cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of iodine water purification tablets against Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts

The ability to control water-borne diseases is critical for soldiers, hikers, and others who may need to drink directly from an outdoor source. Water-borne protozoan parasites that are specifically of concern are Giardia and Cryptosporidium because of their resistance to halogen disinfection. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of iodine tablets against Giardia and Cryptosporidium under general- and worst-case water conditions that might be found in the field. Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts were exposed to iodine according to manufacturer's instructions (two tablets/L = 13–18 mg/L for 20 minutes). This dose inactivated 3-log 10 of Giardia in general-case water and pH 9. In worst-case water, however, only about 35% of cysts were inactivated at pH 5. Fifty minutes were required to achieve a 3-log 10 reduction at pH 5. Cryptosporidium oocysts were more difficult to inactivate. Only 10% were inactivated after a 20-minute exposure to iodine according to manufacturer's instructions; even after 240 minutes of exposure to iodine only 66–81% oocysts were inactivated. These data strongly suggest that iodine disinfection is not effective in inactivating Cryptosporidium oocysts in water. Because this organism is common in all surface waters, it is recommended that another method of treatment be used before ingestion.
Separation-free amperometric enzyme immunoassay

A new technique for conducting a separation-free amperometric enzyme immunoassay is described using DNP-aminocaproic acid as the analyte. The technique is based on the combined use of a recently described separation-free enzyme immunoassay (19) and an electrode system that senses H2O2. Oxidation of glucose to gluconate and H2O2 by the enzyme reconstituted from DNP-conjugate apoglucose oxidase (DPN-CAGO) and FAD was continuously measured amperometrically. The reconstitution was inhibited by preincubation with anti-DNP antibody before adding FAD. This antibody-induced inhibition of the reconstituting of the holoenzyme was reversed by adding DNP-amino caproic acid to DNP-CAGO before adding the antibody to DNP-CAGO. Based on (a) the antibody-induced inhibition of holoenzyme reconstitution, (b) a specific ligand-induced reversal of the inhibition, and (c) an electrochemical system that measures H2O2, we developed a separation-free (homogeneous) amperometric enzyme immunoassay.
Bivariate Linkage Study of Proximal Hip Geometry and Body Size Indices: The Framingham Study

Femoral geometry and body size are both characterized by substantial heritability. The purpose of this study was to discern whether hip geometry and body size (height and body mass index, BMI) share quantitative trait loci (QTL). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometric scans of the proximal femur from 1,473 members in 323 pedigrees (ages 31-96 years) from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study were studied. We measured femoral neck length, neck-shaft angle, subperiosteal width (outer diameter), cross-sectional bone area, and section modulus, at the narrowest section of the femoral neck (NN), intertrochanteric (IT), and femoral shaft (S) regions. In variance component analyses, genetic correlations (rho ( G )) between hip geometry traits and height ranged 0.30-0.59 and between hip geometry and BMI ranged 0.11-0.47. In a genomewide linkage scan with 636 markers, we obtained nominally suggestive linkages (bivariate LOD scores > or =1.9) for geometric traits and either height or BMI at several chromosomes (4, 6, 9, 15, and 21). Two loci, on chr. 2 (80 cM, BMI/shaft section modulus) and chr. X (height/shaft outer diameter), yielded bivariate LOD scores > or =3.0; although these loci were linked in univariate analyses with a geometric trait, neither was linked with either height or BMI. In conclusion, substantial genetic correlations were found between the femoral geometric traits, height and BMI. Linkage signals from bivariate linkage analyses of bone geometric indices and body size were similar to those obtained in univariate linkage analyses of femoral geometric traits, suggesting that most of the detected QTL primarily influence geometry of the hip.
An electromagnetic calorimeter for the small angle regions of the collider detector at Fermilab

Abstract Two large electromagnetic calorimeters have been built for the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF). These have been designed for use in the small angle regions in both the proton and the antiproton beam directions. Each calorimeter consists of 30 sampling layers of proportional tube chambers with cathode pad readout separated by lead sheets for a total thickness of 25.5 radiation lengths. Each proportional tube chamber is constructed using a novel technique in which the insulating side of the cathode pad board is bonded to the proportional tube walls using resistive epoxy. The measured energy response of the calorimeter is linear up to 160 GeV, and the measured energy resolution, σ E E , is approximately 25% √E + 0.5% . The position resolution for single electrons varies between 1 and 4 mm depending on location in the calorimeter. The calorimeter offers good e π discrimination, where typically the pion misidentification probability ƒ π → e for an electron identification efficiency ϵ90%.
Verification of USDA Home-Canning Recommendations for Tomatoes Processed at High Altitudes

