cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coercivity of die upset NdFeB magnets: A strong pinning model

Abstract We show that the temperature dependence of the intrinsic coercivity Hci(T) between 5 and 600 K in a die-upset NdFeB magnet is in good agreement with a model for strong domain wall pinning by a random array of pinning sites proposed by Gaunt [P. Gaunt, Phil. Mag. B48 (1983) 261]. The model includes both the temperature dependence of the intrinsic magnetic properties of the Nd2Fe14B phase and the effects of thermal activation of domain walls over the pinning barrier. The pinning sites are modeled as nonmagnetic planar inhomogeneities at the boundaries aetween platelet-shaped Nd2Fe14B grains. We develop an expression for the maximum pinning force per site, f, and derive the model prediction that (H ci /γH A ) 1 2 varies linearly with (T/γ) 2 3 , where HA and γ are the magnetocrystalline anisotropy and the domain wall energy per unit area of the Nd2Fe14B phase, respectively. The model is in good agreement with the observed Hci values over a broad temperature range from 200 to 477 K. Deviations from the model below 200 K are an artifact of the axial-to-conical spin reorientation in Nd2Fe14B at low temperature. Deviations at high temperature most likely occur because the strong pinning model is no longer valid close to the Curie temperature (585 K).
Malignancy does not dictate the hypercoagulable state following liver resection

Abstract Background A hypercoagulable state following intra-abdominal malignant resections has been reported. Whether this is because of the operation or the malignancy, a known cause of hypercoagulability, remains unclear. We determined if malignancy status affected the coagulation profile following liver resection by assessing perioperative thromboelastogram (TEG) values. Methods Retrospective review of prospectively collected TEG values in patients who received a liver resection was conducted. Values among patients with benign or malignant disease were compared. Results Fourteen and 63 patients were resected for benign and malignant disease, respectively. No significant differences in TEG values existed between the groups. Combining the groups, patients developed a relative hypercoagulable state postoperatively with decreased R-times (P Conclusion Following liver resection, no differences in TEG values existed between patients with benign and malignant disease; the relative hypercoagulable state is more likely driven by postoperative coagulopathy rather than the malignancy status of the patient.
Traumatic Posterior Urethral Injury and Early Realignment Using Magnetic Urethral Catheters

AbstractPurpose: We determined the success of early urethral realignment using magnetic urethral catheters.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 13 patients with complete urethral disruption treated with endourological realignment 0 to 11 days after injury using coaxial magnetic urethral catheters.Results: Urethral realignment was established in 11 of the 13 patients (85%) using magnetic urethral catheters. Of the 10 patients for whom followup was available urethral strictures developed in 5 (50%) a mean of 6.1 months after realignment, necessitating a mean of 1.4 corrective procedures per patient. Impotence was noted in 1 of 7 patients (14%) and no urinary incontinence developed after realignment.Conclusions: Urethral realignment within 2 weeks of injury using magnetic urethral catheters is a safe and simple technique with minimal morbidity. The stricture formation, impotence and incontinence rates of this technique are comparable to those reported for delayed urethroplasty. W...
Power-saving MRC combiners for hard-decision receivers with BPSK modulation

Diversity combining is a well-known technique which is widely used to combat fading environments in wireless communication systems. However, it increases the power consumption of the receivers. In this paper, the power-saving circuit for the maximum-ratio combining (MRC) combiner of the hard-decision receiver with binary phase shift keying (BPSK) signaling is designed to reduce the power consumption of the MRC combiner. In this paper, the relative power reduction ratio of the proposed power-saving MRC combiner over independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) Rayleigh fading channels is analyzed and the numerical results are also provided.
Thorium in tungsten: construction of interatomic EAM potentials from ab initio data

The interatomic interaction potential of tungsten and thorium crystals and those of hypothetical tungsten and thorium alloys within the embedded atom approach are considered. The corresponding Ansatz functions are fitted against full potential linear augmented plane wave data of real tungsten- and thorium- and hypothetical tungsten-thorium-crystals. The result is interatomic potentials, ready for use within classical molecular dynamics schemes. A cross check of the resulting force scheme derived by comparison of ab initio and classical molecular dynamics data is provided. Furthermore, we used the potentials to calculate the phonon dispersion relations, which then serve as an additional check.
Engaging theories and models to inform practice

This chapter explores theories and models that can inform student affairs practitioners and faculty in preparing students for life after college.
Hydrodynamic effect of surfactants on gas‐liquid oxygen transfer

An experimental investigation of the hydrodynamics at the surface region of the liquid reveals that the soluble surfactants (sodium lauryl sulfate, glucose oxidase, and bovine serum albumin) affect both the length and the velocity scales of liquid eddies approaching the surface, which results in a decrease in mass transfer.
Population pressure, environmental constraints and agricultural change in Bangladesh: examples from three agroecosystems

