cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modelling the geomagnetic field from syntheses of paleomagnetic data

Abstract This review examines results from time-varying geomagnetic field models that span several thousand years, and from variations in dipole moment strength up to million year time scales. For the past 400 years, twin magnetic flux lobes bordering the inner core tangent cylinder in both northern and southern hemispheres dominate the geomagnetic field and appear more or less fixed in location. In contrast, the millennial scale view shows that such features are quite mobile and subject to morphological changes on time scales of a few centuries to a thousand years, possibly reflecting large scale reorganization of core flow. The lobes rarely venture into the Pacific hemisphere, and average fields over various time scales generally reveal two or three sets of lobes, of diminished amplitude. Thus millennial scale models are suggestive of thermal core-mantle coupling generating a weak bias in the average field rather than a strong inhibition of large scale field changes. The recovery of variations in dipole moment on million year time scales allows frequency domain analyses to search for characteristic time scales for core dynamics that might be associated with excursion and reversal rate, time taken for reversals, or any signs of control by Earth’s orbital parameters. The spectrum is characteristically red for the time interval 0–160 Ma, suggesting non-stationarity associated with average reversal rate changes, probably reflecting the impact of superchrons and a continually evolving core. Distinct regimes of power law decay with frequency may reflect different physical processes contributing to the secular variation. Evidence for non-stationarity at shorter time-scales is also present in dipole moment variations over 0–2 Ma with average growth rate faster than the decay process. Rates of change of dipole moment and rapid local field variations found in the paleomagnetic record are evaluated in the context of the 400 year historical record and the spectrum of geomagnetic variations for 0–160 Ma.
Rheological Factors for Attapulgite Suspended in Water

Stress-strain curves and stress-relaxation curves were determined at various temperatures (1° to 70°C) and concentrations (16 to 22 wt%) for attapulgite suspended in water. Stress-relaxation experiments were conducted under different conditions on samples which were relaxed for various durations of time between successive cyclic deformations. The flow properties are given in terms of rheopexy and thixotropy. The flow curve (for shear rates 0 to 700 per second versus shear stress) shows, first, a rheopectic hysteresis loop which changes on repeated shearing to a reversible and reproducible non-Newtonian flow curve. After resting the system for about 12 hours, the resulting flow curve shows a thixotropic loop. Viscosity as a function of pH shows an inversion at pH ⋍ 6.3. A model for explaining the observed facts is proposed. The script S type of looped-over flow curves showing both rheopectic and thixotropic characteristics is explained in terms of breakage of “logjammed” and crystalline bundles. A plot of the yield-point viscosities versus the reciprocal of temperature for the rheopectic and thixotropic curves shows activation energies of about 1 and 2 kcal respectively. An autographic rotational viscom-eter was designed and utilized to obtain the data reported so that the objectionable effects of frictional heating in the sample were minimized. The calibration response of the viscometer to a glycerol standard shows good agreement with published viscosity data.
Relationship between serum sex hormones and the glucose-insulin-lipid defect in men with obesity.

It has been hypothesized that an alteration in the sex hormone milieu may underlie coronary heart disease (CHD) and its risk factors. Leading to this hypothesis and important to it was the observation that serum testosterone level correlated negatively and the estradiol to testosterone ratio (E/T) correlated positively with serum insulin and glucose levels in non-obese men. As a test of the validity of this observation, the present study was conducted to investigate these correlations in men with obesity. Obesity in men is associated with hyperestrogenemia, hypotestosteronemia, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, and CHD. To determine whether the relationships between sex hormone levels and insulin and glucose levels found in non-obese men also occur in obese men independent of obesity, fasting levels of these substances, as well as free testosterone (FT) and sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), were measured in 55 obese men aged 21 to 70. Correlation coefficients of sex hormones with other risk factors for CHD, ie, cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), blood pressure, and waist to hip circumference ratio (W/H), were also calculated. As found previously, testosterone level correlated negatively with insulin (r = -.31, P = .01) and glucose (r = -.23, P < .05) levels and the insulin to glucose ratio ([I/G] r = -.26, P < .05), and E/T correlated positively with insulin (r = .41, P = .001) and glucose (r = .24, P < .05) levels and I/G (r = .37, P < .005). The above correlations were controlled for body mass index (BMI) and age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Rich Agreement Hypothesis and Early Modern Danish embedded-clause word order

This article attempts to shed light on the issue of a possible link between the loss of ‘rich’ subject-verb agreement and the loss of verb raising in embedded clauses in earlier stages of the Mainland Scandinavian languages. Different versions of this so-called ‘Rich Agreement Hypothesis’ are compared in light of new diachronic data from the history of Danish. Examples of word order variation with and without verb raising over sentential adverbials were collected from a corpus of twelve sets of texts written in the Early Modern Danish period (ca. 1500–1700). Empirical results indicate that distinctions in person agreement in the verbal inflectional paradigm disappeared nearly 250 years before a significant decline in the frequency of verb raising. In order to explain a possible trigger for this change, the article closely examines the impact of structurally ambiguous word order and syntactic – not morphological – clues during acquisition.
A hybrid Reynolds averaged/PDF closure model for supersonic turbulent combustion

