cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Four-spin correlation function along the diagonal

We compute the four-spin correlation function $〈{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{N}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{N+M}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{N+M+L}〉$ along the diagonal of an Ising square lattice. We find that it can be written in the scaling form $〈{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{N}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{N+M}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{N+M+L}〉\ensuremath{\sim}〈{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{N}〉〈{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{L}〉+{〈{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{N}〉}^{c}{〈{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{L}〉}^{c}{f}_{4}(tN,tL,|t|(M+\frac{1}{2N}+\frac{1}{2L}))$, where ${|t|}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ is the correlation length. The scaling function ${f}_{4}$ is obtained as a asymptotic series with the variables $\mathrm{tN}$ and $\mathrm{tL}$ small. The remarkably simple form of this function ${f}_{4}$ suggests the reduction formula ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{R\ensuremath{-}\frac{r}{2}}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{R+\frac{r}{2}}\ensuremath{-}〈{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{r}〉={〈{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{r}〉}^{c}[{c}_{1}(r){\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{R}+{c}_{2}(r){t}_{R}+{c}_{3}(r){u}_{R}+\ensuremath{\cdots}]$, in which ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{R}={\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{R}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{R+1}\ensuremath{-}〈{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{1}〉$ is the energy-density operator, while ${t}_{R}$ and ${u}_{R}$ denote some less singular operators. The coefficients of this expansion are independent of temperature.
Nonuniform Distribution of Elements in RRP® Nb3Sn Wires Doped Using Nb-Ti Rods

In the restacked rod process (RRP ® ) Nb3Sn wires studied, Ti doping is achieved by replacing some Nb filaments with the standard Nb-47 wt% Ti alloy. We observed that, after full heat treatment, the amount of Ti in Nb 3 Sn does not increase linearly with the nominal doping, suggesting segregation of Ti. We found that, locally, at the doping sites, the Ti content can be as much as an order of magnitude higher than nominal, but this is not always the case: the composition at the doping sites varies dramatically. Furthermore, in the highest nominal doping wire studied, Ti-containing compounds were also observed surrounding the Cu-Sn core. The relative composition trend of Cu and Ti appears to go in opposite directions. Using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), significant spatial variations of Ti concentration were found, and Ti LMV peak broadening was observed at the original doping sites.
Strain relief by surface undulations of dislocation free MBE grown antimonides on compliant universal GaAs substrates

Using solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of gallium antimonide (GaSb) and indium antimonide (InSb), we have demonstrated1 the ability to grow dislocation free lattice mismatched materials on gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrates formed by a twist bonding process. Lo et al.2 proposed that it would be possible to create a compliant universal substrate capable of allowing the epitaxial growth of lattice mismatched materials without dislocations.
Record Matching in Data Warehouses: A Decision Model for Data Consolidation

The notion of a data warehouse for integrating operational data into a single repository is rapidly becoming popular in modern organizations. An important issue in the integration process is how to deal with the identifier mismatch problem when combining similar data from disparate sources. A real-world entity may be represented using different identifiers in different operational data sources, and matching them may often be difficult using simple database operations expressed, say, as an SQL query. A record-by-record manual matching is also not practical because the databases may be large. A decision model is presented that combines probability-based automated matching with manual matching in a cost minimization formulation. A heuristic approach is proposed for solving the decision model. Both the model and the heuristic solution approach have been tested on real data. The results from the testing indicate that the model can be effectively used in real-world situations.
Response to calcium of skinned gallbladder smooth muscle from newborn and adult guinea pigs.

ABSTRACT: Guinea pig gallbladder smooth muscle contractility undergoes a period of postnatal maturation. Because tissues from adult animals contract more forcefully than tissues from newborn animals when stimulated with agonists that activate the contractile process through different mechanisms (receptor activation, membrane depolarization), we proposed that factors unrelated to the mechanism of action of the agonist may contribute to the difference in force development between the age groups. Our study tested this hypothesis by examining the in vitro contractile response to calcium of membrane skinned muscle preparations from newborn and adult guinea pigs. Cell membranes were permeabilized using a Triton X-100 (0.5%) skinning solution. The muscle strips were rinsed in relaxing solution then contracted with calcium. The contracting solution contained either 1, 5, 10, or 20 μM calcium. Each muscle strip was stimulated with a single concentration of calcium. The resutls can be summarized as follows: I) the maximal response of the skinned preparations did not differ from that of membrane intact preparations: 2) tissues from each age group contracted in a dose-response manner with the maximal response occurring at 10 μM calcium; and 3) at each caleium concentration, tissues from adult animals devellped more active force than tissues from newborn animals. The data suggest that the postnatal maturation of gallbladder smooth muscle contractility includes factors involved in calcium activation of the excitation-contraction compling process.
Clinical Aspects of Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