Survivability of spoilage bacteria in tomatoes home-preserved at high altitude was studied. Thermal-processing followed USDA guidelines for two elevations (1540m and 2150m) and two process methods (boiling water-bath and pressure). Three treatments of Bacillus coagulans spores (no added spores, 104 and 105 spores/jar) were used. Processing method, elevation or inoculum level had no effect on post-processing count (P> 0.05), but over all treatment groups, surviving bacteria were found in 19.4% of the jars. Even though tomatoes processed up to 2150 m elevation were verified as safe, detectable surviving bacteria in some jars indicated processing guidelines were minimal.
Tchebychev acceleration technique for large scale nonsymmetric matrices

The acceleration by Tchebychev iteration for solving nonsymmetric eigenvalue problems is dicussed. A simple algorithm is derived to obtain the optimal ellipse which passes through two eigenvalues in a complex plane relative to a reference complex eigenvalue. New criteria are established to identify the optimal ellipse of the eigenspectrum. The algorithm is fast, reliable and does not require a search for all possible ellipses which enclose the spectrum. The procedure is applicable to nonsymmetric linear systems as well.
Blockage of chloride channels and anion transporters with pesticidal natural products and their synthetic analogs

Ligand-gated chloride channels mediate a variety of functions in excitable membranes of nerve and muscle in insects, and have a long history as targets for neurotoxic insecticides. Recent findings from our laboratory confirm that the natural product silphinenes and their semi-synthetic analogs share a mode of action with the established ligand-gated chloride channel antagonist, picrotoxinin. The silphinenes are non-selective, being roughly equipotent on insect and mammalian receptors, but also possess lethal and neurotoxic effects on a dieldrin-resistant strain of Drosophila melanogaster. These findings suggest that silphinenes act on insect GABA receptors in a way that is different from picrotoxinin, and it is possible that resistant insect populations in the field could be controlled with insecticidal compounds derived from the silphinenes. Voltage-gated chloride channels and anion transporters provide additional classes of validated targets for insecticidal/nematicidal action. Anion transporter blockers are toxic to insects via an action on the gut, and RNAi studies implicate voltage-gated chloride channels in nematode muscle as another possible target. There was no cross resistance to DIDS in a dieldrin-resistant strain of Drosophilamelanogaster, and no evidence for neurotoxicity. The potent paralytic actions of anion transporter blockers against nematodes, and stomach poisoning activity against lepidopteran larvae suggests they are worthy of further investigation as commercial insecticidal/nematicidal agents.
A finite element method for computing sound propagation in ducts

Abstract In this paper, solutions of the equations which describe sound propagation in nonuniform ducts are computed with a finite element approach. A least squares approach is considered and compared to a Galerkin approach. The least squares problem is solved using an iterative method and compared with results obtained using direct Gaussian elimination. The accuracy of linear basis functions on triangles, bilinear basis functions on rectangles, and biquadratic basis functions on rectangles are compared. For the nonuniform ducts, the use of quadrilaterals as elements and an isoparametric map are considered. The biquadratics permit good approximation of curved boundaries and better convergence than the bilinear basis functions. Consequently, the finite element solution space consists of piecewise biquadratics defined on the finite element discretization of the geometry of the duct. Acoustic fields within uniform ducts both with and without flow have been computed and compare well with modal solutions and finite difference solutions. For nonuniform ducts without flow, the computed acoustic fields also compare well with exact or other computed solutions.
Organic compounds in meteorites—II Aromatic hydrocarbons

Presence of aromatic hydrocarbons in meteorites using chromatographic separation techniques
Rapid quantitation of neutrophil chemotaxis: Use of a polyvinylpyrrolidone-free polycarbonate membrane in a multiwell assembly

A neutrophil chemotaxis assay was developd which permits rapid, quantitative assessment of migration across a membrane filter. The critical factor in the assay was the use of a 10 microns thick polycarbonate membrane without the usual polyvinylpyrrolidone coating. Migrated neutrophils remain adherent to the uncoated membrane, whereas 20-50% fall off polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated membranes. A major advantage of the method is that neutrophil chemotaxis can be readily quantified, since the migrated cells adhere to the membrane surface and are in one optical plane for counting. A 25 mm x 80 mm membrane sheet was used in a 48-well micro chemotaxis assembly, which requires only 20,000 neutrophils and 25 microliters of attractant per assay well. Neutrophil chemotaxis was complete within 10-20 min at 37 degrees C, with 20-30% of the cells migrating to N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine and 40-50% migrating to complement derived C5a.
The Historical Function of Art and Morality in Quevedo's Buscón

The hybrid title of this paper is based on two presuppositions: specifically, Quevedo's language—the Buscoris so-called literary ‘art’—was in its time read as an imaginary representation of social ...
Spring soil moisture‐precipitation feedback in the Southern Great Plains: How is it related to large‐scale atmospheric conditions?

