cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of vertical wind shear on numerically simulated multicell storm structure

Abstract A strictly two-dimensional cloud model was used to gauge the effect of vertical wind shear on the mature phase behavior of model-simulated multicellular storms, extending the previous work of the authors. We specifically examined the propagation speed, quasi-equilibrium behavior, storm scale and updraft orientation of the model storms as a function of shear intensity. We also considered the precipitation efficiencies of our. model storms and applied density current and Rotunno–Klemp–Weisman theories to our results. Our previous work revealed that model storms could achieve a mature phase consisting of repetitive multicellular development when certain numerical obstacles were overcome. This was referred to as a “quasi-equilibrium state.” We found herein that this state was also reached by model storms even when subjected to a very wide range of low-level wind shear intensities, although the temporal behavior during this stage was clearly dependent on the shear. We also found a very systematic rela...
Unexplained high sensitivity of the reflectance of porous natural photonic structures to the presence of gases and vapours in the atmosphere

Structurally coloured natural photonic crystals found in several insects are made of ordered porous chitin structures. In such photonic crystals, colour changes can be induced by relative gas/vapour concentration variations in a mixed atmosphere. For instance, when the composition of the atmosphere changes, the colour of Morpho sulkowskyi buttery is modied. Based on this eect, it is possible to identify closely related gases/vapours. In spite of increasing interests for such sensors, the fundamental mechanisms at the origin of the selective optical response are still not well understood. The point is that refractive index variations resulting from the introduction of a specic gas species in the atmosphere are too small to justify the dramatic changes observed in the optical response. Here, we demonstrate through numerical simulations that indeed gas/vapour-induced refractive index changes are too small to produce a signicant modication of the spectral reectance in a representative 3D periodic model of natural porous nanostructures. For this purpose, we used the rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) method for modelling light scattering from inhomogeneous optical media. The origin of the reported colour changes has therefore to be found in modications of the porous material and their impact on the photonic response.
Father-son inter-generational transmission of authoritarian paternal attitudes

The present research was conducted to determine authoritarian paternal attitude inter-generational transmission. Factor analysis of the results suggested that authoritarian paternal attitudes could be indicated in terms of five factors, namely: Dominant, Rigidity, Conformity, Intolerant, and Uncreative. In general, the sons expressed strongly the authoritarian attitudes of the fathers. Moreover, there were few significant differences between the paternal attitudes of the fathers and sons.
Methods of Measuring Myocardial Blood Flow in Humans

T HE DEVELOPMENT OF cardiac catheterization, begun by Forssmann and Cournand in the 1930s and 194Os, opened cardiac hemodynamic investigations to clinical investigators studying pathologic states in humans, thus removing the necessity of relying entirely on information obtained from animal experimentation. Despite the early development of clinical methods for measuring pressure in cardiac chambers and great vessels, and total flow emanating from the heart, techniques for quantitating flow to selected organs have been slow to develop. This has been particularly true for coronary blood flow measurements in humans. Over the past several decades, advances in measurement technologies have allowed physiologists to obtain a sophisticated understanding of regulation of coronary blood flow in animals. However, most of these techniques, developed and used for animal investigations, have not been directly transferable to human patients. Until relatively recently, only global left ventricular perfusion could be measured in conscious humans. The spatial resolution of commonly used techniques to measure myocardial flow in humans was crude, and the temporal resolution poor. These unsophisticated approaches contrast strikingly with the elegant methods available for animal studies, which allow perfusion in the myocardium to be measured with a spatial resolution in microns’ and a temporal resolution in milliseconds.* The necessity of relying on global coronary flow for estimates of regional perfusion is particularly inappropriate for the myocardium, since regional heterogeneity in perfusion is the rule in atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, and not infrequent in other pathologic states. The requirements for spatial resolution of perfusion in the myocardium are doubly demanding, since in addition to sophisticated lateral edge detection, an ideal measurement technique should be able to detect transmural differences in perfusion. The requirements for temporal resolution of perfusion in the myocardium are also stringent, since metabolic and neurogenic factors can alter coronary flow over a wide range with very short time constants. It is not surprising that because of the severe restraints imposed by the nature of the target organ, no one technique approaches that which would be considered ideal. Such an ideal method for measuring coronary blood flow in humans would allow detailed spatial resolution, have a rapid frequency response, allowing it to detect phasic changes in flow, and be minimally invasive. Unfortunately, no such ideal method presently exists. The purpose of this review is to evaluate those techniques that are in present use for measuring myocardial blood flow in humans. Newer techniques under active investigation will also be briefly examined. Emphasized in this discussion will be those techniques with which the authors have the greatest personal experience. The advantages and limitations of each technique will be compared to a theoretic ideal agent. The methodologies will be grouped into the following categories: electromagnetic flow meters, diffus-
β-galactosidase formation following decay of 32P in Escherichia coli zygotes

