cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary Hypertension from Chronic Pulmonary Thromboembolism

Abstract Pulmonary hypertension may develop whenever chronic obstruction of pulmonary arterial blood flow occurs. Although repeated pulmonary embolism is thought to be the usual underlying cause, t...
Evaluating the Validity of a High-Stakes ESL Test: Why Teachers' Perceptions Matter

The English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) is used in the state of Michigan in the United States to fulfill government-mandated No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements. The test is used to promote and monitor achievement in English language learning in schools that receive federal NCLB funding. The goal of the project discussed here was to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of the ELPA and to see if those perceptions could meaningfully contribute to a broad concept of the test's validity. This was done by asking teachers and test administrators their views on the ELPA directly after its administration. Two hundred and sixty-seven administrators took a survey with closed and open-ended questions that aimed to tap into the consequential dimensions of test validity. An exploratory factor analysis identified five factors relating to the participants' perceptions of the ELPA. Analysis of variance results revealed that educators at schools with lower concentrations of English language learners reported significantly more problems in administering the ELPA. Three themes (the test's appropriateness, impacts, and administration) emerged from an analysis of qualitative data. This article discusses these results not only as a means of better understanding the ELPA, but also to contribute to larger-scale discussions about consequential validity and standardized tests of English language proficiency. It recommends that broadly defined validity data be used to improve large-scale assessment programs such as those mandated by NCLB.
Crosstalk avoidance codes for 3D VLSI

In 3D VLSI, through-silicon vias (TSVs) are relatively large, and closely spaced. This results in a situation in which noise on one or more TSVs may deteriorate the delay and signal integrity of neighboring TSVs. In this paper, we first quantify the parasitics in contemporary TSVs, and then come up with a classification of crosstalk sequences as OC, 1C,... 8C sequences. Next, we present inductive approaches to quantify the exact overhead for 8C, 6C and 4C crosstalk avoidance codes (CACs) for a 3 x n mesh arrangement of TSVs. These overheads for different CACs for a 3 x n mesh arrangement of TSVs are used to calculate the lower bounds on the corresponding overheads for an n x n mesh arrangements of TSVs. We also discuss an efficient way to implement the coding and decoding (CODEC) circuitry for limiting the maximum crosstalk to 6C. Our experimental results show that for a TSV mesh arrangement driven by inverters implemented in a 22nm technology, the coding based approaches yields improvements which are in line with the theoretical predictions.
Human sex ratios as a function of the woman's psychodynamics—A preliminary study

Abstract The normative strategy for populations of sexually producing organisms is to invest equally in their male and female offsrpring. However, successful strategiesuals, within a population, may differ substantially from the group's overall trend of investing equally in sons and in daughters. Because producing equal numbers of sons and daughters is one means, ceteris paribus , of allocating equal investments to sons and to daughters, sex ratios were examined. The sex ratio of children from high-status, high-achievement adults in the United States are compared to those of the general population. Preliminary results do suggest that sex ratios at birth are patterned according to individual strategies. The data are consonant with predictions emanating from evolutionary theory with a proximate cause including the psychoemotional condition of the woman.
Sensitivity of Simulated Climate to Model Resolution

Abstract Dynamical measures of the climate (e.g., winds, eddy fluxes) simulated by a general circulation model are compared at different horizontal and vertical resolutions for the December, January, and February period. The simulations of the troposphere are found to improve significantly as the horizontal resolution increases in the range of spectral truncations from T21 to T63. Little sensitivity is found to changes in vertical resolution between about 2.8 km and 0.7 km vertical grid spacing. The improvements in the Southern Hemisphere troposphere are greater than in the Northern Hemisphere as the horizontal resolution increases. The eddy momentum fluxes and kinetic energies in both hemispheres increase monotonically with horizontal resolution. At T63, the Southern Hemisphere winds, eddy fluxes, and eddy kinetic energies agree favorably with observations, while serious discrepancies are present at lower resolutions. In the Northern Hemisphere, the eddy momentum flux at T63 is slightly larger than obser...
Fast Methods to Analyze High-Speed Images of HCCI and Spark-Assisted HCCI Ignition Events