The Southern Great Plains (SGP) has been shown as a region of significant soil moisture-precipitation (S-P) coupling. However, how strong evapotranspiration (ET) can affect regional precipitation remains largely unclear, impeding a full grasp of the S-P feedback in that area. The current study seeks to unravel, in a spring month (April), the potential role played by large-scale atmospheric conditions in shaping S (ET)-P feedback. Our regional climate modeling experiments demonstrate that the presence of anomalous low (high) pressure and cyclonic (anticyclonic) flows at the upper/middle troposphere over the relevant areas is associated with strongest (minimum) positive S-P feedback in the SGP. Their impacts are interpreted in terms of large-scale atmospheric dynamical disturbance, including the intensity and location of synoptic eddies. Further analyses of the vertical velocity fields corroborate these interpretations. In addition, the relationship between lower tropospheric moisture conditions (including winds) and feedback composites is evaluated.
The Divine Feminine in Geometric Consciousness

Plato spoke of geometry as an extremely rare natural gift of consciousness, but also as a mode of perception accessible to anyone initiated into the tradition by a master. Such teachers were the shamans of his day, and it was these individuals who convened the mystery schools and sponsored initiations into the esoteric philosophies of geomancy that have grown from their vision. Though the history of women in ancient mystery traditions is largely lost to us, Greek mythology holds that our human capacity for geometric vision is a gift of the divine feminine—energetic sources of wisdom conceptualized as a lineage of goddesses. Born from primal Chaos is Gaia, from whose name comes "geometry"—geo (earth) + metr (measure, mother). She gives birth to Mnemosyne, goddess of Memory, from whose name comes "mnemonic." The daughters of Mnemosyne are the Muses—the arts and sciences. Memory is the legacy of the sacred Earth, and the arts enable humans to actively remember. The essence of this divine feminine lineage is sustainability of sacred place (Chora) through enduring values of order, proportion, a universal aesthetic, and connectivity. In this essay, I explore the ways in which I learned to embrace myself as a physical and spiritual geomantic consciousness and how I have used geometric vision as an interdisciplinary teaching and learning process.
Automatic generation of customized, model based information systems for operations management

Abstract : The paper discusses the need for developing a customized, model based system to support management decision making in the field of operations management. It provides a critique of the current approaches available, formulates a framework to classify logistics decisions, and suggests an approach for the automatic development of logistics systems. (Author)
Pension market failure in Chile: foundations, analysis and policy reforms

This article takes issue with the increasingly influential argument that the privatisation of pensions can be made to serve the public interest, defined in terms of collectivist values. Focusing on Chile, it shows how privatisation has been informed by the anti-collectivist values of neoliberal political economy. Compared with the previous publicly administered retirement system, Chile's distinctive combination of defined contribution individual accounts, and a means-tested retirement income safety-net, has generated a range of sub-optimal outcomes. The salience of path-dependency means that subsequent reforms have, in all essentials, preserved this anti-collectivist approach to retirement income protection.
Coherence effects in ring laser gyros

We show that the dynamics of photons in a ring laser gyro are adequately represented by the damped Rabi problem, and thus demonstrate a variety of photonic coherence phenomena analogous to those that occur in atoms. We discuss methods to circumvent the deleterious consequences and exploit the advantageous consequences of these effects. Specifically, we discuss the use of short pulses for the elimination of the gyro dead-band, the use of the dead-band locking frequency for the hypersensitive measurement of scattering and absorption, and the incorporation of fast and slow light media into the cavity for the enhancement of the gyro response.
Transient response of three layered composites with two interface cracks due to a line load

The dynamic response of three layered composites, with two interface cracks, subjected to an antiplane line load is analyzed. The Green's function for the uncreacked medium is used along with the representation theorem to derive the scattered field. Satisfaction of the traction free condition at the crack surfaces gives rise to a system of singular integral equations for determining crack opening displacements (COD), which are then solved by expanding the unknown COD in a complete set of Chebyshev polynomials. Numerical results for two sample problems are presented, for both isotropic and anisotropic materials. Results show how significantly material anisotropy and interaction between two cracks can affect the COD in a three layered plate.
High resolution observations of linear polarization of the 6818.8 Å feature of methane for Uranus and Saturn

Observations of the linear polarization in the fully resolved 6818.8 A feature of CH4 in Saturn and Uranus show dramatic changes of linear polarization across the line profile. The change in position angle of polarization across the line core, especially for Saturn, indicates a likely Rayleigh scattering origin for the observed polarization.
Laser Redundancy: Past, Present, And Future

