cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does transrenal fixation of aortic endografts impair renal function

Abstract Objectives Transrenal fixation (TFX) of aortic endografts is thought to increase the risk for renal infarction and impaired renal function. We studied the late effects of TFX on renal function and perfusion. Methods Of 189 patients with commercial aortic endografts, which we inserted between 1995 and 2002, we reviewed data for 130 patients (112 men, 18 women) with available creatinine (Cr) concentration and contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans preoperatively and 1 to 97 months after the procedure. Of the 130 patients, 69 patients had TFX and 61 patients had infrarenal fixation (IFX). Both groups were physiologically comparable. Average age was 76 ± 8 years for patients with TFX and 75 ± 8 years for patients with IFX. Presence of renal infarct or renal artery occlusion was determined by nephrograms on serial contrast-enhanced CT scans. Results Mean follow-up was 17 ± 16 months (range, 1-54 months) for TFX and 21 ± 21 months (range, 1-97 months) for IFX. Mean serum Cr concentration increased significantly during long-term follow-up in both groups (TFX, 1.3 ± 0.5 mg/dL to 1.5 ± 0.8 mg/dL, P P 2 to 47.9 ± 16.2 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , P 2 to 53.1 ± 23.4 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , P P = .19) or decrease in CrCl ( P = .68) between TFX and IFX groups. Small renal infarcts were noted in four patients (5.8%) in the TFX group and one patient (1.6%) in the IFX group. No increase in Cr concentration or decrease in CrCl was noted in any patient with a renal infarct. Postoperative renal dysfunction developed in 7 of 69 patients (10.1%) in the TFX group and 7 of 61 patients (11.5%) in the IFX group. There were no statistically significant differences between groups with respect to number of patients with new renal infarcts ( P = .37) or postoperative renal dysfunction ( P = .81). Conclusion There is a slight increase in serum Cr concentration and decrease in CrCl after aortic endografting. However, there was no significant difference in these changes between patients with TFX and IFX. Although TFX may produce a higher incidence of small renal infarcts, these do not impair renal function. Thus our midterm results suggest that TFX can be performed safely, with no greater change in renal function than observed after IFX.
Rehabilitation of Aging Water Infrastructure Systems: Key Challenges and Issues

AbstractPresented in this paper are the results of a state-of-the-practice survey on the rehabilitation of water distribution and wastewater collection systems. The survey identified several needs, including the need for rational and common design approaches for rehabilitation systems, quality assurance/quality control procedures and acceptance testing during installation of rehabilitation systems, and decision support tools for choosing rehabilitation/rehabilitation systems versus replacement. Discussed are separate issues for water and wastewater systems in terms of drivers for increased rehabilitation efforts and problems typically encountered. Also examined are the major technologies currently in use and the major issues and key challenges faced in terms of speeding rehabilitation efforts and documenting/improving the performance of the technologies used.
Hardware laboratories for power electronics and motor drives distance learning courses

This paper describes the new Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based power electronics and drives laboratories used for graduate teaching and research at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). Since the hardware is controllable through an FPGA based controller via a personal computer (PC), the laboratory experimental set up can be accessed by students located outside NPS through the internet. These new remotely controlled, real time, power laboratories are among the first experiments of this kind in the United States and they have been greeted by the power-track students with enthusiasm.
Implementing online store for national brand competing against private label

Abstract We propose a game-theoretic model in three contexts. First, only the national brand (NB) is offered through a traditional retailer. Second, the private label (PL) is introduced by the traditional retailer. Finally, the NB's manufacturer opens an online store. We reassess the benefit of introducing the PL and investigate the profitability of implementing an online store. We found that the retailer is not always enjoying the PL's introduction. Also, the manufacturer could benefit from that strategy. The quality differential between the NB and the PL, the PL's potential and the cross-price competitions are all important factors to determine the result of PL's introduction. Hence, the manufacturer opens the online store either to counter the threat of such strategy or to expand his market.
Integrated Fractional white Noise as an Alternative to Multifractional Brownian Motion

Multifractional Brownian motion is a Gaussian process which has changing scaling properties generated by varying the local Holder exponent. We show that multifractional Brownian motion is very sensitive to changes in the selected Holder exponent and has extreme changes in magnitude. We suggest an alternative stochastic process, called integrated fractional white noise, which retains the important local properties but avoids the undesirable oscillations in magnitude. We also show how the Holder exponent can be estimated locally from discrete data in this model.
A Direct Adaptive Poisson Solver of Arbitrary Order Accuracy

We present a direct, adaptive solver for the Poisson equation which can achieve any prescribed order of accuracy. It is based on a domain decomposition approach using local spectral approximation, as well as potential theory and the fast multipole method. In two space dimensions, the algorithm requiresO(NK) work, whereNis the number of discretization points andKis the desired order of accuracy.
The Role of Cystoscopy in the Diagnosis of Hunner's Ulcer Disease