The effect of 32P on phenotypic function of a gene has been studied in differentially labeled Escherichia coli zygotes. 32P decays outside of the gene governing β-galactosidase synthesis were able to prevent function of the gene; these decays did not irreversibly damage the gene itself. Position of the 32P in the zygote was all-important in determining the effectiveness of 32P decays, rather than simply the numbers of 32P atoms contained in the bacterial nucleic acid. Zygotes could be differentially labeled in such a way that 32P decays were effective only when they occurred in genetic material cis to the gene in question. In these experiments the destructive effect of the 32P was restricted to the chromosome in which decay occurred, and was not cytoplasmic in that it did not cause a loss of function of genes on other genetic segments. Decays in the F− could be effective in halting expression of the injected gene for β-galactosidase when the zygotes were labeled completely in their F− material. 32P decay is thought to cause phenotypic inactivation of a large segment of chromosome.
Foams for barriers and nonlethal weapons

Peter B. RandSandia National LaboratoriesMaterials and Process Sciences CenterP. 0. Box 5800, MS 0367Albuquerque, NM 87 185-0367ABSTRACTOur times demand better solutions to conflict resolution than simply shooting someone. Because ofthis, police and military interest in non-lethal concepts is high. Already in use are pepper sprays,bean-bag guns, flash-bang grenades, and rubber bullets. At Sandia we got a head start on non-lethalweapon concepts. Protection of nuclear materials required systems that went way beyond thetraditional bank vault. Dispensable deterrents were used to allow a graduated response to a threat.Sticky foams and stabilized aqueous foams were developed to provide access delay. Foams won outfor security systems simply because you could get a large volume from a small container. Forpolymeric foams the expansion ratio is thirty to fifty to one. In aqueous foams expansion ratio's ofone thousand to one are easily obtained. Recent development work on sticky foams has included achangeover to environmentally friendly solvents, foams with very low toxicity, and the developmentof non-flammable silicone resin based foams. High expansion aqueous foams are useful visual andaural obscurants. Our recent aqueous foam development has concentrated on using very low toxicityfoaming agents combined with oleoresin capsicum (OC) irritant to provide a safe but highly irritatingfoam.Keywords: foam, sticky, aqueous, non-lethal, oleoresin capsicum,1. INTRODUCTION
Differential Arginylation of Actin Isoforms is Regulated by Coding-Sequence-Dependent Degradation

The mammalian cytoskeletal proteins β- and γ-actin are highly homologous, but only β-actin is amino-terminally arginylated in vivo, which regulates its function. We examined the metabolic fate of exogenously expressed arginylated and nonarginylated actin isoforms. Arginylated γ-actin, unlike β-, was highly unstable and was selectively ubiquitinated and degraded in vivo. This instability was regulated by the differences in the nucleotide coding sequence between the two actin isoforms, which conferred different translation rates. γ-actin was translated more slowly than β-actin, and this slower processing resulted in the exposure of a normally hidden lysine residue for ubiquitination, leading to the preferential degradation of γ-actin upon arginylation. This degradation mechanism, coupled to nucleotide coding sequence, may regulate protein arginylation in vivo.
Effects of deprivation level on humans' self-control for food reinforcers.

Deprivation level was manipulated in fourteen food- and water-deprived adult human females to examine its effects on self-control for food (choice of larger, more delayed access to apple juice over smaller, less delayed access to apple juice). Each subject was exposed to two treatments: (1) Consumption of a 500 g tomato soup preload just prior to self-control testing and (2) no soup preload. When subjects had consumed soup, they reported significantly less hunger and showed significantly more self-control as compared to when not having consumed soup. Additionally, when subjects had consumed soup, self-control decreased as a function of session time. Subjects who reported that they were currently dieting drank significantly less juice when they had previously consumed soup than when they do not previously consumed soup. Together, the results indicate that when subjects are more deprived they may be less able to wait for food reinforcers (i.e., show less self-control). Such behaviour may be adaptive in situations in which energy is needed to survive periods of food scarcity.
Ecological Theory: Preventing Youth Bullying, Aggression, and Victimization

Bronfenbrenner's (1977) classic ecological theory is used as a framework to review the documented risk and protective factors associated with involvement in school-related bullying during childhood and adolescence. Microsystems such as peers (socialization during adolescence), family (violence, lack of parental monitoring), community (exposure to violence), and schools (teacher attitudes, climate) contribute to the rates of bullying perpetrated or experienced by youth. The interaction between components of the microsystem is referred to as the mesosystem, and offers insight into how contexts can exacerbate or buffer experiences for youth who are involved in bullying (e.g., family support can buffer impact of peer victimization). Recommendations are provided for teachers and other adults who work with youth.
Monoamine oxidase a and catechol-o-methyltransferase functional polymorphisms and the placebo response in major depressive disorder.

