might be helpful in preoperative differentiation of benign and malignant follicular neoplasms. A combination of these predictors with both FNA and molecular results may help us to improve the clinical management of patients with follicular thyroid lesions.
Sweating function in the heroin withdrawal syndrome of neonates.

Offspring of heroin-addicted gravidae frequently show narcotic withdrawal after birth. Many clinical signs are indicative of hyperactivity of of the autonomic nervous system, generalized hyperhidrosis being one example. Since many of these infants are prematurely born, their capacity for reflex sweating is very unusual. Still, they show generalized sweating with significantly greater frequency than do healthy premature controls and even mature neonates. In response to local stimulation tests with sudorific drugs (epinephrine, acetylcholine, and nicotine), a significantly greater proportion of these addicted premature babies show sweat gland responsiveness than do controls, and minimal effective doses are lower.Accelerated development of sweating function in neonates ill with heroin withdrawal shows that the sweating deficit of healthy premature babies cannot be due to refractoriness of the sweat gland, but is, at least in part, attributable to immaturity of autonomic centers.
The critical protein interactions and structures that elicit growth deregulation in cancer and viral replication

One of the greatest challenges in biomedicine is to define the critical targets and network interactions that are subverted to elicit growth deregulation in human cells. Understanding and developing rational treatments for cancer requires a definition of the key molecular targets and how they interact to elicit the complex growth deregulation phenotype. Viral proteins provide discerning and powerful probes to understand both how cells work and how they can be manipulated using a minimal number of components. The small DNA viruses have evolved to target inherent weaknesses in cellular protein interaction networks to hijack the cellular DNA and protein replication machinery. In the battle to escape the inevitability of senescence and programmed cell death, cancers have converged on similar mechanisms, through the acquisition and selection of somatic mutations that drive unchecked cellular replication in tumors. Understanding the dynamic mechanisms through which a minimal number of viral proteins promote host cells to undergo unscheduled and pathological replication is a powerful strategy to identify critical targets that are also disrupted in cancer. Viruses can therefore be used as tools to probe the system-wide protein-protein interactions and structures that drive growth deregulation in human cells. Ultimately this can provide a path for developing system context-dependent therapeutics. This review will describe ongoing experimental approaches using viruses to study pathways deregulated in cancer, with a particular focus on viral cellular protein-protein interactions and structures.
Characterization of in-use medium duty electric vehicle driving and charging behavior

The U.S. Department of Energy's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) deployment and demonstration projects are helping to commercialize technologies for all-electric vehicles (EVs). Under the ARRA program, data from Smith Electric and Navistar medium duty EVs have been collected, compiled, and analyzed in an effort to quantify the impacts of these new technologies. Over a period of three years, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has compiled data from over 250 Smith Newton EVs for a total of over 100,000 days of in-use operation. Similarly, data have been collected from over 100 Navistar eStar vehicles, with over 15,000 operating days having been analyzed. NREL has analyzed a combined total of over 4 million kilometers of driving and 1 million hours of charging data for commercial operating medium duty EVs. In this paper, the authors present an overview of medium duty EV operating and charging behavior based on in-use data collected from both Smith and Navistar vehicles operating in the United States. Specifically, this paper provides an introduction to the specifications and configurations of the vehicles examined; discusses the approach and methodology of data collection and analysis, and presents detailed results regarding daily driving and charging behavior. In addition, trends observed over the course of multiple years of data collection are examined, and conclusions are drawn about early deployment behavior and ongoing adjustments due to new and improving technology. Results and metrics such as average daily driving distance, route aggressiveness, charging frequency, and liter per kilometer diesel equivalent fuel consumption are documented and discussed.
The electron microscopy of myelinated nerve

Abstract Electron micrographs have been made of sections through the myelinated nervous ischiadicus of the adult rabbit. For this purpose excised nerves have been preserved in various fixatives and dehydrated in alcohol or pyridine. These photographs demonstrate various aspects of the macromolecular texture of the axon and its contents, of the myelin and of the fibrous sheets in which the individual nerve fibers are embedded to make a bundle.
Boron diffusion in polycrystalline silicon layers

Abstract Boron was diffused into the poly Si layers of 5·5 μm thickness with boron nitride and diborane as boron sources. The diffusion depth was found to be proportional to the square root of diffusion time. The boron diffusion in the poly Si layers can be expressed in the well known complementary error function. The diffusion coefficient of boron in the poly Si layers is larger when diborane is used than when boron nitride is used as a boron source and is 10–50 times larger than that in the single crystal silicon substrates in the experimental range. The diffusion coefficients of boron at 1050°C in the single crystal silicon substrates with diborane as a boron source in the poly Si layers with boron nitride and diborane as boron sources are 8·80 × 10 −14 , 1·17 × 10 −12 and 1·95 × 10 −12 cm 2 /sec, respectively. The activation energies of the diffusion coefficients of boron in the above each case are 3·42, 2·39 and 2·51 eV, respectively.
Isolation and characterization of mutants of bacteriophage T4 resistant to folate analogs.

