cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aerodynamic Characteristics of Corn as Determined by Energy Balance Techniques

Aerodynamic resistance to heat transfer (r ah ) needed to calculate sensible heat flux (H) used in energy balance modeling can be estimated from momentum aerodynamic resistance with corrections for atmospheric stability. This study compared r ah and H modeled by four commonly used resistance methods with r ah and H measured indirectly through energy balance techniques. Three momentum aerodynamic parameters were calculated : roughness length, Z om ; zero plane displacement, d ; and friction velocity, U*. Corn (Zea mays L.) was grown on east-west rows (0.75 m wide) in 1989 and 1990 at Bushland, TX, in two contiguous 5-ha fields where two weighing lysimeters were located and micrometeorological measurements were made. Sensible heat flux was indirectly measured as a residual of the energy balance and then used to calculate aerodynamic resistance. Momentum aerodynamic parameters were calculated from near-neutral condition wind-speed profiles using a least squares procedure. The momentum parameter relationships to crop height (CH) were d = 0.73 x CH (r 2 = 0.59) and Z om = 0.12 x CH (r 2 = 0.96). While no r ah model performed well, the best linear fit (r 2 = 0.75, y = 1.08x + 4.2) between measured (x) and modeled (y) r ah occurred under stable atmospheric conditions ; for measured and modeled H, the best linear fit (r 2 = 184, y = 0.93x + 62.1) occurred under all atmospheric conditions. Measured r ah in neutral and unstable conditions was not closely associated with wind speed. Performance of a model with a limited stability factor was improved by increasing the magnitude of the factor. These results suggest that r ah models may be sensitive to atmospheric stability and local conditions such as fetch and leaf area.
A model for life cycle evaluation of highway investments

Sustainable development has added a new dimension to the evaluation of highway capacity investments. It places an emphasis on analyzing the entire life of a facility, from an environmental as well as an economic perspective. This paper presents a way to analyze capacity investments that is consistent with the sustainable development perspective. It departs from the typical approach of focusing on a small set of peak use conditions, often in the design year. It couples economic concepts with a representation of the facility's lifetime use to perform a robust analysis. A freeway facility is used to illustrate the ideas. Principles of engineering economics and life cycle costing help determine what incremental capacity investments would be warranted given postulated or observed use patterns. It is then demonstrated that the findings from this analysis and the principles employed can be applied to a wide range of infrastructure investment decision making situations.
Specific nucleotide sequences in HeLa cell inverted repeated DNA: Enrichment for sequences found in double-stranded regions of heterogeneous nuclear RNA

Abstract Inverted repeat DNA was isolated from HeLa cell nuclei and transcribed in vitro with Escherichia coli RNA polymerase in the presence of [alpha- 32 P]nucleoside triphosphates. The RNA products were digested with T 1 ribonuclease and subjected to separation in two dimensions. The pattern of the prominent oligonucleotides was almost indistinguishable from that seen when the double-stranded regions from 32 P-labeled HeLa cell heterogeneous nuclear RNA were fingerprinted in a similar manner. The sequences of several of the largest prominent T 1 ribonuclease-generated oligonucleotides were determined and were found to agree with those isolated from the double-stranded heterogeneous nuclear RNA that migrated to the same positions in the fingerprints. The most prominent component of the inverted repeat DNA appears to be sequences that are transcribed into double-stranded regions in heterogeneous nuclear RNA molecules.
Synthesis, crystal structure, and optical properties of a new bismuth magnesium vanadate: BiMg2VO6

Abstract A new bismuth magnesium vanadate, BiMg 2 VO 6 , has been synthesized and structurally characterized from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. It crystallizes in orthorhombic symmetry with a = 7.9136(6) A, b = 12.246(2) A, c = 5.444(2) A, V = 527.6(2)A 3 , z = 4, and a space group of Cmcm (No. 63). An unusual fivefold coordination is found for Mg. The five O atoms bound to Mg form a square pyramidal coordination polyhedron with MgO bond lengths ranging from 1.973(7) to 2.066(3) A. The Bi atom is coordinated by four O atoms with BiO bond lengths 2.213(2) A forming a square pyramid. The V atom bonds to four O atoms with VO distances from 1.672(6) to 1.725(5) A; all the OVO angles are very close to the value of an ideal VO 4 tetrahedron. The BiMg 2 VO 6 structure may be viewed as connected chains of edge-shared BiO 4 units and corner-shared MgO 5 units extending along the c axis. These chains are then connected to each other through the VO 4 tetrahedra and edge sharing of the MgO 5 units. The absorption edge (about 450 nm) determined from the photothermal deflection technique is consistent with results from the excitation-emission spectrum. An emission band around 650 nm was observed. The IR spectrum of this compound is also reported.
Self-consistent relativistic density-functional theory: Application to neutral uranium atom and some ions of lithium isoelectronic sequence