Respiratory tract infections are among the most common illnesses leading to medical consultation, and are associated with significant mortality. Community-acquired pneumonia is a common illness and, while Streptococcus pneumoniae continues to be the most frequent causative agent, atypical pathogens such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae and Legionella species are now identified as additional common aetiological agents. Since clinical and roentgenographic features poorly predict the aetiological agent in most cases of community-acquired pneumonia, empirical therapy is generally recommended. Nosocomial pneumonia is the second most common hospital-acquired infection and is associated with significant mortality. Aerobic Gram-negative bacilli and Staphylococcus aureus are the predominant causative pathogens. New techniques to improve the diagnosis of nosocomial pneumonia have been introduced, but their role has not been entirely clarified. Therapy directed toward the most likely pathogens (aerobic Gram-negative species and S. aureus) on an empirical basis is recommended until more specific information is obtained. Acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis should be treated with antimicrobial therapy directed toward S. pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae or Moraxella catarrhalis. Because of the emergence of β-lactamase-producing strains of H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis, the choice of an antimicrobial agent has to be carefully considered. Group A β-haemolytic streptococci are the most common cause of bacterial pharyngitis and penicillin remains the drug of choice. Patients suffering from otitis media and sinusitis are infected with the same organisms as those patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and antibacterial choices are therefore similar.
Paradoxic changes in chronic intravascular coagulation

Paradoxic changes in platelet and fibrinogen levels were found in chronic intravascular coagulation induced in dogs. After pre-experiment base-line values were obtained with saline alone, thrombaplastin (acetone-dried dog-brain emulsion in saline, clarified by centrifugation) was given by continuous intravenous infusion at 2.5 ml/hr for 5 to 7 days. With undiluted thromboplastin, fibrinogen and platelet levels steadily fell and then stabilized at 50–100 mg/100 ml of plasma for fibrinogen and 5-10 × 103/mm3 for platelets. Fibrinogen decreased more rapidly than platelets. Infusion of a 10-fold dilution of thromboplastin paradoxically increased fibrinogen to 550–650 mg/100 ml but with contemporaneous decrease of platelets to 20–40 × 103/mm5. With 100-fold dilution of thromboplatin the fibrinogen also increased, to more than 500 mg/100 ml, while the platelets remianed in the normal range. Whenever the thromboplastin infusion was stopped, platelets and fibrinogen levels increased, exceeding the preinfusion level and remaining high for 2 to 3 weeks. These data suggest that, in chronic intravascular coagulation in the dog, the liver is better able to compensate in the synthesis of fibrinogen than the marrow can in the synthesis of platelets. When intravascular coagulation is not too profound, fibrinogen or platelets may be normal or increased, as we have found in some patients who had evidence of intravascular coagulation without hypofibrinogenemia and thrombocytopenia.
Working with meta-data from C/C++ code in R: the RGCCTranslationUnit package

This paper describes an R package that allows one to read and generate a description of C and C++ source code elements. These descriptions are meta-data about that C/C++ code and can be used for several different purposes. The most obvious application is to programmatically generate bindings/wrappers which are R functions and C routines that allow R users to invoke the original C/C++ routines from within R. We discuss the mechanics of the package and briefly outline one strategy for generating the mappings between R and arbitrary C/C++ code. We also illustrate how we can create new derived C++ classes, some or all of whose methods can be implemented in R via R functions. The meta-data can also be used to generate registration information for R’s dynamic symbol resolution, identify potential re-factoring for the removal of global variables (leading towards thread-safety), and generally collect data for software metrics and analysis. The package currently provides the primitives for reading and working with the meta-data, and has support for generating bindings for most of the common C and C++ constructs. Additional facilities such as determining memory management and computing call graphs from the body of a routine can be built on top of these primitives. Versions of the package are available at http://www.omegahat.org/RGCCTranslationUnit.
First experimental bit-error-rate validation of 12.5-Gb/s silicon modulator enabling photonic networks-on-chip

Error-free 12.5-Gb/s operation of silicon microring resonator electro-optic modulator is experimentally demonstrated, with bit-error-rate and power penalty performance metrics measured using system-level comparative analysis for varying modulation rates. Results show functional feasibility for photonic networks-on-chip.
The Genesis solar wind sample return mission: Past, present, and future