Abstract The dihydrofolate (FH 2 ) reductase specified by the T4 frd gene (previously called the wh gene) is apparently nonessential for phage growth on Escherichia coli because the bacterial FH 2 reductase can partially substitute for the phage enzyme. To study the effect in vivo of folate analogs which specifically inhibit the T4 FH 2 reductase, the enzyme must be made essential for phage production. Partial inhibition of the E. coli FH 2 reductase with the folate analog trimethoprim strongly inhibits phage production by a T4 frd mutant and slightly inhibits wild-type phage production. Adding an additional T4-specific folate analog, a chlorophenyl triazine, strongly inhibits wild-type phage production without preventing the uninfected E. coli cells from multiplying. We have isolated spontaneous mutants of T4 which are capable of producing progeny in the presence of chlorophenyl triazine and another folate analog pyrimethamine. These mutants are designated folate analog resistant ( far ) and have been separated into two general classes. Class I mutants induce T4-specific FH 2 reductases which are less sensitive to the action of the folate analogs than the normal FH 2 reductase. Class II mutants induce an unaltered FH 2 reductase but contain mutations in a variety of T4 genes. Some class II mutants induce more phage FH 2 reductase activity than wild-type T4 and appear to be regulatory mutants.
The effect of crude oil on the colonization of meiofauna into salt marsh sediments

The effect of an oil spill on estuarine meiofauna was examined in a controlled colonization experiment. Forty-five replicate azoic sediment chambers treated with 0,133 or 381 mg hydrocarbons: 100 g dry sediment of South Louisiana crude oil were each quantitatively sampled with three replicate cores for colonizing meiofauna. Chambers were sampled on days 2, 5, 10, 30 and 60 postplacement in a Louisiana Spartina alterniflora (Loisel) salt marsh. Polychaetes showed a delayed colonization and reduced densities in oiled relative to non-oiled sediments. Nematode numbers were significantly depressed in the high oil treatment but no delay in colonization was identified. Only one species of meiobenthic copepods, Enhydrosoma woodini, displayed a reaction to the presence of the oil but only in the top centimeter of sediment. This species showed significantly decreased densities due to the heavily oiled treatment throughout the study until day 60 when numbers in the heavily oiled chambers were significantly higher than those in the non-oiled chambers. Species diversity (H') was calculated on the meiobenthic copepod assemblage and showed that diversity in the high oil treatment was generally lower than that in other treatments through day 30. Fewer species colonized the heavily oiled chambers before day 30. Principle Components Ordination conducted on the copepod assemblage could not identify an oil effect separate from a chamber effect for copepod community structure.
Rethinking Planning Theory for a Master’s-Level Curriculum:

This article is dedicated to all those faculty members of master’s planning programs who, despite the fact that they are not planning theorists, find themselves teaching planning theory to students who see no benefit in learning planning theory. The article explores objectives and content of planning theory courses through the published literature and a limited sample of planning theory syllabi. In general, the results replicate earlier findings by Klosterman that planning theory courses are widely diverse. In addition, the article calls for a new literature of planning theory aimed at students—rather than other academics—and consistent with the objective of developing students’ capacity for reflective practice.
Effect of light and season on pain and depression in subjects with rheumatic disorders