In a relativistic density-functional theory the importance of the transverse photon contribution to the exchange potential in the high-density regime is pointed out. A neutral atom $^{92}\mathrm{U}$ is studied and its orbital energies calculated in the present scheme are compared with previous calculations based on relativistic Hartree, Dirac-Slater, and Dirac-Fock schemes and with experimental values from (electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis) ESCA studies. The present scheme is also used to calculate the orbital and total energies of some highly stripped ions of the Li isoelectronic sequence which occur as impurities in controlled thermonuclear plasma. These energies are found to be in close agreement with more involved Dirac-Fock results. Also, the relativistic effects significantly increase in going from ${\mathrm{C}}^{3+}$ to ${\mathrm{W}}^{71+}$ because the electronic density reaches values for which relativistic effects become large.
Optimal and Suboptimal Linear Active Suspensions for Road Vehicles

SUMMARY By employing acceleration feedback a body spring of arbitary stiffness may be incorporated in an active suspension design without loss of optimality. Furthermore, as a practical simplification the necessary body position feedback may be measured relative to the axle rather than to the road. This entails only a slight loss in performance and results in a suboptimal system with a simplified feedback structure. The effects of the performance index weighting factors on the eigenvalues of the optimal system are discussed.
Effects of caffeine on social behavior, exploration and locomotor activity: interactions with ethanol.

The effects of caffeine and its interaction with ethanol were examined in a test of social behavior and a holeboard test of exploration and locomotion. Male mice were injected i.p. with 15, 30 or 60 mg/kg caffeine alone or in combination with 2 g/kg ethanol. The animals were then put in pairs into a familiar arena, or examined individually in the holeboard. Only the highest dose of caffeine (60 mg/kg) had a significant effect on the time spent in social interaction and motor activity in the social behavior test: both measures were reduced. The duration and frequency of avoidance-irritability behavior was dose-dependently increased by caffeine. In the holeboard, caffeine caused a dose-dependent increase in locomotor activity. 30 mg/kg caffeine reversed the ethanol-induced reduction of time spent in social interaction, and 60 mg/kg caffeine antagonized the ethanol-induced increase in locomotor activity in both the social behavior and holeboard tests. Caffeine's effects on ethanol-induced behavioral changes are compared with those of other drugs.
Expansion of the coordinator role in orthopaedic residency program management.

The Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education’s (ACGME) Data Accreditation System indicates 124 of 152 orthopaedic surgery residency program directors have 5 or fewer years of tenure. The qualifications and responsibilities of the position based on the requirements of orthopaedic surgery residency programs, the institutions that support them, and the ACGME Outcome Project have evolved the role of the program coordinator from clerical to managerial. To fill the void of information on the coordinators’ expanding roles and responsibilities, the 2006 Association of Residency Coordinators in Orthopaedic Surgery (ARCOS) Career survey was designed and distributed to 152 program coordinators in the United States. We had a 39.5% response rate for the survey, which indicated a high level of day-to-day managerial oversight of all aspects of the residency program; additional responsibilities for other department or division functions for fellows, rotating medical students, continuing medical education of the faculty; and miscellaneous business functions. Although there has been expansion of the role of the program coordinator, challenges exist in job congruence and position reclassification. We believe use of professional groups such as ARCOS and certification of program coordinators should be supported and encouraged.
Balloon dilation of unoperated coarctation of the aorta: Short- and intermediate-term results

Balloon dilation is effective in the immediate relief of obstruction due to unoperated coarctation of the aorta. However, the long-term benefits and complications of this procedure have not been established. Thirty-three patients underwent balloon dilation of unoperated coarctation using a percutaneous technique from November 1983 to December 1985. High quality biplane angiography was performed before and after dilation. Follow-up was obtained in 20 patients from 6 to 31 months following dilation. Angiography was performed at follow-up in 10, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging in 10 and both NMR imaging and angiography in 3. Balloon dilation was successful in 31 of the 33 patients with a decrease in average systolic pressure gradient from 46 to 8 mm Hg. There was no significant change in gradient on follow-up physical examination and at recatheterization in 10 patients. In addition, there was no evidence of restenosis on follow-up angiography and NMR imaging. In two patients, a small aneurysm formed at the site of balloon dilation. Balloon dilation of unoperated coarctation is effective, providing lasting relief of coarctation gradient and no evidence of restenosis. However, because of the uncertain natural history of aneurysms after dilation, this procedure should be considered investigational until further follow-up on patients with and without an aneurysm is available.
On the relative influence of individual harmonics on pitch judgment.

Spectral weighting functions were estimated in a pitch-comparison task to assess the relative influence of individual harmonics on listeners’ pitch judgment. The stimuli were quasi-harmonic complex tones composed of the first 12 components, with fundamental frequencies ranging from 100 to 800 Hz. On each stimulus presentation the frequency of each harmonic was randomly jittered by a small amount. The perceptual weight for each harmonic was calculated as the correlation coefficient between the binary responses of the listener and the frequency jitters for that harmonic. Although in general the present results conform to previous ones showing the predominant role of several low-ranked harmonics, discrepancies exist in details. Contrary to some previous reports that the dominant harmonics were of fixed harmonic ranks regardless of their frequencies, the current results showed that the dominant harmonics were best described as close to a fixed absolute frequency of 600 Hz.
A fiber optic biosensor: combination tapered fibers designed for improved signal acquisition