A hybrid Reynolds averaged/assumed pdf approach has been developed and applied to the study of turbulent combustion in a supersonic mixing layer. This approach is used to address the 'laminar-like' treatment of the thermochemical terms that appear in the conservation equations. Calculations were carried out for two experiments involving H2-air supersonic turbulent mixing. Two different forms of the pdf were implemented. In general, the results show modest improvement from previous calculations. Moreover, the results appear to be somewhat independent of the form of the assumed pdf.
On the Assignment of Nickel Oxidation States of the Ox1, Ox2 Forms of Methyl−Coenzyme M Reductase

Methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) catalyzes the chemical step of methane formation by methanogenic organisms. The reaction involves the two-electron reduction of CH{sub 3}S-CoM by N-7-mercaptoheptanoylthreoinine phosphate (CoB-SH). The authors have employed 35 GHz EPR and ENDOR spectroscopy to resolve the oxidation state of Ni in ox1, ox2 and red1 forms of MCR, isolated from methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum strain Marburg and prepared as described previously.
Acinetobacter as a causative agent in preseptal cellulitis.

Background The bacterial genus Acinetobacter, once viewed as inconsequential, has been increasingly implicated as a significant pathogen. Acinetobacter is becoming progressively more resistant to older and newer-generation antibiotics. The primary species encountered in infections is Acinetobacter baumannii. Case Report A 39-year-old woman came in for treatment of a preseptal cellulitis and conjunctivitis. She was referred to W.W. Hastings Optometry Clinic eleven days after first being diagnosed with a hordeolum that developed into a preseptal cellulitis, despite the use of oral cephalexin anazithromycin. After being referred, the patient was placed on oral regimen of gatifloxacin and topical ciprofloxacin. The patient gradually improved over the next 10 days, with full resolution occurring 21 days after the first presentation. Culturing revealed the offending organism to be Acinetobacter. Discussion Most ocular infections are still caused by common organisms such as Staphylococcus. However, atypical bacteria such as Acinetobacter are responsible for a minority of infections. Careful consideration of patient history and clinical signs must be made to differentiate preseptal cellulitis and orbital cellulitis. Conclusion This case emphasizes that clinicians need to be aware of emerging and resistant bacteria in ocular infections. Infections that do not respond to traditional therapy should be treated aggressively with the latest-generation antibiotics. Ocular infections that do not resolve in a timely manner should be cultured for the offending organism and these organisms should be tested for susceptibility to anti-microbial drugs.
Gender Role Orientation and Physical Health: A Study among Young Adults.

The purpose to this study was to examine the relationship between gender role orientation and physical health among young adults. One hundred forty-five undergraduates (103 females, 42 males) completed a measure of gender role orientation (Bem Sex Role Inventory), self-reported physical health (Personal Health Questionnaire), health related behaviors (Health Behaviors Inventory), and neuroticism (Eysenck Personality Inventory). The sample consisted of European-American (89%), African-American (8%), and Asian-American (3%) individuals. Results showed that gender role orientation was significantly related to health-related behaviors (e.g., smoking, exercise), but not to self-reported physical health (e.g., upper respiratory infections). Overall, androgynous individuals had better health-related behaviors than masculine, feminine, and undifferentiated individuals.
Inhaled nitric oxide alters the distribution of blood flow in the healthy human lung, suggesting active hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in normoxia.

Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) is thought to actively regulate ventilation-perfusion (Va/Q) matching, reducing perfusion in regions of alveolar hypoxia. We assessed the extent of HPV in...
Erosion rate prediction and correlation technique for ceramic surfaces exposed to high speed flows of abrasive suspensions

Abstract We describe a simple method to predict (based on available erosion yield data) erosion rates for cylindrical ceramic targets (e.g. circular tube coatings, leading edges of turbine blades, or the ceramic-lined target zone inside CFBC-cyclones) exposed to high-speed abrasive particle-laden streams. Use is made of a convenient parameterization/extrapolation of published laboratory results giving, in effect, average erosion yields per particle impact ( ϵ p ) for particular planar ceramic target and projectile materials over a range of impact velocities, V p , incidence angles, θ j , and particle sizes, ν p . For a given target/flow geometry we reduce the engineering problem of predicting absolute target erosion rates to that of multiplying a readily calculated characteristic erosion rate by the universal dimensionless erosion rate functions explicitly approximated here in the limit of impacts by particles large enough to be undeflected or slowed down by the local target gas flow. Our characteristic erosion rate is that which would be associated with the mainstream abrasive particle volume flux if all particles struck at normal incidence with the mainstream velocity, U . Dimensionless erosion rate results are cast in terms of the following four dimensionless parameters characterizing the erodent/ceramic target system of interest: sensitivity (exponent n ) of erosion yield to projectile incident velocity; sensitivity (exponent m appearing in (cost m ( θ i )) of erosion yield to angle of incidence θ i : sensitivity (exponent l ) of erosion yield to projectile particle size (volume, ν p ); and the reference erosion yield, ϵ p,ref (here, ϵ p is evaluated at V p = 100 ms −1 , θ t = o , and ν p corresponding to d p = 100 μ m). Based on our preliminary survey of available erosion yield experimental data, we provide a table givin “best-fit” values of the four parameters: l , m , n , and ϵ p,ref required to complete a prediction of local and spatially-averaged erosion rates according to our present formalism. For the latter, useful closed-form approximations are provided for convex or concave cylindrical target geometries in the high Stokes number limit. Moreover, convenient correction factors are developed to account for a (Rosin-Rammler) particle size distribution in the erodent mainstream, and mainstreams not perpendicular to the cylinder axis. The more general case of arbitrary (finite) Stokes numbers is outlined. Using two numerical examples (convex leading edge coating on a turbine stator blade, and concave sector target zone in a CFBC-cyclone), we demonstrate that casting required erosion yield data in this suggested format greatly facilitates erosion design calculations for ceramic targets (or coatings) exposed to high-speed abrasive particle suspensions. Organizing empirical data in this manner will also facilitate the longer range goal of correlating each of the above-mentioned parameters with independently measurable physical properties of the participating materials.
Evolution and diversity of a fungal self/nonself recognition locus.

