cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamical Evolution of Planetesimals in the Outer Solar System: I. The Jupiter/Saturn Zone

Abstract We report on numerical simulations designed to understand the distribution of small bodies in the Solar System and the winnowing of planetesimals accreted from the early solar nebula. The primordial planetesimal swarm evolved in a phase space divided into regimes by separatrices which define their trajectories and fate. This sorting process is driven by the energy and angular momentum and continues to the present day. We reconsider the existence and importance of stable niches in the Jupiter/Saturn zone using highly accurate numerical techniques based on high-order optimized multistep integration schemes coupled to roundoff error minimizing methods. We repeat the investigations of W. M. Weibel et al. (Icarus83, 382–390, 1990) with one hundred thousand massless particles—nearly 103 time more particles than our 1990 investigation. Previous studies of the Jupiter/Saturn zone have employed only hundreds of particles, usually starting on circular and zero inclination orbits. By employing 105 particles on both inclinded and eccentric orbits, we can perform a near-exhaustive search for test particle stability as a function of initial orbital elements. The increase in the numbers of test particles also facilitates robust statistical inference and comparison with analytic results. In our simulations, we observed three stages in the planetesimal dynamics. At the start of the simulation many planetesimals are quickly eliminated by close approaches to Jupiter or Saturn. Next there is a gravitational relaxation phase where the surviving particles are exponentially eliminated by random gravitational encounters with Jupiter or Saturn. Finally, the only long-lived particles in the simulation were initially located either at a Lagrange point or in an orbit nearly commensurable with Jupiter or Saturn. We conclude that although niches for planetesimal material are rare, extremely high-accuracy long-duration simulations employing many particles will be able to capture even the qualitative nature of early Solar System planetesimal evolution.
Growth of Penaeus vannamei on soils from various Texas shrimp farms, under laboratory conditions

Abstract Penaeus vannamei postlarvae (150 mg mean initial weight) were cultured for 80 days in indoor tanks under without substrate or with pond-soil substrate from five Texas shrimp farms; all tanks were provided with natural seawater from the ship channel adjacent to Port Aransas, TX. Final mean weight gain (MWG) of shrimp gain of shrimp for the various substrate treatments ranged from 13.75 to 16.04 g. Shrimp growth on pond-soil substrates in the laboratory was correlated with shrimp production in the ponds from which the soil samples had been taken. Ponds were classified as either `good' or `bad,' depending on their shrimp-production history. MWG of postlarvae on soils from the `good' ponds group was significantly greater than that for the `bad' ponds group. These results demonstrate a substrate impact on shrimp growth independent of water source. In relatively stagnant commercial production ponds, the impact of substrate on shrimp production might be more pronounced than under the flow-through conditions employed in the experiment described here.
Surface spectroscopy of nano- and subnanostructures

In light of recent progress in the fabrication and diagnostics of nanostructures and surfaces, more advanced spectroscopic and imaging methods are necessary in order to elucidate the detailed structure, nature and creation of such microsystems. We present here one especially promising method, namely highly charged ion surface interaction using an electron beam ion trap (EBIT) facility. Specifically we focus on the microspectroscopy, nano- and subnanostructure modification of surfaces and generation of x-rays involving heavy highly charged ion-structure interaction. In this process a large amount of potential energy is deposited by single ions at the surface leading to localized surface defects of subnanosize. In particular, we present new results on highly charged (q = 50-71) ions interacting with gold surfaces. A detailed experimental and theoretical analysis is provided for the x-ray spectra from the gold surface. These data have been measured at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory EBIT highly charged ion facility. The comparison of our computer simulation with experimental x-ray spectra provides evidence for the formation of subsurface hollow atoms. A striking orbital (n) and angular momentum (l) dependence for hollow atoms formation has been found shedding more light on the dynamics of complex ion-surface and ion-solid interaction processes. Finally, new developments in imaging on nano- and angstrom-scale using heavy highly charged ions are discussed.
Spectral Subtraction: A New Approach to Remove Low- and High-Order Speckle Noise

We present a novel "spectral subtraction algorithm" (SSA) technique to remove speckle noise. It consists of a low-order and a high-order SSA and is based on a three-dimensional image spectroscopy in which the three-dimensional data cube is available and thus the speckle noise introduced by the wave-front error can be efficiently subtracted. For the low-order SSA, speckles up to the second or third order can be totally subtracted, leaving the residual speckles dominated only by the third or fourth order, respectively, and imaging contrast is increased consequently; for the high-order SSA, speckles up to the fourth or fifth order can be subtracted, leaving the residual speckles dominated only by the fifth or sixth order, respectively, and the performance is further improved. This is the first demonstration that such high-order speckles could be subtracted. Since the SSAs are conducted over a wide spectral band, a white-light image can be re-assembled from the three-dimensional data cube. The white-light image would increase the single-to-noise ratio and reduce the exposure time, which are crucial for the search of faint companion objects. Combined with a coronagraph, the SSA can provide an extra contrast gain for the coronagraph imaging, relax the requirement for the wave-front quality (no adaptive optics correction is required for a space-borne imaging system), and significantly increase the performance of exoplanet imaging and biomarker spectroscopy.
Weight strain and binge drinking among adolescents