Abstract One of the most critical features of an evanescent wave fiber optic biosensor is the design of the fiber probe's sensing region. The initial fibers tested exhibited poor sensitivity, primarily due to loss of fluorescent signal which was collected by the sensing region but which failed to propagate back in the clad fiber due to V-number mismatch. Earlier work has shown that tapering of the sensing region improves coupling of the fluorescence signal. While sensitivity was increased, there was a lack of reproducibility of signal magnitude from fiber to fiber. To produce a more consistent fiber probe which maintained sensitivity, signal return along the length of the probe was investigated. An effective design, termed a combination taper, was found which provided an even signal return along the fiber's length. The fiber tapers down to the V-number matching radius over 1 cm, maintaining total internal reflection, then continues to taper gently along the following 9 cm to near the distal end. The combination taper fiber provides not only the desired sensitivity, but also improved reproducibility.
Post-study caffeine administration enhances memory consolidation in humans

It is currently not known whether caffeine has an enhancing effect on long-term memory in humans. We used post-study caffeine administration to test its effect on memory consolidation using a behavioral discrimination task. Caffeine enhanced performance 24 h after administration according to an inverted U-shaped dose-response curve; this effect was specific to consolidation and not retrieval. We conclude that caffeine enhanced consolidation of long-term memories in humans.
TH-A-BRF-08: Deformable Registration of MRI and CT Images for MRI-Guided Radiation Therapy

Purpose: To evaluate the quality of a commercially available MRI-CT image registration algorithm and then develop a method to improve the performance of this algorithm for MRI-guided prostate radiotherapy. Methods: Prostate contours were delineated on ten pairs of MRI and CT images using Eclipse. Each pair of MRI and CT images was registered with an intensity-based B-spline algorithm implemented in Velocity. A rectangular prism that contains the prostate volume was partitioned into a tetrahedral mesh which was aligned to the CT image. A finite element method (FEM) was developed on the mesh with the boundary constraints assigned from the Velocity generated displacement vector field (DVF). The resultant FEM displacements were used to adjust the Velocity DVF within the prism. Point correspondences between the CT and MR images identified within the prism could be used as additional boundary constraints to enforce the model deformation. The FEM deformation field is smooth in the interior of the prism, and equal to the Velocity displacements at the boundary of the prism. To evaluate the Velocity and FEM registration results, three criteria were used: prostate volume conservation and center consistence under contour mapping, and unbalanced energy of their deformation maps. Results: With the DVFs generated by the Velocity and FEM simulations, the prostate contours were warped from MRI to CT images. With the Velocity DVFs, the prostate volumes changed 10.2% on average, in contrast to 1.8% induced by the FEM DVFs. The average of the center deviations was 0.36 and 0.27 cm, and the unbalance energy was 2.65 and 0.38 mJ/cc3 for the Velocity and FEM registrations, respectively. Conclusion: The adaptive FEM method developed can be used to reduce the error of the MIbased registration algorithm implemented in Velocity in the prostate region, and consequently may help improve the quality of MRI-guided radiation therapy.
Partition functions and equilibrium constants for LiH and LiH

Abstract Partition functions and equilibrium constants for the diatomic molecules LiH and LiH + are presented for temperatures T up to 40,000 K. The results are obtained by a direct sum of all electronic ground state rotational-vibrational levels whose energies are determined by solving the radial nuclear Schrodinger equation within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation.
Prion protein detection in serum using micromechanical resonator arrays.

Abstract Prion proteins that have transformed from their normal cellular counterparts (PrP c ) into infectious form (PrP res ) are responsible for causing progressive neurodegenerative diseases in numerous species, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle (also known as mad cow disease), scrapie in sheep, and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) in humans. Due to a possible link between BSE and CJD it is highly desirable to develop non-invasive and ante mortem tests for the detection of prion proteins in bovine samples. Such ante mortem tests of all cows prior to slaughter will help to prevent the introduction of PrP res into the human food supply. Furthermore, detection of PrP res in donated blood will also help to prevent the transmission of CJD among humans through blood transfusion. In this study, we have continued development of a micromechanical resonator array that is capable of detecting PrP c in bovine blood serum. The sensitivity of the resonators for the detection of PrP c is further enhanced by the use of secondary mass labels. A pair of antibodies is used in a sandwich immunoassay format to immobilize PrP c on the surface of resonators and attach nanoparticles as secondary mass labels to PrP c . Secondary mass labeling is optimized in terms of incubation time to maximize the frequency shifts that correspond to the presence of PrP c on the surface of resonators. Our results show that a minimum of 200 pg mL −1 of PrP c in blood serum can be detected using micromechanical resonator arrays.
Blood transfusion--when is more really less?

