cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Deflection of a Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Under Ballistic Impact Loading

The dynamic deflections of geometrically different single-walled carbon nanotubes are determined under various high-velocity impacts and for different positions at which ballistic impact is applied. Elastic beam model is applied to study the dynamic deflection of single-walled carbon nanotubes for two cases of boundary conditions, namely to clamped–clamped and clamped-free single-walled carbon nanotubes. Moreover, we examine the relationship between the single-walled carbon nanotube radius, the relative position at which the ballistic impact takes place, the speed of the object (e.g., bullet) that strikes the nanotube, and the deflection of the nanotube for a specific bullet size and shape as was used by recent study in the literature.
A model for the periodic synaptic inhibition of a neuronal oscillator.

We develop a simple, piecewise linear differential equation with discontinuous jumps, which captures the essential characteristics of more complicated equations modelling the dynamics of neuronal oscillators, such as those due to Hodgkin & Huxley (1952), Fitzhugh (1960, 1961), and Nagumo et al. (1962). We investigate the effects of periodically applied stimuli of various durations and compare phase-transition curves or Poincare maps for our model with numerically computed maps from the 'full' equations. We describe some aspects of the qualitative behaviour and bifurcations of these iterated one-dimensional mappings and attempt to relate them to experimental observations.
Towards understanding reactive adsorption of small molecule toxic gases on carbonaceous materials

Abstract Reactive adsorption is a separation process based on physical adsorption of molecules, which is followed by their chemical transformations on the surface. This process is especially important for the removal of toxic industrial compounds (TICs) from air. At ambient conditions their adsorption is very weak and such factors as the presence of humidity have to be taken into account. This paper presents our approach leading to the design of efficient TICs adsorbents. In these materials the pores should be small enough to attract adsorbate molecules but sufficiently big to accommodate water or functional groups which participate in surface reactions. In these specific nanoreactors toxic species are either transformed to nontoxic and removed from the system or they are strongly retained on the surface via chemical bonds or as nonvolatile species. Surface chemistry is very important for these transformations. To start designing new separation media the physical properties of molecules and their chemical reactivity should be of paramount importance. After a separation performance test the battery of analytical methods has to be employed to characterize the surface of materials before and after reactive adsorption. The results obtained are then analyzed and the mechanism of adsorption is derived with the indication of surface features, which play a critical role in a particular separation process.
A Collaborative Design Simulation Game

Collaboration is an is an im portant aspect of the architect's education. However, it is not am enable to the traditional project-based learning pedagogy that works so well for developing form-making skills, because it can only be revealed when the number of participants exceed a certain threshold, and when actions made by others affect the individual's design decisions. The advent of on-line, multi-player games provides an opportunity to explore interactive collaborative design pedagogies. Their abstraction helps focus attention on the core issues of the simulated phenomenon, while the playful nature of a game, as opposed to ‘work,’ encourages immersion and role playing that contribute to the learning process. This paper describes an on-line game for simulating design collaboration. It espouses to simulate, exercise, and provide a feel for the social dimension of collaboration, by embedding mutual dependencies that encourage players to engage each other – in adversarial or collaborative manner – to accom...
In vitro characterization of cardiac radiofrequency ablation lesions using optical coherence tomography

Currently, cardiac radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is guided by indirect signals. We demonstrate optical coherence tomography (OCT) characterization of RFA lesions within swine ventricular wedges. Untreated tissue exhibited a consistent birefringence artifact within OCT images due to the organized myocardium, which was not present in treated tissue. Birefringence artifacts were detected by filtering with a Laplacian of Gaussian (LoG) to quantify gradient strength. The gradient strength distinguished RFA lesions from untreated sites (p=5.93×10-15) with a sensitivity and specificity of 94.5% and 86.7% respectively. This study demonstrates the potential of OCT for monitoring cardiac RFA, confirming lesion formation and providing feedback to avoid complications.
Iron stores and the international variation in mortality from coronary artery disease

Possible roles for iron in coronary artery disease (CAD) have emerged, including contributions to atherogenesis and/or the vulnerability of the myocardium to ischemia/reperfusion events. The value of hepatic storage iron as a potential risk factor for CAD was evaluated independently and in combination with various lipoprotein indices using CAD mortality data from 11 countries along with available data on liver iron stores. CAD mortality rates were found to be best correlated with the liver iron-serum cholesterol product in both men (r = 0.72) and, more importantly, in both genders combined (r = 0.74). It was also found that estimated CAD incidence could be related in a non-linear fashion to iron-cholesterol values in a simple normal distribution model where all subjects above a threshold value of iron-cholesterol were assumed to have CAD. Hepatic iron values thus appear to be useful in describing the differences in CAD due to both diet (and/or culture) and sex.
On teaching arrays with test-driven learning in WebIDE