Abstract This study has examined the cultural ecology theory of agricultural change on the basis of a 40 year (1950–1990) temporal data set collected from 130 farmstead households living in three villages in Bangladesh. The villages represent xeric, wetland, and transformed irrigated rice agroecosystems. Owing to monsoon flooding and dry season shortage of water, both cropping intensity and land productivity in all three villages were lower than their national averages in the 1950s. As population grew over time, farmers in these villages have adopted various strategies to increase cropping intensity and land productivity. Such strategies included the adjustments of land levels, changes in cropping schedules, adoption of new cultivars to suit the environment, and Green Revolution technological changes. These attempts to modify the environment and reduce its constraints have increased both cropping intensity and land productivity over time. However, agricultural growth varied spatially among the three villages due mostly to farmers' ability to control drought and expand the cultivation of high yielding variety of rice crops into the dry season with the help of low-lift pump irrigation. Population pressure forced farmers to intensify agriculture, but under conditions of severe environmental constraints, population growth alone was not the only factor to cause desired agricultural change. Farmers' technological capabilities to reduce the environmental constraints have played a key role in agricultural growth. The study supports the cultural ecology theory of agricultural change.
Perimetric motion thresholds are elevated in glaucoma suspects and glaucoma patients

The purpose of this study was to determine if a clinically feasible perimetric motion test utilizing random-dot kinematograms could identify glaucomatous visual field defects. Using a staircase procedure, an automated perimetric motion test and a larger foveally presented target were given to normal (n = 30), glaucoma suspects (n = 31) and primary open-angle glaucoma patients (n = 19). Motion thresholds at specific locations throughout the whole visual field were significantly elevated in glaucoma patients (P < or = 0.001). Perimetric motion testing identified 84.2% of the primary open-angle glaucoma patients and 25.8% of the glaucoma suspects as abnormal. A larger foveal stimulus was unable to distinguish between the different subject groups (P < or = 0.185). Perimetric motion thresholds were significantly correlated with Humphrey standard visual field thresholds in the glaucoma and glaucoma-suspect patients (P < or = 0.0002).
Monte Carlo simulation of electron-ion recombination at high pressure

Abstract The Monte Carlo method is applied to the study of electron-ion recombination in CO2, CH4 and NH3 over a wide range of pressures. Dissociative recombination is enhanced by energy transfer to the ambient gas molecules and the recombination rates peak at 11, 2 and 9 × 105 CM3 s−1, respectively. At very high pressures, the rate approaches the Langevin limit.
Gaussian mixture models for measuring local change down-track in LWIR imagery for explosive hazard detection

Burying objects below the ground can potentially alter their thermal properties. Moreover, there is often soil disturbance associated with recently buried objects. An intensity video frame image generated by an infrared camera in the medium and long wavelengths often locally varies in the presence of buried explosive hazards. Our approach to automatically detecting these anomalies is to estimate a background model of the image sequence. Pixel values that do not conform to the background model may represent local changes in thermal or soil signature caused by buried objects. Herein, we present a Gaussian mixture model-based technique to estimate the statistical model of background pixel values. The background model is used to detect anomalous pixel values on the road while a vehicle is moving. Foreground pixel confidence values are projected into the UTM coordinate system and a UTM confidence map is built. Different operating levels are explored and the connected component algorithm is then used to extract islands that are subjected to size, shape and orientation filters. We are currently using this approach as a feature in a larger multi-algorithm fusion system. However, in this article we also present results for using this algorithm as a stand-alone detector algorithm in order to further explore its value in detecting buried explosive hazards.
COMPARISON OF THE KINETIC EFFECTS OF PHOSPHOLAMBAN PHOSPHORYLATION AND ANTI-PHOSPHOLAMBAN MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY ON THE CALCIUM PUMP IN PURIFIED CARDIAC SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM MEMBRANES

Protein kinase A- (PKA-) catalyzed phosphorylation of phospholamban (PLN), the protein regulator of the cardiac Ca pump, mediates abbreviation of systole in response to β-adrenergic agonists. Investigators previously, however, have been unsuccessful in demonstrating an effect of PLN phosphorylation or anti-PLN monoclonal antibody (mAb), which is considered to mimic phosphorylation's well-known effect on Km(Ca), on microsomal Ca uptake at the (high) Ca2+ concentrations found intracellularly at peak systole. We therefore compared the effects of the catalytic subunit of PKA and anti-PLN mAb on the kinetics of Ca uptake in sucrose gradient-purified cardiac microsomes. Both treatments produced a 33−44% increase in Vmax(Ca) at 25 and 37 °C, and an 11−31% decrease in Km(Ca) with comparable changes in Ca2+-ATPase activity. An acceleration of E2P decomposition upon PLN phosphorylation may contribute to the increased Vmax(Ca) of Ca uptake at 25 °C but not at 37 °C, based on measurement of the kinetics of E2P decomp...
An algorithm for straightening images of curved filamentous structures

Flexible filamentous structures are characterized by variable curvature in electron micrographs. This frequently prevents the direct application of three-dimensional reconstruction methods to helical filaments. An algorithm for straightening the images of such filaments is presented based upon an assumption of a normal mode of bending.
Molecular genetics and developmental physiology: implications for designing better forest crops.