Blood transfusion has for years been considered to have obvious clinical benefits and to be a relatively low-risk procedure. Not until the early 1980s did transfusion practices begin to come under systematic scrutiny. Initially, this trend was driven by concern about transfusion-related infection, particularly by human immunodeficiency virus, but advances in transfusion medicine have greatly decreased the risk of transmission of viruses by transfused blood. Now, other concerns — the effects of transfusion on the immune system, transfusion-related acute lung injury, and the age of transfused blood — drive the debate over transfusion practice and have led to methodical examinations . . .
FePt/BN granular films for high-density recording media

Abstract FePt particles with the high magnetocrystalline anisotropy L1 0 structure and particle sizes between 3 and 15 nm have been fabricated by annealing FePt/BN multilayers with bilayer thicknesses in the range of 2.5–200 A, at 600°C and 700°C. Films with thicker bilayer thicknesses were found to have a strong (1 1 1) texture, which is less developed in thinner bilayer films. For a particular bilayer thickness (FePt-20 A/BN-40 A), a special type of textured ordering is observed in the X-ray diffraction patterns, in which the c -axis of all the particles has a perpendicular component. Magnetic measurements showed that a wide range of coercivities (2–18 kOe) could be obtained in the films by varying the bilayer thickness and the annealing temperature and time. The concentration of BN was found to control the interparticle interactions, which for certain BN values led to decoupling of the FePt grains.
Contributions of Neuroimaging to Epilepsy Diagnosis

Objective: To familiarize clinicians with current and emerging criteria for selecting neuroimaging modalities in the evaluation of patients with epilepsy. Contemporary neuroimaging techniques have revolutionized the evaluation and management of patients with diverse CNS disorders and have had a tremendous impact in the management of patients with seizures. Although electroencephalography (EEG) remains the backbone of the laboratory investigation of these patients, modern neuroimaging techniques have made important contributions to diagnosis and treatment and have advanced our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology. In addition, recent data suggest that imaging techniques, in particular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), may contribute to the proper classification of certain epileptic disorders and may serve as a tool in the investigation of the genetics underlying some epileptic conditions. Finally, some of these techniques may help unravel the underlying biochemical abnormalities in patients with partial seizures. This chapter discusses different imaging modalities and their specific uses in patients with seizures, the potential impact of new imaging techniques, and the approach taken by the author and colleagues to the application of different imaging modalities in specific populations.
Asparaginase action: Inhibition of protein synthesis in rat liver mitochondria and microsomes and brain mitochondria and inhibition of glycoprotein synthesis in liver and brain mitochondria by asparaginase

Abstract Asparaginase inhibition of protein and glycoprotein synthesis in isolated mitochondria and microsomes was studied over a 10 5 concentration range. At 33 mg/ml, asparaginase inhibited protein synthesis in rat liver mitochondria 60%, in rat cerebral cortical mitochondria 55%, and in rat liver microsome 53%. At 33 mg/ml of asparaginase glycoprotein synthesis in rat liver mitochondria was inhibited 60% and in rat cerebral cortical mitochondria 40%. At 10 −3 mg/ml of asparaginase no inhibition of any system occurred.
SU‐FF‐T‐273: Energy Dependence of TLD‐100 Chips and Microcubes for the Xoft Axxent® 50 KV Miniature X‐Ray Source and Cs‐137 Relative to Co‐60

Purpose: To use experimental methods to measure the overall energy dependence of LiF:Mg,Ti thermoluminescent dosimeters(TLDs) for the Xoft Axxent® miniature x‐ray source (mean energy ∼27 keV) and 137Cs (662 keV) relative to 60Co (1250 keV), to calculate the absorbed‐dose energy dependence with the Monte Carlo(MC) code MCNP5, and to determine the intrinsic energy dependence of the TLDs by dividing the measured overall energy dependence by the absorbed‐dose energy dependence. Method and Materials:TLDs were irradiated to a known air kerma with all three sources. The air kerma rate of the miniature x‐ray source was measured using an Attix free‐air chamber. Each irradiation was performed for TLDs of two different sizes, microcubes (1 mm3) and chips (3×3×1 mm3). MC simulations were performed for each setup to calculate dose to the TLDs including photonscatter from the holders. MC methods were also used to calculate the air kerma. Results: The overall measured energy response was greater than the MC calculated absorbed‐dose energy dependence for both sources and both chip sizes. The difference between the measured and calculated energy dependence for the miniature x‐ray source was greater than for 137Cs, which means that the intrinsic energy dependence of LiF:Mg,Ti TLD chips and microcubes relative to 60Co is more pronounced at lower energies. Conclusion: This experiment provides further evidence that TLDs have intrinsic energy dependence in addition to the absorbed‐dose energy dependence that can be calculated using Monte Carlo methods.MC corrections alone are not able to calculate the overall energy dependence of TLDs. Therefore, appropriate energy dependence corrections must be measured and applied to TLD measurements when calibration irradiations are performed at a different energy. Conflict of Interest: This research was partially sponsored by Xoft, Inc.
Injection risk behaviors among rural drug users: implications for HIV prevention.