Obesity and substance use are two common areas of research among adolescents. Interestingly, very little research examines the relationship between these two important health risk behaviors and the findings are inconsistent. Guided by Agnew’s general strain theory and using the Add Health data, we examine this neglected area of research. The current research has identified a link between weight strain and binge drinking and is supportive of the extant research on both general strain theory and the links between stigma, stress, and health. We also found some evidence that this relationship was gendered. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
Team play in surgical education: a simulation-based study.

Background Simulation-based training provides a low-stress learning environment where real-life emergencies can be practiced. Simulation can improve surgical education and patient care in crisis situations through a team approach emphasizing interpersonal and communication skills. Objective This study assessed the effects of simulation-based training in the context of trauma resuscitation in teams of trainees. Methods In a New York State–certified level I trauma center, trauma alerts were assessed by a standardized video review process. Simulation training was provided in various trauma situations followed by a debriefing period. The outcomes measured included the number of healthcare workers involved in the resuscitation, the percentage of healthcare workers in role position, time to intubation, time to intubation from paralysis, time to obtain first imaging study, time to leave trauma bay for computed tomography scan or the operating room, presence of team leader, and presence of spinal stabilization. Thirty cases were video analyzed presimulation and postsimulation training. The two data sets were compared via a 1-sided t test for significance (p Results The data were compared presimulation and postsimulation. The number of healthcare workers involved in the resuscitation decreased from 8.5 to 5.7 postsimulation (p Conclusions High-stress situations simulated in a low-stress environment can improve team interaction and educational competencies. Providing simulation training as a tool for surgical education may enhance patient care.
Igneous rims on low-FeO and high-FeO chondrules in ordinary chondrites

Abstract Many ordinary chondrite (OC) chondrules are surrounded by rims that show evidence of appreciable melting and can be called igneous; these rims formed after the melting and solidification of the host chondrule. We studied thirteen igneous rims on low-FeO chondrules (Fa or Fs 10 mol%) in ordinary chondrites of petrographic type ≤3.5 by electron-microprobe analysis and scanning-electron microscopy. In both sets, olivine and pyroxene compositions of the rims are similar to or moderately higher in FeO than those in the host. Igneous rims around low-FeO chondrules show evidence of large degree (>80%) melting including: (1) resorbed chondrule surfaces, (2) rounded metal/troilite nodules and feldspathic mesostasis, (3) euhedral and subhedral morphology of olivine and pyroxene and limited ranges in grain sizes, and (4) a rarity of relict grains. Most low-FeO chondrules have olivine as their major phase, but pyroxene is commonly the predominant phase in their rims. Rims on high-FeO chondrules generally have smaller grain sizes and exhibit lower degrees of melting than rims around low-FeO chondrules; Mg-rich relict grains are observed in high-FeO rims. Most low-FeO chondrules have matrix-like rims around the igneous rims, but matrix-like rims are rare around rims on high-FeO chondrules. There is a continuum between igneous rims and enveloping secondaries of compound chondrules; the existence of both sets of objects supports the view that, in the OC region, most mm-size grain assemblages experienced more than one melting event. The precursors melted to produce the igneous rims on low-FeO chondrules differ from those that comprise the rims on high-FeO chondrules. A sizeable fraction of the precursors of low-FeO rims are from the host chondrule. Most high-FeO rims appear to consist largely of melted matrix-like materials. If the rim precursors are mainly independent, the similar Fa and Fs contents in mafic minerals of rims and host chondrules indicate that (1) OC nebular subregions (bounded in space and/or in time) were dominated by well-mixed solids, (2) many chondrules experienced multiple heating events during a short period, and were then withdrawn from the chondrule-forming region, and (3) chondrules formed at different times were mixed before agglomeration to form chondrites. If the host chondrules were the main source of the low-FeO rim materials, the fact that pyroxene is generally more abundant than in the host suggests that SiO 2 -normative matrix was also an important ingredient and/or that kinetics favored pyroxene crystallization in the rim. Rims around high-FeO chondrules were heated to lower temperatures than rims around low-FeO chondrules. The rarity of matrix-like rims around high-FeO igneous rims may indicate that the dust-chondrule ratio was lower where they formed.
Pharmacological treatment of disabling tremor