The evolution of laser implemented redundancy, or simply "laser redundancy", as a production process used to improve semiconductor manufacturing yields, is described. Increasingly demanding process requirements and associated implications for laser equipment are identified. Finally, laser redundancy appears to be just the first of many applications where the laser will be used to modify semiconductor circuits.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
MonoMAC Syndrome in a Patient With a GATA2 Mutation: Case Report and Review of the Literature

We report a case of MonoMAC syndrome in a patient with a GATA2 mutation and discuss the manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of this novel immunodeficiency disorder.
Color images with the MIT holographic video display

The MIT holographic video display can be converted to color by illuminating the 3 acoustic channels of the acousto-optic modulator (AOM) with laser light corresponding to the red, green, and blue parts of the visible spectrum. The wavelengths selected are 633 nm (red), 532 nm (green), and 442 nm (blue). Since the AOM is operated in the Bragg regime, each wavelength is diffracted over a different angular range, resulting in a final image in which the three color primaries do not overlap. This situation can be corrected by shifting the diffracted spatial frequencies with an holographic optical element (HOE). This HOE consisting of a single grating is placed right after the AOM in the optical setup. Calculation of the required spatial frequency for the HOE must take into account the optical activity of the TeO2 crystal used in the AOM. The HOE introduces distortions in the final image, but these are so small as to be visually negligible. The final images are of a good quality and exhibit excellent color registration. The horizontal view zone, however, diminishes for the shorter wavelengths.
Urinary side effects and complications after permanent prostate brachytherapy: the MD Anderson Cancer Center experience.

Objectives To evaluate acute and long-term urinary morbidity after permanent prostate brachytherapy at a single tertiary care center. To minimize the risk of long-term urinary morbidity, it is important for clinicians to be able to distinguish acute urinary side effects after prostate brachytherapy from longer-term treatment-related urinary complications. Methods The medical records of 351 consecutive patients who underwent prostate brachytherapy at the MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1998 and 2006 were analyzed. To evaluate the short-term urinary side effects, the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite questionnaire was administered at baseline and at 1, 4, 8, and 12 months. Long-term urinary complications were scored using a modified Radiation Therapy Oncology Group scale. Results All 4 urinary subdomain scores evaluating acute urinary side effects after treatment (bother, function, incontinence, and irritation or obstruction) had returned to baseline levels by 8 months after implantation. At 5 years, the cumulative risks of late urinary complications by grade were 8.6% for grade 1 complications, 6.5% for grade 2, 1.7% for grade 3%, and 0.5% for grade 4. The most common grade 2 late urinary complications were urethral stricture (4 patients), incontinence requiring daily pads (3 patients), and intermittent hematuria (3 patients). Grade 3 complications were urinary retention requiring self-catheterization (2 patients) and severe frequency with dysuria (2 patients). The only grade 4 event was severe hemorrhagic cystitis. Conclusions Short-term urinary side effects after prostate brachytherapy are common, follow a predictable course, and typically resolve within 1 year. Conservative management of short-term urinary side effects is recommended to minimize the risk of long-term urinary complications.
Laparoscopic Transureteroureterostomy: A Novel Approach

Purpose: We describe the feasibility and short-term results of laparoscopic transureteroureterostomy in children.Materials and Methods: We performed transperitoneal laparoscopic transureteroureterostomy with a 4-trocar technique in 3 children with a mean age of 63 months (range 18 to 105). Diagnoses were unilateral ureteral obstruction after cross-trigonal reimplantation for vesicoureteral reflux (1 patient), unilateral refluxing megaureter (1) and ureteral injury after bladder diverticulectomy (1). Cystoscopy, retrograde pyelogram and stent placement in the recipient ureter were performed at the beginning of each case. The anastomoses were carried out with running 6-zero reabsorbable sutures at the level of the pelvic bream. An abdominal drain and Foley catheter were left indwelling for 1 to 3 days.Results: All cases were performed successfully. Postoperative course was uneventful except for a transient urinary leak, and patients were discharged home on postoperative day 2 to 4. At a mean followup of 6 m...
The fallout isotope 207Bi in a Delaware salt marsh: a comparison with 210Pb and 137Cs as a geochronological tool

