cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wave interactions and variation estimates for self-similar zero-viscosity limits in systems of conservation laws

We consider the problem of self-similar zero-viscosity limits for systems ofN conservation laws. First, we give general conditions so that the resulting boundary-value problem admits solutions. The obtained existence theory covers a large class of systems, in particular the class of symmetric hyperbolic systems. Second, we show that if the system is strictly hyperbolic and the Riemann data are sufficiently close, then the resulting family of solutions is of uniformly bounded variation and oscillation. Third, we construct solutions of the Riemann problem via self-similar zero-viscosity limits and study the structure of the emerging solution and the relation of self-similar zero-viscosity limits and shock profiles. The emerging solution consists ofN wave fans separated by constant states. Each wave fan is associated with one of the characteristic fields and consists of a rarefaction, a shock, or an alternating sequence of shocks and rarefactions so that each shock adjacent to a rarefaction on one side is a contact discontinuity on that side. At shocks, the solutions of the self-similar zero-viscosity problem have the internal structure of a traveling wave.
Measuring reliability of service systems using failure rates: variations and extensions

In a recent article in this journal, Gunes and Deveci proposed the use of failure rate analysis, a technique commonly used to determine reliability rates of products, systems and components, to determine reliability rates of service systems. They also presented an application of this concept to a student office service system. This paper first extends this idea to multi‐stage service systems. Next, it illustrates how several other concepts and techniques of reliability engineering can be applied for measuring reliability rates of services. Two case studies where such techniques were applied are presented. It will also discuss how customers view reliability of a service and how objective measures of reliability rates based on reliability engineering concepts and techniques can be combined with customer expectations and perceptions to set performance standards for a service.
Thermal Defocussing Criteria for a Laser Welding Process

A numerical simulation code is developed to study the significance of refraction effects (beam self-focussing or defocussing) of a laser during a laser welding process. Relationships between the size of the heat affected zone (HAZ), the melt zone and the laser beam parameters are investigated for a short pulsed laser welding process. The solution method includes the thermally stimulated nonlinear optical effects caused by the temperature dependent index of refraction, as well as the step change in surface reflection that occurs due to the liquid and solid phase change. The interaction of these parameters is investigated to better control the laser manufacturing processes. Difficulties of numerical modeling and the tradeoff between using small nodes to reduce the sawtooth behavior in the phase change model and computer run times that are consistent with real time control are discussed. The results indicate that there are no significant refraction affects of the laser beam and that the heat affected zone is approximately 6% larger for a collimated beam input as compared to a gaussian beam input. Peak temperatures are lower for the collimated beam.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Phosphoinositides Direct Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Gag Trafficking and Release

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate [PI(4,5)P(2) ], the predominant phosphoinositide (PI) on the plasma membrane, binds the matrix (MA) protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) with similar affinities in vitro. Interaction with PI(4,5)P(2) is critical for HIV-1 assembly on the plasma membrane. EIAV has been shown to localize in internal compartments; hence, the significance of its interaction with PI(4,5)P(2) is unclear. We therefore investigated the binding in vitro of other PIs to EIAV MA and whether intracellular association with compartments bearing these PIs was important for assembly and release of virus-like particles (VLPs) formed by Gag. In vitro, EIAV MA bound phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate [PI(3)P] with higher affinity than PI(4,5)P(2) as revealed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra upon lipid titration. Gag was detected on the plasma membrane and in compartments enriched in phosphatidylinositol 3,5-biphosphate [PI(3,5)P(2) ]. Treatment of cells with YM201636, a kinase inhibitor that blocks production of PI(3,5)P(2) from PI(3)P, caused Gag to colocalize with aberrant compartments and inhibited VLP release. In contrast to HIV-1, release of EIAV VLPs was not significantly diminished by coexpression with 5-phosphatase IV, an enzyme that specifically depletes PI(4,5)P(2) from the plasma membrane. However, coexpression with synaptojanin 2, a phosphatase with broader specificity, diminished VLP production. PI-binding pocket mutations caused striking budding defects, as revealed by electron microscopy. One of the mutations also modified Gag-Gag interaction, as suggested by altered bimolecular fluorescence complementation. We conclude that PI-mediated targeting to peripheral and internal membranes is a critical factor in EIAV assembly and release.
Distal splenorenal shunt versus transjugular intrahepatic portal systematic shunt for variceal bleeding: a randomized trial.