Purpose: Interstitial cystitis can be classified into Hunner's ulcer and nonulcer disease, which are easily distinguished by cystoscopic examination. Although therapeutic options may differ between these 2 groups, the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis is currently established by many clinicians in the absence of cystoscopy. We determined whether clinical parameters alone without cystoscopic evaluation could reliably distinguish the patient with Hunner's ulcer vs nonHunner's ulcer disease.Materials and Methods: Data were collected on 184 women and 39 men who met National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases criteria for interstitial cystitis and who were evaluated at our institution between 1990 and 2005. A total of 86 patients with Hunner's ulcer were consecutively identified. Of patients with nonHunner's ulcer disease seen during that period a cohort of 137 who were consecutively identified were selected as a comparison group. Clinical data on each patient were collected. The groups were...
Lack of synergism and cross tolerance between tactile stimulus- and LSD-induced limb flicking in the cat

The hypotheses that LSD-induced limb flicking, as well as tolerance to this behavioral effect following repeated drug administration, are due to alterations in somatosensory thresholds were tested by examining the rate of limb flicking to LSD alone, saline plus water on the limbs, or LSD plus water on the limbs, and by comparing the limb flick rate with water on the limbs in drug tolerant versus non-tolerant conditions. Cats exhibited the same rate of limb flicking in response to water on the limbs regardless of whether they were pretreated with saline of LSD. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the tactile stimulus-induced rate of limb flicking in the tolerant versus non-tolerant states. These data suggest that LSD-induced limb flicking is not simply a function of drug-induced altered somatosensory thresholds, but is apparently reflective of more complex neural processes.
Evidence for a sexual dimorphism in gene expression noise in metazoan species

Many biological processes depend on very few copies of intervening elements, which makes such processes particularly susceptible to the stochastic fluctuations of these elements. The intrinsic stochasticity of certain processes is propagated across biological levels, causing genotype- and environment-independent biological variation which might permit populations to better cope with variable environments. Biological variations of stochastic nature might also allow the accumulation of variations at the genetic level that are hidden from natural selection, which might have a great potential for population diversification. The study of any mechanism that resulted in the modulation of stochastic variation is, therefore, of potentially wide interest. I propose that sex might be an important modulator of the stochastic variation in gene expression, i.e., gene expression noise. Based on known associations between different patterns of gene expression variation, I hypothesize that in metazoans the gene expression noise might be generally larger in heterogametic than in homogametic individuals. I directly tested this hypothesis by comparing putative genotype- and environment-independent variations in gene expression between females and males of Drosophila melanogaster strains. Also, considering the potential effect of the propagation of gene expression noise across biological levels, I indirectly tested the existence of a metazoan sexual dimorphism in gene expression noise by analyzing putative genotype- and environment-independent variation in phenotypes related to interaction with the environment in D. melanogaster strains and metazoan species. The results of these analyses are consistent with the hypothesis that gene expression is generally noisier in heterogametic than in homogametic individuals. Further analyses and discussion of existing literature permits the speculation that the sexual dimorphism in gene expression noise is ultimately based on the nuclear dynamics in gametogenesis and very early embryogenesis of sex-specific chromosomes, i.e., Y and W chromosomes.
The effect of dynamic synapses on spatiotemporal receptive fields in visual cortex

Temporal dynamics are a general feature of synaptic transmission. Recently, novel aspects of temporal dynamics of synaptic transmission have been reported in the neocortex. Here, we examine the possible effects of these dynamics on the spatiotemporal receptive fields of simple cells in V1. We do this by examining a simple model of a cortical neuron that displays stimulus orientation selectivity as a consequence of the pattern of thalamocortical synaptic weights. In our model, the receptive field structure is encoded functionally in either presynaptic probability of release or postsynaptic efficacy. We show that these different assumptions about the origin of receptive field structure lead to very different spatiotemporal dynamics in the case of flashed-bar stimulus. In addition, the results of the reverse correlation study suggest a possible test for differentiating between models. We also show that the temporal code induced by dynamic synapses can be used to distinguish between different inputs that induce the same average firing rate.
Solitary metastasis of occult prostatic carcinoma simulating osteogenic sarcoma.

In the eighth decade of life cancer of the prostate is the leading cause of cancer death in men.16 In over 70% of autopsied cases, metastases have involved soft tissues and bones, in particular the pelvis, sacrum and lower vertebral column.4 The roentgenographic appearance is purely osteoblastic in over 78% of the cases8 and by its multiplicity, location and clinical background usually poses no diagnostic problem. Occasionally, a solitary metastasis in an unusual bone site is the sole manifestation of prostatic carcinoma and precedes the urologic symptoms by as much as two years.14 Exceptionally, a remotely located solitary metastasis of a clinically occult prostatic cancer may mimic a primary osteogenic sarcoma by the radiological appearance of sunburst calcification, as was the case in the present report.
Sciurid phylogeny and the paraphyly of Holarctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus).