Abstract The clinical and neurochemical association between depression and season noted in seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has suggested that clinical pain might also be linked to season, perhaps through similar neurochemistry or the known association of depression with pain. We investigated the pain-light season/dark season hypothesis in 2523 rheumatic disease outpatients by examining VAS Pain and VAS Global Severity scores, as well as levels of depression and functional disability. No clinically significant difference in pain severity between season (or individual month) was noted for the consecutive outpatients at their first clinic visit, nor in sub-analyses using paired light and dark season visits. A slight trend toward increased pain severity in lighter months by about 3% compared to darker months was identified. No effect of season was seen on depression scores. In a subset of patients with high depression scores, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients, respectively, reported 16% and 7% greater pain scores in light compared to dark months, but fibromyalgia patients had stable scores. Season does not appear to play an important role in pain and/ or depression in rheumatic disorders.
Comparison of the properties of phosphoglucomutase from muscle of turbot (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides, greenland halibut) and witch flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) from the Northwest Atlantic and the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Abstract 1. 1. Phosphoglucomutase from muscle of turbot and witch has been purified and the properties studied from two regions of the Northwest Atlantic and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 2. 2. The enzyme, purified 157 fold from turbot and 164 fold from witch had specific activities of 596 and 475 U/mg/min respectively. 3. 3. The M.W. and pH optimum of the enzyme from both species were 63,500 and 7500; and 63,000 and 7800 for the Northwest Atlantic and the Gulf samples respectively. 4. 4. The amino acid contents and responses towards different inhibitory agents were different for the enzyme from the Gulf than the Northwest Atlantic samples. 5. 5. The findings compares well with the genetic analysis of the electrophoretic properties of the enzyme in relation to stock discrimination of the two species.
Engineering Search by Combining Shape and Ontology

A significant amount of information generated during design and manufacturing contains textual and geometric descriptions such as CAD drawings. Solely text-based or geometry-based approaches have been prevalent in current engineering information retrieval techniques. In order to further enhance the retrieval performance and provide more cohesive engineering search environment, we developed a unified framework that combines text-based and geometry-based approaches. On the text side, we present a novel engineering ontology based retrieval that takes drawing annotations as input data. On the geometry side, we use a novel shape-based 2D drawing retrieval method with sketch query input. This multi-modal retrieval framework is applied on data obtained from an industry surgical robot design repository. The preliminary result is promising.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Altered mentation and seizure.

Dr. Rick Kulkarni: Today’s case is that of a 41-year-old mentally retarded man who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with a change in mental status. The patient was transferred to our ED from an outside psychiatric facility, where he was a longstanding resident. According to his records, he was in his usual state of health until two days prior to presentation when he was noted to be less cooperative. On the morning prior to transfer a staff psychiatrist evaluated the patient. She noted him to be more irritable and confused than usual. There was no history of fever, chills, vomiting, or complaints of pain. Transfer to the ED was arranged. His past medical history was significant for schizophrenia, mental retardation, and dilated cardiomyopathy. The patient was taking risperidone, clozapine, and multivitamins. He had an allergy to penicillin, but the specific reaction was unknown. He did not have access to alcohol or tobacco. Dr. Eric Nadel: Are there any questions regarding the history? Dr. Andrew MacAfee: What was his baseline level of functioning? Dr. Kulkarni: The patient’s usual level of functioning was noted on the transfer paperwork. He was apparently able to interact with others and perform some activities of daily living, including eating and drinking without assistance. He was unable to speak fluently and follow verbal commands. Dr. Stephen Thomas: Was there any recent trauma? And did he have access to his own medications? Dr. Kulkarni: There was no known or suspected trauma. The medications were kept in the facility pharmacy where he would have had no access to them. On physical examination, the patient was lying uncomfortably on the paramedic stretcher. He was uncooperative and agitated. Vital signs were as follows: temperature 99.6°F (37.6°C) orally, pulse 86 beats/min, blood pressure 134/86 mm Hg, respirations 16 breaths/min, and oxygenation saturation of 98% on room air. The head was atraumatic. Pupils were 4 mm, round, equal and reactive to light. Extra-ocular movements could not be formally assessed due to lack of cooperation but there were no apparent deficits. The oropharynx was clear with moist mucosa. Gag reflex was intact. The neck was supple with no masses or tenderness. The heart and lung examinations were unremarkable. The abdomen was soft, nontender and nondistended. There were no masses, organomegaly, or guarding. The back was nontender. Pulses were full and symmetric in all extremities. There was no edema or clubbing. The skin was dry and warm with no evidence of a rash or other lesions. On neurologic examination, the patient was not oriented, could not speak fluently, and did not follow commands. There was full strength in all extremities and he appro-
Fischer's cryptographic protocols

This note is prepared for Michael Fischer's 60th birthday celebration at PODC 2003. In it, I briefly describe some of Michael Fischer's work on distributed cryptographic protocols.
Measurement of Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in mesoscopic metallic rings in the presence of a high-frequency electromagnetic field