Abstract Objective. The purpose of this study was to examine injection drug use (IDU) among a cohort of felony probationers from rural Appalachian Kentucky. Methods. An interviewer-administered questionnaire given to 800 rural felony probationers ascertained data regarding demographics, drug use, criminal behavior, psychological distress, and HIV-risk behaviors. Results. The sample was primarily white (95.1%) and male (66.5%) and the median age was 32.3 years (interquartile range: 25.2, 40.5). There were no cases of HIV in the sample. Of the 800 rural probationers, 179 (22.4%) reported lifetime IDU. Receptive syringe sharing (RSS) and distributive syringe sharing (DSS) were reported by 34.5% and 97.1% of the IDUs, respectively. Independent correlates of risky injection behaviors included cocaine injection (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 14.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 8.0, 27.7) and prescription opioid injection (AOR: 14.7, 95% CI: 7.7, 28.1). Discussion. Although HIV was not prevalent, data suggest that ...
Cd2+ uptake by calcite, solid-state diffusion, and the formation of solid-solution: Interface processes observed with near-surface sensitive techniques (XPS, LEED, and AES)

Abstract Cadmium uptake by calcite from aqueous solution was studied using techniques sensitive to the near-surface: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). These techniques allowed direct observations of structure and bonding environments at the calcite surface. The results indicate that the main processes involved in cadmium uptake by calcite are adsorption and solid-state diffusion into the crystal, which leads eventually to the formation of solid-solution. Pure calcite crystals were cleaved from precleaned Iceland spar and were briefly exposed to aqueous solutions containing various concentrations of Cd2+, CO32−, ClO4−, and/or Cl−. Some Cd2+ was radiolabelled. LEED results demonstrate that the calcite surface is atomically ordered, even after hydration and cadmium uptake. γ-scintillation data from crystals exposed briefly to solutions of 109Cd2+ indicate that surface uptake ranged from the equivalent of about 1 to 4 monolayers. XPS analyses in the first 2 hours after exposure detected Cd within the top 30 A, but crystals stored in air or in ultra-high vacuum showed a decrease in Cd surface concentration with time such that after two days, Cd was barely detectable in the near-surface region. In other experiments, LEED verified the crystallinity of otavite (CdCO3) grown epitaxially over the {101} cleavage faces of calcite, and XPS showed almost no Ca in the near-surface on scans taken immediately after precipitation; but after storage for a month in ultrahigh vacuum, binding energy shifts and the presence of a Ca peak strongly suggested the development of solid-solution by diffusion through the solid. No Cd enrichment was observed at sites of surface defects using AES, indicating that solid-state diffusion into the mineral surface was not accomplished simply by migration along microfractures alone. This work suggests that solid-state diffusion may play a role in the rate and extent of uptake of certain trace metals from solution and probably leads to the formation of solid-solution in calcite and other carbonate minerals. It also suggests that the process of diffusion into the solid mineral host should be considered in hydrogeochemical models that intend to simulate and predict trace-metal mobility in carbonate terrains.
FAULT DETECTION OF THE FLUIDIZED BED DISTRIBUTOR BY PRESSURE FLUCTUATION SIGNAL

Abstract The feasibility and effectiveness of the sensing and correlating on-line differential pressure fluctuations across a fluidized bed as a diagnostic tool for malfunction of the distributor were experimentally tested by varying the extent and location of the blockage of the distributor openings. The results show that the direct observations or recordings of fluctuating signals and their statistical properties computed on-line, namely 80% fluctuating interval and standard deviation, are sensitive indicators of malfunction of the distributor.
Probing Copper-Thioether Coordination Chemistry in Rusticyanin and Azurin by 2D 1H - 199Hg NMR

1H {199Hg} HMQC spectra of the blue copper proteins rusticyanin and azurin exhibit signals from three amino acids that bind the metal center, i.e. one cysteine and two histidine ligands. Spectra of...
Dynamic pricing of network resources

Differentiated services and integrated services architectures rely on mechanisms to dynamically allocate network resources. Here, we investigate the feasibility of dynamically adjusting prices based on congestion. The pricing policy implements a distributed resource allocation to provide guaranteed bounds on packet loss and end-to-end delay for real-time applications. Distributed pricing roles are assigned to each user, each network node, and an arbitrager in between the user and the network. We find that such dynamic pricing can be accomplished using simple gradient algorithms, but that this approach requires a small amount of steady communication about demand and supply along each route.
Modifying a Mesoscale Meteorological Model to Better Incorporate Urban Heat Storage: A bulk-parameterization approach

Abstract A simple bulk-parameterization scheme is implemented in modifying a mesoscale meteorological model to better incorporate urban heat storage. The objective is to improve the quantification of the fluxes associated with heat storage change and to more explicitly account for the integrated effect of urban canopy layer fluxes on the overlying boundary layer. The approach involves integrating an Objective Hysteresis Model with a meteorological model, which, in this case, is the Colorado State University Mesoscale Model (CSUMM). When the resulting modified version of the model (MM) is applied to the Atlanta, Georgia, region, larger daytime urban heat islands are predicted (∼1.5°C larger) than with the nonmodified version of CSUMM. The largest simulated summer daytime Atlanta heat island for the modeling episode of 25–27 July is 1.4°C with CSUMM and 2.9°C with MM. The impacts of surface modifications, such as changes in urban albedo, on air temperature are slightly larger in MM than in CSUMM.
Optical lithography simulation using wavelet transform