Test-driven development (TDD) has been shown to reduce defects and to lead to better code, but can it help beginning students learn basic programming topics, specifically arrays? We performed a controlled experiment where we taught arrays to two CS0 classes, one using WebIDE, an intelligent tutoring system that enforced the use of Test-Driven Learning (TDL) methods, and one using more traditional static methods and a development environment that instructed, but did not enforce the use of TDD. Students who used the TDL approach with WebIDE performed significantly better in assessments and had significantly higher opinions of their experiences than students who used traditional methods and tools.
DISTINGUISHING INDIVIDUAL MALE WILD TURKEYS BY ANALYZING VOCALIZATIONS USING A PERSONAL COMPUTER

ABSTRACT The Department of Wildlife Sciences, New Mexico State University, and the New Mexico Wild Turkey Federation have developed a personal computer system for distinguishing individual male wild turkeys. The system determines census and distribution data for the State endangered subspecies of Gould's wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo mexicana. Since the bird is endangered, more conventional means such as capture, tagging and telemetry are not allowed. Programming provides software for acquisition of data, production of spectrograms and oscillograms, cross correlation and auto correlation and a data management capability. During the spring mating seasons of 1987 and 1988 field recordings were made of gobbling in a limited area of SW New Mexico. The data was processed by the computer and revealed a total of 9 recorded individual gobblers for 1987 and 11 for 1988. It also showed that 4 of the birds recorded in 1987 were also recorded in 1988, and movement data ranged from 1.6 to 11.2 kilometers. The system...
“Pine Mouth” Syndrome: Cacogeusia Following Ingestion of Pine Nuts (Genus: Pinus ). An Emerging Problem?

We report a case of cacogeusia, specifically metallogeusia (a perceived metallic or bitter taste) following pine nut ingestion. A 36-year-old male presented with cacogeusia one day following ingestion of 10–15 roasted pine nuts (genus: Pinus). Symptoms became worst on post-exposure day 2 and progressively improved without treatment over 5 days. There were no other symptoms and physical examination was unrevealing. All symptoms resolved without sequalae. We contemporaneously report a rise in pine nut-associated cacogeusia reported online during the first quarter of 2009, and a significant rise in online searches related to pine nut-associated cacogeusia (or what the online public has termed “pine mouth”) during this time. Most online contributors note a similar cacogeusia 1-3 days following pine nut ingestion lasting for up to 2 weeks. All cases seem self-limited. Patients occasionally describe abdominal cramping and nausea after eating the nuts. Raw, cooked, and processed nuts (in pesto, for example) are implicated. While there appears to be an association between pine nut ingestion and cacogeusia, little is known about this condition, nor can any specific mechanism of specific cause be identified. It is not known if a specific species of pine nut can be implicated. “Pine mouth” appears to be an emerging problem.
Tree planting pattern effects on forage production in a Douglas-fir agroforest

Resource sharing among agroforestry system components, as expressed by spatial patterns along interfaces between components, is a crucial factor in both understanding present systems and in designing new agroforestry applications. A study of the spatial pattern of forage production surrounding 9–10 year old Douglas-fir trees in a agrosilvopastoral plantation near Corvallis, Oregon, was conducted during 1988 and 1989. Transects of plots were clipped both between trees (tree/tree) and between trees and open pastures (tree/pasture). Best-fit regression models relating forage production to distance from trees (tree/tree R2 = 0.87; and tree/pasture R2 = 0.89) were combined into a single prediction model. Observed forage production increased rapidly with increasing distance from trees during the initial 4 m. Trees had little effect on forage production beyond 4.5 m (approximately 2 canopy diameters) from the nearest tree. Predictions of different combinations of tree density and planting pattern indicated a strong interaction between density and pattern with highly aggregated plantations better able to maintain forage production at high tree densities.
Weight loss, slower growth and lower fasting heat production rates following LH lesions in female rats

Abstract Lesions in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) can result in a permanent loss of body weight and slower growth in female rats, but do not do so invariably. Weight and growth rate changes were always accompanied by lower rates of fasting heat production (FHP) independent of changes in activity. The thyroids of these animals were significantly below normal in size. None of the traditional deficits of the “LH syndrome” were present: the animals ate when deprived of water: drank when deprived of food (although less than the control animals) and increased their food intakes when injected systemically with insulin, at least on the initial test. With repeated tests the food intake following insulin-induced hypoglycemia declined both in the animals with lesions and in the animals whose body compositions and weights had been lowered to the same levels.
VODYS: An Agent-Based Model for Exploring Campaign Dynamics

The literature on campaigns has considered a number of factors that affect whether and how someone votes, including demographics, campaign strategies, and social milieu. Understanding the dynamics of campaigns, however, is complicated by the fact that researchers cannot observe much of what happens during an election cycle. Typically, studies rely on voter recollections of conversations, contacts, and media exposure. In addition, because data are collected at discrete points in time, most models of voter turnout cannot capture the dynamic nature of an individualâs interactions during a campaign cycle. Agent-based models offer a way to overcome these data limitations by allowing us to model the dynamics of voter turnout over the course of many weeks as individuals move back and forth between home and work environments, interacting with neighbors and colleagues. In this article, the authors present an agent-based model of campaign dynamics, VODYS, and conduct three simulations to demonstrate the utility of agent-based models for exploring the effects of contact and context on political behavior.
Synthesis and in-vitro cytotoxic activity of phenyl-amino-4-(p-toluenesulfinyl)-trans-1,5-hexadiene