Abstract The squirrel family, Sciuridae, is one of the largest and most widely dispersed families of mammals. In spite of the wide distribution and conspicuousness of this group, phylogenetic relationships remain poorly understood. We used DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of 114 species in 21 genera to infer phylogenetic relationships among sciurids based on maximum parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic methods. Although we evaluated more complex alternative models of nucleotide substitution to reconstruct Bayesian phylogenies, none provided a better fit to the data than the GTR + G + I model. We used the reconstructed phylogenies to evaluate the current taxonomy of the Sciuridae. At essentially all levels of relationships, we found the phylogeny of squirrels to be in substantial conflict with the current taxonomy. At the highest level, the flying squirrels do not represent a basal divergence, and the current division of Sciuridae into two subfamilies is therefore not phylogenetically informative. At the tribal level, the Neotropical pygmy squirrel, Sciurillus, represents a basal divergence and is not closely related to the other members of the tribe Sciurini. At the genus level, the sciurine genus Sciurus is paraphyletic with respect to the dwarf squirrels (Microsciurus), and the Holarctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus) are paraphyletic with respect to antelope squirrels (Ammospermophilus), prairie dogs (Cynomys), and marmots (Marmota). Finally, several species of chipmunks and Holarctic ground squirrels do not appear monophyletic, indicating a need for reevaluation of alpha taxonomy.
Large or small bore, push or pull: a comparison of three classes of percutaneous fluoroscopic gastrostomy catheters.

Purpose To compare the tube performance and complication rates of small-bore, large-bore push-type, and large-bore pull-type gastrostomy catheters. Materials and Methods A total of 160 patients (74 men, 86 women; mean age, 66.9 years, range, 22–95 y) underwent percutaneous fluoroscopic gastrostomy placement between January 2004 and March 2006. Choice of catheter was based on the preference of the attending radiologist. Data were collected retrospectively with institutional review board approval. Radiology reports provided information on the catheter, indication for gastrostomy, technical success, and immediate outcome. Chart review provided data on medical history, postprocedural complications, progress to feeding goal, and clinical outcomes. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the three classes of gastrostomy catheters. Results All 160 catheters were placed successfully. Patients who received small-bore catheters (14 F; n = 88) had significantly more tube complications (17% vs 5.6%) and were less likely to meet their feeding goal ( P = .035) compared with patients with large-bore catheters (20 F; n = 72). No difference was observed in terms of major or minor complications. Large-bore push-type ( n = 14) and pull-type catheters ( n = 58) were similar in terms of complication rates. Patients who received large-bore push-type catheters achieved their feeding goals in significantly less time than those with large-bore pull-type catheters (average, 3.8 days vs 6.0 days; P = .04). Conclusions Patients who received small-bore gastrostomy catheters are significantly more prone to tube dysfunction. Large-bore catheters should be preferentially used, with push-type catheters performing better with regard to the time to achieve feeding goal.
Histological and histochemical studies on the paraoesophageal glands in cercariae and metacercariae of Echinostoma revolutum and E. trivolvis

Histological and histochemical studies were made on the excysted metacercariae and cercariae of Echinostoma revolutum and E. trivolvis. The paraoesophageal glands of the cercariae of both echinostome species stained positively with the intravital dyes, neutral red and nile blue sulphate. The paraoesophageal glands of excysted metacercariae of E. revolutum did not display positive staining with the intravital dyes. Some excysted metacercariae of E. trivolvis displayed positive staining of the paraoesophageal glands, while others displayed either a negative reaction or reduced staining. The lack of staining with intravital dyes, of paraoesophageal glands of excysted metacercariae of E. revolutum, suggests that the glands play a role in either the final stages of encystment, or in excystation in E. revolutum.
Experiment-based thermal model for permeable clothing systems under hot air jet impingement conditions

Abstract An experiment-based, two-medium thermal model was developed to evaluate the thermal response and protective performance of permeable clothing systems under hot air jet impingement conditions. The clothing systems consisted of single- or double permeable fabric(s) and air volume between the fabrics and an enclosure wall (solid surface with an embedded heat sink of constant-temperature) to mimic human skin. Two types of permeable fabrics were considered for this study: (i) NOMEX IIIA as a thermal protective fabric and (ii) Cotton/Spandex as a commodity fabric. The predicted results from the model were well compared with the experimental results from a previous work. A parametric study was conducted using various jet impingement conditions and design variables of the protective clothing such as the number of fabric layers, air leakage rate, air gap thickness, and fabric type. It was concluded from the parametric study that the permeable clothing with multiple layers of fabric, less air leakage, and thicker air gap had better thermal protective performance under hot air jet impingement conditions.
Tutorials in clinical research: part III. Selecting a research approach to best answer a clinical question.