AbstractThe placebo response shows pronounced interindividual variability. Placebos are postulated to act through central reward pathways that are modulated by monoamines. Because monoaminergic signaling is under strong genetic control, we hypothesized that common functional polymorphisms modulating
How personal pronouns influence brand name preference

I and my brand names, as in iPhone and MySpace, are popular but poorly understood. Although there is an intuitive appeal to using pronouns to reference the consumer, little is known about why the naming tactic works and, in turn, the conditions under which each pronoun should be used. We propose a framework for consumer processing of such brand names, predicting that both I and my influence consumer preference under divergent conditions and psychological mechanisms. In referencing the self as an actor, I should induce narrative self-referencing, wherein one imagines oneself actively using the product. By contrast, my references the self as an owner, so we expect it to give rise to the more inert feeling of subjective ownership. These hypotheses were tested in an online experiment using a representative sample of US consumers. Findings indicate that I produces favorable consumer response via narrative self-referencing, but only when the root word of the brand is a verb (for example, iRead). Meanwhile, my produces favorable consumer response via feelings of subjective ownership, but only when the brand root word is a noun (for example, myReader). Mediation analyses support the proposed divergent psychological processes. Practical implications for branding are discussed, as are theoretical implications.
Outcome analysis of pyeloplasty in infants.

The study examined the outcome of pyeloplasties done for decompensated ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction in infancy over a 13-year period. In a retrospective study, 186 children who underwent pyeloplasty in infancy were analysed with particular emphasis on the pre- and postoperative findings of 123I hippuran scintigraphy/diuretic renograms. The pre- and postoperative management is outlined in detail. The 186 patients underwent a total of 203 pyeloplasties during the period from January 1983 to 31 December 1996. Three children died; one required a nephrectomy. The postoperative scintigrapic results of 156 children (85%) done about 12 months after surgery were available for evaluation: 101 (64%) showed stable renal function and 43 (27%) revealed more than 5% improvement of renal function. In 12 cases (7%) renal function deteriorated after pyeloplasty by more than 5% compared to the pre-operative scintigram. It is concluded that pyeloplasty in infants is a low-risk procedure. The encouraging results of this series support early correction of UPJ obstruction.
Suboptimal Optics: Vision Problems as Scars of Evolutionary History

The human eye is an excellent example of suboptimal bottom-up design resulting from the constraints of evolutionary historical contingency. The resulting suboptimal optics manifests in a number of medical ophthalmological disorders.
Management: Meanings, Methods, and Moxie

Studies of organizations and management have not produced as much solid knowledge as should have been forthcoming. This is attributed to problems with theorizing; limited focus on data sources and methods of analysis; and lack of courage to utilize imagination in scholarly work. Examples are provided to support these allegations. A generally optimistic conclusion suggests that the study of organizations is a great growth area for the investment of human intelligence.
Transient simulation to analyze flash memory programming improvements due to Germanium content in the substrate using Nonquasi-Static techniques

We present a detailed and accurate physics based method for modeling flash memory programming characteristics when the substrate contains different percentages of Germanium. Typical memory cells are programmed by moving electrons from the substrate to the floating gate. We determine this electron movement by considering the contributions attributed to the Nonquasi-Static gate current and tunneling currents while keeping the Germanium percentage as an independent variable. The simulations accuracy is further increased by using Nonquasi-Static methods to determine the drain and source currents as well as the device capacitance values. The goal of this paper is to highlight the physical parameters of the memory cell that are affected by Germanium and show the improvements that can be achieved by using Silicon-Germanium (SiGe) substrate material versus Silicon only. Several papers have been published on MOSFET's with SiGe substrates but none have been published on the use of SiGe substrates to improve flash memory programming.
Influence of Amino Acid Side Chains on Apparent Selective Opening of Cyclic b5 Ions

In this study, the possible influence of acidic, basic, and amide side chains on the opening of a putative macrocyclic b ion (b5+) intermediate was investigated. Collision induced dissociation (CID) of b5 ions was studied using a group of hexapeptides in which amino acids with the side chains of interest occupied internal sequence positions. Further experiments were performed with permuted isomers of glutamine (Q) containing peptides to probe for sequence scrambling and whether the specific sequence site of the residues influences opening of the macrocycle. Overall, the trend for (apparent) preferential/selective opening of the cyclic b5+, presumably due to the side chain, followed by the loss of the amino acid with active side group is: Q > K > D > N ∼ E.
Submucosal mucous cysts at a colostomy site: Relationship to colitis cystica profunda and report of a case