ABSTRACT Current tree biology related to tree genetics and breeding has two important developments that have not well been integrated in the literature. The first is the physiological and biochemical dissection of plant yield, whereas the second is the genetic mapping based on molecular markers, such as RFLPs, RAPDs, AFLPs, and microsatellites. Genetic mapping has revolutionized traditional quantitative genetic analysis by which the genetic variation of a character is described in terms of its mean and (co)variance without the knowledge of the underlying genes. By integrating physiological and developmental studies of yield traits, genetic mapping can provide a unique means for detecting key QTL that play important roles in affecting tree growth and metabolism. The incorporation of these QTL into commercial populations through gene transformation or marker-assisted selection will move current breeding programs strictly based on an empirism to an approach that is mechanistically oriented. In this review, w...
Antiretroviral Medications: Adverse Effects on the Kidney

The widespread introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the mid-1990s dramatically altered the course of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, with improvements in survival and reductions in the incidence of AIDS-defining illnesses. Although antiretroviral therapy has been shown to reduce the incidence of both AIDS-defining and non-AIDS conditions, long-term exposure to HAART may also be associated with significant toxicity. This article reviews the potential nephrotoxicity of specific antiretroviral agents and the impact of antiretroviral therapy on related metabolic disorders. The antiretroviral agents most strongly associated with direct nephrotoxicity include the nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor, tenofovir, and the protease inhibitor indinavir, although other agents have been implicated less frequently. Tenofovir and related nucleotide analogs have primarily been associated with proximal tubular dysfunction and acute kidney injury, whereas indinavir is known to cause nephrolithiasis, obstructive nephropathy, and interstitial nephritis. Kidney damage related to antiretroviral therapy is typically reversible with early recognition and timely discontinuation of the offending agent, and nephrologists should be familiar with the potential toxicity of these agents to avoid delays in diagnosis.
Gain enhancement by moving gratings in a photorefractive polymer

Abstract The use of moving gratings allows dramatic enhancement of the two-beam coupling gain in a photorefractive polymer. The advantage of using multi-layer structures to increase the effective interaction length is also demonstrated and a small signal optical amplification as large as 500 is achieved using a three-layer sample, the highest reported to date in a photorefractive polymer. From an investigation of the time dependence and detuning frequency dependence, we determine that hole conduction is dominant and that the mobility life-time product reaches μ τ =3×10 −10 cm 2 /V at an applied electric field E 0 =71 V/μm.
High prevalence and high titers of LAV/HTLV-III in antibodies in healthy hemophiliacs in the Midwestern United States

Abstract Twenty-eight patients from the Nebraska Regional Hemophilia Center were studied for the prevalence and titers of antibodies to lymphadenopathy-associated virus/human T cell lymphotropic virus type III (LAV/HTLV-III) and for clinical symptoms of possible progression to the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Ten of 18 (56 percent) patients with hemophilia A who were frequently treated with commercial factor VIII concentrate were seropositive for LAV/HTLV-III antibodies as determined by immunofluorescent study and Western blot testing. Of the four factor VIII-deficient patients who were seronegative, one had received only heat-treated factor VIII concentrates, two had received only cryoprecipitate, and one had received no transfusions since 1983. None of the patients treated only with factor IX concentrate, volunteer donor plasma, or cryoprecipitate had LAV/HTLV-III antibodies. In nine of 10 seropositive hemophiliacs, titers of serum antibodies to LAV/HTLV-III ranged from 1:1, 280 to 1:10, 240, indicating a strong immune response against LAV/HTLV-III antigens and/or persistent infection with the virus. Serum from seropositive hemophiliacs interacted on Western blot testing with all the major LAV/HTLV-III polypeptides, including envelope proteins gp 42 and gp 120. Despite the possible exposure to LAV/HTLV-III during the past four years, none of the patients in this group had symptoms suggestive of progression towards AIDS. Whether or not immunity to the AIDS retrovirus developed in this group of patients remains to be determined.
On diversifying source selection in social sensing