We report measurements of Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in normal metal rings in the presence of high-frequency electromagnetic fields. The power dependence of the decoherence time scale ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}(P)$ agrees well with the anticipated power law ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}\ensuremath{\propto}{P}^{\ensuremath{-}1∕5}$ when the field-induced decoherence rate ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathit{ac}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ is large compared to the intrinsic decoherence rate ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{o}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, measured in the absence of external fields. As theoretically expected, we observe a decline in field-induced decoherence when ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathit{ac}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\ensuremath{\leqslant}{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{o}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The frequency dependence of ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}$ shows a minimum in the oscillation amplitude at a characteristic frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathit{ac}}\ensuremath{\simeq}1∕{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{o}$, where ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{o}$ is evaluated from the oscillation amplitude using the standard mesoscopic theory. Both the suppression in the oscillation amplitude and the concomitant change in conductivity allow a direct measurement of the intrinsic decoherence time scale.
Confidence intervals for long memory regressions

This paper proposes an accurate confidence interval for the trend parameter in a linear regression model with long memory errors. The interval is based upon an equivalent sum of squares method and is shown to perform comparably to a weighted least squares interval. The advantages of the proposed interval lies in its relative ease of computation and should be attractive to practitioners.
Novel ultra low-leakage power circuit techniques and design algorithms in PD-SOI for sub-1 V applications

As supply voltage and technology are scaled, leakage power becomes significant in CMOS ICs. This paper proposes and analyzes new circuit styles in PD-SOI technology which reduce standby power in the sub-1 V regime by over three orders of magnitude while maintaining circuit speed with minimal overhead. Simulation results obtained using process parameters from an IBM 0.13 /spl mu/m PD-SOI technology show considerable improvement over previously proposed methods as supply voltage is scaled to 0.5 V. It also proposes a definitive design guideline for implementing such schemes.
The failure of the propaganda of the German democratic republic

Why did East Germany's outwardly successful propaganda system collapse in 1989? Despite enormous effort, East Germany faced difficulties training propagandists, producing quality propaganda, surmounting inefficiencies within the system, and persuading the citizens to accept its message. Using Jacques Ellul's approach to propaganda, I argue that East Germany's failure was typical of totalitarian propaganda systems, which have inherent weaknesses that guarantee the long‐term failure of their propagandas.
Comparison of the theoretical performance potential of fuel cells and heat engines

Fuel cells have decided advantages including compatibility with renewable fuels such as hydrogen, methanol and methane. It is often claimed that they have greater potential for efficient operation than heat engines because they are not restricted by the Carnot limitation. However, in this paper a generalized (exergy analysis) approach is utilized to clarify the comparison of the theoretical performance potential of heat engines and fuel cells, in particular, to show that fuel cell conversion is restricted by the second law of thermodynamics in the same way as heat engines. The Carnot efficiency is simply a manifestation of the second law for the heat engine excluding the combustion process. It is shown that the maximum work obtainable from the conversion device is related to the change in flow exergy between reactants and products, that is in general, not equivalent to the change in Gibbs free energy. For equivalent reactant and product temperatures, the difference between the change in Gibbs free energy and the change in flow exergy is equal to the exergy flux of heat transfer that must be rejected by the device due to absorption of entropy from the reactant-product flow. The importance of exergetic (second-law) efficiencies for evaluating performance is demonstrated. Also, exergy analysis is utilized to resolve a number of efficiency related issues for endothermic reactions.
Chronological Ordering by Computer

E VERY problem in long range change must take account of time. In many anthropological problems, however, the chronological order of materials, whether they be words, residence rules, bones, or potsherds, is latent rather than explicit in the data. In 1951 W. S. Robinson, a sociological statistician working with George W. Brainerd, an archeologist, proposed a method for the chronological ordering of archeological deposits (Brainerd 1951; Robinson 1951). In 1956 Harold E. Driver, noting the general applicability of the method, employed it to test a developmental theory that relates economy and social organization (1956). Although the principles of the method are basically simple and its applicability to a range of anthropological problems is demonstrated, its use is restricted because the cost in time of applying the method is immense. This paper introduces a procedure to operationalize the method and describes and illustrates the implementation of the procedure on a digital computer. Incidentally, we hope this demonstration indicates the potential value of the digital computer as a tool in anthropological research. The Robinson method is based on the idea that archeological deposits from periods close in time exhibit similar percentage distribution of types, while deposits separated in time show dissimilar percentage distributions. To chronologically order a group of deposits, where the order is unknown, the percentage distribution of the types is calculated for each deposit. A measure of similarity of the percentage distributions is then obtained for each pair of deposits. These measures, or coefficients, are placed in a tabular array. The identifying names of the deposits are at the top of the columns; the deposit names, in the same order, are along the side of the rows, and the similarity measure of a pair of deposits is placed in the table where its column and row intersects. The table constitutes a square symmetric matrix with the number of rows and columns equal to the number of deposits (see, for example, Table 2). Robinson establishes that if the deposits are arranged along the margin of the table in chronological order, the coefficients in each row, reading from left to right, should show progressive increase up to the diagonal element and then a progressive decrease. Similarly, reading down each column, the coefficients should show a progressive increase to the diagonal and a progressive decrease beyond it. In Driver's use of the method, culture traits rather than types are ordered. A measure of closeness between a pair of traits is calculated by combining the number of tribes or territorial units in which both traits exist, only one trait
Deep reflection-mode photoacoustic imaging of internal organs