A unique case of submucosal mucuscontaining cysts of the colon occurring at a colostomy site is described. The cysts appear to have been the result of surgery eight years previously, and were due to either implantation of colonic mucosa into the submucosa or entrapment of mucosa following healing of postsurgical ulceration. Because these cysts are identical to the lesions seen in colitis cystica profunda, this case provides additional support for the hypothesis that colitis cystica profunda is an acquired disease, and illustrates that it may occur as a rare complication of colonic surgery.
Current status of magnetostatic reflective array filters

The continual demand for increased performance in modern communication and radar systems in terms of increased bandwidths and higher operating frequencies has led to investigation of novel techniques and technologies for analog signal processing. In particular, surface acoustic waves (SAW) have been extensively exploited with great success to this end, but systems requiring bandwidths greater than 500 MHz and center frequencies greater than 1 GHz have pushed SAW devices near the practical physical limit of the technology. A novel technology promising increased bandwidths at higher frequencies is based on magnetostatic waves (MSW) propagating in epitaxial films such as Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG). These waves can be exploited in devices offering instantaneous bandwidths up to 2.2 GHz at microwave center frequencies from 0.5 to 20 GHz. MSW signal processing technology, based on transversal filtering concepts has been under extensive investigation for the past 10 years. This paper reviews the work that has been done utilizing the MSW technology in conjunction with reflective arrays to achieve practical spectral amplitude and delay modification.
Transarterial Treatment of Congenital Renal Arteriovenous Fistulas

Objective Congenital renal arteriovenous fistulas (CRAVF) represent a distinct clinical entity with characteristic hemodynamic and angiographic features. Treatment is warranted given potential for growth with renal and hemodynamic compromise. We report our experience in a rare series of treated symptomatic CRAVFs. Methods Over a 10-year period, patients treated for symptomatic CRAVFs (no history of predisposing renal pathology, instrumentation, neoplasm, or trauma) were retrospectively investigated for clinical presentation, imaging features, treatment outcomes, and complications. Technical success included delivery of embolic agent with complete obliteration of fistula. Clinical success included resolution of symptoms and freedom from recurrence and/or reintervention. Renal parenchymal loss was estimated by postembolization angiography and categorized as 0%, 50%. Results Twenty-five patients were referred with a presumptive diagnosis of intraparenchymal renal artery aneurysms. Of these, 10 had true intrarenal aneurysms, three had angiomyolipomas, and 12 had CRAVFs (mean age, 54; range, 29-71 years; eight women). Presenting symptoms included hematuria (eight gross, eight microscopic), refractory hypertension (diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg despite three or more medications; n = 6), flank pain (n = 8), high-output state (HOS; featuring tachycardia and jugular venous distention; n = 3), and flank bruit (n = 1). Defining angiographic features included a high-flow AVF fed by a single, enlarged intrarenal branch shunting into an aneurismal draining vein, occasionally featuring a calcified rim (four patients). All patients underwent transarterial embolization with coils (n = 5), coils and n-butylcyanoacrylate (n = 3), detachable balloons (n = 2), or Amplatzer plugs (n = 2). Technical success was 100%. Hematuria, tachycardia, jugular venous distension, pain, and bruit resolved in all. Hypertension improved in four of six patients (required less than three medications postembolization). Complications included postembolization syndrome in nine patients. Parenchymal loss was limited to Conclusions With greater awareness and accurate diagnosis, effective and durable transarterial treatment of CRAVFs can be safely performed.
ULTRASOUND APPEARANCE OF NORMAL LUNG BORDERS AND ADJACENT VISCERA IN THE HORSE

B-mode ultrasound was utilized to define the borders of the lungs and surrounding viscera in a normal horse. Characteristic reverberation artifacts produced by the air-filled lung allowed accurate definition of the lung borders. The liver on the right and the spleen on the left were the predominant parenchymal organs identified. These two organs were seen adjacent to the lung and medial to the diaphragm. Recognition of the liver and spleen is important in evaluating equine pleural effusion.
The Lack of the Bronchoprotective and Not the Bronchodilatory Ability of Deep Inspiration Is Associated with Airway Hyperresponsiveness