This paper develops algorithms for improved source selection in social sensing applications that exploit social networks (such as Twitter, Flickr, or other mass dissemination networks) for reporting. The collection point in these applications would simply be authorized to view relevant information from participating clients (either by explicit client-side action or by default such as on Twitter). Social networks, therefore, create unprecedented opportunities for the development of sensing applications, where humans act as sensors or sensor operators, simply by posting their observations or measurements on the shared medium. Resulting social sensing applications, for example, can report traffic speed based on GPS data shared by drivers, or determine damage in the aftermath of a natural disaster based on eye-witness reports. A key problem, when dealing with human sources on social media, is the difficulty in ensuring independence of measurements, making it harder to distinguish fact from rumor. This is because observations posted by one source are available to its neighbors in the social network, who may, in-turn, propagate those observations without verifying their correctness, thus creating correlations and bias. A corner-stone of successful social sensing is therefore to ensure an unbiased sampling of sources that minimizes dependence between them. This paper explores the merits of such diversification. It shows that a diversified sampling is advantageous not only in terms of reducing the number of samples but also in improving our ability to correctly estimate the accuracy of data in social sensing.
Orientation of the remaining amorphous chains during crystallization: Isotactic polystyrene

The orientation of statistical chain segments in the amorphous regions of a semicrystalline polymer can be characterized quantitatively by x-ray diffraction. A calculated background (which is orientation independent) must be subtracted, which requires that the intensity profile of the amorphous halo be measured on an absolute scale. Application is illustrated to samples of isotactic polystyrene which were isothermally crystallized at fixed elongation. These samples differ from those of the previous study due to the unintentional introduction of a small amount of crystallinity (0.25% to 1%) which serves as tie points in the drawing operation, giving a stronger amorphous orientation. Preferred orientation of the amorphous chain segments is rapidly depleted during the first few percent of crystallization. The crystallite orientation distribution is quite sharp, and broadens only slowly with crystallization. These results imply that, for the crystallization conditions employed, the crystallite orientation must be determined by nuclei which are formed at the earliest stages of the crystallization process.
Postpartum depression in immigrant Hispanic women: A comparative community sample

PURPOSE: To determine whether a high rate of postpartum depression (PPD), previously found in immigrant Hispanic women at a community clinic, would also be found in a community sample. DATA SOURCES: Sixty women from local community settings were given the PPDS-S instrument and the General Acculturation Index to screen for PPD symptoms. Data were then compared with previously published community clinic data. CONCLUSION: Sixty percent of the immigrant Hispanic women showed significant PPD. The only statistically significant positive predictive factor for increased PPD symptoms was having a previous history of depression. In addition, 54% had an elevated symptom content profile score for suicidal thinking. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Health practitioners should be aware of a potentially high rate of PPD in this population, especially in light of previously studied increased rates of suicide attempts in Latinas. If a prior history of depression is predictive of PPD, it is possible that many of the mothers in our sample suffered from depression prior to the postpartum period, but were not appropriately diagnosed or treated. Recommendations for outreach and further research are discussed. In particular, further research regarding the prenatal prevalence of depression in immigrant Hispanic women is recommended in order to further understand the high incidence of PPD. Language: en
Carbon dioxide Doppler lidar wind sensor on a space station polar platform.

A study has been performed of the feasibility of accommodating a carbon dioxide Doppler lidar on a Space Station polar platform. Results show that such an instrument could be accommodated on a single 1.5 x 2.25-m optical bench, mounted centrally on the earth facing side of the satellite. The power, weight, and thermal issues appear resolvable. However, the question of servicing the instrument remains open, until more data are available on the lifetime of an isotopic CO2 laser.
Barcode Imaging Using a Light Field Camera

We present a method to capture sharp barcode images, using a microlens-based light field camera. Relative to standard barcode readers, which typically use fixed-focus cameras in order to reduce mechanical complexity and shutter lag, employing a light field camera significantly increases the scanner’s depth of field. However, the increased computational complexity that comes with software-based focusing is a major limitation on these approaches. Whereas traditional light field rendering involves time-consuming steps intended to produce a focus stack in which all objects appear sharply-focused, a scanner only needs to produce an image of the barcode region that falls within the decoder’s inherent robustness to defocus. With this in mind, we speed up image processing by segmenting the barcode region before refocus is applied. We then estimate the barcode’s depth directly from the raw sensor image, using a lookup table characterizing a relationship between depth and the code’s spatial frequency. Real image experiments with the Lytro camera illustrate that our system can produce a decodable image with a fraction of the computational complexity.
FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS AND TREATMENT OF SELF-INJURY IN A CAPTIVE OLIVE BABOON