This study presents two new methods to rapidly analyze the ignition and combustion events recorded during in-cylinder high-speed imaging of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) and spark-assisted (SA) HCCI engine operation. Two categories of ignition have been observed during HCCI and SA HCCI: auto-ignition of parcels of fuel/air and ignition and propagation of reaction fronts. In this work, two methods of image analysis are developed which accommodate differences in the ignition and propagation events for the two categories. The methods are described by application to high speed imaging data acquired from an optically accessible engine operated in HCCI and SA HCCI modes using indolene fuel. Using method I, the projected area of reaction is identified in each frame, and a circle with a characteristic radius that yields the equivalent area is defined. The rate of area expansion is used to define the speed of reaction. Using method II, an edge-finding algorithm is used to identify the location of well-defined reaction fronts. The maximum dimensions of the reaction front in an x-y coordinate frame are measured. The projected area based on the average of these maximum dimensions is then determined. The change in the characteristic radius of the projected area is defined as the average propagation speed for the reaction front. The two analytical methods are applied to typical HCCI and SA HCCI image sequences. Outcomes of the image analysis indicate propagation speeds are typically between 2–5 m/s prior to volumetric ignition. Volumetric ignition is identified by propagation speeds greater than 20 m/s. The imaging data also identify times when reaction quenching occurred after spark ignition as times when negative propagation speeds are observed. When applied to the same imaging sequence, the two methods yield consistent results for propagation speeds; however, the method based on edge-finding exhibits larger variance.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Nitrogen/argon and nitrogen isotope ratios in aerobic sea water

Abstract Various factors which influence the concentrations of gases dissolved in sea water are discussed. A surface equilibrium model is proposed, and results presented to test the model and to ascertain whether or not nitrogen dissolved in sea water is biologically and chemically inert. The method utilized argon as a reference gas, with a mass spectrometer as the primary analytical tool. The conclusion is reached that within ± 1 per cent the model is applicable and nitrogen is ‘conservative.’ The possible implications of apparent small differences between the predictions of the model and the experimental results are discussed. There is some evidence that the nitrogen 29/28 relative abundance in the dissolved gas may be greater than that in the atmosphere by approximately one part in 10,000.
Skin window: An aid in the diagnosis of drug allergy

Abstract The skin-window technique was utilized as a means of diagnosis in 22 instances of suspected drug hypersensitivity in 19 patients. Positive reactions, as noted by eosinophil counts of 18 to 97 per cent, were recorded at test sites in all 5 cases of definite drug hypersensitivity in which reactions had occurred within 8 weeks of testing. Positive reactions, as noted by eosinophil counts of 8 to 90 per cent, were recorded at test sites in 10 to 12 cases with probable drug hypersensitivity in which some of the drug reactions had occurred as long as 20 years previously. There were no systemic reactions following the test and only mild local reactions in 2 cases. Negative tests, as noted by eosinophil counts of 0 to 4 per cent, were noted in distilled water controls and in 4 of 5 cases with equivocal drug hypersensitivity. Tests with other drugs being taken by the patients, to which reactions apparently had not occurred, and tests with drugs in nonallergic individuals also gave responses similar to the distilled water controls.
Effect of trans-retinol on the permeability of egg lecithin liposomes.

Summary trans -Retinol is shown to significantly increase the permeability of egg lecithin liposomes to K + , Cl − , Br − , I − , glycine, lysine and glucose. A relationship is demonstrated between the amount of trans -retinol required to induce permeability and the size of the diffusing species. From this data it is concluded that trans -retinol at levels only slightly above those found normally could increase the cristae permeability to protons enough to cause uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation.
S10 phosphorylation of p27 mediates atRA induced growth arrest in ovarian carcinoma cell lines

All trans retinoic acid (atRA) has been shown to inhibit the growth of CAOV3 ovarian carcinoma cells and to elevate the level of p27 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. We report here that phosphorylation at S10 residue is an important event in mediating p27 role in atRA induced growth arrest. atRA treatment of atRA sensitive CAOV3 cells increases the levels of S10 phospho-p27 in both nuclear and cytoplasmic cell compartments. This increase is accompanied by a decrease in the levels of skp2 protein. This effect was not observed in SKOV3 cells which are resistant to atRA growth inhibitory effect. An A10-p27 mutant that cannot be phosphorylated at S10 induces a dominant negative effect on the atRA effect on the levels and activity of endogenous p27. Overexpression of A10-p27 mutant renders CAOV3 cells more resistant to atRA treatment and reverses the effect that atRA has on p27 binding to CDKs, on CDK activity, and on the expression of S phase genes. J. Cell. Physiol. 217: 558–568, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cosolvent Interactions with Biomolecules: Relating Computer Simulation Data to Experimental Thermodynamic Data

A major difficulty often encountered when the effects of cosolvents on the structure of biomolecules is studied by computer simulation is an inability to relate the simulation results to experiment...
From telecom switches to telecenters: changes in the 'telecom for development' discourse in India (1947--1999)