Objective This is the third in a series of sequential “Tutorials in Clinical Research.”1,2 The objectives of this specific report are to enable the reader to rapidly dissect a clinical question or article to efficiently determine what critical mass of information is required to answer the question and what study design is likely to produce the answer. Study Design Tutorial. Methods The authors met weekly for 3 months exploring clinical problems and systematically recording the logic and procedural pathways from multiple clinical questions to the selection of proper research approaches. The basic elements required to understand the processes of selection were catalogued and field tested, and a report was produced to define and explain these elements. Results Fundamental to a research approach is the assembly of subjects and the allocation of exposures. An algorithm leading to the selection of an approach is presented. The report is organized into three parts. The tables serve as a rapid reference section. The initial two-part narrative explains the process of approach selection. The examples section illustrates the application of the selection algorithm. Conclusions Selecting the proper research approach has six steps: the question, logic and ethics, identification of variables, data display considerations, original data source considerations, and selection of prototypical approaches for assembly of subjects. Field tests of this approach consistently demonstrated its utility.
Low prior + frightening implications = inflammatory epidemiology?

Abstract:It is often difficult for the media and the public to appreciate the role of flawed but contributory epidemiologic research. A study of cell phone use and children’s behavior problems (published in this issue) illustrates the ingredients of “inflammatory epidemiology”—there is a common expo
Dyspnea and chest pain in a 14-year-old boy

A 14-year-old boy presented with a two-month history of dyspnea and chest pain. He also exhibited right upper quadrant tenderness, cough, and a 26 lb weight loss. On review of systems, the patient had nocturnal dyspnea and two to three pillow orthopnea. On physical exam, the patient’s lips were cyanotic and he had pallor. Examination of the heart revealed a split S2 with a systolic click. The EKG showed signs of left atria1 enlargement.
Exploring Chronic Pain in Youths with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Model for Pediatric Neuromuscular Disease

Chronic pain in children is drawing increasing attention from families, clinicians, and researchers. Its prevalence is conservatively estimated at 15% to 20% of the pediatric population [1]. There remains, however, a paucity of published research on chronic pain in children with neuromuscular disease (NMD) [2]. Neuromuscular disorders constitute a diverse spectrum of conditions that anatomically span the nerve (motor, sensory, or autonomic) and its supporting structures, the neuromuscular junction, and muscledskeletal, smooth, and cardiac. Encompassed are a wide variety of clinical entities including anterior horn cell disorders, neuropathies, neuromuscular junction disorders, and myopathies and muscular dystrophies. Our understanding of chronic pain in this group of disorders is strikingly limited. Gaps in our knowledge include the nature and scope of the associated pain (its frequency, intensity, and quality); areas of the body most affected; the impact of pain on function and quality of life; and pain treatments and their effectiveness. In order to explore the complexities of chronic pain in children with NMD, we will use Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), the most common NMD of childhood, as an informative model [3]. The inherent
Philopatry and nest founding in a primitively social bee, Halictus rubicundus.

Observations of inter- and intraseasonal dispersal patterns in the primitively social sweat bee Halictus rubicundus in New York reveal considerable philopatry in both sexes. Females overwinter away from the nest aggregation, in diapause for 8–11 months, and return to dig new nests close to the site of their natal nests (typically within 50 cm). Nests are all founded by siggle females (haplometrosis). Clumping of nests may reflect patterns of soil vegetation. Workers rarely enter or take up residence in non-natal nests. Males commonly return to both natal and non-natal nests, and actively patrol vegetation near the natal aggregation for females. These philopatric tendencies, in combination with the haplometrotic mode of nest founding, should have important effects on population structure, particularly in terms of population subdivision, mate choice, and intracolony interactions. The resulting population structure may be conducive to the evolution and maintenance of social behavior.
Hysteretic Evidence for Finite Ordered Domains in Continuous Verwey Transformations

Low temperature x-ray diffraction experiments on Fe3(1-δ)O4 single crystals (δ = 0.0045) with a modified precession camera reveal diffraction patterns indexable with the same base centered monoclinic unit cell of stoichiometric Fe3O4. The intensity at (8 0 12), representative of the characteristic doubling of the spinel unit cell associated with Verwey ordering, increases gradually below a transformation temperature (TvII = 99 K) consistently with the continuous character observed for δ > δc = 0.0039, in marked contrast with the discontinuous appearance of half-integer Bragg reflections below the first-order transition (TIV = 122 K) for δ = 0. Thermal hysteresis is observed in the satellite intensity beyond the percolation limit (δc), which correlates with similar behavior in electrical resistivity and provides evidence for the existence of finite ordered domains.
Edge-Flames in Homogeneous Mixtures