Tremor is often a disabling primary condition or secondary to another disorder. No universally effective pharmacological agent exists for the treatment of essential tremor, and patients differ greatly in their response to therapies, thus requiring individualised regimens. Deep brain stimulation is the best option for patients with disabling, drug-resistant essential tremor. Resting tremor in Parkinson's disease is usually not the primary disabling feature, and in most cases, levodopa/carbidopa is satisfactory for many years. Young Parkinson's patients with dominant, disabling tremor benefit from anticholinergics in addition to dopaminergic therapies. However, older Parkinson's patients with more disabling tremor may suffer from dose-dependent side effects, and deep brain stimulation should be considered. This article outlines the available pharmacological agents and treatment considerations for various disabling tremors, including essential tremor and Parkinson's disease.
A model for the internal structures of asteroids

Abstract Interpretation of reflectance spectra indicates that most belt asteroids are composed of materials similar to carbonaceous chondrites. Also, there is considerable evidence to support the origin of many, if not most, lunar and meteoritic chondrules by impact processes. The accretional histories of the carbonaceous asteroids must have influenced greatly their internal structures and textures. A model for this accretional history can be divided conveniently into three temporal stages that produce distinctly different lithologies: (1) low-velocity accretion of fine silicate and carbonaceous grains producing chondrule-free petrologic type 1 lithology; (2) continued accretion of low-velocity fine silicate and carbonaceous grains, but with a few larger, higher-velocity bodies also impacting the surface thereby producing both fluid drop and lithic chondrules (the resultant lithology would be that of petrologic type 2 and 3 carbonaceous chondrites); and (3) dominance of high-velocity low-mass meteoroid impacts, producing a sparse, thin, erosive lunar-like regolith. The lithologic product of stage 3 is not ideally represented among the presently described carbonaceous chondrites, but texturally analogous samples are known from the achondrites. The greater proportion of chondrules in the C V group meteorites, in contrast to the C M2 and C O3 groups, may be due to the origin of the C V chondrites on larger asteroid parent bodies that could withstand more numerous and higher-energy chondrule-producing impacts prior to fragmentation.
The effect of indomethacin on the circulatory and plasma noradrenaline responses to cold pressor testing in normal subjects.

Prostaglandins may alter neuronal noradrenaline release or vascular responsiveness to sympathoexcitation. The purpose of this study was to determine if indomethacin, a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor, influences the sympathetic and circulatory adjustments to a commonly utilized laboratory stressor in the clinical assessment of autonomic function, the cold pressor test. Venous plasma noradrenaline levels (n = 8), mean arterial pressure and heart rate (n = 10) were measured in healthy male subjects during immersion of the non-dominant hand in cold water (1°C) for 90 s. The subjects were given either placebo or indomethacin (100 mg) in a double-blind manner. The order of administration was counterbalanced and a 1 week period was given for systemic clearance of the drug. The absolute level of mean arterial pressure was elevated during the resting control period after indomethacin treatment (88 in placebo vs. 92 mmHg in indomethacin). Both heart rate and venous plasma noradrenaline levels were similar between trials during the resting control period. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate increased similarly during cold pressor testing in both indomethacin and placebo. Venous plasma noradrenaline levels increased during cold pressor testing 162 ± 39 vs. 200 ± 69 pg/ml in indomethacin vs. placebo (p > 0.05), respectively. In addition, perceived pain (peak level = 7 ± 1 vs. 6 ± 1 units; indomethacin vs. placebo, respectively) was not different between the trials. These results suggest that administration of indomethacin in a maximal single therapeutic dose, does not affect the sympathetic nervous system or circulatory responsiveness to cold pressor testing. It may not be necessary to discontinue indomethacin prior to autonomic function testing.
Selected systematic properties and some recent investigations of actinide metals and alloys

The actinide elements form a unique and scientifically interesting series. They display a wide range of physical properties from those characteristic of d-electron transition metals to those of the 4f electron, lanthanide metals. This article provides a brief summary of some important properties of the actinide elements and discusses how the changing role of the 5f electrons influences these properties. Recent results from studies on the actinides and extrapolated values of others have been incorporated into the presented systematics. Finally, some recommendations for future studies of the actinides are presented.
LQ-Schur projection on large sparse matrix equations

A new paradigm for the solution of non-symmetric large sparse systems of linear equations is proposed. The paradigm is based on an LQ factorization of the matrix of coefficients, i.e. factoring the matrix of coefficients into the product of a lower triangular matrix and an orthogonal matrix. We show how the system of linear equations can be decomposed into a collection of smaller independent problems that can then be used to construct an iterative method for a system of smaller dimensionality. We show that the conditioning of the reduced problem cannot be worse than that of the original, unlike Schur complement methods in the non-symmetric case. The paradigm depends on the existence of an ordering of the rows representing the equations into blocks of rows that are mutually structurally orthogonal, except for a last block row that is coupled to all other rows in a limited way. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diastereoselectivity in uncatalyzed intramolecular CH insertion by an alkylidene carbene

Abstract Uncatalysed intramolecular CH insertion by a transient alkylidene carbene derived from ketone 1 is reported to proceed with significant diastereoselectivity, providing cyclopentenes 2 and 3 in a ratio of 4.4: 1. An improved procedure has been developed for addition of the anion of trimethylsilyldiazomethane to a ketone to generate the alkylidene carbene.
A pilot study of differences in play behavior between children of low and middle socioeconomic status.