The telecom sector has been an important actor in the Indian state's policies for 'development.' However, the nature of the linkage between telecom and development, as well as the role of the state in this process, have changed over time. How did Indian telecom policy, with its focus on telecom production for development and its dismissal of access to telecom as a luxury up until the 1980s, become an advocate for telecom access for development by the late 1990s? Using policy documents and an analysis of secondary literature, I trace the state's motivation to restructure telecom policy between India's independence and 1999, by which time the core objective of the telecom policy had become the "availability of affordable and effective communications for citizens." I argue that motivation alone is not enough to bring about policy change. Since the state had to negotiate with diverse interest groups both within and outside the state, and also maintain its own legitimacy, the state's motivation had to be backed with state capacity and political opportunity before it could restructure telecom policy. Pushing further at this framework of policy change, I suggest that motivation, capacity, and political opportunity are determined not just by material conditions but as crucially by ideological constructs and discourses.
Blood flow and muscle fatigue in SCI individuals during electrical stimulation

Our purpose was to measure blood flow and muscle fatigue in chronic, complete, spinal cord-injured (SCI) and able-bodied (AB) individuals during electrical stimulation. Electrical stimulation of th...
Laser Ablative Surface Treatment for Enhanced Bonding of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

Adhesive bonding offers many advantages over mechanical fastening, but requires certification before it can be incorporated in primary structures for commercial aviation without disbond-arrestment features or redundant load paths. Surface preparation is widely recognized as the key step to producing robust and predictable adhesive bonds. Surface preparation by laser ablation provides an alternative to the expensive, hazardous, polluting, and less precise practices used currently such as chemical-dip, manual abrasion and grit blast. This report documents preliminary testing of a surface preparation technique using laser ablation as a replacement for the chemical etch and abrasive processes currently applied to Ti-6Al-4V alloy adherends. Surface roughness and surface chemical composition were characterized using interference microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. A technique for fluorescence visualization was developed which allowed for quantitative failure mode analysis. Wedge crack...
Delta-sultone formation through Rh-catalyzed C-H insertion.

Rhodium-catalyzed reactions of sulfonate ester derivatives are biased strongly toward 1,6-insertion and thus offer a general method for assembling δ-sultones. Two protocols for staging this cyclization reaction are described, which capitalize on the unique ability of either diazo or iodonium ylide intermediates to form Rh-carbene species. The value of these heterocycles for fine chemicals synthesis is demonstrated in both reductive and oxidative reactions that make possible excision of the −SO3− moiety.
Mechanisms for Flow-Enhanced Cell Adhesion

Cell adhesion is mediated by specific receptor–ligand bonds. In several biological systems, increasing flow has been observed to enhance cell adhesion despite the increasing dislodging fluid shear forces. Flow-enhanced cell adhesion includes several aspects: flow augments the initial tethering of flowing cells to a stationary surface, slows the velocity and increases the regularity of rolling cells, and increases the number of rollingly adherent cells. Mechanisms for this intriguing phenomenon may include transport-dependent acceleration of bond formation and force-dependent deceleration of bond dissociation. The former includes three distinct transport modes: sliding of cell bottom on the surface, Brownian motion of the cell, and rotational diffusion of the interacting molecules. The latter involves a recently demonstrated counterintuitive behavior called catch bonds where force prolongs rather than shortens the lifetimes of receptor–ligand bonds. In this article, we summarize our recently published data that used dimensional analysis and mutational analysis to elucidate the above mechanisms for flow-enhanced leukocyte adhesion mediated by L-selectin-ligand interactions.
Computational Investigation of Finite Width Microtabs for Aerodynamic Load Control

The use of deployable microtabs on wind turbine blades has been proposed for the purpose of active load control. A great deal of two-dimensional wind tunnel testing and CFD simulation has already been conducted to study the effects of tabs on the aerodynamic performance characteristics of airfoil sections. This paper presents a literature survey of existing studies that have looked at the effects of introducing gaps and serrations to the tabs. Such treatments are found to allow modulation of the lift enhancing properties of the tab. Three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes calculations of various tabgap configurations applied to an airfoil are described, and results are presented. The relationship between tab solidity ratio and increments in lift is found to be highly linear. Such a relationship could be significant for the development of future microtab deployment systems.
Musculoskeletal Pain Syndromes That Affect Adolescents

Musculoskeletal pain is one of the most common pains of adolescence, along with headache and abdominal pain, and arthralgia is the single most common reason for referral to the pediatric rheumatologist.1Not surprisingly, the pediatric rheumatologist is frequently called to distinguish organic from functional symptoms. During the past decade, the pediatric rheumatology community has been evaluating increasing numbers of adolescents and preadolescents who experience musculoskeletal symptoms presumably as a defense against emotional stress from achievement either in academic work or in sports. To complicate the challenge further, coexistent organic and psychologic disturbance is not rare. Clearly, organic illness does not protect a patient from emotional pain, and it may be most difficult to differentiate nonorganic pain in a patient with a known organic illness. Conversely, adolescents with organic illness may use their disease for secondary gain. Fear of misdiagnosis of physical illness as psychiatric and the notion that all
Sonification of optical coherence tomography data and images