We examine a premixed flame located in a plane counterflow of fresh cold mixture and hot inert. The temperature of the inert is significantly less than the adiabatic flame temperature, so that the flame response to strain-rate variations is multivalued for a finite interval of strain rates. In this interval there are two stable one-dimensional solutions, one characterized by vigorous combustion, the other by weak combustion. Numerical solutions are constructed that describe an unsteady two-dimensional evolution between the two solutions in the direction normal to the straining-flow plane. Following an initial transient, this evolution consists of a wave of permanent form, traveling at constant speed in the out-of-plane direction. This wave is an edge-flame whose speed is positive or negative, depending on the value of the strain rate. The role of edge-flames in the failure of upward rising methane/air flames in sublimit mixtures is briefly discussed.
Automating Acquisitions: A Perspective from the Inside

The research, analysis, and documentation processes requisite to the design of an inhouse acquisitions system are reviewed. The initial concept document detailed system goals, institutional objectives and environment, acquisitions functions and system requirements. A subsequent specifications document detailed work flow, data elements, and related requirements. Documentation for the system was prepared, based on the concept and specifications documents. Figures detail the characteristics of acquisitions data elements and the logic path of an automatic vendor selection routine.
Regulation of cellular homeostasis by galectins.

Members of the galectin family are presently known to participate in cellular homeostasis by modulating cell growth, controlling cell cycle progression, and inducing or inhibiting apoptosis. Both intracellular and extracellular activities of galectins have been described, with the former typically independent of lectin activity, and the latter mediated by lectin activity. Galectin-1 and -3 are recognized as activators and inducers of cell stasis in extracellular capacities. Galectin-1, -7, -8, -9 and -12 are characterized as promoters or inducers of apoptosis, while galectin-3 is demonstrated as an inhibitor of apoptosis intracellularly. Localization studies of galectins have established that these proteins can segregate into multiple intracellular compartments, and the preference for segregation is dependent on the status of the cell. Localization would, therefore, likely correspond to compartmental function. While galectin-1 and -3 have been the most abundantly expressed and extensively studied, and therefore, the members best understood, expanding interest in galectins has resulted in description of new members that display more restricted expression patterns, suggesting more specific activity. Nevertheless, as demonstrated for many members, it appears that a major feature of the galectin family is the homeostatic regulation of cells. Published in 2004.
+Gz Acceleration Loss of Consciousness: Use of G-suit Pressurization and Sensory Stimulation to Enhance Recovery:

Gravity-induced loss of consciousness (GLOC) is the second largest human factors problem facing fighter pilots today. Whinnery, Burton, Boll, and Eddy, (1987) found that the GLOC event consists of ...
The Persianization of Itihasa: Performance Narratives and Mughal Political Culture in Eighteenth-Century Bengal

This paper explores the nature and understandings of history, or itihasa/Purana, in eighteenth-century India using two Mangalkabya narratives. These materials belong to a large genre of performance narratives, usually devoted to eulogizing various deities, that were produced in Bengal for several centuries. The paper illustrates how a “traditional” genre such as the Mangalkabya was effectively used to articulate contingent political and cultural preoccupations. The narratives studied here show that the historical experiences and contexts mirrored in them were derived from Mughal rule over Bengal and large parts of India during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The paper seeks to historicize and contextualize the shifts noticeable in these narratives and to engage with the notion that premodern, precolonial India lacked a sense of history molded by contemporary material and cultural imperatives.
Avoiding BDF stability barriers in the MOL solution of advection-dominated problems

Weakly damped oscillatory modes in ODE systems, such as are generated from advection-dominated PDE problems, frequently cause difficulty for BDF integrators, because of their absolute stability regions at high orders. We describe a procedure to detect the stability limit responsible for the difficulty. From it, we form a detection algorithm, which we have added to the order selection logic in an experimental version of the ODE solver VODE. Tests on an advection-diffusion problem demonstrate the effectiveness of this algorithm in lowering order to avoid the stability limit.
Genetic aspects of lactation curves.