In healthy subjects, deep inspiration (DI) acts both as a bronchodilator and a bronchoprotector. The latter is impaired in asthmatics. We have now evaluated whether the lack of bronchoprotection is related to bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), and whether the bronchodilatory effect is also lost in asthmatics. Ten healthy subjects (PC20 > 75 mg/ml), 12 asthmatics with moderate to severe BHR (PC20 < 1 mg/ml), 14 asthmatics with mild to borderline BHR (1 < PC20 < 25 mg/ml), and 10 rhinitics with mild to borderline BHR (1 < PC20 < 25 mg/ml) underwent single-dose methacholine provocations inducing at least 20% reduction in FEV1 after 20 min of DI inhibition. To measure the bronchodilatory effect, DIs were taken immediately after the postmethacholine spirometry, and lung function was again tested. To measure the bronchoprotective effect, DIs were taken before the administration of spasmogen. All four groups achieved the same reductions in FEV1 and FVC, in the absence of deep breaths (analysis of variance [ANO...
Groundwater to Surface Water Conversion in the Houston‐Galveston Region: Impact of Mandates on Water Quality, Subsidence, and Water Rates

Legislative mandates have resulted in large-scale conversion from groundwater to surface water sources of supply for Public Water Supply Systems in Harris and Galveston Counties, Texas. Geographically-defined Regulatory Areas in the region are governed by the Harris Galveston Coastal Subsidence District. The district's mission, to end subsidence or loss of land elevation by allocating water usage by Area, has focused attention on potential health hazards and monetary issues related to substandard water quality and increased consumer utility rates. Study variables of: (1) Total Hardness (TH); (2) Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) concentrations; and (3) Water Utility Rates ($), were compared for each water source because of their suggested impacts on human health (TH:CVD; TTHMs:Cancer) and relative economic welfare (Utility Rates: $) as byproducts of current mandate requirements. Strong evidence of statistically significant differences in water quality parameters, and utility rates of groundwater and surface water source data, suggest that regulations dictating conversion need review and possible amending. This presentation describes the results of a 2-year study of the issues regarding conversion of Public Water supplies from groundwater to surface water.
Utility testing for urban and regional models

The basic question posed is: How can a model of a major urban and/or regional subsystem (e.g. housing, health, education or transportation) be developed to maximize its utility for public policymakers? A technique to be used in the evaluation of the utility of such a model is presented. The proposed technique involves the construction of autility evaluation matrix. In constructing this matrix it is necessary to identify the following: (a) the potential users of the model, (b) the actions open to these users, and (c) the consequences which are considered by the users when evaluating alternative actions. Utility testing should become as commonplace and important as validity testing. The utility evaluation technique described in this paper is hardly the required test, but at least it can be viewed as a step in the right direction.
Universality in Multi-Agent Systems

Much research in MAS explores how refinements to one agentýs reasoning can improve system performance. Sometimes, aspects of a systemýs behavior are independent of individual agentsý algorithms. Inspired by statistical physics, we term this phenomenon "universality": systems whose elements differ widely may have common emergent features. We develop a notion of universality in MAS based on the conceptýs use in its original (physics) setting. We give examples of the phenomenon, and discuss its implications for the theory and practice of MAS. We speculate that there exists a hierarchy of types of universality. The statistical mechanics sense refers to the most refined, simplest, and quantitative, while commonalities among MAS systems are associated with somewhat more general and qualitative levels of universality. Such a hierarchy would be an important integrating principle across systems of interacting components, including human societies, animal ecologies, multi-agent systems, and atoms and molecules.
Paper-Based Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Carbon Nanotube-Coated Wood Microfibers

Lithium-ion batteries using flexible paper-based current collectors have been developed. These current collectors were fabricated from wood microfibers that were coated with carbon nanotubes (CNT) through an electrostatic layer-by-layer nanoassembly process. The carbon nanotube mass loading of the presented (CNT-microfiber paper) current collectors is 10.1 μg/cm $^{2}$ . The capacities of the batteries made with the current collectors are 150 mAh/g for lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) half-cell, 158 mAh/g for lithium titanium oxide (LTO) half-cell, and 126 mAh/g for LTO/LCO full-cell. The fabrication approach of the CNT-microfiber paper current collectors, the assembly of the batteries, and the experimental results are presented and discussed.
Yoga for Chronic Low Back Pain: New Evidence in 2011

Copyright: © 2012 Groessl EJ. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Chronic low back pain is a highly prevalent [1], and is typically defined as back pain lasting greater than 4 weeks [2]. In addition to pain itself, chronic low back pain also results in increased psychological symptoms [3,4], increased disability, [5] and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL) [6,7]. Subsequently, the health care costs of people with chronic low back pain are 60% higher than those without back pain[8], and the total economic impact (socioeconomic costs and health care costs) was an estimated $100 billion annually as of 2008 [9].
Fluorescent flow-cytometry on a cell-phone

We demonstrate fluorescent imaging flow-cytometry that is integrated on a cell-phone. The cellphone based flow-cytometer was used to measure the density of white-blood-cells in blood samples, providing a decent match to the hematology analyzer.
An adaptive process allocation strategy for proportional responsiveness differentiation on Web servers