Self-injurious behavior (SIB), such as self-biting and head banging, has been reported to occur in approximately 10% of captive, individually housed nonhuman primates. Accounts of the etiology of SIB in primates range from ecological to physiological. However, to date, no research has examined the possible influence of social consequences delivered by handlers and keepers in the maintenance of SIB in this population. The current study investigated the effects of social contact as a potentially reinforcing consequence for the SIB displayed by an olive baboon (Papio hamadryas anubis). Results indicated that the behavior was maintained by attention from humans. As treatment, reinforcement was arranged for an appropriate alternative response, resulting in increases in the appropriate alternative behavior and decreases in SIB.
Oxide Phase Formation in Excimer Laser Processed Ti Alloy

Excimer laser surface processing of Ti-6A1-4V results in substantial surface oxygen incorporation as measured by the narrow resonance in the elastic scattering of a particles at 3.05 MeV. Single pulse processing at 1.0 J-cm-2 results in transformation from the original α + β grain structure to a martensite structure. Multiple pulse processing results in oxygen incorporation proportional to the number of pulses during processing, but this is primarily reflected in the depth of the oxygen containing layer. A maximum oxygen to titanium ratio of 1.0 was observed in the surface layer. This was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) which showed the development of a fine-grained equiaxed TiO surface layer from a phase mixture of Ti alloy with TiO precipitates. Concentration vs. depth profiles show that this layer is approximately 400 nm thick after 40 pulses. Further processing with a total of 60 pulses results in coarsening of the grains and an increase in the thickness of the layer. The TiO precipitate concentration increases gradually, becoming apparent in electron diffraction patterns after 30 pulses. No other oxide phases are observed, the TiO developing directly from the metallic phases. In particular, we do not observe the formation of Ti2O prior to the formation of the TiO, or the formation of TiO2.
Heat-transfer characteristics of a bubble-induced water jet impinging on an ice surface

Abstract An experimental study on the heat-transfer characteristics of a bubble-driven water jet impinging on an ice surface was conducted. Two Lucite columns, one 1·829 m high and 0·286 m in diameter, and the other 1·219m high and 0·140m in diameter were used. Water levels were maintained at 0·762 and 1·524m in the large column and 0·840m in the small column. Hypodermic needles with openings 0·152, 0·406 and 0·838 mm were used in bubble formation covering a volumetric air flow rate from 7·39 × 10−8 to 9·91 × 10−7m3/s. To simulate winter environmental conditions in Northern America, the water temperature at the column bottom was thermostatically maintained at its temperature of maximum density, i.e. about 4°C. Cylindrical blocks of ice having diameters slightly less than those of the columns were supported at the column top while maintaining a proper immersion of the melting surface in the water level. The experimental results can be well represented by Nu = 630(dn)0·4(Ren)0·391 (1) for 8 Using a Reynolds number based on the bubble-induced water jet flow characteristics, the experimental results were compared with the limited results reported on heat transfer between a round air jet and a plane surface held normal to the jet flow (modified to apply to water flow). The least-square analysis expression, Nu = 0·00010(Ds)−1·2(Reα)1·311 (2) indicating the absences of both nozzle diameter and height of water level, was found to represent the data extremely well. The above expression under- and overestimates Nu for lower and higher Rea values than those predicted from the expression representing pure water jet Nu = 1·94(Reα)0·55. However, in view of the numerous assumptions and wide differences in experimental parameters, the agreement is still considered to be remarkably good.
An extracellular enzyme from Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli which catalyses hydration of the isoflavonoid phytoalexin, phaseollidin.

Among the antimicrobial phytoalexins produced by Phaseolus vulgaris (French bean) are the prenylated isoflavonoids kievitone and phaseollidin. Two enzyme activities, kievitone hydratase and phaseollidin hydratase, occur in culture filtrates of the bean pathogen, Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli, and catalyse similar hydration reactions on the dimethylallyl moieties of the phytoalexins. The enzymes nearly co-purified during hydroxyapatite chromatography followed by preparative native gel electrophoresis. Eluates from successive slices taken from the native gel were assayed for both activities. Although they were not completely separated in the native gel, the activity profiles indicated that the two activities were distinct. The Km of phaseollidin hydratase for phaseollidin was approximately 7 μM.
Next-Generation Research and Breakthrough Innovation

This article is based on a talk and an internal report that the author presented at faculty workshops and conferences. We offer it here to provide a glimpse into some of the activities that a major software company carries out to prepare for future changes in computing. Unlike our usual articles - which are typically popular versions of research articles or news reports - this piece reflects industrial thinking that is broad, concerned with the sociology of science, free flowing in associations, and developed from somewhat of a corporate viewpoint. Accordingly, we suggest readers view it as an "op ed" piece - one that's thought-provoking in part because of the author's position and activities.
Coupling of the mesh-free finite cloud method with the boundary element method: a collocation approach