Parameters of lactation curves were defined by a gamma-type function for 113,705 lactations from the California Dairy Herd Improvement Association. Heritabilities and genetic correlations were estimated from a mixed-model analysis of paternal half sisters for first, second, third, and later lactations. Daily milk production on day 6 postpartum was estimated from production at first test-day to reduce the percentage of atypical lactations to less than 1% instead of an expectation of 30% without estimating production for day 6. The natural logarithm of the gamma-type function was ln(yt) = ln(a) + b ln(t) - ct, where yt was daily milk production in the tth week and ln(a), b, and c were coefficients. Persistency (c-(b+1)), week of peak yield (b/c), peak yield (a(b/c)be-b), and coefficient of determination were estimated from coefficients for each lactation. Heritabilities in first lactation were: ln(a) . 10 +/- .01, b .06 +/- .01, c .14 +/- .02, persistency .02 +/- .01, week of peak yield .02 +/- .01, peak yield .23 +/- .02, and determination .03 +/- .01. Heritabilities for later lactations were similar. Cows in first lactation had lower ln(a), lower peak yield, lower c, greater persistency, and took longer to reach peak yield than did cows in later lactations. Genetic and phenotypic correlations indicated that selection for increased peak yield would be associated with increased ln(a), b, and c without changing persistency or week of peak yield.
Effects of competition on phylogenetic signal and phenotypic plasticity in plant functional traits

Recent studies of communities have examined phylogenetic signal in species' functional traits to infer drivers of community assembly. Phenotypic variation in traits, arising from ''constitutive'' genetically based variation and from environmental influences on gene expression, or phenotypic plasticity, could affect inferences about community assembly. We found significant trait plasticity in 12 focal species across four species-interaction treatments grown in four soil environments. Phylogenetic signal in traits was present, but was also dependent on species-interactor treatment, suggesting that phenotypic plasticity and plant neighborhood could affect the ability to detect and interpret community phylogenetic patterns of trait variation. Individuals competing with conspecifics expressed significant divergence in specific leaf area (SLA) relative to when they were grown alone. Combined with the observation that competition is stronger between close relatives than between distant relatives in some soils, these results suggest that trait plasticity may be an adaptive response to competition. To test this hypothesis, we examined total biomass in a pot, relative to the predicted biomass of two individuals grown alone, and related pot biomass to phylogenetic distance of the interactor treatment, as well as to divergence in SLA and root : shoot ratio. Within competition treatments, only plastic divergence in root : shoot ratio in one interactor treatment was correlated with increased productivity, and only in one soil type. We also tested whether, across all treatments, divergence in SLA or root : shoot ratio increased pot productivity. We found that ''community'' productivity was positively influenced both by phylogenetic distance to competitor, as well as by divergence in root : shoot ratio due to both plasticity and constitutive differences. Phenotypic plasticity resulting in trait divergence may increase the ability of plants to coexist and may also decrease phylogenetic signal in community assembly at small spatial scales.
The role of elective lymph node dissection in malignant melanoma: who should undergo this nodal staging procedure?

The issue of elective lymph node dissection (ELND) is probably one of the most important controversies in the management of patients with melanoma. The debate is perhaps coming to a close because the results of the Intergroup Melanoma Surgical Trial have shown significant improvement in subgroups of patients based on age and melanoma thickness. In addition, increasing applicability of intraoperative lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in the surgical treatment of the patient with melanoma provides a more conservative approach to the regional basin. Historically, three randomized prospective studies did not demonstrate any survival advantage for ELND but three nonrandomized studies involving melanomas from all anatomic sites showed a statistically significant improvement in survival for the subgroup of patients with intermediate thickness melanomas. Although there is unanimous opinion that all melanoma patients do not need ELND, there is still a continuing debate that centers around two issues: (1) Is it possible to identify accurately a subgroup of melanoma patients at high risk for microscopic regional nodal metastases and a low enough risk of occult systemic metastases to justify a regional node procedure? and (2) What is the optimal timing of dissection (immediate versus delayed) if such a highrisk group can be identified? Prospective randomized studies have recently been completed to help resolve this issue. SELECTION OF PATIENTS
Application of High-Resolution Spatial Discretization Schemes to Volume-of-Fluid Simulations on Three-Dimensional Unstructured Meshes

The interface capturing approach to volume-of-fluid (VOF) simulation relies on high-resolution spatial discretization of the volume fraction equation, without explicit reconstruction of the phase interface within computational control volumes. One advantage of this approach is that it may be applied on general topology meshes in a straightforward manner. This paper investigates the performance of two different high-resolution discretization schemes used for the solution of the volume fraction equation on three-dimensional unstructured meshes. The schemes are used to obtain results for several simple test problems, including convection of a round and a square phase profile in a uniform fluid stream, two-phase oil and water flow in an inclined channel, and convection of a round jet-in-crossflow. The performance of the two schemes is compared in terms of their ability to minimize the effects of numerical dissipation, which tends to “smear” the phase interface over several computational control volumes. It is shown that a recently proposed scheme that relies on maximization of the volume fraction gradient in the region of the interface yields substantially better results than a more commonly used NVD (normalized variable diagram) based scheme, as well as traditional first and second-order upwind schemes.© 2007 ASME
Hedging and competition