Background: Self/nonself discrimination is an essential feature for pathogen recognition and graft rejection and is a ubiquitous phenomenon in many organisms. Filamentous fungi, such as Neurospora crassa, provide a model for analyses of population genetics/evolution of self/nonself recognition loci due to their haploid nature, small genomes and excellent genetic/genomic resources. In N. crassa, nonself discrimination during vegetative growth is determined by 11 heterokaryon incompatibility (het) loci. Cell fusion between strains that differ in allelic specificity at any of these het loci triggers a rapid programmed cell death response. Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study, we evaluated the evolution, population genetics and selective mechanisms operating at a nonself recognition complex consisting of two closely linked loci, het-c (NCU03493) and pin-c (NCU03494). The genomic position of pin-c next to het-c is unique to Neurospora/Sordaria species, and originated by gene duplication after divergence from other species within the Sordariaceae. The het-c pin-c alleles in N. crassa are in severe linkage disequilibrium and consist of three haplotypes, het-c1/pin-c1, het-c2/pin-c2 and het-c3/pin-c3, which are equally frequent in population samples and exhibit trans-species polymorphisms. The absence of recombinant haplotypes is correlated with divergence of the het-c/pin-c intergenic sequence. Tests for positive and balancing selection at het-c and pin-c support the conclusion that both of these loci are under non-neutral balancing selection; other regions of both genes appear to be under positive selection. Our data show that the het-c2/pin-c2 haplotype emerged by a recombination event between the het-c1/pin-c1 and het-c3/pin-c3 approximately 3–12 million years ago. Conclusions/Significance: These results support models by which loci that confer nonself discrimination form by the association of polymorphic genes with genes containing HET domains. Distinct allele classes can emerge by recombination and positive selection and are subsequently maintained by balancing selection and divergence of intergenic sequence resulting in recombination blocks between haplotypes.
Revisiting the refractivity structure matching algorithm for improved EM propagation assessments

Numerical weather prediction (NWP) models have improved much over the recent years and now offer higher spatial and temporal resolution forecasts for direct ingest into electromagnetic (EM) propagation models. However, the spatial resolution of most NWP models is typically larger than the desired spatial resolution required for today's EM propagation models to accurately account for range-dependent atmospheric effects. A means to “bridge” this deficiency in adequately characterizing a range-dependent environment with non-optimum range sampling was addressed by the Naval Research Laboratory, Monterey (NRL-Mry) in 1991, with the development of the Refractivity Structure Matching Algorithm (RSMA) (G.N. Vogel, 1991, Naval Research Laboratory Tech. Note 191).
The Stripa project

Abstract The Stripa project, which took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s, involved a series of in situ experiments with the objective of investigating the mechanical and hydrogeological behavior of granitic rocks — in the context of their potential to host a radioactive waste repository. The historical and scientific aspects of the project are reviewed here with the emphasis on Neville Cook’s contribution to the work.
Generalization of some Ramsey-type theorems for matchings

Abstract For a graph G let RM( G ) be the smallest integer R, if it exists, such that every coloring of the edges of K R by an arbitrary number of colors implies a subgraph of K R isomorphic to G that is either monochromatic or has the property that no two of its edges have the same color. We generalize the theorem r ( nK 2 , n −1)= n 2 − n +2, where r ( nK 2 , n −1) is the Ramsey number for n matchings in an ( n −1)-coloring of the complete graph. Namely, we prove that RM( nK 2 )= r ( nK 2 , n −1)= n 2 − n +2. In addition, we generalize the theorem r ( nK 2 ,2)=3 n −1 by considering colorings with three and five colors. Several further possible generalizations for hypermatchings in hypergraphs are suggested.
Positional effects in the neprilysin (neutral endopeptidase) reaction