A deep reflection-mode photoacoustic imaging system was developed and demonstrated to possess a maximum imaging depth up to 38 mm in chicken breast tissue. Using this system, structures in the thoracic cavity and vasculature in cervical area of rats were clearly imaged. Particularly, part of the heart was imaged. In the thoracic cavity, the right atrium imaged, which is one of deepest, was situated ~7 mm deep. In the cervical area, common carotid artery and jugular vein were imaged, which are appropriate for the study of oxygenation between artery and vein. In the abdominal cavity, the embedded structures of a kidney, spinal cord, and vena cava inferior were also clearly imaged in situ and in vivo. The depth of the vena cava inferior was as deep as ~15 mm in vivo. This study shows the depth capability of the system in animals. This imaging modality can be a useful tool to diagnose the disease of organs by assessing the morphological and functional changes in the blood vessels and the organs.© (2008) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Treating older men with prostate cancer: survival (or selection) of the fittest?

Recent declines in cause-specific mortality rates among men with prostate cancer suggest that early diagnosis and treatment for localized tumors may improve survival. Composite data provide evidence that initial local therapy is associated with a survival advantage among older men with lower-risk prostate cancer.
The binding of phenol red to rabbit renal cortex

Abstract The binding of phenol red to the microsomal fraction of rabbit kidney cortex was rapid, reversible and consisted of two independent populations of binding sites: a high affinity and low capacity class which had an association constant of 11.29 · 103 M−1 and a binding capacity of 2.41 μmol phenol red bound per g of protein, and a low affinity binding population with an association constant of 0.80 · 103 M−1 and a maximal binding capacity of 55.06 μmol per g of protein. Probenecid (0.32 mM) competitively inhibited phenol red binding to only the high affinity binding site, whereas 2,4-dinitrophenol (0.77 mM) competitively inhibited phenol red binding to both the high and the low affinity population of binding sites. The binding of phenol red was highly sensitive of the cationic composition of the medium. The affinity of phenol red to the high and the low affinity binding populations was lowered by decreasing the sodium and potassium concentrations to 19 and 6 mequiv./1, respectively; however, the maximal binding capacity was unchanged. Calcium appeared to have no effect on the phenol red binding to the microsomes. All of these considerations suggest that the high affinity phenol red binding to the microsomal fraction may represent the interaction of phenol red with the physiological receptor necessary for organic acid transport at the peritubular membrane. Phenol red binding to the low affinity binding population may indicate an intracellular binding population which contributes to the intracellular accumulation of weak organic acids.
Impact of phytoplankton community size on a linked global ocean optical and ecosystem model

Abstract We isolated the effect phytoplankton cell size has on varying remote sensing reflectance spectra (R rs (λ)) in the presence of optically active constituents by using optical and radiative transfer models linked in an offline diagnostic calculation to a global biogeochemical/ecosystem/circulation model with explicit phytoplankton size classes. Two case studies were carried out, each with several scenarios to isolate the effects of chlorophyll concentration, phytoplankton cell size, and size-varying phytoplankton absorption on R rs (λ). The goal of the study was to determine the relative contribution of phytoplankton cell size and chlorophyll to overall R rs (λ) and to understand where a standard band ratio algorithm (OC4) may under/overestimate chlorophyll due to R rs (λ) being significantly affected by phytoplankton size. Phytoplankton cell size was found to contribute secondarily to R rs (λ) variability and to amplify or dampen the seasonal cycle in R rs (λ), driven by chlorophyll. Size and chlorophyll were found to change in phase at low to mid-latitudes, but were anti-correlated or poorly correlated at high latitudes. Phytoplankton size effects increased model calculated R rs (443) in the subtropical ocean during local spring through early fall months in both hemispheres and decreased R rs (443) in the Northern Hemisphere high latitude regions during local summer to fall months. This study attempts to tease apart when/where variability about the OC4 relationship may be associated with cell size variability. The OC4 algorithm may underestimate [Chl] when the fraction of microplankton is elevated, which occurs in the model simulations during local spring/summer months at high latitudes in both hemispheres.
Radiobiology of radiolabeled antibody therapy as applied to tumor dosimetry