Background & Aims: Variceal bleeding refractory to medical treatment with β-blockers and endoscopic therapy can be managed by variceal decompression with either surgical shunts or transjugular intrahepatic portal systemic shunts (TIPS). This prospective randomized trial tested the hypothesis that patients receiving distal splenorenal shunts (DSRS) would have significantly lower rebleeding and encephalopathy rates than TIPS in management of refractory variceal bleeding. Methods: A prospective randomized controlled clinical trial at 5 centers was conducted. One hundred forty patients with Child–Pugh class A and B cirrhosis and refractory variceal bleeding were randomized to DSRS or TIPS. Protocol and event follow-up for 2–8 years (mean, 46 ± 26 months) for primary end points of variceal bleeding and encephalopathy and secondary end points of death, ascites, thrombosis and stenosis, liver function, need for transplant, quality of life, and cost were evaluated. Results: There was no significant difference in rebleeding (DSRS, 5.5%; TIPS, 10.5%; P = .29) or first encephalopathy event (DSRS, 50%; TIPS, 50%). Survival at 2 and 5 years (DSRS, 81% and 62%; TIPS, 88% and 61%, respectively) were not significantly different ( P = .87). Thrombosis, stenosis, and reintervention rates (DSRS, 11%; TIPS, 82%) were significantly ( P Conclusions: DSRS and TIPS are similarly efficacious in the control of refractory variceal bleeding in Child–Pugh class A and B patients. Reintervention is significantly greater for TIPS compared with DSRS. Because both procedures have equivalent outcomes, the choice is dependent on available expertise and ability to monitor the shunt and reintervene when needed.
Pseudolinearization and nonlinear optimal control

For a class of infinite-horizon nonlinear optimal control problems, the pseudo-linearization transformation is used to investigate a new type of approximate solution for the Hamilton-Jacobi equation and corresponding approximate optimal control law.
Decreased gastrointestinal ulcerogenicity of chlordimeform, a basic anti-inflammatory agent.

Abstract The present study compares the gastrointestinal toxicity of aspirin and chlordime-form (CDM), a formamidine pesticide that also has anti-inflammatory actions. Carrageenin-induced paw edema was reduced by 80% following CDM (0.6 mmol/kg, po) as compared to the 38% reduction following an equimolar po dose of aspirin. At effective anti-inflammatory doses, ip aspirin induced moderate, and po aspirin induced severe gastric ulcers in the rat. In contrast, ip CDM induced mild gastric ulcers, while po CDM did not cause gastric ulceration. Neither po aspirin nor po CDM induced intestinal ulceration. Thus, CDM shares with other basic inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis low gastrointestinal toxicity: but is unique in producing potent anti-inflammatory activity.
Radiation protection of the normal kidney by selective arterial infusions.

Successful unilateral renal radioprotection has been attained in 10 of 18 experimental animals receiving protracted and fractionated radiation to large abdominal fields and unilateral renal artery epinephrine infusions, including 6 of the last 7 animals so treated. In a pilot series of patients with Stage III ovarian malignancies who were treated in a similar manner with unilateral renal artery epinephrine infusions, successful unilateral renal radioprotection has also been achieved in 3 out of 5 evaluable patients (the other 2 patients received potentially nephritic radiation doses to both kidneys, but have not in fact developed radiation nephritis on either side). In a series of 10 experimental animals, production of temporary unilateral renal hypoxia during abdominal irradiation by the use of a balloon occlusion catheter has not proved reliable in effecting unilateral renal radioprotection. However, in a subgroup of 5 animals, the data suggest that simultaneous infusion of a vasoconstrictor combination into the superior mesenteric artery during irradiation may prevent morbidity and mortality from acute radiation enteritis, under the experimental conditions employed.
Optimization and inhibition of the adherent ability of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes.

The vast majority of the 1-2 million malaria associated deaths that occur each year are due to anemia and cerebral malaria (the attachment of erythrocytes containing mature forms of Plasmodium falciparum to the endothelial cells that line the vascular beds of the brain). A "model" system"for the study of cerebral malaria employs amelanotic melanoma cells as the "target"cells in an vitro cytoadherence assay. Using this model system we determined that the optimum pH for adherence is 6.6 to 6.8, that high concentrations of Ca²* (50mM) result in increased levels of binding, and that the type of buffer used influences adherence (Bis Tris > MOPS > HEPES > PIPES). We also observed that the ability of infected erythrocytes to cytoadhere varied from (erythrocyte) donor to donor. We have produced murine monoclonal antibodies against P. falciparum-infected red cells which recognized modified forms of human band 3; these inhibit the adherence of infected erythrocytes to melanoma cells in a doso responsive fashion. Antimalarials (chloroquine, quinacrine, mefloquine, artemisinin), on the other hand, affected adherence in an indirect fashion i.e. since cytoadherence is due, in part to the presence of knobs on the surface of the infected erythrocyte, and knob formation is dependent on intracellular parasite growth, when plasmodial development is inhibited so is knob production, and consequently adherence is ablated.
Human interactions with ground-water

Ground-Water could be considered as an immense reservoir, from which only a certain amount of water can be withdrawn without affecting the quantity and quality of water. This amount is determined by the characteristics of the environment in which ground-water occurs and by the interactions of ground-water with precipitation, surface water, and people. It should be recognized that quantity and quality of ground-water are intimately related and should be considered accordingly. Quantity refers to usable water and water is usable for any specific purpose only so long as its quality has not deteriorated beyond acceptable limits. Thus an overall quantitative and qualitative management of ground water is inevitable, and its should also involve the uses of ground-water reservoirs for purposes other than water supply.
Tragopogon Dubius; Its Response to Length of Day