Abstract Neprilysin is a peptidase which has a specificity directed toward cleavage on the amino side of hydrophobic residues. In addition an active site arginine on the enzyme can interact with the C-terminal carboxylate of a substrate. The importance of the position of the hydrophobic residue relative to the C-terminus of the substrate has been investigated using a series of peptides containing one or two cleavage sites. With a hexapeptide series succ-(Gly) x -Phe-(Gly) y -OH, where x = 1 to 5 and y = 5 to 1 respectively, a ∼25-fold increase in the specificity constant k cat / K m was observed when Phe was adjacent to the C-terminal Gly residue. With peptide-free acids containing two cleavable bonds (X and Y) of the type succ-Gly-X-Gly-Y-Gly-OH, cleavage was observed at the Y residue. However, when the two cleavable bonds were adjacent, succ-Gly-Gly-X-Y-Gly-OH, cleavage of a tripeptide was observed even when the residue in position X was one cleaved poorly when presented as the sole cleavage site. These results demonstrate a preference by the enzyme for the placement of a hydrophobic residue in the P′2 position.
Molecular, Phenotypic Aspects and Therapeutic Horizons of Rare Genetic Bone Disorders

A rare disease afflicts less than 200,000 individuals, according to the National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD) of the United States. Over 6,000 rare disorders affect approximately 1 in 10 Americans. Rare genetic bone disorders remain the major causes of disability in US patients. These rare bone disorders also represent a therapeutic challenge for clinicians, due to lack of understanding of underlying mechanisms. This systematic review explored current literature on therapeutic directions for the following rare genetic bone disorders: fibrous dysplasia, Gorham-Stout syndrome, fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, melorheostosis, multiple hereditary exostosis, osteogenesis imperfecta, craniometaphyseal dysplasia, achondroplasia, and hypophosphatasia. The disease mechanisms of Gorham-Stout disease, melorheostosis, and multiple hereditary exostosis are not fully elucidated. Inhibitors of the ACVR1/ALK2 pathway may serve as possible therapeutic intervention for FOP. The use of bisphosphonates and IL-6 inhibitors has been explored to be useful in the treatment of fibrous dysplasia, but more research is warranted. Cell therapy, bisphosphonate polytherapy, and human growth hormone may avert the pathology in osteogenesis imperfecta, but further studies are needed. There are still no current effective treatments for these bone disorders; however, significant promising advances in therapeutic modalities were developed that will limit patient suffering and treat their skeletal disabilities.
Identification of a novel tubulin-destabilizing protein related to the chaperone cofactor E

Factors that regulate the microtubule cytoskeleton are critical in determining cell behavior. Here we describe the function of a novel protein that we term E-like based on its sequence similarity to the tubulin-specific chaperone cofactor E. We find that upon overexpression, E-like depolymerizes microtubules by committing tubulin to proteosomal degradation. Our data suggest that this function is direct and is based on the ability of E-like to disrupt the tubulin heterodimer in vitro. Suppression of E-like expression results in an increase in the number of stable microtubules and a tight clustering of endocellular membranes around the microtubule-organizing center, while the properties of dynamic microtubules are unaffected. These observations define E-like as a novel regulator of tubulin stability, and provide a link between tubulin turnover and vesicle transport.
Comparison of cognitive performance in methadone maintenance patients with and without current cocaine dependence

Background There is evidence for psychomotor and cognitive performance impairment in methadone maintenance patients (MMP), as well as in individuals with current cocaine dependence. It is unknown whether MMP with concurrent cocaine dependence perform worse on tests of cognitive function than MMP without cocaine dependence.
An analytical model of heat and mass transfer through non-adiabatic high-rise shafts during fires

Abstract Fire protection in high-rise buildings requires a good understanding of the physics of smoke spread so that control measures can be properly undertaken. The problem is often complicated by the coupled heat and mass transfer phenomena, especially when smoke spread through vertical shafts far from a fire origin. Numerical analysis is often challenging due to limited computer resources for such large structures. This study aims to develop an analytical model of the smoke movement through a high-rise shaft under two ventilation conditions: the shaft with a given constant smoke flow rate, and with the smoke purely driven by stack effect. A hand-calculation procedure is proposed to obtain the solution to the analytical model, and demonstrated in a case of a 40-storey building with a fire located at the 1st floor. The accuracy of the analytical model is confirmed by comparisons to a numerical simulation and three experiments in the literature. It was found that the calculated profiles of smoke temperatures and shaft wall temperatures depend on the temperature attenuation coefficient α, a non-dimensional parameter associated with the geometrical and thermal properties of the smoke and the shaft. The analytical solutions of the smoke temperatures and smoke flow rates were plotted at different fire floor temperatures in non-dimensional forms, which can be used for the design of shaft smoke controls. The effect of radiation heat transfer on the calculation results was also discussed through a sensitivity study of the analytical model. It was found that the calculated smoke and shaft wall temperatures seem not quite sensitive to the radiation heat transfer in the case being studied.
Anomalously large marine sedimentary units deposited in a single mass wasting event

This note serves to introduce a group of papers centered around the theme of massive submarine gravity deposits, “megaturbidites,” presented in a 1986 AAPG/SEPM Symposium organized by Larry J. Doyle and Robert Bourrouilh. Although “megaturbidite” may be an unfortunate term, massive gravity deposits are significant as marker beds, time lines, and potential hydrocarbon reservoirs, as well as being manifestations of important geological phenomena. The papers which follow begin to explore the inter-relationships among the four principal variables: time, basin size and shape, tectonic setting, and sediment accumulation in the provenance areas, which govern the formation of these extraordinary units.
On the quantum langevin equation

The quantum Langevin equation is the Heisenberg equation of motion for the (operator) coordinate of a Brownian particle coupled to a heat bath. We give an elementary derivation of this equation for a simple coupled-oscillator model of the heat bath.
Observation of two length scales near an unsymmetrical tricritical point.