The Genesis Discovery mission returned solar matter in the form of the solar wind with the goal of obtaining precise solar isotopic abundances (for the first time) and greatly improved elemental abundances. Measurements of the light noble gases in regime samples demonstrate that isotopes are fractionated in the solar wind relative to the solar photosphere. Theory is required for correction. Measurement of the solar wind O and N isotopes shows that these are very different from any inner solar system materials. The solar O isotopic composition is consistent with photochemical self-shielding. For unknown reasons, the solar N isotopic composition is much lighter than essentially all other known solar system materials, except the atmosphere of Jupiter. Ne depth profiling on Genesis materials has demonstrated that Ne isotopic variations in lunar samples are due to isotopic fractionation during implantation without appealing to higher energy solar particles. Genesis provides a precise measurement of the isotopic differences of Ar between the solar wind and the terrestrial atmosphere. The Genesis isotopic compositions of Kr and Xe agree with data from lunar ilmenite separates, showing that lunar processes have not affected the ilmenite data and that solar wind composition has not changed on 100 Ma time scales. Relative to Genesis solar wind, ArKrXe in Q (the chondrite noble gas carrier) and the terrestrial atmosphere show relatively large light isotope depletions.
Post-Silicon Validation of Multiprocessor Memory Consistency

Shared-memory chip-multiprocessor (CMP) architectures define memory consistency models that establish the ordering rules for memory operations from multiple threads. Validating the correctness of a CMP’s implementation of its memory consistency model requires extensive monitoring and analysis of memory accesses while multiple threads are executing on the CMP. In this paper, we present a low overhead solution for observing, recording and analyzing shared-memory interactions for use in an emulation and/or post-silicon validation environment. Our approach leverages portions of the CMP’s own data caches, augmented only by a small amount of hardware logic, to log information relevant to memory accesses. After transferring this information to a central memory location, we deploy our own analysis algorithm to detect any possible memory consistency violations. We build on the property that a violation corresponds to a cycle in an appropriately defined graph representing memory interactions. The solution we propose allows a designer to choose where to run the analysis algorithm: 1) on the CMP itself; 2) on a separate processor residing on the validation platform; or 3) off-line on a separate host machine. Our experimental results show an 83% bug detection rate, in our testbed CMP, over three distinct memory consistency models, namely: relaxed-memory order, total-store order, and sequential consistency. Finally, note that our solution can be disabled in the final product, leading to zero performance overhead and a per-core area overhead that is smaller than the size of a physical integer register file in a modern processor.
Constructing the Mythic Present in the East German Cinema: Frank Beyer's Spur der Steine and the 11th Plenum of 1965

imately two dozen East German films that were banned by state officials. Combining epic proportions with subversive humor, the picture still retains the ability to fascinate and amuse audiences well over three decades after its completion in 1966. In one scene, its most arresting protagonist, the foreman Balla, leads his small band of carpenters across the lunar landscape of the chemical plant under construction, where the film is set. As martial music blares in the background, the "Ballas," conspicuously dressed in the black corduroy suits traditionally associated with their trade in Germany, march against a sea of humanity streaming toward a political rally. They rudely shove people out of their way, grope women, and chug beer. Over a loudspeaker, the Communist functionary leading the rally proclaims, "We are already building the road leading into a bright future." In response, Balla remarks to his cronies, "They comfort you with the future like the priests with the hereafter, but by the time you get there, you're already dead." This short scene encapsulates not only a major theme in the film but also one of the underlying ideological tensions that drove political discourse in the GDR: the relationship between Marx s prophetic vision of history, which East Germany was supposed to embody, and daily life. Balla s comment shows skepticism toward the party and its claim to shape the path of his society into the future in any way relevant to him. Yet his statement does not go unchallenged in the film. By the end, Balla has grown to accept the party s leadership and This article represents a substantially revised version of an earlier piece that appeared in German under the title:"ZumVerhaltnis von Gegenwart und Geschichte in DEFA-Spielfilm der sechsiger Jahre anhand Frank Beyers Spur der Steine," in Verwaltete Vergangenheit Geschichtskultur und Herrschaftslegitimation in der DDR, ed. Martin Sabrow (Leipzig, 1997) 217-36. Note on Sources: All extant films mentioned in this article are available through the Progress Film-Verleih GmbH, Burgstr. 27, 10178 Berlin, Germany, or through the Bundesarchiv Berlin. Many East German films are also available for hire for educational and research purposes in the United States through the DEFA Film Library, Herter Hall, Box 33925, Amherst, MA 01003-3925;
Iris hooks for phacoemulsification of the subluxated lens

Phacoemulsification of the lens in eyes with zonular loss risks dislocation of the lens into the vitreous cavity. We describe the use of iris hooks after capsulorhexis to support the lens during surgery. With iris hooks, the lens can be stabilized, helping prevent additional loss of zonules and permitting retention of the capsule to support an intraocular lens.
Age-related impairments in the regulation of food intake.