In 1938 the writer (Allard, '38) reported the occurrence of a wild yellowflowered salsify, Tragopogon dubius Scop., growing in great abundance in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia along U. S. highway No. 11 from Strasburg to Mt. Jackson in Shenandoah County. This appears to have been the first eastern record for this plant, previous records in the United States having placed it in Idaho, Colorado, and California. This Tragopogon appears to have become permanently established in the Great Valley of Virginia and is now a prominent constituent of the weed flora of the roadside and banks in many places in early summer. Like all species of the genus this is a plant of the Old World, and appears to find its optimum development and distribution there between latitudes 40 and 500. The establishment of an introduced plant in a new region or country depends upon its inherent ecological limits of adaptation. Many physiological requirements must be successfully met having to do with soil moisture, air temperatures and humidity, length of the growing season, and length-of-day requirements. A study was made of the length-of-day requirements of Tragopogon dubius, and very interesting responses were revealed, which would indicate a natural range related to northern latitudes.
An Historical Review of the Nation's Efforts to Cope with Rural Poverty

THROUGHOUT the history of this country, one element in American ideology has been a belief in the concept of equality. The specific meaning of the concept has been variously defined. Some people have interpreted it in a spiritual sense as meaning that all men are equally the children of God. Others have viewed it as a juridical concept and have professed the belief that all men should be treated equally by law. Others have given it a growth connotation, commonly expressed in such terminology as "All men should have an equal opportunity to develop their inherent capabilities or potentials." Relatively few Americans have embraced the belief that all men should have equal incomes. Regardless of how the concept is defined, it is perfectly clear that neither the founding fathers nor their successors have organized and operated a society in which all men have either equal power, equal status, or equal opportunities. Indeed, the whole history of American life has been filled with all sorts of discriminatory practices. The cynic, the skeptic, the purist can find evidence, today and yesterday, to argue that Americans have never really believed in the idea of equality among men, that both the literature and the liturgy which have long surrounded the concept of equality have been nothing more than a verbal facade behind which have hidden the most glaring inequalities and inequities. Moreoever, any honest reader of American history must admit that there is some truth in this view. But it is only a partial truth. At the very same time that the American way of life in many of its social, economic, political, and religious dimensions has condoned and encouraged practices that have created and expanded areas of inequality, it has also spawned, nurtured, and encouraged other activities of an egalitarian nature. Relatively few Americans have been willing to convert Darwin's theory of evolution into an ethical guide to policy by saying that "only the strongest and fittest should survive." There have been repeated efforts -by government, by private enterprise, by religious agencies, and by philanthropists, large and small-to aid and assist the lowly and the poor and to throw up various types of barriers to the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few.
Emulators; prospective instruments for instruction in systems programming

Microprogramming is a technique for implementing machine language instruction sets -- it is critical in today's computer architectures and operating systems. An emulator is a set of microprograms that implements the architecture of one machine on another; microprogramming is often used in emulation to make one computer system appear as if it were another. This paper presents the architecture for a microprogrammed computer system, the VSEM. The simulated virtual computer system, its monitor and a simulated concurrent PASCAL are discussed. The usefulness of the VSEM, its monitor and the concurrent PASCAL as vehicles for instruction in systems programming is addressed.
Gender influences the response to experimental silica-induced lung fibrosis in mice

Accumulating evidence suggests that gender can have a profound effect on incidence and severity of a variety of pulmonary diseases. To address the influence of gender on the development of silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis, we instilled 0.2 g/kg silica into male and female C57BL/6 mice and examined the fibrotic and inflammatory response at 14 days postexposure. Both silica-exposed male and female mice had significant increases in total lung hydroxyproline compared with saline controls. However, silica-exposed female mice had significantly less total lung hydroxyproline than silica-exposed male mice. This observation was confirmed by color thresholding image analysis. Interestingly, silica-exposed female mice had significantly more inflammatory cells, the majority of which were macrophages, as well as higher levels of the macrophage-specific chemokines MCP-1 and CCL9 in whole lung lavage compared with silica-exposed male mice. We also show that at baseline, estrogen receptor α (ERα) mRNA expression is lower in female mice than in males and that ERα mRNA expression is decreased by silica exposure. Finally, we show that the response of ovariectomized female mice to silica instillation is similar to that of male mice. These observations together show that gender influences the lung response to silica.
A new face for climate dice.