We report the presence of the fallout isotope 207Bi (half-life = 38 years) in salt marsh sediments collected from Wolf Glade Salt Marsh, Lewes, Delaware and evaluate its usefulness as a transient tracer for geochronology. The commonly used geochronological tracers of salt marshes. 210Pb and 137Cs, were also measured to corroborate the results. The average sedimentation rate based on a constant excess 210Pb flux model in three cores (2 plus 1 duplicate) is estimated to be 3.2 ± 0.1 mm/year. Based on 137Cs and 207Bi data and an assumption that the fallout activities of these nuclides peaked during 1963, average rates are 3.5 ± 0.7 and 3.7 ± 0.2 mm/year, respectively. The scatter on the down-core 210Pb activity is relatively large which may be ascribed to variations in the atmospheric deposition rate of 210Pb, core compaction, or sedimentation. The 137Cs is present in sediments older than 50 years and suggests that these sedimentation rates may be compromised by the post-depositional mobility of 137Cs in salt marsh environments. The presence of 207Bi is detected at similar depths in all three cores which is consistent with a pulsed input of this nuclide into the environment from nuclear detonations and a post-depositional immobility. A higher degree of reliability in sedimentation rate estimates may thus be obtained using 207Bi. Based on the measured flux of 207Bi into salt marsh and an assumed inventory ratio of 207Bi137Cs, the total production of 207Bi from nuclear weapon testings is estimated to be on the order of 1015 Bq.
Thin-film Adhesion and Adhesive Failure—A Perspective

A practical definition of "good adhesion" is that the interfacial region (or nearby material) does not fail under service conditions nor at unacceptably low stress levels under test conditions. Adhesion is a macroscopic property that depends on the chemical and mechanical bonding across the interfacial region, the intrinsic stress and stress gradients, and the adhesive failure mode. The failure mode depends on the interfacial structure and the stress to which the interface is subjected. Good adhesion is promoted by: (1) strong bonding across the interfacial region, (2) low stress gradients, either from intrinsic or applied stress, (3) absence of easy fracture modes, and (4) no long-term degradation modes. Adhesion testing must take into account the possible deformation and fracture modes, and a testing program must be devised to test all aspects of adhesion.
Automatic re-coding of reference code into structured and analyzable SoC models

The quality of the input system model has a direct bearing on the effectiveness of the system exploration and synthesis tools. Given a well-structured system model, tools today are effective in generating efficient implementations. However, readily available reference C codes are not conducive for system synthesis as they lack the necessary structure and analyzability needed by the design flow. Usually reference C code is manually converted into a SoC model by applying necessary transformations. The type of transformations depends on the underlying design flow and tools. Proper structural hierarchy is one essential feature needed for architectural exploration. In this paper, we provide automatic C code transformations to encapsulate functions and insert structural hierarchy to create well-structured and analyzable SoC models. Our automatic transformations, combined with interactive application of the designer's knowledge and experience, enable faster creation of structural hierarchy in C models and hence result in significant reduction of the overall design time.
Academic Resilience Among Undocumented Latino Students

This study examined the academic resilience of undocumented immigrant Latino students. It was hypothesized that due to their legal and social marginalization, students who experienced high risk acc...
ATM Phosphorylation of Mdm2 Ser394 Regulates the Amplitude and Duration of the DNA Damage Response in Mice

DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation activates the ATM kinase, which subsequently stabilizes and activates the p53 tumor suppressor protein. Although phosphorylation of p53 by ATM was found previously to modulate p53 levels and transcriptional activities in vivo, it does not appear to be a major regulator of p53 stability. We have utilized mice bearing altered Mdm2 alleles to demonstrate that ATM phosphorylation of Mdm2 serine 394 is required for robust p53 stabilization and activation after DNA damage. In addition, we demonstrate that dephosphorylation of Mdm2 Ser394 regulates attenuation of the p53-mediated response to DNA damage. Therefore, the phosphorylation status of Mdm2 Ser394 governs p53 protein levels and functions in cells undergoing DNA damage.
Apparent Displacement of Moving and Stationary Strobe Flashes

If an observer fixates a stationary object near the flight path of an airplane carrying a strobe flash, then the flash appears to trail behind the image of the airplane. In parallactic motion a strobe flash on a stationary tower appears to lag behind the apparently moving image of the tower. Considering the relationship between the latency and intensity of visual stimuli, those displacements seem paradoxical. If the latency of a bright flash is shorter than the latency of other image elements, then a flash should appear to precede the other elements of a moving image. However, the visual persistence of a stimulus is inversely related to its duration. Thus, the apparent displacement of a flash is due to its longer persistence in relation to the continuously lighted portions of a moving image. Under some conditions, the apparent displacement of a strobe flash may have important practical consequences.
Plastic Deformation Waves and Heat Generated Near the Yield Point of Annealed Aluminum

Experimental data on the propagation of deformation waves and the heat generated during the plastic deformation of annealed aluminum are presented. Particular emphasis is given to the transition from the elastic to the plastic state. Wave propagation data that are consistent with annealed aluminum being mechanically unstable under impact loading are given. Some wave propagation results for specimens made by gluing soft and hard sections together are included.
MUC1 and MUC4: Switching the Emphasis from Large to Small