Although play is an important activity of childhood, it is often a neglected modality in occupational therapy. Poverty has been identified as a factor that adversely affects the play of children when a limited number of factors are studied. The purpose of this pilot study was to explore multiple play behaviors that may be related to socioeconomic status. The developmental play ages of 41 middle socioeconomic status preschool children (22 boys, 19 girls) and 43 low socioeconomic status preschool children (24 boys, 19 girls) were assessed with a modified version of the Preschool Play Scale (Bledsoe & Shepherd, 1982; Knox, 1974). Teachers rated the children's play behavior after a minimum of 2 months of interaction in their preschool classrooms. No significant differences between these two groups of children were found for developmental play age, play dimensions, or play categories. It was concluded that the exposure to positive experiences, such as peer interaction and preschool setting, may minimize the effects of poverty conditions on the play behavior of children. Language: en
ATP1A3 mutations in infants: a new rapid-onset dystonia-Parkinsonism phenotype characterized by motor delay and ataxia

We report new clinical features of delayed motor development, hypotonia, and ataxia in two young children with mutations (R756H and D923N) in the ATP1A3 gene. In adults, mutations in ATP1A3 cause rapid-onset dystonia-Parkinsonism (RDP, DYT12) with abrupt onset of fixed dystonia. The parents and children were examined and videotaped, and samples were collected for mutation analysis. Case 1 presented with fluctuating spells of hypotonia, dysphagia, mutism, dystonia, and ataxia at 9 months. After three episodes of hypotonia, she developed ataxia, inability to speak or swallow, and eventual seizures. Case 2 presented with hypotonia at 14 months and pre-existing motor delay. At age 4 years, he had episodic slurred speech, followed by ataxia, drooling, and dysarthria. He remains mute. Both children had ATP1A3 gene mutations. To our knowledge, these are the earliest presentations of RDP, both with fluctuating features. Both children were initially misdiagnosed. RDP should be considered in children with discoordinated gait, and speech and swallowing difficulties.
Previously Unrecognized Intrapericardial Hematoma Leading to Refractory Abdominal Ascites

Delayed traumatic pericardial syndromes are well recognized. We describe a case in which a patient presented 3 years after an initial trauma with manifestations of constrictive pericarditis. The etiology in this report is attributable to a large intrapericardial hematoma, which is rarely described. This article also illustrates the complimentary nature of magnetic imaging and Doppler echocardiography in the evaluation of pericardial disease.
Selenium levels in patients with colorectal cancer and colorectal adenomas

Purpose: Selenium is believed to serve as an antioxidant when incorporated into certain plasma selenoproteins. Antioxidants may act as chemopreventive agents, although this remains unproven. Selenium supplementation may lower the incidence of colorectal cancer, but it has not been shown that patients with colorectal cancer or colorectal adenomas are selenium deficient. The present study measured plasma selenium and two plasma selenoproteins, selenoprotein-P and glutathione peroxidase, in patients with colon cancer (C) and adenomatous colon polyps (A), to determine if these patients were selenium deficient compared to normal controls (N).
Nursing and public policy. What is the high ground

To be effective in public policy formation, nurses must establish standards of care and advocate changes in financing and healthcare organization for persons who are not well served. The author delineates four areas (out-of-hospital prenatal and postnatal care; care of chronically mentally ill adults and severely emotionally disturbed youths; care for the elderly, especially in nursing homes; and care of the disabled and the chronically and terminally ill) where nurses should be the authority for much of the care provided. The author concludes that evolving dissatisfaction with the healthcare system means that nurses have the opportunity to make major contributions to the organization of all parts of the system, as it is ultimately put together, if they do the research and advocacy that is needed.
Protein flexibility in docking and surface mapping.