Low food intake in elderly individuals increases the risk for many nutrition-related acute or chronic illnesses. It is not known whether aging is associated with changes in hunger and satiety, or whether elderly individuals can regulate energy intake in response to manipulations of the energy or nutrient content of foods. Therefore, this study investigated short-term energy regu- lation in healthy elderly (a = 16; aged 60-84 y) and young (ii 16; aged 18-35 y) men. Participants were given yogurt preloads that varied in energy and macronutrient content (low-fat, low- energy, 962 kJ; high-fat, high-energy, 2134 kJ; high-carbohydrate, high-energy 2134 kJ), or no yogurt, followed by a self-selected lunch (presented 30 mm after subjects began to consume the yogurt). Energy intake, the percentage of macronutrients con- sumed in the meals, and subjective sensations of hunger and satiety were analyzed. The elderly men consumed significantly less en- ergy than the young men in the baseline (no yogurt) condition. Lower intake was concordant with subjective sensations of satiety; visual analog data indicated that the older men were less hungry and more full at the start of lunch. Compensation for energy in the preloads was less precise in the elderly than in the young men, in that elderly men consistently overate at the self-selected lunch. Young men consumed ± 10% total energy (lunch + yogurt) in the yogurt preload conditions compared with their baseline intake; elderly men overate between 10% and 30% in relation to their baseline intake. The proportions of macronutrients consumed in the test meals did not differ significantly across preload conditions or between the young and elderly participants. There were also no differences between the satiating effects of fat and carbohydrate. These results indicate that energy regulation is impaired in elderly individuals. Consuming an energy-dense nutritional supplement before a meal may be an appropriate strategy to increase energy and nutrient intakes in elderly people. A,n J C/in Nuir 1995; 62:923-31.
The effect on asthma of a new beta blocker, pindolol.

Abstract Pindolol is a recently developed beta-adrenergic antagonist. It possesses intrinsic sympathomimetic activity but is not considered a beta-1-selective agent. Because of the known deleterious effects of beta blockers on bronchial asthma, pindolol was evaluated in a group of asthmatic patients. Fifteen adult atopic asthmatic patients participated in this randomized double-blind study. Six subjects received placebo and nine pindolol with successive weekly doses of 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ), vital capacity (VC), maximum midexpiratory flow rate (MMEFR), and quantitative methacholine challenge were performed each week before and 2 hours after drug administration at the time of peak blood level. At the final visit, specific alrway conductance was measured with a body plethysmograph following inhalation of the largest dose of methacholine that did not cause a 20% decrease in FEV 1 . The only significant pulmonary function test difference in the two treatment groups was obtained for MMEFR after 5 mg of pindolol. One third of the subjects in both groups demonstrated a 20% or greater decrease in FEV 1 2 hours after the dose sometime during the study. Overall, of the nine subjects on pindolol, six tolerated the final 20 mg dose, and one showed a decrease in FEV 1 at 20 mg, one at 10 mg, and one at 2.5 mg. There were no significant side effects in either group. The only significant methacholine challenge difference in the two groups was observed after the 10 mg dose. Only one patient showed increased sensitivity to methacholine with increasing doses of pindolol. Isoproterenol reversed the methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction, although higher doses were required with the 5 and 10 mg doses of pindolol. No group differences were seen with whole-body plethysmography. Airway conductance changes were not a predictor of subsequent fall in FEF 1 . While beta blockers should be used with caution in asthmatic patients, this study suggests that pindolol is generally well tolerated by these patients and can be administered to an asthmatic patient when beta blockade is indicated. The bronchoconstricting effects of pindolol in asthmatic subjects were no greater than those with placebo.
Characterization of a silicon-based shear-force sensor on human subjects

A silicon sensor is developed and its ability to measure both compressive and shear forces at the skin-object interface is characterized. The sensor is designed based on the piezoresistive effect and fabricated using integrated circuit and microelectromechanical systems technologies. The sensor utilizes a mesa structure that leads to asymmetric diaphragm deformations in response to nonnormal loading. Four independent ion-implanted piezoresistors are used to detect the stresses induced in diaphragm and resolve both the compressive- and shear-force components. The sensor is calibrated on human subjects over a range of applied force (5- to 40-N shear force at increments of 1.25 N; 0- to 30-N compressive force). Force measurement via a tracking experiment is evaluated at four shear (9, 18, 25, and 35 N) and three compressive (7, 15, and 26 N) force levels. The sensor has good repeatability (SD/spl cong/1.7 N) with an average error of 12.1%.
Integrating diverse IT areas: bridging the gap between multimedia kiosks and the wireless world

This paper presents a student research effort of developing a multimedia kiosk and extending its functionality to wireless mobile devices. Kiosk engine (KE) implements a framework for creating and presenting interactive multimedia kiosks. KE is implemented in Java and it can be used to present the kiosk content on both a stationary kiosk and a wireless device. This project brings together many areas of computer science: data representation, object-oriented software design and development, wireless applications, and multimedia. We believe that integrating such diverse areas within a single project offers tremendous benefits to the learning experience of students.
Nitrosatable Drug Exposure during Pregnancy and Preterm and Small-for-Gestational-Age Births.