Summation The MUC1 and MUC4 membrane mucins are each composed of a large alpha (α) and a small beta (β) subunit. The α subunits are fully exposed at the cell surface and contain variable numbers of repeated amino acid sequences that are heavily glycosylated. In contrast, the β subunits are much smaller and are anchored within the cell membrane, with their amino-terminal portions exposed at the cell surface and their carboxy-terminal tails facing the cytosol. Studies over the last several years are challenging the long-held belief that α subunits play the predominant role in cancer by conferring cellular properties that allow tumor cells to evade immune recognition and destruction. Indeed, the β subunits of MUC1 and MUC4 have emerged as oncogenes, as they engage signaling pathways responsible for tumor initiation and progression. Thus, a switch in the emphasis from the large α to the small β subunits offers attractive possibilities for successful clinical application. Such a focus shift is further supporte...
Error-event detection codes for partial response channels

With an annual increase in density of 100% approaching superparamagnetic limits much stronger error control systems are required in read channels for hard drives. A technique is presented for correcting long errors that are the result of highly colored noise typical for modern magnetic heads and media. We introduce a sofic system-based construction of very high rate codes for correcting errors from a given list, and demonstrate a substantial SNR gain when these codes are used in a scheme that combines the error event detection and the list soft decoding.
L’identità italiana in cucina, by Massimo Montanari

L’identita italiana in cucina, by Massimo Montanari, Rome–Bari, Laterza, 2010, vii + 98 pp., €9.00 (paperback), ISBN 978-88-420-9458-6 The fungibility and ubiquity of food in individual or social l...
Microscopic and macroscopic descriptions of electromagnetic-field propagation in nonlinear dispersive and absorbing media

Microscopic and macroscopic descriptions of electromagnetic-field propagation relevant to resonant pumpprobe optical phenomena, such as electromagnetically induced transparency, in quantized many-electron systems are formulated within the framework of a general reduced-density-matrix approach. Time-domain (equation-of-motion) and frequency-domain (resolvent-operator) formulations are developed in a unified and self-consistent manner. A semiclassical perturbation-theory treatment of the electromagnetic interaction is adopted, in which the electromagnetic field is described as a classical field satisfying either the microscopic form or the macroscopic form of the Maxwell equations. However, it is emphasized that a quantized-field approach is essential for a fully self-consistent quantummechanical formulation. Compact Liouville-space operator expressions are obtained for the linear and the general (n'th order) non-linear electromagnetic-response tensors for moving many-electron systems. These expressions can be evaluated for coherent initial electronic excitations and for the full tetradic-matrix form of the Liouville-space selfenergy operator in the Markov (short-memory-time) approximation. Environmental interactions can be treated in terms of the Liouville-space self-energy operator, and the influence of Zeeman coherences on electromagnetic-field propagation can be investigated by including an applied magnetic field together with the electromagnetic field.
A network-centric UAV organization for search and pursuit operations

Techniques for pursuit-evasion games and search missions have been studied widely in the research community in the past few years but most of the emphasis has been laid on the control strategies for these missions. These have been shown to work for small scale missions, but attempts at their application to large scale missions have suffered from the lack of scalability and robustness of these systems. Hence we believe that for large systems implementing these missions, there is a need to lay emphasis on proper network architecture for these systems to make them scalable and robust to failures of the participating entities. In this paper, we talk about our concept of using service networks to execute these missions. We also present a preliminary implementation of our ideas to validate our claims of making the system more scalable and robust.
Through their Eyes: The Work of Foreign Correspondents in the United States

This study, based on a mail survey conducted in early 2000, investigates the professional norms and values, personal backgrounds, daily routines and work-related problems of foreign correspondents ...
Performance of ultra-wideband communications with suboptimal receivers in multipath channels

The performance of a single-user ultra-wideband (UWB) communication system employing binary block-coded pulse-position modulation (PPM) and suboptimal receivers in multipath channels is considered. The receivers examined include a RAKE receiver with various diversity combining schemes and an autocorrelation receiver, which is used in conjunction with transmitted reference (TR) signaling. A general framework is provided for deriving the performance of these receivers in multipath channels corrupted by additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). By employing previous measurements of indoor UWB channels, we obtain numerical results for several cases which illustrate the tradeoff between performance and receiver complexity.
Safety of Intravascular Ultrasound in Nearly 900 Cases