Structure-based drug design has become an essential tool for rapid lead discovery and optimization. As available structural information has increased, researchers have become increasingly aware of the importance of protein flexibility for accurate description of the native state. Typical protein–ligand docking efforts still rely on a single rigid receptor, which is an incomplete representation of potential binding conformations of the protein. These rigid docking efforts typically show the best performance rates between 50 and 75%, while fully flexible docking methods can enhance pose prediction up to 80–95%. This review examines the current toolbox for flexible protein–ligand docking and receptor surface mapping. Present limitations and possibilities for future development are discussed.
Patterning and etching of amorphous teflon films

Amorphous Teflon®, deposited by spin-coating and thermal evaporation, has been studied as a low dielectric constant insulator for high performance interconnects. Since it is difficult to deposit a film on amorphous Teflon because of its inert chemical bonds, plasma etching and Zonyl FSN® fluorosurfactant are used to improve the adhesion of photoresist to amorphous Teflon. Plasma etching is shown to increase surface roughness and change chemical bonds of the amorphous Teflon, resulting in improved adhesion of metals and SiO2 to amorphous Teflon. While amorphous Teflon cannot be etched by wet chemicals, etching the films in Ar, O2, or CF4/O2 plasma is very effective.
The TEACL method of DNA-DNA hybridization: Technical considerations

This paper emanated from a conference concerning the value, accuracy, and technical considerations of DNA-DNA hybridization for evolutionary studies. Our laboratory has been performing the so-called TEACL (tetraethylammonium chloride) method, and we have amassed sufficient data to indicate that this method is very powerful if performed properly with correct analyses. Here we address five technical considerations: (1) We present empirical data that size correction for tracer length is legitimate and accurate. (2) We show that the error of ΔTm measurement does not significantly increase with increasing distance up to at least 10°C. (3) The error distribution for ΔTm does not deviate from the expected normal distribution indicating parametric statistics are probably legitimate for analyses. (4) Using a known phylogeny we examined the resolving power of the technique by showing that at least five taxa can be correctly placed in phylogenies with a maximum ΔTm of 2.5°C. (5) To data, all our data sets based on DNA-DNA hybridization are very robust with respect to analytical procedures in that every algorithm used on the data sets has yielded identical trees with nearly identical branch lengths. Nevertheless, we point out that theoretical analyses of distance data (as generated by DNA-DNA hybridization) are lacking, especially with regard to tests of the molecular clock hypothesis.
Experimental determination of the mass matrix using a constrained least squares solution

The method uses a sum of weighted acceleration signals to experimentally predict the external force which excites a mechanical system. The predicted force is compared with the measured force and a constrained least squares solution is found for the optimum set of weights for the acceleration measurements. The weights calculated are equivalent to the effective mass of the system at the measurement locations. The method is sensitive to the bandwidth of the excitation and the spatial distribution of the measurement locations. For this reason the weights are calculated as a function of bandwidth and an error measure is calculated at each bandwidth to help evaluate the optimum bandwidth for a particular set of measurements. The use of constraints is strongly recommended to achieve a set of physically realizable weights. Several examples are given to demonstrate the technique. The primary use of the technique to date has been to estimate the dynamic forces acting on non-rigid bodies.
Recursive least-squares doubly-selective MIMO channel estimation using exponential basis models

An adaptive MIMO channel estimation scheme, exploiting the oversampled complex exponential basis expansion model (CE-BEM), is presented for doubly-selective fading channels where we track the BEM coefficients. The time-varying nature of the channel is well captured by the CE-BEM while the time-variations of the (unknown) BEM coefficients are likely much slower than that of the channel. We apply the exponentially-weighted and sliding-window recursive least-squares (RLS) algorithms to track the BEM coefficients subblock-by-subblock, using time-multiplexed periodically transmitted training symbols. Simulation examples demonstrate its superior performance over the conventional block-wise channel estimator.
Stable continuous-time fixed-lag smoothers for stationary random processes

We present two infinite-dimensional dynamic representations of fixed-lag smoothers for continuous-time stationary random processes. The representations are stable and provide a natural framework for the study of this class of fixed-lag smoothers from both the theoretical and device technology viewpoints.
Modeling Cognitive Loads for Evolving Shared Mental Models in Human–Agent Collaboration

Recent research on human-centered teamwork highly demands the design of cognitive agents that can model and exploit human partners' cognitive load to enhance team performance. In this paper, we focus on teams composed of human-agent pairs and develop a system called Shared Mental Models for all - SMMall. SMMall implements a hidden Markov model (HMM)-based cognitive load model for an agent to predict its human partner's instantaneous cognitive load status. It also implements a user interface (UI) concept called shared belief map, which offers a synergic representation of team members' information space and allows them to share beliefs. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the HMM-based load models. The results indicate that the HMM-based load models are effective in helping team members develop a shared mental model (SMM), and the benefit of load-based information sharing becomes more significant as communication capacity increases. It also suggests that multiparty communication plays an important role in forming/evolving team SMMs, and when a group of agents can be partitioned into subteams, splitting messages by their load status can be more effective for developing subteam SMMs.
THE RELATION BETWEEN VISUAL ACUITY AND ILLUMINATION