Although it is not possible to “experience” the 0.5 °C increase in global surface temperature since the 1950s directly, everyone can feel the local and regional effects of extended periods of very hot weather. In PNAS, Hansen et al. (1) present a simple and elegant way to quantify the effects of a 0.5 °C increase in global average temperature on the extremes that have an impact on the way we live, work, play, and grow our food. Hansen et al. (1) show that the thermal climate is tangibly different today compared with what it was like as recently as the mid to late 20th century. The results are quite remarkable. For example, we are now more than 10-fold as likely to endure an extremely hot summer as we were in the decades 1951–1980.
Comparison of the neural correlates of encoding item-item and item-context associations

fMRI was employed to investigate the role of the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) in the encoding of item-item and item-context associations. On each of a series of study trials subjects viewed a picture that was presented either to the left or right of fixation, along with a subsequently presented word that appeared at fixation. Memory was tested in a subsequent memory test that took place outside of the scanner. On each test trial one of two forced choice judgments was required. For the associative test, subjects chose between the word paired with the picture at study and a word studied on a different trial. For the source test, the judgment was whether the picture had been presented on the left or right. Successful encoding of associative information was accompanied by subsequent memory effects in several cortical regions, including much of the LIFG. By contrast, successful source encoding was selectively associated with a subsequent memory effect in right fusiform cortex. The finding that the LIFG was enhanced during successful associative, but not source, encoding is interpreted in light of the proposal that subsequent memory effects are localized to cortical regions engaged by the on-line demands of the study task.
Berger Code-Based Concurrent Error Detection in Asynchronous Burst-Mode Machines

We discuss the use of the Berger code for concurrent error detection (CED) in asynchronous burst-mode machines (ABMMs). We present a state encoding method which guarantees the existence of the two key components for Berger-encoding an ABMM, namely an inverter-free ABMM implementation of the circuit and an ABMM implementation of the corresponding Berger code generator. We also propose improved solutions to two inherent problems of CED in ABMMs, namely checking synchronization and detection of error-induced hazards. Experimental results demonstrate that Berger code-based CED reduces significantly the cost of previous CED methods for ABMMs
17-Allylamino-17-Demethoxygeldanamycin Synergistically Potentiates Tumor Necrosis Factor–Induced Lung Cancer Cell Death by Blocking the Nuclear Factor-κB Pathway

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), a survival signal induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF), contributes substantially to the resistance to TNF-induced cell death. Previous studies suggest that heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) regulates the stability and function of receptor-interaction proteins (RIP) and IkappaB kinase beta (IKKbeta), the key components of the TNF-induced NF-kappaB activation pathway. In this study, we showed that the Hsp90 inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17AAG) was synergistic with TNF to induce apoptotic cell death in a panel of lung tumor-derived cell lines. Treatment with 17AAG caused degradation of RIP and IKKbeta that, in turn, blocked TNF-induced NF-kappaB activation and antiapoptotic gene expression. The synergistic cytotoxicity was detected only when TNF treatment followed 17AAG preexposure. Importantly, the potentiation of cell death was abolished in NF-kappaB-disabled cells that express a nondegradable IkappaBalpha mutant (IkappaBalphaAA). These results suggest that the cytotoxicity seen with 17AAG and TNF treatment results from blocking TNF-induced NF-kappaB activation. The other components of the TNF receptor I signaling cascade were not altered, whereas TNF-induced c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase activation and apoptosis were potentiated. A similar synergism for inducing apoptosis was also observed in 17AAG-treated and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-treated cancer cells. Our results suggest that NF-kappaB plays a key role in the resistance of lung cancer cells to TNF and TRAIL and that disabling this survival signal with 17AAG followed by TNF or TRAIL treatment could be an effective new therapeutic strategy for lung cancer.
Effective Laser Ablation of Bone Based on the Absorption Characteristics of Water and Proteins

Background: Collateral thermal damage and residual char formation have severely limited the use of conventional lasers in the surgical preparation of bony tissue. Thermal damage from lasers can be minimized by selecting a wavelength that is strongly absorbed and by reducing the laser pulse duration. In contrast to the fixed wavelengths and microsecond pulse intervals of conventional lasers, the Vanderbilt free electron laser (FEL) can be set at wavelengths ranging from 2.1 to 9.8 μm, and the pulse duration can be reduced to a series of 1 to 2 picosecond (ps) micropulses delivered in succession over intervals of 4 microsecond macropulses. The purpose of this study was to compare the morphologic and chemical changes induced in the near-surface region of bone following exposure to the FEL at 3.0, 6.1, and 6.45 μm wavelengths. The selected wavelengths coincide with the vibrational modes of proteins and water within bone. Methods: Under general anesthesia, laser incisions were made in the tibias of 14 skeletal...
Pulse broadening due to higher order dispersion and its transmission limit

If we are to significantly increase the transmission speed of optical networks, the impact of higher order dispersion must be clarified. This paper gives general expressions that describe pulse broadening due to even and odd higher order dispersion in a single-mode fiber. The intrinsic impulsive responses for even order dispersion (beyond the second order) are characterized by symmetrical waveforms with long trailing skirts, whereas the responses for odd orders show asymmetrical strongly oscillating waveforms. The transmission limits are also analytically obtained for each higher nth order that induces intersymbol interference. Transmission lengths are limited by the factor of 1/B/sub 0//sup n/ where B/sub 0/ is the bit rate and n is the dispersion order.
Religious affiliation and fertility in Liberia