Background Nitrosatable drugs react with nitrite in the stomach to form N-nitroso compounds, observed in animal models to result in adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as birth defects and reduced fetal weight. Previous studies examining prenatal exposure to medications classified as nitrosatable have reported an increased risk of preterm births (PTBs) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants. Methods Using data from mothers (controls) of babies without major birth defects from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, prenatal nitrosatable drug usage by trimester and month of gestation was examined in relation to PTBs and SGA infants. Results Positive associations were observed with nitrosatable drug use and PTBs, with the strongest relationship with second trimester exposure (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.37, [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10, 1.70]). Of the nitrosatable functional groups, secondary amines were the most notable, with a higher association among women with second (aHR 1.37, [95% CI 1.05, 1.79]) and third (aHR 1.34, [95% CI 1.02, 1.76]) trimester exposure compared with women with no prenatal nitrosatable drug use. Among SGA infants, a borderline association was noted with amide exposure during the third trimester (adjusted odds ratio 1.43 [95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00, 2.05]). Conclusions Prenatal exposure to nitrosatable drugs during the second and third trimester of pregnancy, particularly secondary amines, might increase the risk of PTBs. However, prenatal exposure to nitrosatable drugs was not associated with SGA infants, with the exception of amide drugs.
PDFFIT, a program for full profile structural refinement of the atomic pair distribution function

The program PDFFIT is designed for the full profile structural refinement of the atomic pair distribution function (PDF). In contrast to conventional structure refinement based on Bragg intensities, the PDF probes the local structure of the studied material. The program presented here allows the refinement of atomic positions, anisotropic thermal parameters and site occupancies as well as lattice parameters and experimental factors. By selecting individual atom types one can calculate partial and differential PDFs in addition to the total PDF. Furthermore one can refine multiple data sets and/or multiple structural phases. The program is controlled by a command language which includes a Fortran style interpreter supporting loops and conditional statements. This command language is also used to define the relation between refinement parameters and structural or experimental information, allowing virtually any constraint to be implemented in the model. PDFFIT is written in Fortran-77, and the source code and documentation are available via the World Wide Web.
IL-10 Triggers Changes in Macrophage Phenotype That Promote Muscle Growth and Regeneration

We examined the function of IL-10 in regulating changes in macrophage phenotype during muscle growth and regeneration following injury. Our findings showed that the Th1 cytokine response in inflamed muscle is characterized by high levels of expression of CD68, CCL-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 at 1 d postinjury. During transition to the Th2 cytokine response, expression of those transcripts declined, whereas CD163, IL-10, IL-10R1, and arginase-1 increased. Ablation of IL-10 amplified the Th1 response at 1 d postinjury, causing increases in IL-6 and CCL2, while preventing a subsequent increase in CD163 and arginase-1. Reductions in muscle fiber damage that normally occurred between 1 and 4 d postinjury did not occur in IL-10 mutants. In addition, muscle regeneration and growth were greatly slowed by loss of IL-10. Furthermore, myogenin expression increased in IL-10 mutant muscle at 1 d postinjury, suggesting that the mutation amplified the transition from the proliferative to the early differentiation stages of myogenesis. In vitro assays showed that stimulation of muscle cells with IL-10 had no effect on cell proliferation or expression of MyoD or myogenin. However, coculturing muscle cells with macrophages activated with IL-10 to the M2 phenotype increased myoblast proliferation without affecting MyoD or myogenin expression, showing that M2 macrophages promote the early, proliferative stage of myogenesis. Collectively, these data show that IL-10 plays a central role in regulating the switch of muscle macrophages from a M1 to M2 phenotype in injured muscle in vivo, and this transition is necessary for normal growth and regeneration of muscle.
Consequences of severe visual-spatial deficits for reading acquisition: Evidence from Williams syndrome

To further understand the nature of the visual-spatial representations required for successful acquisition of written language skills, we investigated the written language abilities of two individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) a developmental genetic disorder in which the presence of severe visual-spatial developmental delays and deficits has been well established. Using a case study approach, we examined the relationship between reading achievement and general cognitive ability, phonological skills, and visual-spatial skills for the two individuals. We found that, despite the strong similarity between the two individuals in terms of their verbal and non-verbal cognitive abilities and their phonological abilities (as well as chronological age and educational opportunities), their reading and spelling abilities differed by more than 5 grade levels. We present evidence that the difference in written language performance was likely to be due to differences in the severity and nature of their visual-spatial impairment. Moreover, we show that specific difficulty processing the orientation of visual stimuli is related to the reading difficulties of one of the two individuals. These results underscore the contribution of visual-spatial abilities to the reading acquisition process and identify WS as a potential source of valuable information regarding the role of visual-spatial processing in reading development.
Radiative Sensitivity to Water Vapor under All-Sky Conditions