This paper reviews the radiobiological aspects of radioimmunotherapy (RIT) with radiolabeled antibodies, including comparisons between RIT and external beam irradiation. The effectiveness of cell killing by radiation decreases with the dose rate and the rate of decrease is determined by the size of the shoulder on the radiation survival curve. Tumors with poor repair capabilities exhibit less of a dose rate effect than tumors with good repair capabilities. Continued tumor cell proliferation during treatment occurs at very low dose rates and can contribute to the reduced effectiveness of low dose rate radiation. Toxicity to normal tissues will determine the total dose of radiolabeled antibody that can be given and this will be influenced by the choice of both the radionuclide and the antibody. The reported enhanced effectiveness of RIT may be due to multiple factors including selective targeting of cells responsible for tumor volume doubling, tumor surface binding rather than homogeneous binding throughout the tumor volume, targeting of the tumor vasculature, or block of cell cycle progression in G2. During RIT, there is less time for reoxygenation of hypoxic tumor cells than during a course of conventional external beam radiotherapy. It has not yet been determined whether this will have a detrimental effect on RIT. Probably the most important factor in the success of RIT is dose heterogeneity. Any viable portion of a tumor that is not targeted and does not receive a significant radiation dose will potentially lead to treatment failure, no matter how high the dose received by the remainder of the tumor. Comparisons between RIT and external beam radiation have shown a wide range of relative efficacy. Tumors most likely to respond to RIT are tumors with poor repair capabilities, tumors that are susceptible to blockage in radiosensitive phases of the cell cycle, tumors that reoxygenate rapidly, and tumors that express the relevant antigen homogeneously. From a radiobiological perspective, it appears that RIT alone is unlikely to cure many tumors and that combination with other treatment modalities will be essential.
A radiation-hardened-by-design phase-locked loop using feedback voltage controlled oscillator

This paper presents a radiation-hardened-by-design (RHBD) phase-locked loop (PLL) which utilizes a feedback voltage controlled oscillator (FBVCO) to mitigate a single event transient (SET) strike. Whenever the SET pulse attacks the input control voltage of VCO, VCO gives rise to a frequency disturbance and PLL produces a huge jitter at the output clock. The proposed FBVCO consists of an open loop VCO, an integrator and a switched-capacitor resistor. The input transfer function of the FBVCO has a low-pass characteristic so that the FBVCO can reduce any perturbation at the input control voltage. In addition, the proposed RHBD PLL reduces size by using one loop filter (LF) and charge pump (CP) compared to prior works. We simulate the proposed scheme in 130 nm low power CMOS technology at 1.5V supply. The output frequency variation of the proposed PLL from the SET strike is 75% smaller than that of previous PLL at 300 MHz. This RHBD PLL consumes 6.2 mW at 400 MHz output frequency.
Tissue-specific splicing of Omi stress-regulated endoprotease leads to an inactive protease with a modified PDZ motif.

Omi is a human serine protease whose catalytic domain is homologous to a bacterial heat shock endoprotease (HtrA), a protein indispensable to the survival of bacteria at elevated temperatures. Omi is expressed ubiquitously, and its protein product is predominantly localized in the endoplasmic reticulum of mammalian cells. Here we present the genomic structure of Omi, consisting of eight exons located on human chromosome 2p12-p13. Furthermore, we describe an alternatively splice form of Omi (D-Omi) that is expressed predominantly in the kidney, colon, and thyroid. D-Omi lacks peptide sequence encoded by two exons (exons III and VII). The absence of exon VII leads to a protein with a modified PDZ domain unable to interact with a known partner, the Mxi2 protein. The absence of exon III affects the catalytic domain and leads to a protein with no detectable protease activity. Our studies suggest that D-Omi may have a unique role in the normal function of kidney, colon, and thyroid.
Effect of collateral vessels on prognosis in patients with one vessel coronary artery disease.