This study examines fertility differentials by religious affiliation in Liberia, within the context of two competing hypotheses: the characteristic and particularised theology. Using a subsample of currently married women from the 1986 Liberian Demographic and Health Survey, the study examines the fertility of five religious groups: Catholic, Protestant, Moslem, traditional, and other women. Overall, the findings are more consistent with the characteristic hypothesis, because the small fertility differentials by religious affiliation are largely accounted for by differences in the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of these women.
Resilient distributed datasets: a fault-tolerant abstraction for in-memory cluster computing

We present Resilient Distributed Datasets (RDDs), a distributed memory abstraction that lets programmers perform in-memory computations on large clusters in a fault-tolerant manner. RDDs are motivated by two types of applications that current computing frameworks handle inefficiently: iterative algorithms and interactive data mining tools. In both cases, keeping data in memory can improve performance by an order of magnitude. To achieve fault tolerance efficiently, RDDs provide a restricted form of shared memory, based on coarse-grained transformations rather than fine-grained updates to shared state. However, we show that RDDs are expressive enough to capture a wide class of computations, including recent specialized programming models for iterative jobs, such as Pregel, and new applications that these models do not capture. We have implemented RDDs in a system called Spark, which we evaluate through a variety of user applications and benchmarks.
Stroke unit: a cardio-cerebral approach.

Stroke units are special units where stroke patients receive, simultaneously, medical and physical treatment. Compared to general neurological and medical wards, stroke units show a significant reduction of short- and long-time mortality, and an improvement of long-term quality of life. Nevertheless, mortality in these units is still high (1-year mortality ∼32%; 5-year mortality ∼60%), and consequently, new approaches are needed to control stroke parameters during the acute phase, with the goal to reduce mortality rates. The philosophy of our stroke unit in Fermo (Italy), is to establish a strong association between heart and brain care by approaching each stroke patient as a cardio-cerebral patient. In particular, we perform 12-lead Holter ECG monitoring, to prevent the vicious cycle affecting correct cerebral and cardiac functions, and to react to cardiac complications, mostly arrhythmias, that can worsen cerebral damage. Holter ECG monitoring allows a fast physiotherapeutic approach, a better evaluatio...
Islam and ‘Scientific Religion’ in the United States before 1935

This article examines the engagement of Islam by a certain family of religious movements, which I term ‘Scientific Religion’, that developed in the United States during the nineteenth century. Not only was Scientific Religion a religious matrix in which Islam was regularly portrayed in a positive light, but also more Scientific Religionists took on an Islamic identity than any other group of Muslim sympathizers. This was due to the fact that, unlike many of the more mainstream liberal religions, Scientific Religion did not rule out the possibility that exclusive commitment to one specific traditional religious identity could be used to promote Scientific Religion values. In fact, the largest and most prominent US Islamic-identity convert groups of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were significantly influenced by Scientific Religion.
OBSERVATIONS ON NEST CHARACTERISTICS, SPAWNING HABITAT, AND SPAWNING BEHAVIOR OF PACIFIC AND WESTERN BROOK LAMPREY IN A WASHINGTON STREAM

Abstract Spawning surveys of Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata) and western brook lamprey (L. richardsoni) were conducted in the Cedar Creek drainage, a tributary within the Columbia River basin in Washington State. Twenty-seven surveys were conducted in 2001, 50 in 2002, and 53 in 2003. A total of 237 Pacific lamprey nests and 58 western brook lamprey nests were examined to describe nest characteristics (area, excavation depth, and longevity) and their associated habitat (water depth, water velocity, substrate size, and gradient). Spawning behaviors (timing, adult visibility, and courtship rituals) were evaluated to determine if spawning surveys could be used as an indicator of adult abundance. Pacific lamprey nests were larger in area and were excavated deeper than western brook lamprey nests; on rare occasions the 2 types of nests were found superimposed. Although western brook and Pacific lamprey nests displayed overlap in all habitat parameters, each species primarily exploited resources not readi...
THE SPEED OF ISOTHERMAL-FRONT PROPAGATION IN ISOTROPIC, WEAKLY TURBULENT FLOWS

The mean speed of a wrinkled isothermal front is calculated from first principles in terms of the local normal front speed and the intensity of an isotropic, weakly turbulent flow through which the front propagates. It is found that the mean speed of the wrinkled front departs from the local normal front speed (assumed to be the same as the planar-front propagation speed) by an amount proportional to 4/3 of the turbulent kinetic energy of the flow or (equivalently) twice the turbulence intensity.
Simulation of Spaceborne Radar Observations of Precipitation: Application to GPM-DPR

Global precipitation measurement (GPM) is poised to be the next generation precipitation observations from space after the TRMM mission. The GPM will carry a dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR), operating at Ku-band, and Ka-band frequencies. Since spaceborne precipitation observations have never been done in Ka-band before, extensive research work on dual-frequency radar, including electromagnetic wave propagation characteristics from space and retrieval algorithms are essentially required in developing system design and instrument performance evaluations. This paper presents a simulation-based study of Ku-and Ka-band radar observation of precipitations.
The effect of prostaglandin and kinin synthesis inhibition on blood pressure during infusion of angiotensin II in the conscious rabbit.