Sonification is the process of representing data as non-speech audio signals. In this manuscript, we describe the auditory presentation of OCT data and images. OCT acquisition rates frequently exceed our ability to visually analyze image-based data, and multi-sensory input may therefore facilitate rapid interpretation. This conversion will be especially valuable in time-sensitive surgical or diagnostic procedures. In these scenarios, auditory feedback can complement visual data without requiring the surgeon to constantly monitor the screen, or provide additional feedback in non-imaging procedures such as guided needle biopsies which use only axial-scan data. In this paper we present techniques to translate OCT data and images into sound based on the spatial and spatial frequency properties of the OCT data. Results obtained from parameter-mapped sonification of human adipose and tumor tissues are presented, indicating that audio feedback of OCT data may be useful for the interpretation of OCT images.
Silent assassin: Oncogenic Ras directs epigenetic inactivation of target genes

Oncogenic transformation is associated with genetic changes and epigenetic alterations. A study now shows that oncogenic Ras uses a complex and elaborate epigenetic silencing program to specifically repress the expression of multiple unrelated cancer-suppressing genes through a common pathway. These results suggest that cancer-related epigenetic modifications may arise through a specific and instructive mechanism and that genetic changes and epigenetic alterations are intimately connected and contribute to tumorigenesis cooperatively.
A note on the Olduvai clavicular fragment.

Certain features of the Olduvai clavicular fragment have been examined in the light of data already existing on the form of the clavicle in primates. Although similar to that of modern man, the fragment exhibits features which suggest that its function may have differed somewhat from that of the clavicle in man. The new information correlates well with that obtained from the fragmentary Sterkfontein scapula.
The Transmutation of Fluorine by Protons

The excitation functions for the production of long range alpha-particles, gamma-rays, and electron pairs by the bombardment of F19 by protons have been observed simultaneously up to a bombarding energy of 1.5 Mev. The long range alpha and pair curves exhibit resonance peaks superimposed on a background of increasing intensity with increasing bombarding energy. Approximate coincidence in two instances of pair and alpha-resonances suggests that full range alphas and the short range alphas preceding pair emission can be products of competing modes of decay of the same intermediate states of Ne20. This in turn suggests that the state of O16 which decays by pair emission has the same parity (even) as the ground states of O16 and thus that the pair emission can be due to ordinary electromagnetic forces. The absolute yields of the various processes have been measured and a discussion of the measurement of high energy gamma-ray and pair yields by means of electroscopes is given. The large ratio of gamma-ray yields to long range alpha and pair yields previously observed has been confirmed.
Tracheal ciliary beat frequency in baboons: effects of peripheral histamine and capsaicin.

To determine if tracheal ciliary beat frequency (CBFt) in the nonhuman primate could be stimulated indirectly, either by an inhaled irritant or by a mediator potentially released from an inhalation challenge, saline (0.9%), capsaicin (3×10−9 M), or histamine (8 mg/ml) were delivered for three minites as 100 ml aerosol (0.25 μm MMAD) boluses at the beginning of each breath, followed by 10 sec breath hold. Each of five adult baboons (17–27 kg,Papio cynocephalus) underwent three studies using a randomized block design. The baboons were anesthetized and ventilated eucapnically through an endotracheal tube whose cuff was inflated in the distal trachea. CBFt was measured in the mid-trachea proximal to the cuff at one minute intervals using heterodyne laser light scattering. There was no change in CBFt from a baseline of 7.2±0.6 Hz (mean ± SE) following inhalation of saline deposited peripherally. Capsaicin stimulated CBFt for over 80 min reaching a maximum of 14.7±6.3 Hz 46 min after aerosol delivery. Histamine stimulated CBFt for 90 minutes reaching a maximum of 19.3±9.9 Hz 67 min after aerosol delivery. The prolonged stimulatory responses of CBFt to peripherally deposited capsaicin and histamine most likely involve both cellular and neural pathways through which the tracheobronchial airways, in response to an alveolar challenge, are cleansed of secretions thus enabling the maintenance of effective gas transport.
Urinary tract infections in patients with diabetes