A novel anticancer drug, 1-phenyl-3-phenylamino-4-(p-toluenesulfinyl-trans-1,5-hexadiene has been synthesized and found to have in-vitro cytotoxicity against P388 (LD50 = 15 micrograms/ml) and L1210 (LD50 = 19 micrograms/ml) murine leukemia cells in culture. The LD50 compared favorably with that for doxorubicin. The compound was more cytotoxic to P388 tumor cells than to normal mouse splenocytes. The compound inhibited the uptake of both tritiated thymidine (42% inhibition) and tritiated uridine (24% inhibition) after 3 h of incubation when used at 5 micrograms/ml. No effect on uptake of tritiated leucine was observed during this time period. The compound was cytotoxic to normal mouse splenocytes which had been stimulated to divide by the mitogen concanavalin A. No effect was found on normal, non-dividing splenocytes. These results suggest that this novel compound is cytotoxic to leukemic cells or other rapidly dividing cells through inhibition of DNA and/or RNA synthesis.
Investigation of lithium battery nanoelectrode arrays and their component nanobatteries

Abstract Arrays of individual lithium nanobatteries were constructed using alumina membranes having pores 200 nm in diameters. These pores served as the “jackets” to hold a PEO-lithium triflate electrolyte. The pores were then capped with a cathode material consisting of an ambigel of V 2 O 5 making arrays of individual nanobatteries. Cyclic voltammetry data indicated that a nanoelectrode array model could describe these arrays of cathodes. However, individual nanobatteries were further characterized by charge/discharge tests using atomic force microscopy cantilever tips to make electrical contact with the 200 nm cathodes of the nanobatteries. Average volumetric capacities of 45 μAh cm −2 μm −1 were recorded for these battery systems, demonstrating that these small lithium batteries could function as viable, miniaturized power sources for future nanodevices.
Stereoselective alkylation of chiral glycine enolate synthons. The enantioselective synthesis of α-amino acid derivatives.

Abstract The highly stereoselective alkylation (% de=99.6 to 97.6) of a new chiral glycine enolate synthon derived from D-2-phenylglycinol is described. Deprotection of the alkylation adducts in a one-pot three-step procedure provides the ethyl ester hydrochloride salts of the corresponding α-amino acids with no attending racemization.
Predictors of Language Outcome for Children Born Preterm: Implications forEarly Intervention

There is ample evidence that children who are born preterm are at risk for language impairment [1-3]. However, not all children who are born preterm will experience difficulty developing language. Why some children have a language impairment and others do not may be owed to the presence of certain risk factors, as well as the absence of particular protective factors. It is possible that different combinations of risk and protective factors may result in negative or positive outcomes for the child born preterm.
Conductivity of a random directed-diode network near the percolation threshold

We have investigated the conductivity in a random directed network of "ohmic" diodes, elements which exhibit ohmic response under a forward-bias voltage. A numerical method is developed to identify first the correct "state" of the network, the distribution of forward- and back-biased diodes within the directed backbone, and then calculate the conductivity near the percolation threshold. Extrapolation of Monte Carlo data on the square lattice by anisotropic finite-size scaling yields a directed conductivity exponent of ${t}_{+}\ensuremath{\cong}0.60$.
Synthesis and properties of palladium(II) complexes with sulfur ligands

Complexes of L-2 thiolhistidine (th) and 2-mercaptoimidazole (miz) with Pd(II) were synthesized, Pd(th)4(NO3)2 and Pd(miz)4Cl2, and their structure determined by FTIR, UV/VIS, NMR, mass spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography. For comparison, a Pd(II) complex with thiourea (tu), Pd(tu)4Cl2, was prepared. This compound has been reported in the literature. Spectral evidence indicates a single coordination site between the Pd(II) and S for all complexes. A Pd-S stretch band was identified for all complexes. NMR spectra provided evidence for deshielding effects in the complexes from that of its ligands. Charge transfer bands were identified in the UV/VIS spectra for the new complexes as well. The crystal structure for Pd(miz)4Cl2 was determined. Unit cell data was found to be:a=8.102(3)A,b=8.300(3)A,c=8.304(3)A. The crystal system is triclinic and the space group isP ¯1.
Kinetics of prolytic events during red cell lysis induced by sea anemone nematocyst venom.