The contribution of vasodilator prostaglandins and kinins to blood pressure regulation was studied during the infusion of different doses of angiotensin II in conscious rabbits. Angiotensin II was infused for 60 min. in each experiment. Indomethacin, a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor, or Trasylol, a kallikrein inhibitor, was given at the 30 min. interval. Indomethacin caused a sustained increase in blood pressure during the infusion of pressor doses of angiotensin II. The range of the mean increase after prostaglandin synthesis inhibition was 3.4 to 6.0 and 3.0 to 9.4 mm Hg at angiotensin II infusion rates of 10 and 50 ng/kg/min respectively. In contrast, indomethacin did not alter blood pressure when the peptide was administered at subpressor levels. Trasylol did not alter blood pressure during infusion of angiotensin II. These results suggest that when blood pressure is maintained at supranormal levels by angiotensin II, the pressor action is attenuated by one or more prostaglandins; an event which is...
Biomedical Technology Assessment: The 3Q Method

Abstract Evaluating biomedical technology poses a significant challenge in light of the complexity and rate of introduction in today's healthcare delivery system. Successful evaluation requires an integration of clinical medicine, science, finance, and market analysis. Little guidance, however, exists for those who must conduct comprehensive technology evaluations. The 3Q Method meets these present day needs. The 3Q Method is organized around 3 key questions dealing with 1) clinical and scientific basis, 2) financial fit and 3) strategic and expertise fit. Both healthcare providers (e.g., hospitals) and medical industry providers can use the Method to evaluate medical devices, information systems and work processes from their own perspectives. The book describes the 3Q Method in detail and provides additional suggestions for optimal presentation and report preparation. Table of Contents: Introduction / Question #1: Is It Real? / Question #2: Can We Win? / Question #3: Is It Worth It? / 3Q Case Study Examp...
Smart battery adaptive algorithms-system gain calibration elimination by use of adaptive learn cycle in integrated VFC measurement circuit

Factory calibration is eliminated for system level voltage to charge conversion gain for available charge estimation systems used in rechargeable battery applications, by taking advantage of normalized capacity learning methods. These methods allow the use of state of charge modeling techniques to predict remaining time for portable electronics applications such as talk time on cellular phones or remaining use time on computers, and eliminates the need for absolute units such as amp-hours. One such algorithm is discussed showing how this calibration can be eliminated. Time-of-use estimates are compared and analyzed against laboratory data.
A direct-conversion receiver for 900 MHz (ISM band) spread-spectrum digital cordless telephone

Direct conversion (or zero intermediate-frequency) is an attractive architecture in radio design because it eliminates expensive filters at both radio frequencies (RF) (for image rejection) and intermediate frequencies (IF). Instead, an inexpensive low-pass filter is used for channel selection, and no image rejection is required. A digital code that has negligible energy below 30 kHz is used, so that a combination of ac coupling and dc servo feedback prevents propagation of dc offsets in the IF chain. A class AB servo stage reduces the turn-on time of the receiver to 200 /spl mu/s, so it may be used in a time-division duplex (TDD) system. The typical phase accuracy of the I/Q output is one degree. The IC is designed for use in the 902-928 MHz industrial-scientific-medical (ISM) Band. It operates on a supply voltage of 2.7-5.0 V and draws 50 mA. It uses a 25 GHz f/sub T/ silicon-bipolar process.
Formal Concept Analysis With Background Knowledge: Attribute Priorities

This paper deals with background knowledge in knowledge extraction from binary data. A background knowledge represents an additional piece of information a user may have along with the input data. Such information can be considered as specifying the type of knowledge a user is looking for in the data. In particular, we emphasize the need for taking into account background knowledge in formal concept analysis. We present an approach to modeling background knowledge that represents user's priorities regarding attributes and their relative importance. Such priorities serve as a constraint-only those formal concepts that are compatible with user's priorities are considered relevant, extracted from data, and presented to the user. Our approach has two main practical features. First, the number of formal concepts presented to the user may get significantly reduced. As a result, the user is supplied with relevant formal concepts only and is not overloaded by a large number of possibly nonrelevant formal concepts. Second, different priorities lead to different pieces of knowledge extracted from data. This way, the input data may be repeatedly used in knowledge extraction for different purposes corresponding to different priorities. We concentrate on foundational aspects such as mathematical feasibility, reasoning with background knowledge, removing redundancy from background knowledge, and computational tractability, and present several illustrative examples. In addition, we discuss directions for future research.
Testing improves long-term retention in a simulated classroom setting