Results of various epidemiologic studies suggest that bacteriuria and urinary tract infection (UTI) occur more commonly in women with diabetes than in women without this disease. Similar findings have been demonstrated for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB), with ASB being a risk factor for pyelonephritis and subsequent decline in renal function. Although ASB is not associated with serious health outcomes in healthy patients, further research needs to be undertaken regarding the impact of ASB in patients with diabetes. Patients with diabetes often have increased complications of UTI, including such rare complications as emphysematous cystitis and pyelonephritis, fungal infections (particularly Candida species), and increased severity and unusual manifestations (e.g., gram-negative pathogens other than Escherichia coli). Anatomic and functional abnormalities of the urinary tract are also associated with diabetes. Such abnormalities result in greater instrumentation of the urinary tract, thereby increasing the risk of secondary UTI. In addition, these abnormalities complicate UTI and require specialized treatment strategies. There is a greater likelihood of UTI affected by antimicrobial resistance or atypical uropathogens, and the risk of upper tract involvement is increased. Pre- and posttherapy urine cultures are therefore indicated. The initial choice of empiric antimicrobial therapy should be based on Gram stain and urine culture. Choice of antibiotic therapy should integrate local sensitivity patterns of the infecting organism. Fluoroquinolones are a reasonable empiric choice for many patients with diabetes. For seriously ill patients, including patients infected with Pseudomonas spp., such agents as imipenem, ticarcillin-clavulanate, and piperacillin-tazobactam may also be considered. Treatment of ASB in patients with diabetes is often recommended to prevent the risk of symptomatic UTI. However, the management of ASB in patients with diabetes is complex, with no single preferred approach.
Organizational Psychoanalysis in Public Administration

Although not new, the use of psychoanalysis to study, assess, and work with organizations is certainly not central to the field of public administration. This article argues that psychoanalysis adds value to rational-technical reforms because in addition to addressing the structural and rational aspects of organizations, it focuses on the implicit, unconscious, and often covert influences that can hinder individual and organizational performance. The authors focus on six key issues within public administration—task, autonomy, authority, responsiveness, finances, and accountability—arguing that psychoanalysis helps illuminate the conscious and unconscious dynamics that influence each. The article concludes by supporting the combined use of rational-technical and psychoanalytic approaches in order to help individuals and organizations risk and tolerate change.
Spinal cord development in anuran larvae: I. Primary and secondary neurons

The spinal cord of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpole contains primary neurons, born during embryonic stages, and secondary neurons born for the most part during larval stages. Electrophysiological and anatomical characteristics of these two categories of neurons were examined during larval development to trace the development of secondary neurons and to determine whether primary neurons persist into adult life or are replaced by secondary neurons. Five classes of primary neuron were identified on the basis of their distinctive locations, morphologies, cytoplasmic melanin content, and presence at the earliest larval stages examined: primary motoneurons, Rohon-Beard cells, commissural cells, dorsal marginal cells, and anterolateral marginal cells. Secondary neurons of the lateral motor column and dorsal root ganglia underwent extensive developmental changes during larval life manifested both in anatomical studies with horseradish peroxidase and electrophysiological experiments on the isolated spinal cord. Primary motoneurons that innervate the tadpole tail were not found in the adult, although those innervating thoracic musculature persisted, as did at least some primary neurons projecting to other spinal segments or brainstem. Primary neurons are thus replaced or maintained through metamorphosis depending on their class and location.
Visual function in goldfish with unilateral and bilateral tectal ablation.

Summary Following complete bilateral tectal ablation, the ability to detect light recovers in about three weeks. The non-tectal retinal connections which may mediate detection are about one log unit less sensitive than the retinotectal connections. At moderate illumination levels, tectumless fish do not react visually to objects. Tectumless fish integrate luminous flux over a very wide area (at least 25° diameter) while the critical diameter for the normal in this experiment is smaller. Subcortical structures may mediate the interocular transfer of a brightness discrimination. The ipsilateral retinotectal projection following unilateral tectal removal is functional, with normal sensitivity to detection of light.
Elongation factor SII-dependent transcription by RNA polymerase II through a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein.

Abstract In eukaryotes the genetic material is contained within a coiled, protein-coated structure known as chromatin. RNA polymerases must recognize specific nucleoprotein assemblies and maintain contact with the underlying DNA duplex for many thousands of base pairs. Template-bound lac operon repressor from Escherichia coli arrests RNA polymerase II in vitro and in vivo [Kuhn, A., Bartsch, I. & Grummt, I. (1990) Nature (London) 344, 559-562; Deuschele, U., Hipskind, R. A. & Bujard, H. (1990) Science 248, 480-483]. We show that in a reconstituted transcription system, elongation factor SII enables RNA polymerase II to proceed through this blockage at high efficiency. lac repressor-arrested elongation complexes display an SII-activated transcript cleavage reaction, an activity associated with transcriptional read-through of a previously characterized region of bent DNA. This demonstrates factor-dependent transcription by RNA polymerase II through a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein. Nascent transcript cleavage may be a general mechanism by which RNA polymerase II can bypass many transcriptional impediments.
Design sensitivity analysis of beams under nonlinear forced vibrations