Purpose: Coronary intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) can detect evidence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy with much higher sensitivity than coronary angiography in transplant recipients. However, in randomized trials fewer than a third of patients usually undergo this procedure due to renal dysfunction or perceived risk of the intervention. At a single large transplant center, IVUS has been available since 2006. With increasing familiarity, the application of this technique has grown and now includes patients with significant renal dysfunction. The procedural and renal safety of IVUS is described below. Methods: 892 consecutive IVUS examinations were performed for 354 adult heart transplant recipients from 2006-2013. Cardiac biopsy was performed immediately prior to coronary angiography and IVUS in 65 % of the cases. The Boston Scientific Atlantis Pro SR catheter was utilized in all cases after therapeutic anticoagulation and administration of intracoronary nitroglycerin. Results: The table details the utilization of contrast and the baseline renal function of patients undergoing IVUS examinations. Analysis of baseline serum creatinine across the year categories demonstrated a trend to reduced renal function at the time of IVUS exam (p= 0.06), but a highly significant reduction in contrast dose over time (p< 0.0001). Regardless of time period, there was no significant change in serum creatinine or GFR following IVUS examination. The 90 % quantile and maximum serum creatinines are tabulated below. Even patients with significant renal impairment (creatinine over 1.9 mg/dl) underwent IVUS successfully. There were no complications such as pericardial tamponade, nor any new-onset renal replacement therapy.Conclusion: IVUS can be safely performed in cardiac transplant recipients with a low dose of contrast, at the time of myocardial biopsy, and without significant risk of contrast-induced nephropathy.
Climatic constraints on wintering bird distributions are modified by urbanization and weather.

Summary 1. Ecologists have long been interested in the role of climate in shaping species’ ranges, and in recent years, this relationship has taken on greater significance because of the need for accurate predictions of the effects of climate change on wildlife populations. Bioclimatic relationships, however, are potentially complicated by various environmental factors operating at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Here, we test the hypothesis that climatic constraints on bird distributions are modified by species-specific responses to weather, urbanization and use of supplemental food. 2. Our analyses focused on 18 bird species with data from over 3000 sites across the north-eastern United States and adjacent Canadian provinces. We use hierarchal occupancy modelling to quantify the effects of short-term weather variation and surrounding urbanization on food stress and probabilities of detection, and how these fine-scale changes modify the role that climate has on the distributions of wintering bird populations at regional scales. 3. Examining site occupancy and supplemental food use across the study region, we found that average minimum temperature was an important factor limiting bird distributions, supporting the hypothesis that the occupancy of wintering birds is limited by climatic constraints. We found that 15 of 18 species (83%) were more energetically stressed (had a higher likelihood of visiting a feeder station) as minimum temperature declined from the seasonal average. Because we found these patterns in populations that regularly visit supplemental food sites and were likely not food-limited, we suggest that resource availability is less important than climate in constraining wintering bird distributions. Across a winter season, local within-winter extinction probabilities were lower and colonization probabilities higher at warmer sites supporting the role of climate-mediated range shifts. Importantly, however, these relationships were modified by the degree of urbanization and species’ abilities to persist in human-modified landscapes. 4. Our results suggest that urbanization and behavioural adaptation can modify the role of climate on bird ranges and should be included in future analyses of range shifts because of climate change.
TREE SPECIES CONTROL RATES OF FREE‐LIVING NITROGEN FIXATION IN A TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

Tropical rain forests represent some of the most diverse ecosystems on earth, yet mechanistic links between tree species identity and ecosystem function in these forests remains poorly understood. Here, using free-living nitrogen (N) fixation as a model, we explore the idea that interspecies variation in canopy nutrient concentrations may drive significant local-scale variation in biogeochemical processes. Biological N fixation is the largest "natural" source of newly available N to terrestrial ecosystems, and estimates suggest the highest such inputs occur in tropical ecosystems. While patterns of and controls over N fixation in these systems remain poorly known, the data we do have suggest that chemical differences among tree species canopies could affect free-living N fixation rates. In a diverse lowland rain forest in Costa Rica, we established a series of vertical, canopy-to-soil profiles for six common canopy tree species, and we measured free-living N fixation rates and multiple aspects of chemistry of live canopy leaves, senesced canopy leaves, bulk leaf litter, and soil for eight individuals of each tree species. Free-living N fixation rates varied significantly among tree species for all four components, and independent of species identity, rates of N fixation ranged by orders of magnitude along the vertical profile. Our data suggest that variations in phosphorus (P) concentration drove a significant fraction of the observed species-specific variation in free-living N fixation rates within each layer of the vertical profile. Furthermore, our data suggest significant links between canopy and forest floor nutrient concentrations; canopy P was correlated with bulk leaf litter P below individual tree crowns. Thus, canopy chemistry may affect a suite of ecosystem processes not only within the canopy itself, but at and beneath the forest floor as well.
Guidewire contrast enhancement by a two-stage order statistic filter in X-ray fluoroscopy