Abstract 1. 1. Kinetic studies of the prolytic (induction) phase of hemolysis caused by nematocyst venom isolated from the sea anemone Aiptasia pallida show that two sequential events occur which are affected by venom and Ca 2+ concentrations respectively. 2. 2. The first event, called t 1 , is affected by venom concentration and has two sub-phases: a rapid one and slow one. These suggest a differential rate of binding of the two known lytic factors of venom. 3. 3. The seond phase, t 2 , involves the interaction of Ca 2+ with a complex formed by the venom proteins bound to the red cell membrane.
Decline of Tetradifon and Oxythioquinox on Forage in Vermont

Tetraldifon was applied to I-acre forage plots at rates of 0.01, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 pounds per acre, oxythioquinox was applied at rates of 0.25 and 0.5 pound per acre. Residue samples were taken weekly throughout the growing Season. Analyses were completed by gas chromatography. Substantial residues of tetradifon persisted 93 days after initial treatment. Oxythioquinox residues from the 0.25-pound-per-acre treatment dropped below the detectable range at 50 days.
Literacy and health communication: reversing the 'inverse care law'.

I applaud the efforts of Drs. Volandes and Paasche-Orlow (2007) to argue that the untoward health effects of limited literacy be considered reflective of a systematic form of injustice on the part ...
Methods for the study of alternative splicing

Alternative splicing multiplies the coding capacity of genes, which provides unparalleled complexity to the transcriptome and proteome. This increased complexity has clear repercussions for the regulation of gene expression in many organisms and for the balance between human health and disease. This significance, which has only recently been fully understood, has led to a growing number of studies that address the mechanisms that control alternative splicing decisions and the biological consequences of alternative RNA and protein isoforms. These studies have adapted or developed new methods and protocols that span computational biology, the biochemical analysis of in vitro reactions, model tissue culture systems, and in vivo studies. Many of these methods have been assembled in this volume to assist a newcomer to the study of alternative splicing and to expand the methodologies of laboratories already in the field.
Investigating women's plus-size body measurements and hip shape variation based on SizeUSA data

The women's plus-size apparel category is a growing market segment in the USA as more than two-thirds (64%) of American women are considered either overweight or obese (Flegal et al., 2010. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999–2008. Journal of the American Medical Association, 303 (3), 235–241. Available from: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/303/3/235 [Accessed 6 July 2010]). Pisut and Connell (2007. Fit preferences of female consumers in the USA. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 11 (3), 366–379) and Simmons et al. (2004. Female figure identification technique (FFIT) for apparel, part II: development of shape sorting software. Journal of Textile and Apparel Technology and Management, 4 (1)) reported that women today reflect a more pear-shaped silhouette than in previous decades. Kurt Salmon Associates (2000. Annual consumer outlook survey. Paper presented at the American Apparel and Footwear Association apparel research committee, Orlando, FL) reported that more tha...
Biological effects and toxicity assessment of titanium dioxides: anatase and rutile.

Anatase and rutile are titanium dioxides (TiO2) with different crystal lattices. The particles of TiO2 are considered a “nuisance” dust. It has been reported that rutile can be considered “inert”.(4) However, anatase, because of its hemolytic activity in vitro and slow lung clearance, should warrant further research regarding its toxicity.(4) We exposed rats to an aerosol of either anatase or rutile and determined the TiO2 retention in the lung up to 132 days post exposure. Particle clearance from the lung, calculated from the retention data, was similar in both the anatase and the rutile groups with T1/2 of 51 or 53 days, respectively. In addition a pulmonary cell response test was performed on other rats. After intratracheal instillation of anatase and rutile in doses of 0.5 or 5.0 mg/rat, lung lavage was performed and the harvested cells counted. The counts of all cells, alveolar macrophages (AM), peroxidase positive AM, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes were compared. The pulmonary cell response test a...
Senescent expression of genes coding tropoelastin, elastase, lysyl oxidase, and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases in rat vocal folds: comparison with skin and lungs.

Histology studies indicate that vocal elastin content accumulates with age, suggesting possible contribution of elastin to age-associated voice changes. However, the underlying mechanism remains un...
DYNAMIC RELIABILITY MEASURES AND LIFE DISTRIBUTION MODELS FOR MULTISTATE SYSTEMS

This paper generalizes the dynamic binary state reliability parameters R(t), F(t), λ(t) and MTBF to corresponding dynamic multistate reliability parameter vectors R(t), F(t), λ(t) and M. Then, probability models for system lifetime used on binary state reliability models, such as exponential, Weibull, and other distributions are generalized for multistate models. Continuous time Markov process and Semi-Markov process are used to model the lifetime distribution for multistate system. Multistate reliability measures, such as R(t), F(t), λ(t), M are derived for those multistate reliability models.
Pathologic study of persistent common atrioventricular canal