ACOMPUTATIONAL method for design sensitivity analysis of an eigenvalue and an eigenvector of a beam under nonlinear forced vibration is presented in this paper. The nonlinear vibration problem is only analyzed once in the proposed method. The geometric nonlinearity of concern results from the large deflection of a beam. The finite element system equation for nonlinear vibration is symmetric. However, it is found that the equation for computing the design sensitivity of an eigenvector is linear and unsymmetric. A numerical example is included to validate the proposed computational procedure. Contents The nonlinear vibrations studied herein refer to the periodic (though not necessarily harmonic) and stable motions of a nonlinear system. Recently, Hou and Yuan1 addressed the design sensitivity analysis of eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a beam under nonlinear free vibration. In that paper, the longitudinal inertia was not considered in the nonlinear vibration formulation, so that the problem could be expressed in terms of the lateral deflection alone. In the present work the design sensitivity analysis has been extended successfully to a nonlinear forced vibration problem whose formulation includes the in-plane inertia and displacement. The variational formulation2 for the nonlinear forced vibrations of beams under harmonic excitation is given as
Terrestrial mass extinctions

That galactic triggering or forcing of terrestrial biologic crises could arise as a result of collisions (or close encounters) of the solar system with intermediate-sized to large-sized interstellar clouds of gas and dust is a theory postulated by R. Rampino and B. Stothers of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The idea is that episodes of major mass extinctions and impact cratering on the earth during the last 250 million years seem to have a dominant periodicity of 30 million years with essentially identical phasing. According to Rampino and Stothers, this terrestrial periodicity is found to be strongly correlated with the time needed for the solar system to oscillate vertically about the plane of the Milky Way galaxy, which is 33±3 million years based on current astronomical evidence (see Eos, February 28, 1984, p. 75).
Poster: enabling massive parallelism for stochastic optimization

The US air fleet is tasked with the worldwide movement of cargo and personnel. Due to a unique mixture of operating circumstances, it faces a large scale and dynamic set of cargo movement demands with sudden changes almost being the norm. Airfleet management involves periodically allocating aircraft to its myriad operations, while judiciously accounting for this uncertainty to minimize operating costs. We have formulated this allocation problem as the optimization of a stochastic two-stage integer program.Our work aims to enable rapid decisions via a scalable parallel implementation. We present our initial attempts at parallelization and eventually, a branch-and-bound approach with two-stage linear programs. This allows the evaluation of tens of thousands of possible scenarios while converging to an optimal integer allocation for extremely large problems. We believe that this is an interesting and uncommon approach to harnessing tera/petascale compute power for such problems without decomposing the linear programs further.
Structure-property relationship for three-photon absorbing fluorene derivatives: a systematic study

We report the first systematic three-photon absorption structure/property study on a series of three fluorene derivatives with different structural motifs. We demonstrate that symmetric intramolecular charge transfer enhances three-photon absorption on conjugated systems.
Semiclassical gravitational effects near cosmic strings

Abstract The vacuum expectation value of the stress-energy tensor of an arbitrary collection of conformal massless free quantum fields (scalar, spinor, and vector) in the presence of a static, cylindrically symmetric cosmic string is found, up to an undetermined numerical constant. This quantum stress-energy tensor is then used as a source in the linearized semiclassical Einstein equations, which are solved to find the first-order (in Ł) corrections to the exterior metric of a static, cylindrically symmetric cosmic string. The main result is that, at first-order in Ł, the ( r , o) two-space is no longer a simple flat cone; to this order the ( r , o) two- space is a (linearized) hyperboloid, which asymptotically approaches the classical conical surface at large values of r . The asymptotic value of the deficit angle of the cone is unchanged, still being precisely 8 πμ .
Liberating Development: Religious Transformations of Development Discourse

Abstract This article explores the ways in which some faith-based organizations, basing their work on notions of social justice, may offer a model for development that shifts the discourse from one that is narrowly focuses on projects and outcomes to one that considers the fundamental questions of how people live. Drawing on themes from liberation theology, their discourse questions the notion of poverty even as they seek to ameliorate human suffering. Based on field research with two Catholic NGOs in Argentina, this paper considers the ways in which some religious organizations employ a discourse based on a holistic notion of “development.”
Maze preferences in naive rats produced by injection of ribonucleic acid from trained rats

One group of rats was trained with food reward to choose alternative A in a two-choice discrimination apparatus, and a second group was trained to choose alternative B. Ribonucleic acid was extracted from the brains of these trained rats and was injected into untrained rats. On subsequent unreinforced test trials the untrained rats showed a significant tendency to choose the alternative to which their respective donor rats had been trained.
Operationalizing Mindfulness Without Unnecessary Attachments

There are scientific advantages to defining mindfulness in terms of the psychological processes involved. Doing so, however, necessarily uncouples mindfulness from any given technology, including meditation. Defining mindfulness in terms of the self-regulation of attention and a posture of acceptance seems progressive, but there are underlying philosophical attachments in the proposed definition that might limit its applicability if they are treated too rigidly.
Error bounds for capacitance extraction via window techniques