Optical Lithography is an indispensible step in the process flow of Design for Manufacturability (DFM). Optical lithography simulation is a compute intensive task and simulation performance, or lack thereof can be a determining factor in time to market. Thus, the efficiency of lithography simulation is of paramount importance. Coherent decomposition is a popular simulation technique for aerial imaging simulation. In this paper, we propose an approximate simulation technique based on the 2D wavelet transform and use a number of optimization methods to further improve polygon edge detection. Results show that the proposed method suffers from an average error of less than 5% when compared with the coherent decomposition method. The benefits of the proposed method are (i) >10X increase in performance and more importantly (ii) it allows very large circuits to be simulated while some commercial tools are severely capacity limited. Approximate simulation is quite attractive for layout optimization where it may be used in a loop and may even be acceptable for final layout verification.
Enhanced stability of core-surface cross-linked micelles fabricated from amphiphilic brush copolymers.

“Stealth” nanoparticles made from polymer micelles have been widely explored as drug carriers for targeted drug delivery. High stability (i.e., low critical micelle concentration (CMC)) is required...
Lercanidipine in the treatment of hypertension.

Objective:To review the literature regarding the efficacy, tolerability, and utility of lercanidipine in the treatment of hypertension.Data Sources:A search of the literature was performed using MEDLINE (1966'September 2006), EMBASE Drugs and Pharmacology (1980'September 2006), and Current Contents/Clinical Medicine (week 24, 2005'week 30, 2006). Package inserts from lercanidipine, nifedipine, felodipine, and amlodipine were also reviewed for comparison of adverse effects.Study Selection And Data Extraction:Articles were limited to clinical trials, abstracts, and review articles published in English.Data Synthesis:Lercanidipine is a novel dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium-channel blocker indicated for the treatment of mild-to-moderate hypertension. Although it is not yet available in the US, lercanidipine has been utilized extensively in other countries. In 2 randomized controlled trials of approximately 400 patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension, lercanidipine showed efficacy similar to that of 2 other ...
Adaptive multi-level explicit congestion notification

We propose Adaptive Multi-level ECN (AMECN), a new TCP congestion scheme, as an extension to Multi-level Explicit Congestion Notification (MECN). AMECN allows network operators to achieve high throughput and low delays. However, AMECN performance depends its parameter settings and the level of congestion, hence, no guarantees can be given about delay. To achieve a predictable average delay with AMECN, constant tuning of the parameters to adjust to current traffic conditions is needed. We show how to tune AMECN parameters. The analysis of our simulations shows that Adaptive MECN performs better than Adaptive RED.
New evidence on the factors affecting bridging and semibridging character of carbonyl ligands. The structures of Mn2(CO)7(μ‐SCH2CH2S) and its phosphine derivatives Mn2(CO)7‐X(PMe2Ph)X(μ‐SCH2CH2S), × = 1,2

The new ethanedithiolate-dimanganese carbonyl complex, Mn 2 (μ-SCH 2 CH 2 S)(CO) 7 , 1, was prepared in 28% yield from the reaction of 1,2,5,6-tetrathiacyclooctane with Mn 2 (CO) 9 (NCMe). Complex 1 was characterized crystallographically. It contains two Mn(CO) 3 groups joined by a Mn-Mn bond of 2.6470(6) A in length, a dihapto-bridging ethanedithiolate ligand, and one strong semibridging CO ligand. The reaction of 1 with PMe 2 Ph yielded two derivatives: Mn 2 (μ-SCH 2 CH 2 S)(CO) 6 (PMe 2 Ph), 2, and gem-Mn 2 (μ-SCH 2 CH 2 S)(CO) 5 (PMe 2 Ph) 2 , 3a, in 48% and 6% yields, respectively. When heated at 40 °C, compound 3a was transformed into three isomers, iso-gem-Mn 2 (μ-SCH 2 CH 2 S)(CO) 5 (PMe2Ph) 2 , 3b, 1,2-Mn 2 (μ-SCH 2 CH 2 S)(CO) 5 (PMe 2 Ph) 2 , 3c, and cis-Mn 2 (μ-SCH 2 CH 2 S)-(CO) 5 (PMe 2 Ph) 2 , 3d. Compounds 3b and 3c were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The introduction of phosphine ligand into the complexes strongly affects the semibridging character of the carbonyl ligand.
Laser and rf spectroscopy of magnetically trapped neutral atoms

We present laser absorption, fluorescence, and rf resonance spectra of neutral-sodium atoms confined in a magnetic trap. The shape of the spectra obtained is explained qualitatively and modeled numerically and is used to extract the energy distribution and an effective temperature for the atoms in the trap.
Proliferation-dependent regulation of DNA topoisomerase II in cultured human cells.