1. An apparatus for measuring the visual acuity of the eye at different illuminations is described. The test object is continuously variable in size and is presented at a fixed distance from the eye in the center of a 30 degrees field. Observation of the field is through an artificial pupil. The maximum intensity obtainable is more than enough to cover the complete physiological range for the eye with white light though only 110 watts are consumed by the source. Means for varying the intensity over a range of 1:10(10) in small steps are provided. 2. The relation of visual acuity and illumination for two trained observers was measured, using two different types of test object, a broken circle and a grating. The measurements with both test objects show a break at a visual acuity of 0.16, all values below that being mediated by the rods and those above by the cones. The grating gives higher visual acuities at intensities less than about 30 photons and lower visual acuities above that. The maximum visual acuity attainable with the grating under the same conditions is about 30 per cent lower than that with the C. It is shown that the limiting factor in the resolution of the eye for the grating is the diameter of the pupil when it is less than 2.3 mm. and the size of the central cones when the pupil is larger than that. The value of the diameter of the cone derived on that basis from the visual acuity data agrees with that derived from direct cone count in a unit of area. 3. The data for the cones made with both test objects are adequately described by one and the same form of the stationary state equation derived by Hecht for the photoreceptor system. This fact, together with certain considerations about the difference in the nature of the two test objects with regard to the resolvable area, leads to the conclusion that detail perception is a function of a distance rather than an area. All the data for the rods can likewise be described by another variety of the same equation, although the data are too fragmentary to make the choice of the form as certain as might be desired.
Automated code generation tools for collaboration systems

In a collaboration system, information is sent from one collaborator to one or more other collaborators. Typically this information must be put in a standard format for transmitting through the collaboration framework. If a new type of information is to be sent, new intermediate data structures may need to be defined, new entries may be required in the system 's ontology/data dictionary, and new processing code needs to be written to convert the intermediate data structures into the framework's standard format. In a rapidly changing environment, the software development process is too slow to support timely sharing of information. This paper describes an approach to automating the process of developing new data structures, meta-data definitions, and translation software through automated tools.
Mario A. Luna, M.D. The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (January 21, 1935 to November 9, 2008)

On Sunday, November 9, 2008, Mario A. Luna, M.D. died in Houston, Texas at 73 years of age. With his passing the general and the head and neck pathology communities have lost a man whose enormous professional achievements were matched only by his humility, compassion, empathy and love of life and his family. Over the past 45 years Mario became a national and international leader in autopsy, infectious disease and head and neck tumor pathologies. He had also mentored, trained and taught several generations of young pathologists worldwide. Indeed, he was an ambassador of education for the institution he loved, M.D. Anderson.
A chimeric influenza virus expressing an epitope of outer membrane protein F of Pseudomonas aeruginosa affords protection against challenge with P. aeruginosa in a murine model of chronic pulmonary infection.

The ability of a chimeric influenza virus containing, within the antigenic B site of its hemagglutinin, an 11-amino-acid (AEGRAINRRVE) insert from the peptide 10 epitope of outer membrane (OM) protein F of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to serve as a protective vaccine against P. aeruginosa was tested by using the murine chronic pulmonary infection model. Mice immunized with the chimeric virus developed antibodies that reacted in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with peptide 10, with purified protein F, and with whole cells of various immunotype strains of P. aeruginosa but failed to react with a protein F-deficient strain of P. aeruginosa. The chimeric-virus antisera reacted specifically with protein F alone when immunoblotted against proteins extracted from cell envelopes of each of the seven Fisher-Devlin immunotype strains and had significantly greater in vitro opsonic activity for P. aeruginosa than did antisera from wild-type influenza virus-immunized mice. Subsequent to intratracheal challenge with agar-encased cells of P. aeruginosa, chimeric-virus-immunized mice developed significantly fewer severe lung lesions than did control mice immunized with the wild-type influenza virus. Furthermore, the chimeric influenza virus-immunized group had a significantly smaller percentage of mice with >5 × 103 CFU of P. aeruginosa in their lungs upon bacterial quantitation than did the control group. These data indicate that chimeric influenza viruses expressing epitopes of OM protein F warrant continued development as vaccines to prevent pulmonary infections caused by P. aeruginosa.
Parkinson's Disease Risks Associated with Cigarette Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, and Caffeine Intake

A reduced risk for Parkinson's disease (PD) among cigarette smokers has been observed consistently during the past 30 years. Recent evidence suggests that caffeine may also be protective. Findings are presented regarding associations of PD with smoking, caffeine intake, and alcohol consumption from a case-control study conducted in western Washington State in 1992-2000. Incident PD cases (n = 210) and controls (n = 347), frequency matched on gender and age were identified from enrollees of the Group Health Cooperative health maintenance organization. Exposure data were obtained by in-person questionnaires. Ever having smoked cigarettes was associated with a reduced risk of PD (odds ratio (OR) = 0.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.4, 0.8). A stronger relation was found among current smokers (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1, 0.7) than among ex-smokers (OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4, 0.9), and there was an inverse gradient with pack-years smoked (trend p < 0.001). No associations were detected for coffee consumption or total caffeine intake or for alcohol consumption. However, reduced risks were observed for consumption of 2 cups/day or more of tea (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.9) and two or more cola drinks/day (OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.3, 1.4). The associations for tea and cola drinks were not confounded by smoking or coffee consumption.
The potential binocular field and its tectal representation in rana pipiens