We have isolated a tricritical point in the system water/n-hexane/1-propanol/2-propanol. Two samples of fixed composition exhibiting three-phase regions extending over temperature ranges of 4 and 1 K have been studied extensively by light scattering. Near the critical end points bounding the three-phase regions the structure factor S(q) is not of the Ornstein-Zernike form but is well fitted by S(q)=${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{1}$/(1+${\mathit{q}}^{2}$${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{1}^{2}$)+${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{2}$/(1+${\mathit{q}}^{2}$${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{2}^{2}$). The second length scale ${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{2}$ is nondivergent and is independent of the primary length scale.
Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with an increased risk of melanoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background & Aims Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been associated with an increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer, particularly among patients treated with thiopurines. It is unclear whether IBD affects risk for melanoma. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies to determine the risk of melanoma in patients with IBD. Methods We conducted a systematic search of bibliographic databases through March 2013. Cohort studies reporting incident melanoma after IBD diagnosis and an estimate of incidence rate ratio or standardized incidence rate were included in the analysis. Pooled relative risk (RR) estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the random-effects model. Results Our analysis included 12 studies, comprising a total of 172,837 patients with IBD; 179 cases of melanoma were reported from 1940 to 2009. The pooled crude incidence rate of melanoma in patients with IBD was 27.5 cases/100,000 person-years (95% CI, 19.9–37.0). Overall, IBD was associated with a 37% increase in risk of melanoma (12 studies: RR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.10–1.70). The risk was increased among patients with Crohn's disease (7 studies: RR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.17–2.75) and ulcerative colitis (7 studies: RR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.01–1.50). The risk of melanoma was higher in studies performed before introduction of biologic therapies (before 1998) (8 studies: RR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.02–2.25) but not in studies performed after 1998 (2 studies: RR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.59–1.96). Conclusions Based on a meta-analysis, IBD has been associated with an increased risk of melanoma, independent of the use of biologic therapy. Patients diagnosed with IBD should be counseled on their risk for melanoma.
Giant Piezoelectric Effect in Strontium Titanate at Cryogenic Temperatures

Piezoelectric materials have many applications at cryogenic temperatures. However, the piezoelectric response below 10 kelvin is diminished, making the use of these materials somewhat marginal. Results are presented on strontium titanate (SrTiO3), which exhibits a rapidly increasing piezoelectric response with decreasing temperature below 50 kelvin; the magnitude of its response around 1 kelvin is comparable to that of the best materials at room temperature. This “giant” piezoelectric response may open the way for a broad class of applications including use in ultralow-temperature scanning microscopies and in a magnetic field–insensitive thermometer. These observations, and the possible divergence of the mechanical response to electric fields at even lower temperatures, may arise from an apparent quantum critical point at absolute zero.
Effects of oil/gas field produced water on the macrobenthic community in a small gradient estuary

Little is known about how climatic events (i.e., drought) inhibit or enhance movement of petroleum hydrocarbon laden sediments in estuarine systems and how this in turn effects the macrobenthic populations exposed to these sediments. Seventeen collection stations were established and monitored at New Bayou, Texas, a small gradient estuary which receives petroleum products via oil/gas field produced water discharge. Hydrographic, geologic and biotic samples were taken monthly from each station during a period of reduced rainfall. Both temperature and dissolved oxygen data taken during the study followed patterns typical for the area. Salinity values increased into the polyhaline range at near-bay stations during the reduced rain period, while upper bayou stations remained within the oligohaline range. Sediment grain sizes along the bayou were generally in the silty-clay range. Sediment hydrocarbon concentrations were highest (11.4 mg g−1 dry sediment) around the produced water discharge site and lowest at near-bay stations (0.2 mg g−1 dry sediment). Ninety-six macrobenthic species were collected during the study. General effects from produced water discharge on macrobenthic populations followed the classical pattern outlined by other research in shallow bay systems. A sediment hydrocarbon concentration of 2.5 mg g−1 dry sediment was found to reflect the average value needed to depress population abundances. Both abundance and diversity values were lowest at central stations near the discharge site. This zone of depressed macrobenthic populations extended from the discharge site at least 107 m downstream and 46 m upstream. The zone of stimulated macrobenthic populations occurred 1486 m downstream and 381 m upstream from the discharge site.
An Object-Based Image Analysis of Pinyon and Juniper Woodlands Treated to Reduce Fuels