Abstract The intracellular level of DNA topoisomerase II appears to be reversibly regulated by serum concentration in cultured primary human skin fibroblasts (HSF). Upon serum starvation, the intracellular level of topoisomerase II in HSF, as monitored by immunoblotting with antitopoisomerase II antibodies, gradually decreased to a nondetectable level (less than 104 copies/cell) over a period of 72 h. Addition of 10% serum to the starved cells led to a gradual increase of the intracellular topoisomerase II to the original level (approximately 106 copies/cell) over a period of 24 h. The intracellular DNA topoisomerase II level in HSF is also sensitive to cell density; minimally a 7-fold decrease was observed when HSF were grown to saturation density in a constant serum concentration. Similarly, the intracellular levels of DNA topoisomerase II in other “nontransformed” cells such as mouse NIH 3T3 and 3T6 cells are also sensitive to both the serum concentration and the cell density. In contrast, topoisomerase II levels in transformed cells such as HeLa cells, L1210 cells, and SV40 T-antigen-transformed COS-1 cells are maintained at high levels (approximately 106 copies/cell) and are much less sensitive to growth conditions. The topoisomerase II level in HeLa cells synchronized by a double thymidine block remained relatively constant (less than 2-fold difference) throughout the late G1, S, G2, and M phases of the cell cycle. Our results suggest that the level of DNA topoisomerase II is primarily regulated in the G0-G1 phase of the cell cycle and is elevated to a high level (approximately 106 copies/cell) in proliferating cells. In contrast, the intracellular levels of DNA topoisomerase I in these cells were largely unaffected by these growth conditions either in HSF or in HeLa cells.
Performance of Cocaine Dependent Individuals and Controls on a Response Inhibition Task with Varying Levels of Difficulty

An assay in which groups perform at both similar and significantly different levels within the same test session may have experimental advantages both in understanding underlying behavioral-cognitive processes and in helping to resolve neuroimaging issues regarding functional significance vs. performance confounds. Here we report behavioral data from a response inhibition (Go/No-Go) task with two levels of No-Go difficulty (easy, hard). The sample included individuals with current cocaine dependence (N = 18) and controls (N = 15). Using signal detection methodology (d′ and Beta), significant main effects were observed for group and trial type on d′. Post-hoc analyses revealed the cocaine-dependent individuals performed significantly worse than controls on difficult, but not easy, trials. Differences on d′ but not Beta, and slower reaction times in cocaine subjects, suggest that response inhibition deficits were related to disruption in visual information processing rather than inhibition of motor activity.
Loss of visual acuity after trabeculectomy.

Background: Glaucoma filtration surgery can result in loss of visual acuity by a variety of mechanisms. The existence of "wipe-out" (loss of the central visual field in the absence of other explanation) as a cause of postoperative loss of visual acuity has been debated. This study defines the incidence and etiology of visual acuity loss within 3 months of trabeculectomy. Methods: The authors reviewed 508 eyes of 440 patients who underwent trabeculectomy to find cases of postoperative visual acuity loss (2 or more Snellen lines or a category change) and randomly selected a control group of 85 eyes to analyze the risk factors for each cause of visual acuity loss. Results: Forty-two eyes (8.3%) showed loss of visual acuity after 3 months, caused mainly by lens opacification (n = 16), hypotony maculopathy (n = 6), and "wipe-out" (n = 4). Older patients ( P = 0.0108), those in whom the visual field preoperatively showed macular splitting ( P = 0.0084) and those who had severe hypotony (intraocular pressure [IOP] ≤ 2 mmHg) on the first postoperative day ( P = 0.0246) were more likely to experience "wipe-out". Older age ( P = 0.0495) and shallow anterior chamber ( P = 0.0003) were correlated to the development of lens opacification. Hypotony maculopathy was associated with coronary artery disease ( P = 0.0397) and systemic hypertension ( P = 0.0118). Conclusions: Lens opacification was the main cause of early visual acuity loss after trabeculectomy, followed by hypotony maculopathy. "Wipe-out," although rare, does exist, and older patients with advanced visual field defects are at increased risk.
ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC TEXTURE ANALYSIS USING THE WAVELET TRANSFORM: DIFFERENTIATION OF EARLY HEART MUSCLE DISEASE