The overwhelming size of the capacitance extraction problem forces designers to localize the capacitive coupling and determine a distance (a "window") outside of which the mutual capacitance between two wires is "small enough" to ignore. The primary difficulties with such approaches are determining how large the extraction windows have to be to capture all of the relevant mutual capacitances, and estimating the error incurred due to "windowing." This paper proposes solutions for both problems. We first show that the shift-truncate method and the windowing method yield opposite bounds for the exact values of the mutual and self capacitances. It is also shown that the capacitance matrices resulting from the application of these two localization methods are positive definite and, therefore, lead to stable approximations of the exact parasitics system. For the windowing method, we show that the original asymmetric capacitance matrix can be made symmetric while guaranteeing the positive definiteness and making the error bounds even tighter. In summary, we describe an adaptive window sizing methodology based on error values from the windowing and shift-truncate bounds. The proposed methodology is also potentially useful in identifying crosstalk problem zones for interconnect optimization and noise reduction, and for the generation of noise-reducing design rules.
Deletions Generated by the Transposon Tn10 in the srl recA Region of the ESCHERICHIA COLI K-12 Chromosome

A negative regulatory gene for the srl operon (srlR) was recognized by the characteristics of an insertion mutation generated by the transposon Tn10 determining tetracycline resistance. This finding is discussed in light of previous hypotheses on the regulation of the srl genes, which mediate metabolism of glucitol (i.e., sorbitol). Mapping showed that the order of genes in this region is: srlR srlD srlC recA alaS. Using two different methods, five mutations of both srl and recA were detected. The phenotype conferred by these mutations, UV sensitivity and extreme recombination deficiency, is characteristic of standard recA point mutants. Three of the mutations were deletions that also removed the genes for tetracycline resistance of the nearby transposon. A fourth mutation ended at a distance from Tn10 sufficient to allow separation of the two by recombination following P1 transduction; our tests did not allow us to conclude whether this mutation was an inversion or a deletion. The fifth mutation was a deletion that seemed to end immediately adjacent to the boundary of Tn10, proximal to recA. Mechanisms for the generation of these srl recA mutations are discussed.
CBR Based Workflow Composition Assistant

Composing a scientific workflow from scratch may be time-consuming, even if the scientist is fully aware of the semantics, the inputs, and the outputs of the expected workflow. Reusing existing services and parts from already composed workflows can aid in reducing the total workflow composition time. However, matching the semantics and the inputs and outputs of these reusable components manually is not an easy task, especially when there are hundreds of such components available. Even components are annotated with information on the semantics of their inputs and outputs, the complex nature of the semantic languages may make manual component selection even harder. In this paper, we propose a Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) approach to assist composition of workflows based on the characteristics of the inputs and the outputs of the reusable workflow components, facilitating user exploitation of existing services and workflows during workflow composition. The architecture can also be extended to utilize the semantics of the various components improving the precision of the identified reusable components.
Development of facesheet for honeycomb FRP sandwich panels

Honeycomb fiber-reinforced polymer sandwich panels with sinusoidal core geometry have shown to be successful both for new construction and rehabilitation of existing bridge decks. This investigatio...
Can patients or clinicians predict the severity or duration of an acute upper respiratory infection

Purpose: Acute upper respiratory infections (URI) are the second most common diagnosis in pri mary care offices. As treatments have limited effectiveness, patient counseling regarding expectations for the course of the URI is an important aspect of care. It is unknown how accurate patients, clinicians or questionnaires such as the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey (WURSS) instrument are at predicting URI severity and duration, and whether these predictions should be used to counsel patients. Methods: S even hundred and nineteen individuals with recent onset cold in community clinic settings participated. Participants and clinicians predicted the severity and duration of the URI and participants completed the WURSS instrument at initial visit. Subsequent URI global severity was calculated as area under the curve using an average of twice-daily WURSS-21 self-reports as the y-axis and illness duration as the x-axis. URI duration was determined by self-report of beginning and end of illness. Linear regression analysis was used to correlate baseline predictions with subsequent outcomes. Analyses by gender, age and income were also performed. Results: There w as no significant association between participant and clinician predictions of severity or duration. Initial WURSS values explained 0.119 (95% CI: 0.074–0.163) of the variance in subsequent severity outcomes. There were no significant differences in associations by age, gender or income. Conclusions: Clinicians should not use their predictive assessments or their patients’ predictions when advising patients on the expected course of a URI. This study also suggests that the WURSS instrument could give some predictive information, but whether this is clinically useful is uncertain.
A dual source photon beam model used in convolution/superposition dose calculations for clinical megavoltage x-ray beams