Abstract Meshless and mesh-based methods are among the tools frequently applied in the numerical treatment of partial differential equations (PDEs). This paper presents a coupling of the meshless finite cloud method (FCM) and the standard (mesh-based) boundary element method (BEM), which is motivated by the complementary properties of both methods. While the BEM is appropriate for solving linear PDEs with constant coefficients in bounded or unbounded domains, the FCM is appropriate for either homogeneous, inhomogeneous or even nonlinear problems in bounded domains. Both techniques (FCM and BEM) use a collocation procedure in the numerical approximation. No mesh is required in the FCM subdomain and its nodal point distribution is completely independent of the BEM subdomain. The coupling approach is demonstrated for linear elasticity problems. Because both FCM and BEM employ traction–displacement relations, no transformations between forces and tractions (typical of BEM and finite element coupling) are needed. Several numerical examples are given to demonstrate the proposed approach.
Amplification of obliquity forcing through mean annual and seasonal atmospheric feedbacks

Abstract. Pleistocene benthic δ18O records exhibit strong spectral power at ~41 kyr, indicating that global ice volume has been modulated by Earth's axial tilt. This feature, and weak spectral power in the precessional band, has been attributed to the influence of obliquity on mean annual and seasonal insolation gradients at high latitudes. In this study, we use a coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model to quantify changes in continental snowfall associated with mean annual and seasonal insolation forcing due to a change in obliquity. Our model results indicate that insolation changes associated with a decrease in obliquity amplify continental snowfall in three ways: (1) Local reductions in air temperature enhance precipitation as snowfall. (2) An intensification of the winter meridional insolation gradient strengthens zonal circulation (e.g. the Aleutian low), promoting greater vapor transport from ocean to land and snow precipitation. (3) An increase in the summer meridional insolation gradient enhances summer eddy activity, increasing vapor transport to high-latitude regions. In our experiments, a decrease in obliquity leads to an annual snowfall increase of 25.0 cm; just over one-half of this response (14.1 cm) is attributed to seasonal changes in insolation. Our results indicate that the role of insolation gradients is important in amplifying the relatively weak insolation forcing due to a change in obliquity. Nonetheless, the total snowfall response to obliquity is similar to that due to a shift in Earth's precession, suggesting that obliquity forcing alone can not account for the spectral characteristics of the ice-volume record.
Role of anticausal inverses in multirate filter-banks .II. The FIR case, factorizations, and biorthogonal lapped transforms

For pt. I see ibid., vol.43, no.5, p.1090, 1990. In part I we studied the system-theoretic properties of discrete time transfer matrices in the context of inversion, and classified them according to the types of inverses they had. In particular, we outlined the role of causal FIR matrices with anticausal FIR inverses (abbreviated cafacafi) in the characterization of FIR perfect reconstruction (PR) filter banks. Essentially all FIR PR filter banks can be characterized by causal FIR polyphase matrices having anticausal FIR inverses. In this paper, we introduce the most general degree-one cafacafi building block, and consider the problem of factorizing cafacafi systems into these building blocks. Factorizability conditions are developed. A special class of cafacafi systems called the biorthogonal lapped transform (BOLT) is developed, and shown to be factorizable. This is a generalization of the well-known lapped orthogonal transform (LOT). Examples of unfactorizable cafacafi systems are also demonstrated. Finally it is shown that any causal FIR matrix with FIR inverse can be written as a product of a factorizable cafacafi system and a unimodular matrix. >
Tectonic inheritance at a continental margin

GSA Today: v. 16, no. 2, doi: 10.1130/1052-5173(2006)016 2.0.CO;2 INTRODUCTION Forty years ago, the eastern margin of North America inspired Tuzo Wilson (1966) to ask, “Did the Atlantic close and then re-open?” The Wilson cycle of closing and opening of ocean basins incorporates the cyclic assembly and breakup of supercontinents. Alternate processes of extension and compression of continental margins suggest an important potential for tectonic inheritance and overprinting. Now, we recognize a succession of two complete Wilson cycles in eastern North America: closing of an ocean and assembly of the Rodinia supercontinent, breakup of Rodinia and opening of the Iapetus Ocean, closing of Iapetus and assembly of the Pangaea supercontinent, and breakup of Pangaea and opening of the Atlantic Ocean (Fig. 1). Precambrian rocks of cratonic North America indicate less well-defined, earlier cycles. Tectonic inheritance at a range of scales has been recognized in the successive continental margins preserved within the crust of present eastern North America, posing several fundamental questions. Does each episode of supercontinent assembly and breakup adapt to the tectonic framework of a preexisting continental margin and, in turn, leave a mold for the next episode? Is tectonic inheritance through successive Wilson cycles a first-order constraint on the processes through which continental crust is accumulated and continental fabrics evolve? Does tectonic inheritance in the shallow crustal structures reflect a pervasive fabric of the deeper lithosphere?
Comparison of pulse compression methods using only a pulse shaper