As a result of an increased number of applications, X-ray fluoroscopy has become one of major sources of diagnostic X-ray dose to patients and staff. It is important to lower X-ray dose while maintaining or improving image quality. A two-stage order statistic filter has been proposed. The first part of the filter is designed to detect the orientation of the guidewire and to reduce the image noise. The second part of the filter is to implement a non-linear discriminator to obtain an optimal output from the outputs generated by the oriented filters used in the first stage. We apply the filter to the X-ray synthetic fluoroscopy image sequences with and without clinical backgrounds. A human observer model is applied to quantitatively assess detection performance of guidewire in unfiltered and filtered image sequences. Our experiment has shown that the filter has effectively improved guidewire visibility in the image sequences.
Design and Implementation of a Minuscule General Purpose Processor in an Undergraduate Computer Architecture Course

This paper describes a project for an introductory computer architecture class. The project involves designing and implementing a "miniscule" processor that can run programs within certain boundaries. In this paper, we describe the goals of the project, the process, and the challenges faced by students in successfully completing the project.
Predicted binding site information improves model ranking in protein docking using experimental and computer-generated target structures.

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) mediate the vast majority of biological processes, therefore, significant efforts have been directed to investigate PPIs to fully comprehend cellular functions. Predicting complex structures is critical to reveal molecular mechanisms by which proteins operate. Despite recent advances in the development of new methods to model macromolecular assemblies, most current methodologies are designed to work with experimentally determined protein structures. However, because only computer-generated models are available for a large number of proteins in a given genome, computational tools should tolerate structural inaccuracies in order to perform the genome-wide modeling of PPIs. To address this problem, we developed eRankPPI, an algorithm for the identification of near-native conformations generated by protein docking using experimental structures as well as protein models. The scoring function implemented in eRankPPI employs multiple features including interface probability estimates calculated by eFindSitePPI and a novel contact-based symmetry score. In comparative benchmarks using representative datasets of homo- and hetero-complexes, we show that eRankPPI consistently outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms improving the success rate by ~10 %. eRankPPI was designed to bridge the gap between the volume of sequence data, the evidence of binary interactions, and the atomic details of pharmacologically relevant protein complexes. Tolerating structure imperfections in computer-generated models opens up a possibility to conduct the exhaustive structure-based reconstruction of PPI networks across proteomes. The methods and datasets used in this study are available at www.brylinski.org/erankppi .
Residual Stresses and Tubular Compression Members

A computer study of concentrically loaded tubes shows that the strength reduction reaches 40% when the residual stress in the corner is at the compressive yield point of the elastic-plastic material. For members loaded with an eccentric axial force causing bending about the strong axis, the effect of residual stresses decreases as the eccentricity increases. Hence strength reductions of up to 40% are again possible for small eccentricities. The ratios of width or thickness to depth of the section have negligible influence on the magnitude of the residual stress effect. The residual stress pattern also influences the strength reduction when eccentrically loaded columns are free to buckle about the weak axis. This effect is most pronounced in narrow sections and increases as the load eccentricity increases. The classic interaction equation can be quite conservative in predicting unbraced beam column strengths when corners have a high residual tension.
Primary genitourinary melanoma: Epidemiology and disease-specific survival in a large population-based cohort

Abstract Background Primary genitourinary (GU) melanoma is a rare disease, which is poorly characterized. Objective To examine clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of primary GU melanoma among men and women. Design, setting, and participants Retrospective study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1973–2010) was used to identify primary GU melanoma cases by tumor site and histology codes. We examined associations of GU melanoma with demographic, clinical, and pathologic characteristics, as well as disease-specific survival (DSS). Outcome measurements and statistical analysis DSS was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox-proportional hazard models were used to calculate hazard ratios and 95% CI for factors associated with worse DSS. Results and limitations A total of 1,586 histologically confirmed cases of primary GU melanoma were identified with a median age of 66.1 years (IQR: 55–80). Incidence of primary GU melanoma was 0.2 cases/million among men and 1.80 cases/million among women. Overall, 60.1% of patients had localized disease at presentation and 90.5% of patients had cancer-directed surgery. Patients with urothelial melanoma had the worst 5- and 10-year DSS (39% and 29%, respectively). Women with vulvar/vaginal melanoma had worse 5- and 10-year DSS compared to men with penile/scrotal melanoma. In multivariate analysis, decreased survival was associated with increasing age, distant stage, and lymph node involvement. Results are limited by the lack of standardized staging for primary GU melanoma and the retrospective design of our study. Conclusions Patients with primary GU melanoma present with advanced stage and have a poor prognosis. Women have worse DSS compared to men. DSS is negatively associated with advanced age at diagnosis, higher stage, and lymph node involvement. Patient summary Clinicians and patients must be aware of the poor disease-specific outcomes associated with primary GU melanoma. Most importantly, women fare worse than men and mucosal melanomas have worse outcomes compared to cutaneous melanomas.