Abstract Persistent common atrioventricular canal is one of the forms of congenital heart disease which stems from the failure of fusion of the endocardial cushions to each other in the embryonic stage. This deficiency in its complete form shows a common cleft in the anterior mitral and septal tricuspid valve leaflets and defects of the intracardiac septum above and below, allowing communication among all four chambers of the heart. The superior edge of the ventricular septum stands free. In the least deficient form, referred to as partial , fusion of the endocardial cushions is incomplete on the left side only, resulting in a normal septal tricuspid leaflet and a cleft anterior mitral leaflet. There is a pattern which may be called intermediate between the complete and partial forms, in which the only evidence of fusion of the endocardial cushions is a small bridge of valvular tissue seen on the superior aspect of the ventricular septum. Common to all three types of persistent common atrioventricular canal is persistence of the ostium primum, which probably is due, at least in part, to failure in the upward growth of the endocardial cushions. The pathologic data compiled are based on 28 cases of persistent common atrioventricular canal, of which 16 represented the complete, 7 the intermediate, and 5 the partial type. Subvalvular spaces allowing free interventricular communication were present in 13 of the 15 hearts with the complete form, in 4 of the 7 with the intermediate form, and in 1 of the 5 with the partial form. The lower limbus of the fossa ovalis was deficient in 13 of the 28 specimens. Nine of these defects were in hearts with the complete form of the malformation, 3 were associated with the intermediate form, and 1 with the partial form. Cardiac enlargement, including right ventricular hypertrophy, was common. In several hearts biventricular hypertrophy was evident. Not uncommonly, one or more associated cardiac defects were seen in the speciment studied. Atrial septal defect was noted in 12 specimens, double mitral orifice in 5, and miscellaneous types of defects, including a case of significant patent ductus arteriosus, in 7 others. Among a total of 109 cases of persistent common atrioventricular canal examined or documented for tabulation are 24 instances with additional cardiac or great-vessel malformations other than patent foramen ovale and patent ductus arteriosus. Six examples of subacute bacterial endocarditis complicating this lesion have been documented thus far. The rare anomaly of double mitral valve was observed in 5 of the 28 hearts with persistent common atrioventricular canal. The frequent association of these two lesions has not been commented on before.
Percutaneous Nephroscopic Resection of Renal Pelvic Fibroepithelial Polyp

Benign fibroepithelial polyps of the renal pelvis are extremely rare, and are frequently mistaken for transitional cell carcinoma. Diagnosis is usually made following nephrectomy or nephroureterectomy for an assumed malignancy of the renal pelvis. We report a 56-year-old female with a right renal pelvic fibroepithelial polyp successfully treated by percutaneous nephroscopic resection.
A Discussion of the State-of-art Research on Environmentally Conscious Material Selection Methodologies for the Reduction of Products’ Toxic Impact

Environmentally Conscious Design (ECD) as a proactive measure to reduce adverse environmental impacts has experienced rapid development in the past 30 years. As a key component of ECD, Environmentally Conscious Material Selection (ECMS) gained increasing importance and thus drew much research interest. This paper discusses ECMS with a focus on the materials’ toxic impact on the environment, one of the most important concerns of ECMS. It shows that current research has made significant progress in identifying a material’s toxic properties, toxic inventory analysis, source-to-dose process analysis and integrated evaluation methods. However, most of the research lacks sufficient detail in toxic impact analysis, and does not address eco-toxicity adequately. The complex interactions among the regulatory agencies, manufacturers, and consumers relating to environmental issues are also not reflected by current material selection methodologies. All these require further improvement of the ECMS methodology.
PFISR observations of strong azimuthal flow bursts in the ionosphere and their relation to nightside aurora

Abstract Flow bursts within the ionosphere are the ionospheric signatures of flow bursts in the plasma sheet and have been associated with poleward boundary intensifications (PBIs). Some PBIs extend equatorward from the polar cap boundary, where they can be roughly divided into north–south-aligned and east–west-aligned structures. In this paper, we present two flow burst events observed by the new Poker Flat Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) in the pre-midnight auroral zone on 28 April 2007, one towards the west and the other towards the east. In both cases, enhanced flows lasted for about 8–10 min with peak velocities exceeding 1500 m/s. The concurrently measured electron density showed that the flow bursts occurred in low conductivity regions. However, near the poleward (equatorward) edge of the westward (eastward) flow burst, strong electron density enhancements were observed in the E region, indicating the presence of discrete auroral arcs. Auroral images from the Polar spacecraft were available at the time of the eastward flow burst and they indicate that this burst was associated with an east–west-aligned auroral structure that connected at later MLT to a north–south structure. In addition, simultaneous precipitating particle energy spectrum measured by the the Defense Meteorological Satellites Program (DMSP) F13 satellite reveals that this auroral structure resulted from mono-energetic electron precipitation associated with a significant field-aligned potential drop. These observations show direct evidence of the relationship between flow bursts, field-aligned currents and auroral intensifications, and suggest that eastward/westward flow bursts are associated with east–west-oriented PBI structures that have extended well within the plasma sheet. This is in contrast to the equatorward-directed flow that has been previously inferred for PBIs near the polar cap boundary and for north–south auroral structures. This paper illustrates the use of the PFISR radar for studying the magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling of flow bursts.
Left atrial appendage pacing to confirm far-field potentials in the left superior pulmonary vein: a case of pseudo-pulmonary vein reconnection.