A realistic model of photon beams generated by clinical linear accelerators has been incorporated in a convolution/superposition method to compute dose distributions in photon treatment fields. In this beam model, a primary photon source represents photons directly from the target, and an extra-focal photon source represents scatteredphotons from the primary collimator and the flattening filter. Monte Carlo simulation was used to study clinical linear accelerators producing photon beams. From the output of the Monte Carlo simulation, the fluence and spectral distributions of each photon component, as well as the geometrical characteristics of each photon source with respect to its distance to the isocenter and its source distribution, were analyzed. These quantities were used to reproduce realistic photon distributions in treatment fields, and thus to compute dose distributions using the convolution method. Our results showed that compared to the primary photon fluence, the extra-focal photon fluence from the primary collimator and the flattening filter was 11%–16% at the isocenter, among which 70% was contributed by the flattening filter. The variation of extra-focal photons in different treatment fields was predicted accurately by accounting for the finite size of the extra-focal source. Compared to measurements, dose distributions in photon treatment fields, including those of asymmetric jaw settings and at different SSDs were calculated accurately, particularly in the penumbral region, by using the convolution method with the new dual source photon beam model.
The tripole antenna: An adaptive array with full polarization flexibility

The performance of an adaptive array using three mutually perpendicular dipoles (a "tripole") is studied. A desired signal and an interference signal, each with arbitrary angle of arrival and polarization, are assumed incident on the array. Uncorrelated thermal noise is also assumed present on each element signal. The output desired signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) is computed as a function of the signal arrival angles and polarizations. It is shown that for most angles of arrival and polarizations, the array has an excellent ability to protect a desired signal from interference. Certain special cases where the performance is not good are discussed in detail.
Fitting in Matters Markers of In-Group Belonging and Academic Outcomes

Minority boys are at risk of academic disengagement. Prior research documents that an aspect of racial-ethnic identity, in-group connection, can buffer against this risk, but that in-group connection is undermined in high-risk neighborhoods. We examined another way that boys may feel connected to the in-group, by looking like in-group members. We hypothesize that physical markers of in-group membership can serve to improve boys' sense of belongingness, thereby facilitating their engagement in school. We tested our model with low-income, high-risk African American (Study 1, n= 102) and Latino (Study 2, n= 66) teens. Hierarchical regression supported our model; dark skin tone was a protective factor (and light skin tone a risk factor) for African American boys, and feeling that one looks Latino was a protective factor (and feeling that one does not look Latino a risk factor) for Latino boys' grades, in-class behavior, and school engagement. Mediational analyses suggest that markers of belongingness have their impact via peer-group choice.
Integration of root phenes for soil resource acquisition

Suboptimal availability of water and nutrients is a primary limitation to plant growth in terrestrial ecosystems. The acquisition of soil resources by plant roots is therefore an important component of plant fitness and agricultural productivity. Plant root systems comprise a set of phenes, or traits, that interact. Phenes are the units of the plant phenotype, and phene states represent the variation in form and function a particular phene may take. Root phenes can be classified as affecting resource acquisition or utilization, influencing acquisition through exploration or exploitation, and in being metabolically influential or neutral. These classifications determine how one phene will interact with another phene, whether through foraging mechanisms or metabolic economics. Phenes that influence one another through foraging mechanisms are likely to operate within a phene module, a group of interacting phenes, that may be co-selected. Examples of root phene interactions discussed are: (1) root hair length × root hair density, (2) lateral branching × root cortical aerenchyma (RCA), (3) adventitious root number × adventitious root respiration and basal root growth angle (BRGA), (4) nodal root number × RCA, and (5) BRGA × root hair length and density. Progress in the study of phenes and phene interactions will be facilitated by employing simulation modeling and near-isophenic lines that allow the study of specific phenes and phene combinations within a common phenotypic background. Developing a robust understanding of the phenome at the organismal level will require new lines of inquiry into how phenotypic integration influences plant function in diverse environments. A better understanding of how root phenes interact to affect soil resource acquisition will be an important tool in the breeding of crops with superior stress tolerance and reduced dependence on intensive use of inputs.
Muscle Strengthening in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Muscle strengthening as a therapeutic technique for cerebral palsy is controversial. Many therapists have been trained to avoid muscle strengthening in children with cerebral palsy because of the belief that overflow to the antagonist muscle might increase muscle tone or spasticity and therefore increase abnormal movement. Recently some clinicians have become interested in resisted exercise as a treatment for children with cerebral palsy. This review summarizes the few published studies relating to progressive resistive exercise in children and young adults with cerebral palsy. The results of these studies indicate that resistive exercise increased strength in individuals with mild cerebral palsy and none of the studies showed any deleterious effects on level of spasticity or range of motion. Some studies showing that strength measurement instruments can be reliable under certain conditions are also reviewed.