Mechanical and prescribed fire treatments are commonly used to reduce fuel loads and maintain or restore sagebrush steppe rangelands across the Great Basin where pinyon (Pinus) and juniper (Juniperus) trees are encroaching and infilling. Geospatial technologies, particularly remote sensing, could potentially be used in these ecosystems to (1) evaluate the longevity of fuel reduction treatments, (2) provide data for planning and designing future fuel-reduction treatments, and (3) assess the spatial distribution of horizontal fuel structure following fuel-reduction treatments. High-spatial resolution color-infrared imagery (0.06-m pixels) was acquired for pinyon and juniper woodland plots where fuels were reduced by either prescribed fire, tree cutting, or mastication at five sites in Oregon, California, Nevada, and Utah. Imagery was taken with a Vexcel UltraCam X digital camera in June 2009. Within each treatment plot, ground cover was measured as part of the Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project. Trimble eCognition Developer was used to classify land cover classes using object-based image analysis (OBIA) techniques. Differences between cover estimates using OBIA and ground-measurements were not consistently higher or lower for any land cover class and when evaluated for individual sites, were within ±5 % of each other. The overall accuracy and the Khat statistic for classified thematic maps for each treatment were: prescribed burn 85 % and 0.81; cut and fell 82 % and 0.77, and mastication 84 % and 0.80. Although cover assessments from OBIA differed somewhat from ground measurements, they are sufficiently accurate to evaluate treatment success and for supporting a broad range of management concerns.
Designing an Optimized Alert System Based on Geospatial Location Data

Optimizing responses to various crises is a critical task for the government, institutions, first responders, and everyone involved in public safety. This paper describes the design methodology of ongoing research for planning, implementing, and analyzing the operation of a software application for an optimized crisis alert system. Design decisions are based on previous research, system performance requirements, and adaptive strategies for situational changes. The development includes the creation of an application for smart phones driven by user geospatial location. In the event of a crisis, user location determines the formation of categories assigned a risk level based on proximity to the crisis location. Notifications are distributed to the immediate category followed by lower risk users further and further outward. Integration and testing will be done with the existing Virginia Tech alert system. This design will yield an optimized, reliable, and situation ally customized crisis notification system.
Osteoclastic giant cell tumor of the pancreas

Abstract INTRODUCTION Pancreatic giant cell tumors are rare, with an incidence of less than 1% of all pancreatic tumors. Osteoclastic giant cell tumor (OGCT) of the pancreas is one of the three types of PGCT, which are now classified as undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells. PRESENTATION OF CASE The patient is a 57 year old woman who presented with a 3 week history of epigastric pain and a palpable abdominal mass. Imaging studies revealed an 18 cm × 15 cm soft tissue mass with cystic components which involved the pancreas, stomach and spleen. Exploratory laparotomy with distal pancreatectomy, partial gastrectomy and splenectomy was performed. Histology revealed undifferentiated pancreatic carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells with production of osteoid and glandular elements. DISCUSSION OGCT of the pancreas resembles benign-appearing giant cell tumors of bone, and contain osteoclastic-like multinucleated cells and mononuclear cells. OGCTs display a less aggressive course with slow metastasis and lymph node spread compared to pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Due to the rarity of the cancer, there is a lack of prospective studies on treatment options. Surgical en-bloc resection is currently considered first line treatment. The role of adjuvant therapy with radiotherapy or chemotherapy has not been established. CONCLUSION Pancreatic giant cell tumors are rare pancreatic neoplasms with unique clinical and pathological characteristics. Osteoclastic giant cell tumors are the most favorable sub-type. Surgical en bloc resection is the first line treatment. Long-term follow-up of patients with these tumors is essential to compile a body of literature to help guide treatment.
The chloroplast 32 kDa protein is synthesized on thylakoid-bound ribosomes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

A cloned cpDNA fragment containing a portion of the gene for the 32–36 kDa thylakoid protein of Chlamydomonas (polypeptide D-1) was isolated. Hybridization probing of RNA from soluble and membrane fractions of Chlamydomonas showed that the mRNA for D-1 is bound to thylakoid membranes. Run-off translation of thylakoid-bound polysomes (rough thylakoids) with [35S]-methionine yields polypeptide D-1 as the major product. Peptide mapping with S. aureus V-8 protease of D-1 synthesized (1) in vivo, (2) in vitro by rough thylakoids and (3) in the reticulocyte lysate directed by non-polyadenylated RNA showed that D-1 is synthesized as a precursor in the reticulocyte lysate but as the mature polypeptide by rough thylakoids.
Catheter-based intravascular ultrasound imaging of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease

Abstract Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy is now the treatment of choice for pulmonary hypertension due to chronic pulmonary thromboemboli. A precise assessment of location and extension of these thrombi is important because only proximal chronic pulmonary thromboemboli are accessible to surgery. Because intravascular ultrasound imaging can assess not only arterial luminal size, but also wall thickness, its value as a complement to angiography was assessed in 11 patients aged 35 to 64 years with severe pulmonary hypertension (systolic pulmonary artery pressure, mean ± standard deviation 70 ± 19 mm Hg; pulmonary artery resistance, 609 ± 297 dynes·s· cm −5 ). Intravascular ultrasound was obtained in 10 of 11 patients and no complication occurred. Intravascular ultrasound identified 10 segments with suspected chronic pulmonary thromboemboli in 7 patients, all confirmed at operation. Nine segments were considered normal, all of which (except 1) were free of chronic pulmonary thromboemboli at operation. Image quality was highly dependent on pulmonary artery size and position of the catheter. Therefore, intravascular ultrasound of pulmonary arteries is feasible and safe in patients with pulmonary hypertension. It may help to assess the location and extension of the pathologic process involving pulmonary arteries.
Molecular cloning and characterization of a nematode polyprotein antigen/allergen from the human and animal hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum.