A 57-year-old man with symptomatic recurrent atrial fibrillation after a prior pulmonary vein (PV) isolation procedure was brought to the electrophysiology laboratory for a repeat ablation procedure. At the start of the procedure, a circular mapping catheter was placed within the left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV). Electrogram analysis demonstrated an initial low-frequency (Figre 1A, arrow) and a second high-frequency (Figure 1A, asterisk) potential consistent with reconnection of the LSPV. A single radiofrequency lesion was placed, resulting in loss of the second high-frequency electrogram, which suggested reisolation of the LSPV. The remaining high-frequency electrograms located on the anterior aspect of the PV were thought to represent far-field signals from the left atrial appendage (LAA). Placement of the ablation catheter in the LAA (Figure 1B, inset) demonstrated that the timing of these electrograms was simultaneous with electrical activation of the LAA and thus consistent with far-field LAA signals (Figure 1B, dashed box). LAA pacing was performed at 20 mA/2 ms to confirm finding (Figure 1B). However, delayed high-frequency electrograms were now present on the circular catheter at a location where high-frequency signals consistently were not seen initially (electrode pairs 8 and 9 located in the posteroinferior LSPV; Figure 1B, oval). This component was no longer present at reduced pacing output (7 mA/2 ms; Figure 1C). These findings were suggestive of far-field capture of an LSPV muscle bundle with spiraling (hence delayed) activation during high-output LAA pacing. High-output LAA pacing likely resulted in direct capture of the LSPV in the region of the third, fourth, or fifth electrode pair of the circular mapping catheter. Note the small deflection immediately after the pacing artifact during pacing at 20 mA/2 ms (Figure 1B, asterisk) but not at output of 7 mA/2 ms (Figure 1C). The consistent presence of isolated PV potentials (e.g., Figure 1C, dashed oval) confirmed the presence of PV isolation. LAA pacing is an important electrophysiologic maneuver to
Spectral RTL Test Generation for Gate-Level Stuck-at Faults

We model RTL faults as stuck-at faults on primary inputs, primary outputs, and ip- ops. Tests for these faults are analyzed using Hadamard matrices for Walsh functions and random noise level at each primary input. This information then helps generate vector sequences. At the gate-level, a fault simulator and an integer lin- ear program (ILP) compact the test sequences. We give results for four ITC'99 and four ISCAS'89 bench- mark circuits, and an experimental processor. The RTL spectral vectors performed equally well on mul- tiple gate-level implementations. Compared to a gate- level ATPG, RTL vectors produced similar or higher coverage in shorter CPU times.
Identifying Patient Smoking Status from Medical Discharge Records

The authors organized a Natural Language Processing (NLP) challenge on automatically determining the smoking status of patients from information found in their discharge records. This challenge was issued as a part of the i2b2 (Informatics for Integrating Biology to the Bedside) project, to survey, facilitate, and examine studies in medical language understanding for clinical narratives. This article describes the smoking challenge, details the data and the annotation process, explains the evaluation metrics, discusses the characteristics of the systems developed for the challenge, presents an analysis of the results of received system runs, draws conclusions about the state of the art, and identifies directions for future research. A total of 11 teams participated in the smoking challenge. Each team submitted up to three system runs, providing a total of 23 submissions. The submitted system runs were evaluated with microaveraged and macroaveraged precision, recall, and F-measure. The systems submitted to the smoking challenge represented a variety of machine learning and rule-based algorithms. Despite the differences in their approaches to smoking status identification, many of these systems provided good results. There were 12 system runs with microaveraged F-measures above 0.84. Analysis of the results highlighted the fact that discharge summaries express smoking status using a limited number of textual features (e.g., "smok", "tobac", "cigar", Social History, etc.). Many of the effective smoking status identifiers benefit from these features.
Effect of grid-connected DFIG wind turbines on power system transient stability