Spectral phase compensation is crucial in the production of ultrafast laser pulses. To produce very short pulses, it is necessary to correct higher-order phase terms beyond the typical second-order and third-order corrections. It is helpful to have a pulse shaper to perform the compression, and to use an integrated, deterministic pulse-shaper-only method for pulse compression and characterization. While several algorithms exist for this purpose, it is desirable to know which method is optimal. Using a computer simulation, we investigate the speed of several existing approaches in several typical pulse shaping cases. We also present and demonstrate experimentally a new method named Spectral Phase of Electric field by Analytic Reconstruction (SPEAR), a variant of the Chirp Reversal Technique (CRT). The chirp-scan method, CRT, and SPEAR are found to be the fastest methods to achieve a desired level of accuracy, for the cases investigated.
CONVERGENCE AND THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL NICHE

Convergent evolution has played an important role in the development of the ecological niche concept. We investigated patterns of convergent and divergent evolution of Caribbean Anolis lizards. These lizards diversified independently on each of the islands of the Greater Antilles, producing the same set of habitat specialists on each island. Using a phylogenetic comparative framework, we examined patterns of morphological convergence in five functionally distinct sets of morphological characters: body size, body shape, head shape, lamella number, and sexual size dimorphism. We find evidence for convergence among members of the habitat specialist types for each of these five datasets. Furthermore, the patterns of convergence differ among at least four of the five datasets; habitat specialists that are similar for one set of characters are often greatly different for another. This suggests that the habitat specialist niches into which these anoles have evolved are multidimensional, involving several distinct and independent aspects of morphology.
FAMILY HISTORY OF BREAST CANCER AS A RISK INDICATOR FOR THE DISEASE

Family history of breast cancer was examined among 1159 women who themselves had breast cancer and among 11,590 control subjects in a retrospective case-control study conducted in 1976 among a sample of female nurses in the United States. Having a mother with breast cancer increased a woman's risk of developing the disease by 80%, while having a sister with such a history increased the risk by 150%. Adjustment for potential confounding variables by logistic regression analysis did not alter these estimates appreciably. Both these associations were stronger at younger ages of onset of cancer, and in a positive maternal history was correlated with a larger increase in risk in women who menstruated for more than 35 years.
Organization of Dorsal Horn Neurotransmitter Systems

The spinal cord dorsal horn is endowed with neural structures rich in a variety of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, including amino acids, peptides, catecholamines, and serotonin. Many are concentrated in the superficial dorsal horn (laminae I, II, and III), with precise subregional accumulations specific for each substance.
The Information Sources of College Students: A Uses and Gratifications Perspective

This exploratory study takes a “uses and gratifications” approach to studying the ways in wh1ch on-line media function as information sources for college students. Based on a survey of 204 students, the study yields insights into the motivations driving Internet usage among a college population and examines gender and cultural differences in the sampled populations. Managerial implications and directions for future study are also provided.
Top Five Things to Look for in a Legal Job: People, Tasks, Case/Project Features, Demands & Rewards

Law students and new lawyers often struggle to find their place in the legal profession. Too often, they assume that their job search should be driven by subject matter. "I enjoyed my contracts class, so perhaps I'd enjoy working on contracts." This article advises law students to reorient their focus away from substantive law toward this top five things to look for in a legal job: people, tasks, case or project features, demands and rewards. Within each category, advises prospective lawyers on how different legal jobs may vary.
Comparative Effects of Intravenous Nitroglycerin and Sodium Nitroprusside in Cardiac Intensive Care

Since the report of Burton (1) in 1867 describing the relief of anginal pain with amyl nitrite, nitrates have gained widespread acceptance as primary therapeutic agents in the treatment of patients with angina. The use of nitrates has now been extended to the treatment of congestive heart failure and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, commercially available nitroglycerin (NTG) preparations (sublingual, oral and paste) presented several important pharmacokinetic problems in predicting therapeutic response because of unpredictable absorption and metabolism. The intravenous form of NTG, introduced in the mid 1970’s, enabled the clinician to titrate the dose to the desired clinical or hemodynamic effect. Intravenous NTG has led to widespread use of the compound in the production of controlled hypotension during surgery and blood pressure control in perioperative hypertension.
Detection of task-induced release of extrastriatal dopamine using fallypride