The benefits of testing on long-term retention of lecture material were examined in a simulated classroom setting. Participants viewed a series of three lectures on consecutive days and engaged in a different type of postlecture activity on each day: studying a lecture summary, taking a multiple choice test, or taking a short answer test. Feedback (correct answers) was provided for half of the responses on the multiple choice and short answer tests. A final comprehensive short answer test was given 1 month later. Restudying or taking a multiple choice test soon after learning improved final recall relative to no activity, but taking an initial short answer test improved final recall the most. Feedback did not affect retention, probably due to the high level of performance on the initial tests. This finding is a powerful demonstration of how tests (especially recall tests) can improve retention of material after long retention intervals.
Feasibility of sonographic localization of the inferior epigastric artery before ultrasound-guided paracentesis

Abstract Background Ultrasound-guided paracentesis is commonly performed in the emergency department (ED) setting. Injury to the inferior epigastric artery (IEA) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening complication of paracentesis. Use of anatomic landmarks has been recommended to avoid this structure. If feasible, sonographic localization of the IEA before ultrasound-guided paracentesis may provide the operator with anatomic mapping of this vascular structure. Case reports We present 5 cases demonstrating the feasibility of identifying the IEA in ED patients with ascites. Why should an emergency physician be aware of this? Sonographic localization of the IEA before ultrasound-guided paracentesis may provide a more reliable means of avoiding iatrogenic injury to this vessel. Further study is warranted to determine whether routine IEA visualization before paracentesis results in a decreased complication rate.
Blockade of Tim-1 and Tim-4 Enhances Atherosclerosis in Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Deficient Mice.

Objective—T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain (Tim) proteins are expressed by numerous immune cells, recognize phosphatidylserine on apoptotic cells, and function as costimulators or coinhibitors. Tim-1 is expressed by activated T cells but is also found on dendritic cells and B cells. Tim-4, present on macrophages and dendritic cells, plays a critical role in apoptotic cell clearance, regulates the number of phosphatidylserine-expressing activated T cells, and is genetically associated with low low-density lipoprotein and triglyceride levels. Because these functions of Tim-1 and Tim-4 could affect atherosclerosis, their modulation has potential therapeutic value in cardiovascular disease. Approach and Results—ldlr−/− mice were fed a high-fat diet for 4 weeks while being treated with control (rat immunoglobulin G1) or anti-Tim-1 (3D10) or -Tim-4 (21H12) monoclonal antibodies that block phosphatidylserine recognition and phagocytosis. Both anti-Tim-1 and anti-Tim-4 treatments enhanced atherosclerosis by...
Inhibition of human topoisomerases I and II by simocyclinone D8.

Simocyclinone D8 is an antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces antibioticus Tu 6040 that inhibits the supercoiling activity of DNA gyrase. It also exhibits an inhibitory effect on human topoisomerase II and an antiproliferative activity against some cancer cell lines. Our biochemical studies have revealed that simocyclinone D8 can inhibit the catalytic activity of human topoisomerase I. Thus, simocyclinone D8 is a dual catalytic inhibitor of human topoisomerases I and II.
The Role of Gravity in Periorbital and Midfacial Aging.

Background With respect to the pathogenesis of periorbital and midfacial aging, gravity may play a greater role than volume loss. Objectives The authors determined the effect of shifting from the upright to the supine position on specific attributes of facial appearance and ascertained whether facial appearance in the supine position bore any resemblance to its appearance in youth. Methods Participants who showed signs of midface aging were positioned in the upright and supine positions, and photographs were obtained during smiling and repose. For each photograph, examiners graded the following anatomic parameters, using a standardized scale: brow position, tear trough length and depth, steatoblepharon, cheek volume, malar bags/festoons, and nasolabial folds. Some participants provided photographs of themselves taken 10 to 15 years earlier; these were compared with the study images. Results Interobserver correlation was strong. When participants were transferred from upright to supine, all anatomic parameters examined became more youthful in appearance; findings were statistically significant. The grading of anatomic parameters of the earlier photographs most closely matched that of current supine photographs of the subjects smiling. Conclusions In the supine position, as opposed to the upright position, participants with signs of midface aging appear to have much more volume in the periorbita and midface. For the subset of participants who provided photographs obtained 10 to 15 years earlier, the appearance of facial volume was similar between those images and the current supine photographs. This suggests that volume displacement due to gravitational forces plays an integral role in the morphogenesis of midface aging.
Investigation of Low-Pressure Turbine Endwall Flows: Simulations and Experiments