Abstract Using the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model, version 3, radiation transfer model and a realistic tropospheric environment including the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project cloud fields, all-sky radiative sensitivity to water vapor is assessed. The analysis improves upon previous clear-sky and model-based studies by using observed clouds, assessing realistic vertically varying perturbations, and considering spatial gradients in sensitivity through the Tropics and subtropics. The linearity of sensitivity is also explored. The dry zones of the subtropics and the eastern Pacific Ocean are found to be particularly sensitive to the water vapor distribution, especially for variations in the upper troposphere. The cloud field is instrumental in determining spatial gradients in sensitivity both at the top of the atmosphere and the surface. Throughout the Tropics, outgoing longwave radiation is most sensitive to water vapor in the upper troposphere, especially w...
A General Approach to Derive Chi-Square Type of Goodness-of-Fit Tests for Lifetime Data

Pearson’s original chi-square test for goodness-of-fit has been extended and generalized in various ways to test the composite hypothesis of a certain parametric family {F (x; θ): θ ∈ Θ}. We illustrate in this paper that, for lifetime data that are subject to incomplete observation, a unified approach is available to derive general chi-square tests for parametric families, regardless of the sampling plan for such incomplete data. Let be a nonparametric estimate of the target distribution function F, and let be any parametric estimate of the true parameter under the null hypothesis. The general test statistic is a quadratic form of the estimated sample process evaluated at r points (called cell boundaries) of the x′s. A unified large sample theory is available for such test statistics, and one tractable test is recommended. Several applications are discussed involving various choices of .
Silent Majority: Childhood Vaccinations and Antecedents to Communicative Action

The topic of childhood vaccinations has received much news media attention recently, prompting scholars to examine how the public has responded. In light of this news, and the deep divide that seems to exist between parents who support childhood vaccinations and those who do not, this study examines how and why individuals may involve themselves in communication about vaccinations, particularly on social media or in other online environments. Focusing on the concept of communicative action and drawing from spiral of silence and other research, a survey of mothers (N = 455) found that those who do not support childhood vaccinations are more likely to engage in communication about the issue, including information seeking, attending, forefending, permitting, forwarding, and sharing. In addition, issue importance and affective and cognitive involvement help drive communicative action regarding childhood vaccinations, which could affect public opinion or public perceptions of the issue. Theoretical and practic...
Handedness and Mental Rotation

Handedness and mental rotation test scores were examined by sex and generation for 801 individuals in 200 families. An orderly relationship between bilateralization of function on the hand preference task and mental rotation test scores was found.
Revisiting the Character of Congress: Scandals in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1966-2002

SUMMARY This article examines how character assessments affected the electoral fortunes of incumbent members of the U.S. House of Representatives during the period from 1966-1996. The findings of several linear regressions suggest that party affiliation constrains both when voters react to allegations of scandalous behavior and how they react to different kinds of allegations. The electoral cycle assists incumbent members who have engaged in scandalous behavior escape retribution from their constituents, allowing the majority to be reelected. Also reviewed are findings from the 1998-2002 timeframe. It concludes that voters do concern themselves with character issues, but that the party affiliation of the member and the type of scandal work in concert with the electoral process to mitigate the negative impact on the vote.
Abstract 1704: Linking mitochondrial epigenetics to tumorigenesis and the cancer theory of Warburg.

Otto Warburg first proposed that respiratory insufficiency was the common metabolic hallmark of all tumor cells. Respiratory insufficiency is the precursor to aerobic fermentation (Warburg effect), and can also be linked to dysregulated proliferation and to the genomic abnormalities seen in the majority of cancers. It is well documented that tumorigenicity can be suppressed in a broad range of tumor types when cytoplasm from enucleated normal cells, containing normal mitochondria, is fused with nucleated tumor cells to form cybrids. Tumorigenicity is also suppressed in a broad range of tumors following transplantation of the nucleus from tumor cells into enucleated eggs or somatic cells, indicating that tumor nuclei are capable of directing development despite the persistence of tumor-associated mutations. Tumor cell mutations seem to abort development, rather than induce tumorigenesis. In contrast to the tumor suppressive effects of cytoplasm containing normal mitochondria, either cell death or tumor cells arise when nuclei from non-tumorigenic normal cells are fused with cytoplasm from tumor cells. The results from these studies indicate that nuclear genomic defects alone cannot produce tumors, and that normal mitochondria can suppress tumorigenesis. The findings, when viewed collectively, support Warburg9s central theory and suggest that mitochondrial epigenetics drives tumorigenesis. Supported in part from the Boston College Res. Expense Fund. Citation Format: Thomas N. Seyfried. Linking mitochondrial epigenetics to tumorigenesis and the cancer theory of Warburg. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1704. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1704
The value of measuring platelet "adhesiveness" in the diagnosis of bleeding diseases.