We have studied binocularity in Rana pipiens using optical, behavioral, and electrophysiological assays. The first two assays yielded a consistent picture of the size and shape of the area of uniocular visual field overlap, the potential binocular field. Potential binocular field has an extent of about 90 degrees on the horizontal in front of the frog, narrows to about 60 degrees above the frog's head, and continues to a point well behind the frog. This differs somewhat from a previous report (Fite, '73). Uniocular visual field extent on the horizontal is in excess of 225 degrees, permitting both a large binocular field and panoramic vision. The electrophysiological assay confirms the large uniocular visual field extent. It further shows that physiological binocularity closely reflects uniocular visual field overlap, in the sense that tectal loci representing positions in the potential binocular field, including those behind the frog's head, display convergent inputs from the two eyes.
Teleseismic P-Wave Tomogram of the Yellowstone Plume

[1] Inversion of a new data set of teleseismic P-wave travel-times from three PASSCAL seismic deployments around the Yellowstone hotspot reveals a 100 km diameter upper mantle plume that extends from the Yellowstone volcanic caldera to 500 km depth and dips 20° to the northwest. A monotonic decrease in the velocity perturbation of the plume from −3.2% at 100 km to −0.9% at 450 km is consistent with a uniform thermal anomaly of 180°C. Where the plume crosses the 410 km discontinuity, previous research shows a depression in the 410 km discontinuity consistent with a warm plume (Fee and Dueker, 2004). Additionally, a region of high velocities extends to 250 km beneath the Wind River basin in NW Wyoming that may represent a convective downwelling of the lithosphere.
Special focus session: multidetector CT: abdominal visceral imaging.

Multidetector computed tomography (CT) has diffused rapidly into clinical imaging practice in a short time. Major improvements in relation to single-detector CT are faster image acquisition and improved z-axis resolution. Abdominal visceral imaging with multidetector CT uses both the vascular and parenchymal phases of contrast material enhancement to provide a combined angiographic and multipass organ-directed study. All examinations are performed with standard contrast material loads.
Single gene disorders of the aortic wall

Genetic diseases that affect the vasculature primarily affect the aortic root and ascending aorta. These conditions lead to aortic root dilatation, which, if not treated, will result in dissection and death. Often, aortic disease is just one manifestation of a syndrome with diverse findings. Some of these diseases were described over 100 years ago based on physical manifestations, and their causative genes are among the first described Mendelian causes of cardiovascular disease. Within the pediatric and young adult population, there are over 15 causes of ascending aortic disease. Previously, these diverse diseases, along with their histopathology, have been extensively characterized. Most genetic causes of root aneurysm are extremely rare. Amongst these, five diseases are relatively common with known genetic mutations for which pathologists should be familiar. These are Marfan syndrome, vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome, Turner syndrome, and familial thoracic aneurysm and dissection. This review will focus on these important causes of genetic aortic disease. The aim is to briefly describe the historical record and physical manifestations and then focus on cardiovascular complications, the causative genes, and current research into these entities.
A virtual end-effector pointing system in point-and-direct robotics for inspection of surface flaws using a neural network based skeleton transform

The development of a system for interweaving virtual reality tools with live video scenes to direct robots using video graphic gestures is described. This virtual point-and-direct (V-PAD) concept is applied to workpiece inspection. a normalized coding method is employed for surface flaw identification using a neural network based skeleton transform. The method is scale, location, and orientation invariant so that robotic placement of workpieces for inspection requires no exact precision from special fixturing. >
Impact of hygrothermal aging on structure/function relationship of perfluorosulfonic‐acid membrane

Author(s): Shi, S; Dursch, TJ; Blake, C; Mukundan, R; Borup, RL; Weber, AZ; Kusoglu, A | Abstract: Perfluorosulfonic-acid (PFSA) membranes are widely used as the solid electrolyte in electrochemical devices where their main functionalities are ion (proton) conduction and gas separation in a thermomechanically stable matrix. Due to prolonged operational requirements in these devices, PFSA membranes' properties change with time due to hygrothermal aging. This paper studies the evolution of PFSA structure/property relationship changes during hygrothermal aging, including chemical changes leading to changes in ion-exchange capacity (IEC), nanostructure, water-uptake behavior, conductivity, and mechanical properties. Our findings demonstrate that with hygrothermal aging, the storage modulus increases, while IEC and water content decrease, consistent with the changes in nanostructure, that is, water- and crystalline-domain spacings inferred from small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) experiments. In addition, the impact of aging is found to depend on the membrane's thermal prehistory and post-treatments, although universal correlations exist between nanostructural changes and water uptake. The findings have impact on understanding lifetime, durability, and use of these and related polymers in various technologies.
Longitudinal impact of piezoelectric media