Abstract We consider firms that, all else equal, wish to minimize variability in their internal capital (due to convex costs of raising external funds). The firms can hedge the cash flow risk of the project, but not that of winning or losing the auction. We characterize optimal hedging and bidding strategies in this competition framework. We show that access to financial markets makes firms bid more aggressively, possibly even above their valuation for the project. In addition, hedging increases the variance of bids and makes firm values more dispersed. Further, with hedging, the covariance of internal capital changes with the risk factor is negative, and is more negative, the higher the correlation of the hedging instrument with the risk factor.
Deep well injection of liquid wastes in saline formations

The AGU Hydrology Section and the International Association of Hydrologists sponsored a symposium on Deep Well Injection of Liquid Wastes in Saline Formations at the AGU Spring Meeting in Baltimore, Md., on May 17, 1988. The symposium was convened by Charles Kreitler (University of Texas, Austin), Chet Miller (Du Pont, Wilmington, Del.), and John Vecchioli (U.S. Geological Survey, Tallahassee, Fla.). John Atcheson, the director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) task force on Hazardous Waste Restriction, opened the session with remarks on EPA's concerns over the practice of deep well injection of liquid wastes. These concerns have resulted in several programs nationwide that have been researching the interaction of the injected wastes with host saline formations. The papers at the symposium summarized many of these studies. Papers covered hydrogeologic characterization of the host formations, monitoring strategies, mathematical solutions and their benefits, potential for earthquakes and hydrofracturing, and geochemical reactions of the injected waste. The papers elicited numerous questions and comments on the pros and cons of the injection process. It was clear that there was no consensus to the acceptability of the injection process, and that additional research is needed to learn more about how wastes interact with geologic media.
The Costs of Protection and Self-Sufficiency

I. Introduction, 356. — II. Conception of the problem, 356. — III. The consumption cost of protection, 358. — IV. The production cost of protection, 362. — V. The total cost of protection, 366. — VI. Conclusion, 371.
Certification of numerical computation of the sign of the determinant of a matrix

Certified computation of the sign of the determinant of a matrix is a central problem in computational geometry. Certification by known methods is practically difficult because the magnitude of the determinant of an integer input matrix A may vary dramatically, from 1 to || A || n , and the round-off error bound of the determinant computation varies proportionally. Because of such a variation, high precision computation of \det A is required to ensure that the error bound is smaller than the magnitude of the determinant. We observe, however, that our certification task of determining only a single bit of \det A , that is, the bit carrying the sign, does not require us to estimate the latter round-off error. Instead, we solve a much simpler task of computing numerically the factorization of a matrix by Gaussian elimination with pivoting (which is a subroutine of LAPACK and LINPACK) and of estimating the minimum distance 1/||A -1 || from A to a singular matrix. Such an estimate gives us a desired range for the round-off error of the factorization such that the invariance of the sign of det A is ensured as long as the error varies in this range. Based on these simple but novel observations, we devise new effective arithmetic filters for the certification of the sign, compare them with the known filters, and confirm the efficiency of our techniques by some numerical tests.
The malleability of age-related positive gaze preferences: training to change gaze and mood

Older adults show positive gaze preferences, but to what extent are these preferences malleable? Examining the plasticity of age-related gaze preferences may provide a window into their origins. We therefore designed an attentional training procedure to assess the degree to which we could shift gaze and gaze-related mood in both younger and older adults. Participants completed either a positive or negative dot-probe training. Before and after the attentional training, we obtained measures of fixations to negatively valenced images along with concurrent mood ratings. We found differential malleability of gaze and mood by age: for young adults, negative training resulted in fewer posttraining fixations to the most negative areas of the images, whereas positive training appeared more successful in changing older adults' fixation patterns. Young adults did not differ in their moods as a function of training, whereas older adults in the train negative group had the worst moods after training. Implications for the etiology of age-related positive gaze preferences are considered.
Integrated CAD frameworks: tolerance representation scheme in a solid model

Abstract The major objective of this paper is to develop a representational scheme for geometric tolerances that are to be interfaced with a solid model. This includes the development of (i) an efficient user interface system for input of tolerance information, (ii) a suitable tolerancing data module (to be attached to the solid model), and (iii) an information retrieval system from the stored database for future tolerance analysis. This user interactive environment which enables the user to input the tolerance information in both the unevaluated (CSG) and the evaluated (B-Rep) databases, requires an effective linking mechanism between the CSG and the B-Rep data models at each stage of the object development. This has been achieved through the development of a reference face list. Tolerance information has been attached with this face list as “constraint nodes”, which are formed and updated after each “set operation.” Several functions have also been developed to retrieve essential information from the data structure in order to answer various queries. The prototype system has been implemented on a polyhedral solid modeler based on this representational scheme.
Cnidarian taphonomy and affinities of the Ediacara biota