Highly loaded Low-Pressure Turbine blades offer opportunities for lower costs and higher performance but suffer from unacceptable endwall losses. This has motivated research aimed at reducing the endwall losses by manipulating the passage vortex which constitutes the primary source of losses. Passive approaches such as profile and endwall contouring or active flow control did reduce endwall losses but require a more detailed understanding of the underlying flow physics to be better optimized. Endwall research also suffers from a lack of temporal and spatial resolution of the existing flow data which limits the depth of the physical analysis. Endwall flow experiments at the Air Force Research Laboratory revealed the mean flow features but did not resolve the unsteady flow structures. Therefore the decision was made to carry out endwall simulations with a higher-order-accurate NavierStokes code and to investigate the underlying hydrodynamic instabilities. In this paper results from endwall flow simulations for the L2F geometry with and without endwall fillet are presented. Both a turbulent and a laminar endwall boundary layer are being considered. For the former a passage vortex is generated at the endwall. The addition of the fillet suppresses the vortex. For the laminar endwall boundary layer, without fillet the passage vortex is missing. This interesting result indicates a strong dependence of the flow topology on the endwall boundary layer state.
The Effect of Alternating Protein Diets on Broiler Chick Performance

Abstract Two 14-day feeding experiments were conducted in which three levels of dietary protein, 23%, 20%, and 18%, were fed separately and also in various combinations to male broiler chicks. Chicks were housed in wire brooders with 14L:10D for Experiment 1 and with continuous light in Experiment 2. In Experiment 1, weight gain and feed efficiency of chicks fed 18% protein diets from 0700 to 1100 hr, 23% protein from 1100 to 1500 hr, 18% protein from 1500 to 1900 hr, and 23% protein from 1900 to 2100 hr were equal to chicks fed only a 23% protein diet. In Experiment 2, weight gain and feed efficiency of chicks fed 18% protein from 0700 to 1200 hr, 23% protein from 1200 to 1800 hr, 18% protein from 1800 to 2400 hr, and 23% protein from 2400 to 0700 were also equal to chicks fed a 23% protein diet. The chicks fed the combination of 18% and 23% protein diets consumed more feed than chicks fed only one diet, although this was not statistically significant for chicks receiving continuous light. The chicks on the 14L:10D sequence consumed 26.3% of total intake within the last 3 hr of their light period (1800 to 2100 hr) whereas chicks receiving continuous light consumed the largest portion of feed from 1200 to 1800 hr. In Experiment 3, weight gain and feed efficiency of male broilers housed in floor pens fed both 18% and 23% protein diets for a 4 week starter period and fed 16% and 19% protein diets during the finishing period were equal to broilers fed 23% protein starter diets and 19% protein finishing diets. These data suggest that feeding low protein diets during specific hours of the daily light period and feeding NRC levels of protein the remainder of time decreases the chick starter protein requirement by 11% and finisher requirement by 8%. The low protein diets contain 10 to 15% lower levels of essential amino acids compared to the NRC recommended protein diets.
Political cognition and decision-making.

By failing to take into account the essential features of the political context, all three major competing approaches to decision-making, analytical, cognitive, and motivated, exhibit serious deficiences in explaining decisionmaking behavior in the political arena. In particular, failure to understand the decision-maker's perception of the constraints of the political context may result in labelling as error or distortion behavior which is quite reasonable when viewed from the perspective of that context. In order to remedy these deficiencies, psychological theories about decision-making processes must be combined with the insights of political scientists into the nature of the political process to develop a specifically political theory of decision-making. Such a genuinely interdisciplinary collaboration between political science and psychology could result in a theory of political decision-making which truly belongs in the realm of political cognition.
Full-Genome Sequences of Seven Fatal Enterovirus 71 Strains Isolated in Shenzhen, China, in 2014

The whole-genome sequences of seven fatal enterovirus 71 (EV71) strains, isolated in southern China, in 2014, were determined. The complete genome sequences of these strains displayed close relationships to native EV71 strains and showed 94.2% to 99.8% identity to each other. All of these strains were assigned to subgenotype C4a based on phylogenetic analysis of the VP1 gene.
Aristotle and the Science of Nature: The limits of Aristotle's science of nature

It is worthwhile seeking to attain more understanding regarding these things, though the resources at our disposal are few and we are at such a great distance from what happens in the heavens (Aristotle, DC 292 a 14–17). REMOTENESS From the opening lines of the Meteorology the science of nature emerges as a systematic investigation of the natural world. This investigation is systematic in the sense that it consists of an inquiry into the different parts of the natural world in the attempt to discover the explanatory connections existing between its parts. If this investigation is successful, it does not provide mere knowledge of the natural world; it provides understanding of it. But this investigation is systematic also in the sense that it consists in a study of the natural world in its entirety. While Aristotle does not insist on this point in the opening lines of the Meteorology , he is more explicit towards the end of PA 1. This logos ends with an exhortation to the study of the entire natural world: the celestial together with the sublunary world, and this latter in all its parts, plants and animals included (645 a 4–7). Aristotle takes it for granted that the natural world is constituted by a celestial and a sublunary part, and argues that the study of each of these two parts has its own appeal. In this logos , however, the emphasis is on the study of plants and animals.