Platelet retention was decreased in many hemorrhagic states, including von Willebrand’s disease, qualitative platelet diseases, and a variety of other conditions. It also was abnormal in two of four patients with acquired inhibitors of factor VIII. With the exception of von Willebrand’s disease, these conditions are diagnosed on the basis of tests other than platelet retention. Although the result of a test of platelet retention is of interest as part of the assessment of platelet function, it is crucial only in the diagnosis of von Willebrand’s disease. Furthermore, an abnormality in the test should lead one to suspect von Willebrand’s disease in patients in whom the diagnosis has been obscured by an increase in the factor VIII level as a result of birth control medicaments, pregnancy, or transfusions.
Relevance of Osteomyelitis to Clinical Practice

Osteomyelitis of the foot and ankle is a major public health problem. Despite advances in diagnosis and management, there is still a high prevalence of recurrent and chronic infections that can lead to devastating outcomes. Osteomyelitis is complicated by comorbidities such as diabetes. The foot and ankle surgeon needs to have a high clinical suspicion for osteomyelitis as well as an appropriate and timely treatment algorithm. Chronic states of bone infection in the lower extremity can lead to partial or complete amputation. The goal should be for early diagnosis, medical and surgical treatment where necessary, and limb salvage when possible. Due to the complex nature of this disease and its unique characteristics in the lower extremity, osteomyelitis remains a clinical challenge to the foot and ankle surgeon. This chapter introduces this difficult problem and discusses the current controversies in diagnosis and treatment.
Early Expressive Language Skills Predict Long-Term Neurocognitive Outcomes in Cochlear Implant Users: Evidence from the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories.

Purpose The objective of the present article was to document the extent to which early expressive language skills (measured using the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories [CDI; Fen...
Parent Education for Dialogic Reading: Online and Face-to-Face Delivery Methods

ABSTRACTThis study explored the impact of a parent education program and the contextual factors that influenced the experiences of families in the program. Seventeen parents completed a 9-week, face-to-face program and 15 parents completed a similar online program. This study was designed as a multiple case study and utilized multimethods for data collection and analysis. An inductive approach was utilized for data analysis. Each parent-child dyad completed pre- and postintervention video recordings of shared storybook reading. The videos were analyzed using the Adult Child Interactive Reading Inventory and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used. Parents receiving either delivery method increased their use of dialogue while sharing storybooks. There were no significant differences between the online and face-to-face adult and children’s use of dialogue. The contextual factors that influenced the online participants were online access and design and delivery of content. The contextual factors that influenc...
The SLC4 Anion Exchanger Gene Family

Transmembrane transport of HCO − 3 and CO 2 is central to body pH and volume homeostasis. The Na + -independent, electroneutral CI − /HCO − 3 exchangers AE1/Band 3 and the related AE2 and AE3 polypeptides of the SLC4 gene family play central roles in these processes. The SLC4/AE anion exchangers regulate intracellular pH and, through their polarized localization in renal and other epithelial cells, regulate compartmental and systemic pH. SLC4/AE anion exchangers also regulate cell volume and modulate the cellular equilibrium potential for Cl − , thus contributing to determination of driving forces for multiple ion transport pathways throughout the body. Distinct mutations of human AE1 cause distal renal tubular acidosis, spherocytic hemolytic anemia, and cation-leak stomatocytosis. Lack of AE2 in the mouse causes early death with osteopetrosis and wide impairment of epithelial secretion. Lack of AE3 in the mouse causes late-onset retinal degeneration and increases susceptibility to seizures and heart failure. These phenotypes illustrate the consequences of disrupting local and/or systemic bicarbonate/chloride homeostasis.
The Global Hillary : Women's Political Leadership in Cultural Contexts

1. The Global Hillary: Smart Power and the Rise of a Woman President Dinesh Sharma 2. See Hillary Run: Hillary Clinton, American Exceptionalism, and Exceptions to the Rule Gregory W. Streich and Robynn Kuhlmann 3. Hillary Clinton: Feminist and Activist Florence L. Denmark, Hillary I. Goldstein, Kristin Thies and Adrian Tworecke 4. Hillary and Eleanor: The Rise of Smart Power and National Security Feminism Dinesh Sharma 5. Hilary Rodham Clinton and the 1995 Beijing International Conference on Women: Gender and the Nexus of Global and Domestic Power Dynamics N'Dri Therese Assie-Lumumba 6. Seeing Red: Republicans and Democrats in Alaska view Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin Grant J. Rich 7. Hillary's Soft Power in France and Germany Donald Morrison 8. Can Hillary Clinton get Afghanistan Right? Prakhar Sharma 9. Soft Power and US Foreign Policy in Middle East Kenneth Christie 10. Hillary Clinton and Israel: American Jewish and Israeli Perceptions Ellen Fleishman 11. A Translation of Her Own: Hillary, Japan, and the Pivot to Asia Eijun Senaha
Mao's Ordinary Men