Echocardiographic quantitation of myocardial texture for diagnosis of early cardiomyopathy (CMP) remains problematic. Conventional statistical methods are limited, contributed by a small image region-of-interest (ROI) and difficulty in discrimination from noise. This study was performed to evaluate the 2-D Haar wavelet decomposition method as a tool to identify textural changes in a rat model of early CMP, focusing on changes that occur before development of M-mode structural abnormalities. Early diabetic CMP, ethanol CMP and diabetic-ethanol CMP rat models were evaluated. Echocardiography was performed on two groups of rats. Group I (5 week cohort, n = 4 per subgroup) included controls, rats on 12% ethanol, a diabetic subgroup, and diabetic rats on 4% ethanol. Group II (10 week cohort, n = 5 per subgroup) included the same categories as group I with an additional subgroup taking 4% ethanol was also studied. M-mode left ventricular measurements were comparable in all subgroups of group I. However, diabetic rats in group II had an increased left ventricular dimension (LVD) compared to all others and an increased septal dimension (IVSD) and posterior wall dimension (PWD) were noted in the 4% and 12% ethanol groups. End-diastolic digital images of all rats in the parasternal short axis view, at the papillary muscle level, were downloaded to a computer. A 16 x 16 (ROI) was selected from the anterior interventricular septum. Although standard statistical methods could not differentiate any of the groups, calculation of textural energy and normalized textural energy with the 2-D Haar wavelet decomposition method found at 5 weeks increased normalized texture energy in diabetics compared to all others. At 10 weeks increased texture energy was noted in diabetics. Diabetic-ethanol rats at both 5 and 10 weeks revealed a blunted textural energy compared to diabetic rats. In a rat model of diabetic cardiomyopathy, the 2-D wavelet decomposition method identified textural energy changes before development of echocardiographic structural changes. Ethanol-associated blunting of textural changes in diabetic rats was also noted. This method for quantitation of ventricular texture may be relevant for diagnosis of early cardiomyopathy.
Livedoid vasculopathy: long-term follow-up results following hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Background Livedoid vasculopathy, also known as atrophie blanche, is a recurrent painful vasculopathy appearing mostly on the lower limbs. Treatment is challenging and relapses are frequent. Objectives To analyse the long-term effect and safety of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy in treating livedoid vasculopathy. Methods Twelve patients with active livedoid vasculopathy were included in this study. All patients underwent HBO therapy five times a week. Each week photographs were taken and the total dose of analgesics was recorded. Side-effects were documented and assessed. Recurrence was defined as the presence of skin ulceration. Results Of the eight patients who completed the treatment, resumption of ambulation and reduction of analgesics were achieved at an average of 4.9 HBO therapy sessions. Leg ulcers in all eight patients healed completely at a mean of 3.4 weeks (range 2-5 weeks). Six patients suffered relapses of ulceration and responded to additional HBO therapy. No significant side-effects were found. Conclusions HBO is a relatively safe, fast and effective method to treat patients with livedoid vasculopathy.
A Statistical Threat Assessment

Criminal gangs, insurgent groups, and terror networks demonstrate observable preferences in selecting the sites where they commit their crimes. Accordingly, police departments, military organizations, and intelligence agencies seek to learn these preferences and identify locations with a high probability of experiencing the particular event of interest in the near future. Often, such agencies are keen not just to predict the spatial pattern of future events but even more importantly to conduct threat assessments of particular criminal gangs or insurgent groups. These threat assessments include identifying where each of the various groups presents the greatest threat to the community, what the most likely targets are for each criminal group, what makes one location more likely to experience an attack than another, and how to most efficiently allocate resources to address the specific threats to the community. Previous research has demonstrated that applying multivariate prediction models to relate features in an area to the occurrence of crimes offers an improvement in predictive performance over traditional methods of hot-spot analysis. This paper introduces the application of multilevel modeling to these multivariate spatial choice models, demonstrating that it is possible to significantly improve the predictive performance of the spatial choice models for individual groups and leverage that information to provide improved threat assessments of the criminal elements in a given geographic area.
Fluctuation thermodynamic properties of reactive components from species correlation function integrals

Completely general expressions are given for the equilibrium composition fluctuation properties of systems of components that can undergo reactions (dissociation, association, ionization, solvation) to form new species. Concentration derivatives of the component chemical potentials obtained for non-reacting systems by Kirkwood and Buff are expressed for reacting systems in terms of integrals of the total correlation functions and of the direct correlation functions between the species. This formalism leads to rigorous expressions necessary for modelling fluctuation properties in electrolyte solutions, and in solution theories such as the chemical theory and the solution of groups method for activity coefficients. It is shown that the total correlation function integrals implicitly contain the long range effects of the reactions, but that the direct correlation function integrals (DCFI) do not. Rather, the projection operators for the species DCFI contain the reaction thermodynamics explicitly.
Evaluating multimedia networking mechanisms using video traces

The networked multimedia application, which has the increasing popularity of video data, is expected to account for a large portion of the traffic in the Internet of the future and in next-generation wireless systems. This article introduces video traces which gives the sizes of the individual video frames in a video sequence and also outlines how they characterize encoded video and can be used in evaluating multimedia networking mechanisms. One advantage of the video bit stream is that it allows for networking experiments where the quality of the video can be visually evaluated. Thus with the steady-state simulation approach, a single simulation run is performed and the metrics of interest are typically obtained during independent observation periods.
Surface separation and contact resistance considering sinusoidal elastic–plastic multi-scale rough surface contact

The current work considers the multi-scale nature of surface roughness in a new model that predicts the real area of contact and surface separation as functions of load. This work is based upon a previous rough surface multi-scale contact model which used stacked elastic–plastic spheres to model the multiple scales of roughness. Instead, this work uses stacked 3D sinusoids to represent the asperities in contact at each scale of the surface. By summing the distance between the two surfaces at all scales, a model of surface separation as a function of dimensionless load is obtained. Since the model makes predictions for the real area of contact, it is also able to make predictions for thermal and electrical contact resistance. In accordance with concerns in previous works that the iterative calculation of the real contact area in multi-scale methods does not converge, this work not only tests but also gives conditions required for convergence in these techniques. The results are also compared to other existing rough surface contact models.