Nematodes are unable to synthesize fatty acids de novo and must acquire them from the environment or host. It is hypothesized that two unique classes of fatty acid and retinol binding proteins that nematodes produce (fatty acid and retinol binding (FAR) and nematode polyprotein antigen/allergen (NPA)) are used to meet this need. A partial cDNA has been cloned corresponding to four subunits of a putative Ancylostoma ceylanicum NPA (AceNPA). The translated amino acid sequence of AceNPA shares sequence identity with similar proteins from Dictyocaulus viviparus, Ascaris suum, and Ostertagia ostertagi. Immunoblot experiments using a polyclonal anti-AceNPA IgG revealed proteins corresponding to the expected sizes of single, as well as two or three un-cleaved NPA subunits in adult excretory/secretory proteins and soluble adult worm extracts. Immunohistochemistry experiments localize AceNPA to the cuticle, pseudocoelomic space and testes suggesting a role in hookworm biology that is distinct from what has previously been defined for other hookworm lipid binding proteins. A single recombinant subunit of AceNPA (rAceNPAb) demonstrated binding in vitro to fluorescent fatty acids DAUDA, cis-parinaric acid, as well as retinol, at equilibrium dissociation constants in the low micromolar range. Further, in vitro data reveal that rAceNPAb binds fatty acids with chain lengths of C12–C22, with the greatest affinities for arachidonic, linoleic (C18), and eicosapentaenoic (C20) acids.
Bayesian Multiscale Smoothing of Gaussian Noised Images

We propose a multiscale model for Gaussian noised images under a Bayesian framework for both 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) images. We use a Chinese restaurant process prior to randomly generate ties among inten- sity values at neighboring pixels in the image. The resulting Bayesian estimator enjoys some desirable asymptotic properties for identifying precise structures in the image. The proposed Bayesian denoising procedure is completely data-driven. A conditional conjugacy property allows analytical computation of the posterior distribution without involving Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods, mak- ing the method computationally ecient. Simulations on Shepp-Logan phantom and Lena test images conrm that our smoothing method is comparable with the best available methods for light noise and outperforms them for heavier noise both visually and numerically. The proposed method is further extended for 3D im- ages. A simulation study shows that the proposed method is numerically better than most existing denoising approaches for 3D images. A 3D Shepp-Logan phan- tom image is used to demonstrate the visual and numerical performance of the proposed method, along with the computational time. MATLAB toolboxes are made available online (both 2D and 3D) to implement the proposed method and reproduce the numerical results.
The MIT LL 2010 speaker recognition evaluation system: Scalable language-independent speaker recognition

Research in the speaker recognition community has continued to address methods of mitigating variational nuisances. Telephone and auxiliary-microphone recorded speech emphasize the need for a robust way of dealing with unwanted variation. The design of recent 2010 NIST-SRE Speaker Recognition Evaluation (SRE) reflects this research emphasis. In this paper, we present the MIT submission applied to the tasks of the 2010 NIST-SRE with two main goals—language-independent scalable modeling and robust nuisance mitigation. For modeling, exclusive use of inner product-based and cepstral systems produced a language-independent computationally-scalable system. For robustness, systems that captured spectral and prosodic information, modeled nuisance subspaces using multiple novel methods, and fused scores of multiple systems were implemented. The performance of the system is presented on a subset of the NIST SRE 2010 core tasks.
Direct measurement of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by the reflotron assay with no manual precipitation step.

We evaluated the quantification of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in plasma with the Boehringer Mannheim Reflotron reflectance photometric analyzer. The Reflotron is designed for testing in small to medium-size laboratories and physicians' offices. This HDL method does not require a manual precipitation step because the reagent tab contains dextran sulfate (Mr 50,000) and magnesium acetate. It takes 90 s to complete an analysis of 30 microL of plasma. Within-day standard deviations (SDs) were 0.02-0.04 mmol/L (6-16 mg/L). Total SDs over a three-month period were 0.03-0.06 mmol/L (11-23 mg/L). The Reflotron values averaged 0.02 mmol/L (6 mg/L) or 1.3% lower than the Hitachi 737 values; the standard error of the estimate (Sy.x) was 0.07 mmol/L (29 mg/L).
The commensalism of Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans, was isolated from 3 of 561 sputum specimens. The fungus was not recovered from 162 samples of saliva or 310 fecal specimens. These data document the rarity of isolation of C. neoformans from human material but establish that it may be a commensal of the human nasopharynx under circumstances.
Paradoxical Functions of B7: CD28 Costimulation in a MHC Class II-Mismatched Cardiac Transplant Model