Official materials such as xianzhi offer little information regarding who committed the collective killings during China's Cultural Revolution; however, there is no similar dearth in the unpublished documents I have obtained. Published reports written by exiled dissidents including Zhang Cheng and Zheng Yi contain vivid accounts of the killings and, in some cases, confessions. In my interviews, I also probed into the question of who was immediately responsible. The survivors, victims' family members, and retired cadres consistently provided the same answer: local cadres and militia members. When the decision to kill and the scope of killings was agreed on, local leaders and militias rounded up members of Four-Type families, with the killings typically following a mass rally attended by the entire village. I previously recounted an event in Sanjiang Commune, Quanzhou County in Guangxi Province, in which seventy-six Four-Type family members were killed by being pushed off a cliff. Both the xianzhi of the county and a provincial-level document recorded this event, identifying the organizer as Huang Tianhui, the commune's militia commander. Based on a county-level internal document, Zheng Yi detailed how the killings were deliberated and planned and who were involved: In the morning and the evening of October 2 [1967], Sanjiang Commune's militia commander Huang Tianhui held two meetings to plan killings. The evening meeting was attended by mass organization activists and militia leaders above the rank of team or platoon. “The masses in Daoxian County, Hunnan [a bordering county] have killed some Four Types because the Four Types in Honghua, Daoxian, conspired to stage armed insurgencies,” said Huang. […]
Mutations in wild populations in Drosophila.

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the chronological resume of several investigations of genetic variability in wild populations of Drosophila. It deals with the localized mutations, although these in some cases may be associated with inversions and other gross chromosomal rearrangements with mutation. Assumption is made that the genetic variants found in wild populations are due to mutations that have occurred at some undetermined time in the past history of the population or of the genetic lines that have contributed to its structure. It is concluded that the populations of all the species of Drosophila investigated in this chapter carry a rich store of genetic variability that furnishes adequate material not only for long-time evolutionary changes but also for rapid adjustments of populations to the environmental extremes to which they are subjected during the seasonal cycles through which they pass.
Significance Probability Mappings and Automated Interpretation of Complex Pictorial Scenes

The automatic extraction of information from complex pictorial scenes presents us with three distinct, related problems. These are: (1) scene segmentation, (2) identification of a scene’s component parts, and (3) interpretation and classification of the entire scene [Duda and Hart (1973); Rosenfeld (1972); Bullock (1971); Lemkin (1975)]. The decomposition of a pictorial field into sub-fields which are either homogeneous in their optical properties or logically coherent has been attempted with a wide assortment of algorithms [Thompson (1974); Kanal (1968); Rosenfeld (1969); Andrews (1970); Sacks-Lipkin and Rosenfeld (1970); Watanabe (1972); Watanabe (1969)]. Problems arise mostly from such sources as uncertain delineation of subfields and insufficient contrast between different subfields. Also, there exists a wide variety of imagery where scene components are characterized by information which is of a non-visual nature [Prewitt and Mendelsohn (1966), Bartels et al. (1972), Bellamy (1971), Sandritter and Kiefer (1970), Bartels and Wied (1973)], i.e., detection requires a preprocessing image transformation.
Application of RNS in refractory epilepsy: Targeting insula.

While RNS is approved for treatment of resistant focal epilepsy in adults, little is known about response to treatment of specific cortical targets. We describe the experience of RNS targeting the insular lobe. We identified patients who had RNS implantation with at least one electrode within the insula between 4/2014 and 10/2015. We performed a retrospective review of preoperative clinical features, imaging, EEG, intraoperative electrocorticography (ECoG), and postoperative seizure outcome. Eight patients with at least 6 months of post-implant follow-up were identified. Ictal localization was inconclusive with MRI or scalp EEG findings. Intracranial EEG monitoring or intraoperative ECoG demonstrated clear ictal onsets and/or frequent interictal discharges in the insula. Four patients demonstrated overall 50% - 75% reduction in seizure frequency. Two patients did not show appreciable seizure improvement. One patient has experienced a 75% reduction of seizure frequency and another is nearly seizure free postoperatively. There were no reported direct complications of insular RNS electrode placement or stimulation though two patients had post-operative complications thought to be related to craniotomy (hydrocephalus and late infection). Our study suggests that insular RNS electrode placement in selected patients is relatively safe and RNS treatment may benefit selected patients with insular epilepsy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.