There is a growing demand for provisioning of different levels of quality of service (QoS) on scalable Web servers to meet changing resource availability and satisfy different client requirements. The proportional differentiation model is getting momentum because of its fairness and differentiation predictability. It states that QoS of different traffic classes should be kept proportional to their pre-specified differentiation parameters, independent of the class loads. In this paper, we present a processing rate allocation scheme for providing proportional response time differentiation on Web servers. A challenging issue is how to achieve processing rates for different request classes in the implementation. We propose a process allocation strategy, which dynamically and adaptively changes the number of processes allocated for handling different request classes while ensuring the ratios of process allocation specified by the processing rate allocation scheme. We implement the process allocation strategy at application level on Apache Web servers. Experimental results show that the processing rate can be achieved by the adaptive process allocation strategy and the Web servers can provide predictable and controllable proportional response time differentiation.
Improved Achievable Rates for the Gaussian Interference Relay Channel

We consider the Gaussian interference channel with an intermediate relay. The known achievable schemes for this channel are based on decode-and-forward (DF) relaying, whose performance depends on the signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio of the received signal at the relay. Consequently, when the source-torelay (S-R) links are weak, the resulting achievable rates have room for improvement. In this work, we design achievable schemes that provide this improvement. First, we consider compress-and-forward (CF) relaying to overcome the weakness of the DF schemes. Second, we consider employing structured codes and observe that when the signal strength from the direct link is subject to severe attenuation, using nested lattice codes yields higher rates than both the DF and CF schemes. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the performance of different achievable schemes with the Potent Relay Outerbound derived in our previous work.
UBIQUITOUS VARIABILITY IN THE PREVALENCE OF TRICHOBILHARZIA STAGNICOLAE (SCHISTOSOMATIDAE) INFECTING STAGNICOLA EMARGINATA IN THREE NORTHERN MICHIGAN LAKES

During 4 consecutive collecting seasons from 1998 through 2001, 77,326 common beach snails (Stagnicola emarginata, Lymnaeidae) were examined for infections by Trichobilharzia stagnicolae from multiple sites on Walloon Lake, Higgins Lake, and Lake Leelanau, located in the northern region of the lower peninsula of Michigan. Snails were examined for infections using the light-box technique (exposure to bright fluorescent light). The prevalence of infected snails varied significantly among lakes within a year, between years in a lake, at a site from year to year, and at a site over a collecting season. Overall annual prevalence ranged from 0.54% (1999) to 1.32% (2001) on Walloon Lake, from 0.56% (2001) to 1.06% (1998) on Higgins Lake, and 0.30% (2001) to 0.89% (2000) on Lake Leelanau. Generally, the peak in prevalence coincided in July on the lakes. Prevalence was found to increase with snail length in all lakes. A comparison of the light-box technique and crushing snails demonstrated that prevalence varied in magnitude by technique as much as 1.2 and 5.7 times.
Applications of nanotechnology in food packaging and food safety: Barrier materials, antimicrobials and sensors

In this article, several applications of nanomaterials in food packaging and food safety are reviewed, including: polymer/clay nanocomposites as high barrier packaging materials, silver nanoparticles as potent antimicrobial agents, and nanosensors and nanomaterial-based assays for the detection of food-relevant analytes (gasses, small organic molecules and food-borne pathogens). In addition to covering the technical aspects of these topics, the current commercial status and understanding of health implications of these technologies are also discussed. These applications were chosen because they do not involve direct addition of nanoparticles to consumed foods, and thus are more likely to be marketed to the public in the short term.
Financial reporting comparability: toward an XBRL ontology of the FASB/IFRS conceptual framework

As a mechanism for the exchange, transmission, and reporting of accounting and financial data, eXtensible Business Reporting Language XBRL makes great strides toward standardisation. However, given the global nature of contemporary financial markets, XBRL reporting must transcend or accommodate differences in reporting standards. Presently, the two standards for XBRL reporting, the US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles US GAAP or International Financial Reporting Standards IFRS, make reconciling meanings between these standards a laborious and error-prone affair. As the audience for this reporting often spans countries and cultures, many have a stake in digesting XBRL-formatted financial reports. This paper addresses the question of how cross-cultural and transnational consumers of XBRL statements can derive meaning from these reports. We present an ontological approach toward solving this problem which includes a financial reporting ontology and associated architecture for comparing concepts across XBRL taxonomies. The architecture is explained, evaluation criteria offered, and future research approaches toward realising artefacts using this architecture are proffered.
The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML): Where It’s Been and Where It’s Going