Plaster impressions and sand casts of extant medusae, a chondrophoran, and a pennatulid share basic structural characteristics with fossils in the Upper Proterozoic Ediacara assemblage. Impressions of extant medusae and Proterozoic circular impressions show general similarities in arrangement and position of radial and concentric structures and a central raised boss. However, annular rings and radial grooves are more numerous in the Proterozoic fossils and strongly folded or deformed fossils are rare as compared with impressions of modem medusae. Recent pennatulids yield impressions that are more deformed and irregular than the Proterozoic genus Charniodiscus. The greater frequency of deformation of most simulated fossil medusoids relative to Precambrian circular impressions implies that Proterozoic medu-soids were substantially stiffer than many modern taxa of comparable sizes. Many fossils with abundant circular rings have no constructional counterparts among the extant forms studied here and their medusoid affinities should remain in doubt. The structural simplicity of impressions of Ediacara organisms and extant cnidarians suggests that their mutual similarities may be due to convergence. However, there is no compelling morphological reason to reject the claim that some Proterozoic fossils may share affinities with living cnidarians. □ Taphonomy. Ediacara biota, cnidarians, phylogenetic relationships.
Comparison of murine Supt4h and a nearly identical expressed, processed gene: evidence of sequence conservation through gene conversion extending into the untranslated regions

We show herein the transcription of a processed gene that originated from a spliced transcript. Recently, we isolated the human and murine homologues of the yeast chromatin protein, SPT4. The Supt4h gene is spliced normally from five exons encoded by chromosome 11. Here we show that a related sequence on chromosome 10 encodes Supt4h2, a processed intronless gene (with a polyA tail and a tandemly-duplicated 13 bp insertion site in the genome) with a different 5' control region. Both the spliced gene, Supt4h , and the processed gene, Supt4h2 , are expressed in each of four tissues we examined. Supt4h2 encodes a 117 amino acid protein nearly identical to the Supt4h gene product with only one amino acid difference, indicating extreme conservation of this expressed processed gene with the spliced gene over evolutionary time. This illustrates another potential complexity of the mammalian genome, i.e. the use of a processed gene under the control of a different promoter region than the spliced gene.
SaaS Multi-Tenancy: Framework, Technology, and Case Study

SaaS Software as a Service provides new business opportunities for application providers to serve more customers in a scalable and cost-effective way. SaaS also raises new challenges and one of them is multi-tenancy. Multi-tenancy is the requirement of deploying only one shared application to serve multiple customers i.e. tenant instead of deploying one dedicated application for each customer. This paper describes the authors' practice of developing and deploying multi-tenant technologies. This paper targets a technology that could quickly enable existing Java EE Enterprise Edition applications to be multi-tenancy enabled thus having the benefit of quick time to market. This paper describes the overall framework of multi-tenant SaaS platform, how to migrate an existing Java EE application, how to provision the multi-tenant application, and how to onboard the tenants. The paper also shows experiments which compare the economics of multi-tenant SaaS deployment versus traditional application deployment one application for one tenant with precise data.
Multi-channel biodetection via resonant microcavities coupled to a photonic crystal waveguide

Photonic crystal (PhC) microcavities present multiple advantages for rapid, accurate, label-free, and sensitive detection. But their principle of operation (observation of a peak in transmission) makes their integration in serial arrays difficult. Here we report on multiple resonant cavities coupled to a single photonic crystal waveguide. The device configuration consists of a PhC waveguide with a defect line along which light is guided. Several resonant microcavities, created by modifying the radius of a hole adjacent to the defect line, are coupled to the waveguide. This PhC device, operating as a multi-channel sensor, maintains the advantages of the PhC microcavities and allows for serial arrays: Light is globally transmitted through the waveguide, except for the wavelengths corresponding to the resonant modes of the microcavities. The transmission spectrum shows as many dips as there are cavities. Simulations show that the sensitivity of such structures allows the detection of single particles -typically a virus. Preliminary results show the fabrication and characterization of a double-channel structure with small defects as a solvent sensor.
The effects of pregnancy on the exacerbation and development of maternal allergic respiratory disease

The T-helper 2 (TH2) bias associated with pregnancy may predispose the pregnant mother to the development or exacerbation of allergic disease. To determine the effects of pregnancy on pre-existing maternal sensitization, we sensitized BALB/c mice before breeding by two intratracheal aspiration (IA) exposures to the fungal allergen, Metarhizium anisopliae crude antigen (MACA). Some mice also received three IA exposures to MACA on gestational days 11, 15, and 19. After weaning, all mice were challenged IA with MACA before killing. To determine the effects of pregnancy on susceptibility to future sensitization, naive parous and nulliparous BALB/c mice were sensitized by three IA exposures to MACA or to Hank’s buffered salt solution vehicle control. Pregnancy did not have a significant effect on individual inflammatory parameters (airway responsiveness to methacholine, total serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) IgE, BALF total protein, lactate dehydrogenase activity, and total and differential cell c...