We consider the elastodynamic impact problem involving a one-dimensional finite-thickness piezoelectric flyer traveling at initial velocity $$V_0$$ that collides with (and adheres to) a stationary piezoelectric target of finite thickness backed by a semi-infinite non-piezoelectric elastic half-space. We derive expressions for the stress, velocity, and electric displacement in the target at all times after impact. A combined d’Alembert and Laplace transform method is used to derive new numerically based solutions for this class of transient wave propagation problems. A modified Dubner–Abate–Crump (DAC) algorithm is used to invert the analytical Laplace transform domain solutions to the time domain. Unlike many authors who neglect electromechanical coupling in the initially unstressed region ahead of the shock, we consider this effect, which gives rise to the development of a tensile stress wave within the piezoelectric target ahead of the shock. To solve the problem, we derive a new piezoelectric impact boundary condition and apply it to the problem of a finite quartz (Si $$\text {O}_2$$ ) flyer impacting a lead zirconate titanate (PZT-4) target and find that the solutions obtained using the modified DAC algorithm compare well with those obtained using both a finite-difference time-domain method, and the commercial finite element code, COMSOL multiphysics.
A new perspective on the hydroclimate variability in northern South America during the Little Ice Age

[1] An absolute dated speleothem oxygen isotope (δ 18 O) record from northeastern Peru documents monsoon precipitation variability over northern South America during the past that 1000 years and indicates the annual precipitation in the 15th through the 18th centuries, the so-called Little Ice Age (LIA), was on average ∼10% higher than during the 20th century. Over the 20th century recurrent modes of seasonal rainfall variability across northern South America were associated with discrete sea surface temperature anomaly patterns within the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Calling upon these SST-rainfall teleconnectivity patterns, and paleo-SST reconstructions that span the past 8 centuries, higher annual rainfall across northern South America during the LIA is attributed to cooler boreal spring SSTs in the tropical North Atlantic. Weaker co-variance between north Atlantic SSTs and the South American Monsoon System (SAMS) rainfall during the 20th century suggests that ENSO has become a more dominant influence than it was during the LIA.
Real-time constant memory visual summaries for surveillance

In surveillance applications there may be multiple time scales at which it is important to monitor a scene. This work develops on-line, real-time algorithms that maintain background models simultaneously at many time scales. This creates a novel temporal de-composition of video sequence which can be used as a visualization tool for a human operator or an adaptive background model for classical anomaly detection and tracking algorithms. This paper solves the design problem for choosing appropriate time scales for the decomposition and derives the equations to approximately reconstruct the original video given only the temporal decompo-sition. We present two applications that highlight the potential of video processing; first a visualization tool that summarizes recent video behavior for a human operator in a single image, and second a pre-processing tool to detect "left bags" in the challenging PETS 2006 dataset which includes many occlusions of the left bag by pedestrians.
Academic advancement of women in medicine: do socialized gender differences have a role in mentoring?

During the past 30 years, women have entered academic medicine in increasingly larger numbers. However, fewer women than men have succeeded in advancing in academic rank.' Despite numerous studies and reports documenting this failure,^"" progress in correcting this problem has been slower than that predicted by even conservative estimates.^ In 1985, 10% of female medical school faculty held the rank of full professor.^ In 2006, 12% of female faculty were full professors.' It has taken more than 20 years for the proportion of female faculty who are full professors to increase 2 percentage points. Among male faculty, 30% have consistently held the rank of full professor over the same 20 years .^ The limited advancement of women in the upper echelons of medicine is not substantially different from that of women in other areas of science, mathematics, and business.'' Our engineering and business colleagues have described similar issues as they search for greater gender equality in their upper ranks.'-* Of female engineering faculty in the United States, 1% are full professors.* In business, the Harvard Business Review has reported that women comprise less than 6% of the uppermost ranks (ie, presidents, executive vice-presidents, chief executive officers, and chief operating officers) of Fortune 500 companies.'" Three years ago, then-Harvard University president Lawrence Summers questioned whether "innate" differences accounted for women's inability to advance in math and science. These statements were made in the context of a discussion about the difficulty of recruiting and retaining women leaders in these fields." Despite being unsubstantiated and negative, such speculation recognizes that the paucity of female faculty with full professorship is not unique to medicine. Within academic medicine, the demands of clinical practice, family obligations, and lack of mentoring have all been identified as factors that have a detrimental effect on