A cornerstone of systems biology is the use of computational modeling, by which hypotheses can be cast into a quantitative form that can be tested systematically. The use of computational modeling by biologists promises to pave the way for more rigorous analyses of biological functions, and ultimately will lead to new and better treatments for disease.A crucial enabler for more widespread use of computational modeling in biology is reaching agreement on how to represent, store, and communicate models between software tools. The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) project is an effort to create a machine-readable format for representing computational models in biology. By supporting SBML as an input and output format, different software tools can operate on the same representation of a model, removing chances for errors in translation and assuring a common starting point for analyses and simulations. SBML has become the most successful effort in this direction so far, with over 100 software systems supporting it today.In this presentation, I will discuss the current state of SBML, including recent developments such as this year's finalization of Version 2 of SBML Level 2. I will also survey some of the software tools that support SBML, and related projects that have arisen to support more effective use of computational models. Lastly, I will discuss expected future developments in SBML.
A Replication of Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use Measurement

This paper presents the results of a replication of construct measurement of perceived usefulness and ease of use. This replication extends the work of recent research which examined these constructs through structural equation modeling. This research uses a new data set for two different technologies in conducting the replication of the construct measurement. The results of the construct measurement for perceived usefulness and ease of use in this research are quite consistent with the results reported in recent research with minor variations. Perceived usefulness, and not ease of use, is a determinant of predicted future usage.
Precise measurement of semiconductor laser chirp using effect of propagation in dispersive fiber and application to simulation of transmission through fiber gratings

Measurements of small-signal intensity modulation from direct-modulated distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor lasers after propagation in dispersive fiber have previously been used to extract intrinsic laser chirp parameters such as linewidth enhancement factor and crossover frequency. Here, we demonstrate that the simple rate equations do not satisfactorily account for the frequency response of real DFB lasers and describe some experimental techniques that conveniently determiner the precise laser chirp. Implications for simulation of high-speed lightwave systems are also considered.
Automatic Recognition of Facial Actions in Spontaneous Expressions

Spontaneous facial expressions differ from posed expressions in both which muscles are moved, and in the dynamics of the movement. Advances in the field of automatic facial expression measurement will require development and assessment on spontaneous behavior. Here we present preliminary results on a task of facial action detection in spontaneous facial expressions. We employ a user independent fully automatic system for real time recognition of facial actions from the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). The system automatically detects frontal faces in the video stream and coded each frame with respect to 20 Action units. The approach applies machine learning methods such as support vector machines and AdaBoost, to texture-based image representations. The output margin for the learned classifiers predicts action unit intensity. Frame-by-frame intensity measurements will enable investigations into facial expression dynamics which were previously intractable by human coding.
Type Prediction for Efficient Coreference Resolution in Heterogeneous Semantic Graphs

We describe an approach for performing entity type recognition in heterogeneous semantic graphs in order to reduce the computational cost of performing coreferenceresolution. Our research specifically addresses the problem of working with semi-structured text that uses ontologies that are not informative or not known. This problem is similar to co reference resolution in unstructured text, where entities and their types are identified using contextual information and linguistic-based analysis. Semantic graphs are semi-structured with very little contextual information and trivial grammars that do not convey additional information. In the absence of known ontologies, performing co reference resolution can be challenging. Our work uses a supervised machine learning algorithm and entity type dictionaries to map attributes to a common attribute space. We evaluated the approach in experiments using data from Wikipedia, Freebase and Arnetminer.
Expected Value of Distribution Information for the Newsvendor Problem

This paper extends previous work on the distribution-free newsvendor problem, where only partial information about the demand distribution is available. More specifically, the analysis assumes that the demand distribution f belongs to a class of probability distribution functions (pdf) F with mean μ and standard deviation σ. While previous work has examined the expected value of distribution information (EVDI) for a particular order quantity and a particular pdf f, this paper aims at computing the maximum EVDI over all f ∈ F for any order quantity. In addition, an optimization procedure is provided to calculate the order quantity that minimizes the maximum EVDI.
Prostate Cancer Prevention

Prostate cancer, from a prevention perspective, presents several challenges. The rate of occurrence of the steps in carcinogenesis is highly variable. Men begin to develop microscopic foci of prostate cancer in the third decade of life which increase in frequency to such a degree that by a man’s eighth decade of life, he has an approximate 67% chance of having microscopic foci of prostate cancer at post mortem exam (Holund 1980). While the vast majority of these microscopic foci do not lead to clinically significant disease, a small percentage of these cancers evolve into aggressive, clinically significant disease that resulted in the diagnoses of 186,320 cases and about 28,660 deaths in 2008 in the United States (US) (Jemal et al. 2008). Although there has been significant progress that has improved our understanding of the disease, there is still much to be learned about the causes, early diagnostic markers 15
Experiences merging two university websites