In some power systems, the penetration of wind power is increasing rapidly and starts to influence the overall system behavior and stability. Under this condition, it becomes necessary to require wind turbine generators (WTGs) to remain in service during grid faults to support network voltage and frequency. This paper investigates the effect of grid-connected wind turbines driving doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) on the transient stability of power systems. By using an uninterrupted operation scheme and the fast control of the DFIG converters, the DFIG wind turbines can successfully ride through grid faults and have no problem of angular stability associated with the conventional synchronous generators. Therefore, the integration of DFIG wind turbines can even bring some benefits on power system transient performance and stability. Simulation studies are carried out to demonstrate and compare the transient performance of the IEEE 10-machine 39-bus system with and without wind power integration during a severe grid fault. Results show that a better transient performance is achieved by the power system with wind power integration.
Evidence that metabolism and chromosome copy number control mutually exclusive cell fates in Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis chooses between matrix production and spore formation, which are both controlled by the regulator Spo0A∼P. We report that metabolism and chromosome copy number dictate which fate is adopted. Conditions that favour low Spo0A∼P levels promote matrix production, whereas conditions favouring high levels trigger sporulation. Spo0A∼P directs the synthesis of SinI, an antirepressor for the SinR repressor of matrix genes. The regulatory region of sinI contains an activator site that Spo0A∼P binds strongly and operators that bind Spo0A∼P weakly. Evidence shows that low Spo0A∼P levels turn sinI ON and high levels turn sinI OFF and instead switch sporulation ON. Cells in which sinI and sinR were transplanted from their normal position near the chromosome replication terminus to positions near the origin and cells that harboured an extra copy of the genes were blocked in matrix production. Thus, matrix gene expression is sensitive to the number of copies of sinI and sinR . Because cells at the start of sporulation have two chromosomes and matrix‐producing cells one, chromosome copy number could contribute to cell‐fate determination.
1-reducibility inside an m-degree with a maximal set

The structure of the 1-degrees included in an m-degree with a maximal set together with the 1-reducibility relation is characterized. For this a special sublattice of the lattice of recursively enumerable sets under the set-inclusion is used.
How the worm was won. The C. elegans genome sequencing project.

The genome sequence of the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is nearly complete, with resolution of the final difficult regions expected over the next few months. This will represent the first genome of a multicellular organism to be sequenced to completion. The genome is approximately 97 Mb in total, and encodes more than 19 099 proteins, considerably more than expected before sequencing began. The sequencing project - a collaboration between the Genome Sequencing Center in St Louis and the Sanger Centre in Hinxton - has lasted eight years, with the majority of the sequence generated in the past four years. Analysis of the genome sequence is just beginning and represents an effort that will undoubtedly last more than another decade. However, some interesting findings are already apparent, indicating that the scope of the project, the approach taken, and the usefulness of having the genetic blueprint for this small organism have been well worth the effort.
Flux control in networks of diffusion paths

A class of optimization problems in networks of intersecting diffusion domains of a special form of thin paths has been considered. The system of equations describing stationary solutions is equivalent to an electrical circuit built of intersecting conductors. The solution of an optimization problem has been obtained and extended to the analogous electrical circuit. The interest in this network arises from, among other applications, an application to wave-particle diffusion through resonant interactions in plasma.
An Approach for Shape from Surface Normals with Local Discontinuity Detection

We present a multi-modal surface reconstruction approach, which utilizes direct surface orientation measurements along with luminance information to obtain high quality 3D reconstructions. The proposed approach models local surface geometry as a set of intersecting natural cubic splines estimated through least squares fitting of our input pixel-wise surface normal measurements. We use this representation to detect discontinuities and segment our scene into disjoint continuous surfaces, which are constructed by an aggregation of connected local surface geometry elements. In order to obtain absolute depth estimates, we introduce the concept of multi-view patch sweeping, where we search for the most photo-consistent patch displacement along a viewing ray. Our approach improves on existing shape from normals methods by enabling absolute depth estimates for scenes with multiple objects. Furthermore, in contrast to existing multi-view stereo methods, we are able to reconstruct textureless regions through the propagation of relative surface orientation measurements. Experiments on synthetic and real data are presented to validate our proposal.
Analysis and practices of energy benchmarking for industry from the perspective of systems engineering

Abstract Benchmarking has been recognized to be an effective analysis methodology and management tool that helps to improve efficiency and performance in many areas for different objectives. Industrial energy benchmarking is a process of evaluating energy performance of an individual industrial plant or sector against a reference plant or sector. Energy benchmarking based on the performance of industry leaders or best practices is particularly useful for identifying energy inefficiencies in the production processes and estimating the potential for energy savings. This paper introduces industrial energy benchmarking and existing programs and practices and then provides a formal general system description of industrial energy benchmarking. Process-based energy benchmarking approach is further analyzed in detail from the perspective of systems engineering. The resulting system description and methodologies provide a general unified framework for analyzing and implementing industrial energy benchmarking. An industrial energy benchmarking prototype is analyzed to demonstrate the basic idea and practices of industrial energy benchmarking within this general system framework.
A Note on the Comparison of Short Period Seismometers For Recording Teleseismic Events

Six short-period seismometers of different makes and models, which are in common use, were used to record several underground nuclear detonations at teleseismic distances. A comparison of the seismograms obtained showed no clear superiority of one type seismometer over another. However, arrival times for a given phase recorded by the various seismometers showed discrepancies which could introduce errors in crustal and upper mantle structural determinations.
An evaluation of the Bayesian approach to fitting the N-mixture model for use with pseudo-replicated count data