The prognostic implications of coronary collateral channels were examined in 359 medically treated patients with one vessel coronary artery disease and a normal left ventricular ejection fraction (>50%). There were t49 patients with isolated left anterior descending coronary artery disease (group 1) and 210 patients with isolated left circumflex or right coronary artery disease (group II). Collateral channels were present in 68 patients (46%) in group I and 115 patients (55%) in group II. During a follow-up period of up to 82 months (mean ± SD 34 ± 18), there were 23 cardiac events (4 patients died of cardiac causes and 19 patients had a nonfatal acute myocardial infarction). Actuarial survival analysis showed that the risk of cardiac events was not related to the presence of collateral channels in the two groups. Thus, the risk of cardiac events is not related to the presence or absence of collateral channels in patients with one vessel coronary artery disease. Further, the risks of cardiac death (0.3%/yr) and nonfatal myocardial infarction (1.9%/yr) are very low in medically treated patients with one vessel coronary artery disease and a normal left ventricular ejection fraction.
Evaluating Political Science Research: Information for Buyers and Sellers *

pologists, biologists or mathematicians, funding agencies send signals about the relative value of competing scientific agendas. Should such agencies fund political science research? This question is particularly relevant for the National Science Foundation. People in and around NSF offer varying opinions about the value of political science research. A recent memo by APSA President Matthew Holden (1999) characterizes the situation.
Boundary layer associated with the Darcy–Brinkman–Boussinesq model for convection in porous media

Abstract We study the asymptotic behavior of the infinite Darcy–Prandtl number Darcy–Brinkman–Boussinesq system for convection in porous media at a small Brinkman–Darcy number. The existence of a boundary layer with thickness proportional to the square root of the Brinkman–Darcy number for the velocity field is established in both the L ∞ ( H 1 ) norm (in 2 and 3 d) and the L ∞ ( L ∞ ) norm (in 2d). This improves in several respects an earlier result of Payne and Straughan (1998) [60] where the vanishing Brinkman–Darcy number limit is studied without resolving the boundary layer.
Papillary clear cell adenocarcinoma of the groin arising from endometriosis.

A 67-year-old woman presented with a rapidly enlarging right anterior thigh mass. Clinical impression was of a primary sarcoma, but the histologic analysis of an incisional biopsy specimen showed adenocarcinoma with clear cell differentiation. Initially thought to be a metastasis, the malignant tumor appears to have arisen from extraabdominal endometriosis of the right groin. This case shows clinical, radiographic, and histologic findings that may help the orthopaedic surgeon recognize an unusual complication of extrapelvic endometriosis.
Comparative fatty acid composition of eggs from wild and captive black sea bass, Centropristis striata L.

Lipid content, lipid class and fatty acid compositions were determined in eggs from wild and captive black sea bass, Centropristis striata L., from northern (New England) and southern (South Carolina) regions to determine the effects of diet on egg composition and fertilization success. The formulated diets fed to the northern captive (NC) fish were higher in total lipids (22%) compared with the cut fish and squid diet fed to the southern fish (SC; 3.3% lipid) and had a higher relative amount of linoleic acid (LA) and lower relative amounts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA). These dietary differences were broadly reflected in the egg lipid composition. The LA levels were higher in all lipid classes in eggs of NC fish while AA levels were lower. The DHA was higher in the major polar lipids (PL) (phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine) of SC eggs compared with NC. Compared with wild fish, both captive groups produced eggs with PLs richer in LA and lower in DHA and AA. Over all fish groups, fertilization success was directly correlated with levels of DHA and AA in the PLs and was inversely correlated with LA levels.
Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the Gallbladders of Experimentally Infected Calves

Fifteen weaned calves (age 89-141 days) were treated with dexamethasone (0.25 mg/kg, IV) for 3 days before, the day of, and the day after inoculation with 10 colony-forming units of either Escherichia coli O157:H7 (strain 86-24, which produces Shiga toxin 2 and intimin; n = 13) or nonpathogenic E. coli (strain 123, which does not produce Shiga toxin or intimin; n = 2). All calves were necropsied 4 days after inoculation. Histologic lesions of attaching and effacing bacteria were observed in the large intestine (12/13) and in the gallbladder mucosa (5/13) of calves inoculated with E. coli 86-24. Cholecystitis was present in 12 of 13 calves that received E. coli 86-24. Inoculum bacteria were recovered from the distal colons or feces (13/13) and gallbladders (3/4) of calves inoculated with 86-24.
Nanostructures as tailored biological probes

A new generation of spectroscopic dyes is gradually becoming available to biological researchers, from an unexpected source: materials chemists who study the synthesis and properties of nano-sized inorganic objects. Research into tailoring the optical properties, surface chemistry and biocompatibility of metallic and semiconductor nanoparticles, exemplified in part by a recent report by Mirkin, Schatz and coworkers, is fulfilling the promise of these nanostructures as customizable substitutes for organic molecular probes.
Soft tissue sarcomas of the groin: diagnosis, management, and prognosis.