The University of Toledo (UT) and the Medical University of Ohio (MUO) merged in July 2006 to form the third-largest public university operating budget in Ohio. While the merger meant bringing together two distinctly different Web development groups, it was also an opportunity to reevaluate everything from Web tools, applications and programs to processes and management. UT has been allowed to reinvent Web development through the merger process. Staff, applications and processes have all been evaluated and revamped. The first step was creating a merger team representing Web developers, programmers, server administrators, content managers and management who collaboratively reviewed all aspects of Web development and made decisions that carved the path for the future of Web at the new University of Toledo. The team created a strategy supported by administration that included a content management system (CMS), Web applications standardization, a consolidated platform and a centralized approach to Web content support. Working within the new university brand, a new site and navigation structure was introduced that utilized the strength of the CMS, addressed accessibility and took into consideration the needs of the new university and as well as better use of staffing in Web and Technology Support. Additionally, Web development has taken a strategic role in incorporating Web and interactive technology into marketing strategy for the new university.
State Space, Equilibrium, Linearization, and Stability

This chapter introduces the idea of state space, including the special (two dimensional) case of the phase plane. I discuss the general solution of the state space formulation for mechanical systems, including eigenvaluesand eigenvectors. I discuss linearization and linear stability in the context of state space. I illustrate the topics of this chapter using examples from previous chapters and introduce a new system, the inverted pendulum on a cart, which is the overhead crane turned upside down
Optimizing the sensitivity of the head thrust test for identifying vestibular hypofunction.

Background and Purpose . The head thrust test (HTT) is used to assess the vestibulo-ocular reflex. Sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH) in patients following vestibular ablation is excellent (100%), although sensitivity is lower (35%–39%) for patients with nonsurgically induced UVH. The variability of the test results may be from moving the subject's head outside the plane of the lateral semicircular canals as well as using a head thrust of predictable timing and direction. The purpose of this study was to examine sensitivity and specificity of the horizontal HTT in identifying patients with UVH and bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH) when the head was flexed 30 degrees in attempt to induce acceleration primarily in the lateral semicircular canal and the head was moved unpredictably. Subjects . The medical records of 176 people with and without vestibular dysfunction (n=79 with UVH, n=32 with BVH, and n=65 with nonvestibular dizziness) were studied. Methods . Data were retrospectively tabulated from a de-identified database (ie, with health information stripped of all identifiers). Results . Sensitivity of the HTT for identifying vestibular hypofunction was 71% for UVH and 84% for BVH. Specificity was 82%. Discussion and Conclusion . Ensuring the head is pitched 30 degrees down and thrust with an unpredictable timing and direction appears to improve sensitivity of the HTT.
Hyperexpansion of RNA Bacteriophage Diversity

Bacteriophage modulation of microbial populations impacts critical processes in ocean, soil, and animal ecosystems. However, the role of bacteriophages with RNA genomes (RNA bacteriophages) in these processes is poorly understood, in part because of the limited number of known RNA bacteriophage species. Here, we identify partial genome sequences of 122 RNA bacteriophage phylotypes that are highly divergent from each other and from previously described RNA bacteriophages. These novel RNA bacteriophage sequences were present in samples collected from a range of ecological niches worldwide, including invertebrates and extreme microbial sediment, demonstrating that they are more widely distributed than previously recognized. Genomic analyses of these novel bacteriophages yielded multiple novel genome organizations. Furthermore, one RNA bacteriophage was detected in the transcriptome of a pure culture of Streptomyces avermitilis, suggesting for the first time that the known tropism of RNA bacteriophages may include gram-positive bacteria. Finally, reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR)-based screening for two specific RNA bacteriophages in stool samples from a longitudinal cohort of macaques suggested that they are generally acutely present rather than persistent.
Epiglottitis in children: review of 24 cases.

Twenty-four confirmed cases of acute epiglottitis in children are reviewed. Peak incidence occurred in the months of April and May. Referring physicians correctly diagnosed acute epiglottitis in 61% of cases. Respiratory distress in 24 patients (100%), stridor in 22 patients (92%), and fever in 22 patients (92%) were the most frequently encountered symptoms.
Moving From Science to Practice in Evaluation Capacity Building

A synthesis of the state of the literature is discussed in this section of the Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB) forum organized around four critical questions: (1) What is ECB? (2) How can we make it happen? (3) How do we know it is happening? and (4) What is its impact? The authors argue that to move the field of ECB forward we need to envision the science of ECB, not as the sole activity of creating new knowledge but in a close congruent and reciprocal relationship with practice. By adhering to a science-practice model, we conduct research that directly responds to and contributes to practice thus creating strong synergies between ECB practitioners and researchers. Research on ECB needs to be informed by real issues happening in practice, and practice of ECB needs to be informed by the new knowledge created. We must strengthen the science to refine our practice and strengthen the practice to refine the science.