The N-mixture model proposed by Royle in 2004 may be used to approximate the abundance and detection probability of animal species in a given region. In 2006, Royle and Dorazio discussed the advantages of using a Bayesian approach in modelling animal abundance and occurrence using a hierarchical N-mixture model. N-mixture models assume replication on sampling sites, an assumption that may be violated when the site is not closed to changes in abundance during the survey period or when nominal replicates are defined spatially. In this paper, we studied the robustness of a Bayesian approach to fitting the N-mixture model for pseudo-replicated count data. Our simulation results showed that the Bayesian estimates for abundance and detection probability are slightly biased when the actual detection probability is small and are sensitive to the presence of extra variability within local sites.
Representation of process synchronization

There is presently no natural, convenient way to represent synchronization between communicating processes. Two dimensional graph models seem to offer the most natural representations, and of these the Petri net is perhaps the most basic. The author has been working on graph models similar to Petri nets, stressing the ease and convenience of the model as a descriptive device rather than attempting to prove properties such as liveness and safeness. It is shown that Petri nets are incapable of representing some simple and interesting synchronization problems such as reader-writer problems. Recent work has been directed towards the identification of modifications to graph models to overcome such dificiencies.
Static responses of a multilayered anisotropic piezoelectric structure to point force and point charge

This paper studies three-dimensional (3D) static responses of a multilayered anisotropic piezoelectric structure due to a point force and point charge. The materials in each layer are homogeneous, generally anisotropic, and linearly piezoelectric, and in general different from one another. The interfaces between adjacent layers are perfectly bonded. The generalized Stroh formalism and two-dimensional (2D) Fourier transforms are employed to find the responses in terms of a 2D integral. For a layered structure made of ten alternating layers of piezoelectric AlN and InN on an InN substrate, we show that the responses due to the point force and point charge are greatly influenced by the material layering, showing complicated patterns through the layer thickness. Furthermore, the responses exhibit the asymptotic behavior in the case of homogeneous infinite space/half-space in a very short distance to the point source, about one tenth of the layer thickness. The complicated responses due to the layered heterogeneity dictate the need for a general 3D analysis in the design of such smart structures.
EXPANSION OF THE INNER MEMBRANE COMPARTMENT AND ITS RELATION TO MITOCHONDRIAL VOLUME AND ION TRANSPORT

Glutaraldehyde has been used to fix mitochondria undergoing rapid volume changes associated with energized ion transport under oscillatory state conditions and valinomycin-induced potassium uptake. Fixation was found to prevent structural changes which normally occur during ion accumulation or loss. By correlating packed volume measurements with electron microscopy, it is shown that changes in volume associated with ion movements reflect changes in the inner membrane compartment and that this compartment can be related to the sucrose inaccessible space. The method can therefore be used to accurately determine volume changes that arise from ion translocation.
Among-population variation in adipose fin size parallels the expression of other secondary sexual characteristics in sockeye salmon ( Oncorhynchus nerka )

The small, non-rayed adipose fin is present in eight extant orders of fishes, including the Salmoniformes (salmon and trout) but the functional significance of the trait is unknown. Recent evidence suggests a hydrodynamic function in juvenile salmonids, and observations of sexually dimorphic adipose fin expression and female preference for males with large fins indicate a role in reproduction by mature individuals. To the extent that the adipose fin functions in reproduction, it might be expected to evolve in parallel with other sexually dimorphic traits, such as body depth and jaw length. To test this hypothesis, we quantified adipose fin size of mature male sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka, among five populations. Populations differed significantly in adipose fin size after correcting for variation in body length and body depth. Adipose fin size tended to parallel the development of other secondary sexual characteristics, but was more closely related to body length and body depth than jaw length. Interestingly, shallow bodied populations from small creeks with high brown bear, Ursus arctos, predation during spawning tended to have smaller size-adjusted adipose fins than populations spawning in deeper water. However, it remains unclear whether adipose fin size is being selected independently of other traits or if it is pleoitropically linked to a trait under selection (e.g., body size or shape).
Post-thaw motility and longevity of motility of imipramine-induced ejaculates of pony stallions.

Abstract Imipramine-induced ex copula ejaculates (11) and fractionated in copula ejaculates were collected from each of 5 pony stallions for freezing in 5-ml straws (6), using a modified Kenney glucose skim-milk extender (2). Initial post-thaw total and progressive motilities and daily post-thaw total and progressive motilities, as well as the number of days to reach 0 progressively motile spermatozoa, were also similar for the 2 methods of collection. The percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa both before freezing and after thawing were also similar for in copula and ex copula ejaculates. Consistent with previous work (11), imipramine-induced ejaculates were of extremely high sperm concentration and low volume compared with those of in copula ejaculates. In this study, imipramine-induced ejaculates were of significantly higher concentration of sperm and lower volume than fractionated (first 2–3 jets) in copula ejaculates. These results suggest that imipramine-induced ejaculates may be suitable for cryopreservation. Breeding trials are necessary to evaluate actual fertility of semen.