Blockade of the B7: CD28 costimulatory pathway has emerged as a promising therapy to prevent allograft rejection. However, this pathway has also been demonstrated to be important for the generation and maintenance of regulatory T cells. In this study, we investigated the role of the B7: CD28 pathway in the ‘bm12 into B6’ MHC class II-mismatched vascularized cardiac transplant model of chronic rejection. Allograft rejection was remarkably accelerated in B6 background B7DKO and CD28KO recipients compared with B6 wild-type (WT) recipients. Allograft rejection was associated with a significantly enhanced Th1/Th2 alloreactivity and marked reduction in the ratio of regulatory T cells to CD4+ effector/memory cells. We noted that administration of anti-B7-1 and anti-B7-2 mAb prior to transplantation also accelerated allograft rejection. Furthermore, depleting CD25+ cells in B6 WT recipients of bm12 hearts prior to transplant also precipitated rejection at a similar rate. Neither B7/CD28 deficiency nor CD25 depletion affected graft survival in single MHC class I-mismatched (bm1 into B6) recipients. This study highlights the paradoxical functions of B7: CD28 costimulation in a MHC class II-mismatched model, in which the B7: CD28 pathway is demonstrated to be important in preventing rejection through the generation and maintenance of Tregs.
Inferred charge states of high energy solar particles from the solar isotope spectrometer on ACE

The large solar event on November 6, 1997, was enriched in heavy elements (Fe/O ∼ 1) with very hard energy spectra (power law index of −2). There was also a large enrichment in heavier isotopes, suggesting unusually strong charge to mass (Q/M) fractionation (∼(Q/M)^(−7)). Assuming that the fractionation is dominated by Q/M and first ionization potential (FIP) related processes, we have inferred the charge states of twelve elements with energies of 12–60 MeV/nucleon. These results suggest a source temperature of 3–6 × 10^6K, significantly higher than deduced at lower energies.
Treatment of Unresectable and Metastatic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an already common disorder with a rapidly increasing incidence. Treatment of early disease depends primarily on surgery or destructive techniques. In contrast to the frequency of early SCC, unresectable or metastatic SCC is relatively rare, but potentially life-threatening without clearly proven treatment options. Few rigorous studies of the treatment of advanced SCC have been undertaken. In the past, various agents have been explored in a limited fashion, including chemotherapy (cisplatin, fluoropyrimidines, bleomycin, doxorubicin), 13-cis-retinoic acid, and interferon-α2a. Clinical activity has been suggested by these trials, but their small sizes, heterogeneous patient populations, and lack of randomization have hindered the use of their results in defining treatment paradigms. Only one rigorous randomized trial has focused on cutaneous SCC. Enrolling 66 patients, that trial randomized patients at high recurrence risk to either observation or postoperative interferon-α2a and 13-cis-retinoic acid. This treatment did not improve time to recurrence or prevent secondary cutaneous SCC from developing. Though not in the metastatic setting, this study casts doubt on the ability of this regimen to control metastatic disease. Recently, agents targeting the human epidermal growth factor receptor (erlotinib, gefitinib, cetuximab) have displayed preliminary evidence of activity in phase II clinical trials and case series reports. Expression of this receptor is frequent in cutaneous SCC and appears to be prognostically adverse. Only the conduct of rigorous trials, with well-defined endpoints, adequate patient numbers, and preferably randomization, can prove the clinical efficacy of this promising treatment approach and define better therapy for this vexing clinical problem.
Trellis-searched adaptive predictive coding

Considers the use of TCO (trellis coded quantization) in an adaptive predictive coding (APC) structure at encoding rates slightly above one and two bits per sample. The authors examine the effect of long- and short-term predictor order on the encoding performance and study the variation in performance as a function of the TCQ codebook. The simulation results indicate that SNRs (signal/noise ratio) and SEGSNRs (segmental SNRs) as high as 25 and 24 dB, respectively, are possible at rates slightly above two bits per sample using a simple four-state trellis. At higher near one bit per sample, SNRs and SEGNRs as high as 16.5 and 15.5 dB, respectively, are possible. >
Inference of gene regulatory networks using genetic programming and Kalman filter

In this paper, gene regulatory networks are infered through evolutionary modeling and time-series microarray measurements. A nonlinear differential equation model is adopted and an iterative algorithm is proposed to identify the model, where genetic programming is applied to identify the structure of the model and Kalman filtering is employed to estimate the parameters in each iteration. Simulation results using synthetic data and microarray measurements show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Systems perspective on optical processing/packet networks

By applying optical multiplexing techniques, the bandwidth of fiber optics can be utilized more efficiently. There are three primary optical multiplexing techniques. The most basic technique, space-division multiplexing (SDM), is a brute-force approach that simply uses separate optical fibers for each channel. Of course, this approach starts to become unwieldy as the number of channels and connections increases in a fully connected network.