1118 Objectives: Since a reliable technique to study the neurochemistry of human cognition is not available, an important aspect of cognitive processing remains unexplored. We have earlier demonstrated that task-induced release of striatal dopamine can be detected using a molecular imaging technique. This demonstration however, is of limited use because it can not be used to detect dopamine released in the extrastriatal areas, where a majority of human cognitive processing occurs. Methods: We used the ligand 18F-fallypride to examine whether this ligand can be used to detect endogenous dopamine released in extrastriatal areas during performance of a cognitive task. Since evidence suggests that the processing of emotional memory is associated with release of extrastriatal dopamine, in this experiment, after a single intravenous administration of 18F-fallypride, healthy volunteers were asked to perform an emotional memory task which consisted of a control (no emotional memory) and a test condition. The test condition was started 25 min after the ligand administration. The ligand concentration was measured using an ECAT HR+ camera. Results: Behavioral data indicated elicitation of emotional memory in the test condition. Immediately after initiation of this condition the rate of ligand displacement increased significantly in the areas that have previously been implicated in the processing of emotional memory. These areas included amygdala, medial temporal lobe and ventral prefrontal cortex. The displacement rate did not change in the reference region. Conclusions: Since the experiment found evidence of significant dopamine release in the extrastriatal areas that have previously been implicated in the processing of emotional memories, the results suggest that the ligand 18F-fallypride can be used to detect task induced release of extrastriatal dopamine. Research Support (if any): NIH (1R21MH073624), Dana Foundation, Shriners Hospital for Children
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of DNA Capture and Transport in Heated Nanopores.

The integration of local heat sources with solid-state nanopores offers new means for controlling the transmembrane transport of charged biomacromolecules. In the case of electrophoretic transport of DNA, recent experimental studies revealed unexpected temperature dependences of the DNA capture rate, the DNA translocation velocity, and the ionic current blockades produced by the presence of DNA in the nanopore. Here, we report the results of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations that elucidated the effect of temperature on the key microscopic processes governing electric field-driven transport of DNA through nanopores. Mimicking the experimental setup, we simulated the capture and subsequent translocation of short DNA duplexes through a locally heated nanopore at several temperatures and electrolyte conditions. The temperature dependence of ion mobility at the DNA surface was found to cause the dependence of the relative conductance blockades on temperature. To the first order, the effective force on DN...
Validity of PROMIS physical function measured in diverse clinical samples.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the validity of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function measures using longitudinal data collected in six chronic health conditions. Study Design and Setting Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), major depressive disorder (MDD), back pain, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic heart failure (CHF), and cancer completed the PROMIS Physical Function computerized adaptive test or fixed-length short form at baseline and at the end of clinically relevant follow-up intervals. Anchor items were also administered to assess change in physical function and general health. Linear mixed-effects models and standardized response means were estimated at baseline and follow-up. Results A total of 1,415 individuals participated (COPD n = 121; CHF n = 57; back pain n = 218; MDD n = 196; RA n = 521; cancer n = 302). The PROMIS Physical Function scores improved significantly for treatment of CHF and back pain patients but not for patients with MDD or COPD. Most of the patient subsamples that reported improvement or worsening on the anchors showed a corresponding positive or negative change in PROMIS Physical Function. Conclusion This study provides evidence that the PROMIS Physical Function measures are sensitive to change in intervention studies where physical function is expected to change and able to distinguish among different clinical samples. The results inform the estimation of meaningful change, enabling comparative effectiveness research.
A Hairy Parabola

The Mark Twain boat company offers tours of the Mississippi River. If 50 people sign up, the boat company charges each person $10. However, for each group of ii) If K : 0, then for t A 0 [that is, any poi (x, y) on the line other than 0, yo)], we have F(x, y) = Kt2 7 0. And so (x, y) does not belong to the nic F(x, y) = 0. Since (xo, yo) is the only point on the line that belongs to e conic, (2) is the equation of the li e tangent to the conic section at (x0, yo).
Low- (Economic) Volatility Optimization

This article evaluates several low-volatility portfolio strategies to identify the return penalty, if any, associated with increased downside safety. The authors compare the S&P 500 Low Volatility Index with standard benchmarks and with portfolios specifically constructed to have low-volatility characteristics. They find that portfolios constructed using low-frequency economic measures for stock screening and portfolio optimization outpaced the S&P Low Volatility Index in absolute and relative terms. The authors conclude with practical suggestions for wealth managers about incorporating low-volatility methods into their practices.
Benefits of Formation Flight of Extended Duration Considering Fuel Burn

This paper investigates the effect of fuel consumption by a lead aircraft on the benefits of flying in formation. As an aircraft flies, it generates wingtip vortices that a trail aircraft, within the wake, can utilize for fuel-saving benefits. The strength of the wingtip vortices generated by the lead depend on the weight of the lead aircraft. Thus, as the weight of the lead decreases due to fuel consumption, the strength of the wake vortices and corresponding fuel savings for the trail aircraft decrease. To analyze this effect, formations of extended duration are simulated, in which fuel consumption leads to significant weight reductions for the lead and the trail aircraft. This paper confirms that as the weight of the lead aircraft decreases, the benefit to the trail aircraft decreases. This decrease is not significant enough to nullify the fuel-saving benefits of extended-duration formations even in turbulent atmospheric conditions.