Abstract Background: Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) of the groin may present a difficult problem because of misdiagnosis as groin hernia and proximity to major neurovascular structures. We evaluated our management and survival in a large cohort of patients. Study Design: Patients treated between July 1, 1982 and July 1, 1998 with primary or recurrent STS of the groin were included. Groin sarcomas were defined as those tumors within 5 cm of the inguinal crease. Patient, tumor, clinical, and survival data were analyzed using a log rank test and Cox regression. Results: We treated and followed 88 patients with STS of the groin. The median age was 52 years (range 16 to 86 years) and 55 patients (63%) were male. Disease-specific survival was 72% at 5 years. Tumors tended to be larger than 5 cm (52%), deep (72%), and high-grade (60%). Unfavorable prognostic factors for disease-specific survival were high grade (p Conclusions: High grade, neurovascular invasion, and positive microscopic margins are associated with poor outcomes. The biology of these tumors is similar to other extremity STS, and similar principles of management apply. Even with neurovascular involvement, most patients with primary groin STS do not require amputation.
New information on Bostonia perplexa—an unusual member of the calamopityaceae from North America

Abstract A calamopityacean axis exhibiting multiple segments of primary xylem surrounded by secondary vascular tissue is analyzed here for its morphological and systematic significance. The plant is fundamentally protostelic with a deeply three-ribbed column of primary xylem. Each rib consists of a semi-discrete bundle of tracheids at the tip, intermittently connected to the stelar center by an extensive primary xylem parenchyma. The appearance of separate vascular segments at some levels is associated with departure of paired leaf traces. Between levels of trace departure, the three-ribbed protostele is reconstituted with primary xylem ribs following a helical course through the stem and supplying a regular Fibonacci phyllotaxis. Attached petiole bases are broadly of the Kalymma -type but exhibit a distinctly three-ribbed medial petiole bundle. The new specimen is assigned to Bostonia perplexa requiring an expanded concept of the taxon. A restricted cladistic analysis of stelar architecture and nodal anatomy within the Calamopityaceae produces two phylogenetic hypotheses. One is preferred on morphological grounds but necessitates viewing at least some protostelic calamopityaceans as exhibiting a derived condition within the group. The redefinition of Bostonia proposed here, a protostelic calamopityacean with medullosan-like vascular segments, reinforces long-standing views of a calamopityacean origin of Medullosales. Cladistic interpretation of stelar form and petiole anatomy in members of these groups, however, reveals character incompatibility hinging upon whether Quaestora (a protostelic medullosan) or Bostonia (a calamopityacean with medullosan-like dissected vascular system) should be preferred as a candidate for medullosan ancestor.
Testing and Usability Evaluation of the MRAGES Force Feedback Glove

Haptic force feedback can be summarized as a system that provides a sense of feeling and the application of forces by a computer to a user. This type of feedback system was developed as a glove or master format in order to provide forces at the fingertips. As a core to the device, passive actuators were developed using magnetorheological fluid (MRF) and a novel exoskeleton mechanical power transmission system was designed utilizing rapid prototype parts. The fluid is a smart material that has the property of changing its viscosity when exposed to a magnetic field. By varying the intensity of electromagnets embedded within the fluid based actuators, the resistive forces of the actuators can be dynamically set. The entire system is lightweight, low power and easily portable. A completed system was tested to evaluate the usability of the device
Optical Measurements of Soot Particles in Flames

The formation and growth of soot particles in combustion systems represents an area of significant research interest. Critical to progress in this area has been the development of suitable optical diagnostic techniques. Principal among these has been the utilization of laser light scattering techniques to obtain particle size and concentration information. When combined with measurements of other quantities such as the velocity, the resulting spatially and temporally resolved measurements can be used to examine particle processes such as coagulation and surface growth. In the present work, the results from studies conducted in laminar diffusion flames involving laser based measurements of the soot particle and velocity fields are reviewed. As an example of the utility of such an approach, these results are used to examine the evolution of the particle surface area for a series of simple hydrocarbon fuels. The results indicate that the available surface area varies strongly with the fuel molecular structure. However, the specific surface growth rate is observed to be similar for all the fuels studied.