cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maurice Jaswon and boundary element methods

Abstract In the direct boundary integral equation method, boundary-value problems are reduced to integral equations by an application of Green's theorem to the unknown function and a fundamental solution (Green's function). Discretization of the integral equation then leads to a boundary element method. This approach was pioneered by Jaswon and his students in the early 1960s. Jaswon's work is reviewed together with his influence on later workers.
Coherent Fourier imaging optical system for liquid bridge experiments

An imaging optical system has been developed in order to undertake an experimental investigation of the importance of contact line and angle dynamics on the characteristics of dynamic liquid bridges. Liquid bridges, or captive drops, are fluid structures that occupy part of the gap between two or more solid supports. Experiments are performed in a neutral buoyancy tank. The optical system is a coherent high-magnification system which uses a high-pass spatial frequency filter to pass only the edges of the liquid bridge silhouette. System hardware design and realization, with special emphasis on alignment methods and aberrations present, will be shown. Sample experimental results will be shown as well. Potential methods for vibration mode recognition will be discussed.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
1121 nm resonator properties and impact on the design of a 1178 nm sodium guidestar laser

A dual seeded (pump at 1069 nm and second Stokes at 1178 nm) Raman laser system involving amplification of the second Stokes in a Raman resonator having high reflector Bragg gratings tuned to the first Stokes at 1121 nm is proposed. This system has the potential of generating 50 W of output power at 1178 nm. Because the laser is seeded with the desired output wavelength (second Stokes), outputs having narrow or broad linewidths can be achieved. Highly efficient Raman conversion is achieved in a short Raman fiber (< 20 m) due to high 1121 nm circulating power levels in the Raman resonator. Stimulated Brillouin Scattering, the 1121 nm circulating power level, and the effects of modal instability are constraints on the design of a narrow linewidth system. Length of the resonator cavity, power level of the 1069 nm pump, and power level of the 1178 nm seed are parameters that can be adjusted to optimize the design. Usage of germanosilicate fiber improves the performance of the system. Finally, because of the low power level of available 1178 nm seeds, a two stage system (low and high power stages) is necessary to achieve 50 W of 1178 nm output power.
Time series properties of aggregate output fluctuations

Abstract The last decade has seen an explosion in research on the unit root component of output, producing contradictory conclusions as to the magnitude of output persistence. This divergence of opinion stems from the examination of different aspects of the first differences of output in order to detect deviations from white noise. This paper explores the time series properties of aggregate U.S. output in order to see whether the data are well described as a random walk with drift. Our testing methodology examines the shape of the spectral distribution function and thereby captures all second moment implications of the null. Our results indicate that there is little statistically significant evidence of mean reversion in output.
Development of CHARMM polarizable force field for nucleic acid bases based on the classical Drude oscillator model.

A polarizable force field for nucleic acid bases based on the classical Drude oscillator model is presented. Parameter optimization was performed to reproduce crystallographic geometries, crystal unit cell parameters, heats of sublimation, vibrational frequencies and assignments, dipole moments, molecular polarizabilities and quantum mechanical base-base and base-water interaction energies. The training and validation data included crystals of unsubstituted and alkyl-substituted adenine, guanine, cytosine, uracil, and thymine bases, hydrated crystals, and hydrogen bonded base pairs. Across all compounds, the RMSD in the calculated heats of sublimation is 4.1%. This equates to an improvement of more than 2.5 kcal/mol in accuracy compared to the non-polarizable CHARMM27 force field. However, the level of agreement with experimental molecular volume decreased from 1.7% to 2.1% upon moving from the non-polarizable to the polarizable model. The representation of dipole moments is significantly improved with the Drude polarizable force field. Unlike in additive force fields, there is no requirement for the gas-phase dipole moments to be overestimated, illustrating the ability of the Drude polarizable force field to treat accurately differently dielectric environments and indicating the improvements in the electrostatic model. Validation of the model was performed based on the calculation of the gas phase binding enthalpies of base pairs obtained via potential of mean force calculations; the additive and polarizable models both performed satisfactorily with average differences of 0.2 and 0.9 kcal/mol, respectively, and RMS differences of 1.3 and 1.7 kcal/mol, respectively. Overall, considering the number of significant improvements versus the additive CHARMM force field, the incorporation of explicit polarizability into the force field for nucleic acid bases represents an additional step toward accurate computational modeling of biological systems.
Tick bites and skin rashes.

Purpose of reviewFever and a rash following a tick bite can signify a true medical emergency. Ticks are important vectors of disease worldwide, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, and Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever. This paper will review the major ticks of medical importance and
Flows of dilute polymer solutions through packed porous chromatographic columns

We have found that diffusion of polystyrene into the micropores of packed porous chromatographic columns of a type used for size separations of macromolecules is strongly influenced by the flow rate of the polymer solution through the column and also by the macromolecular size and internal pore size of the column packing. Dilute polymer solutions (0.05 wt.% polystyrene in THF) were pumped continously through the columns (Dupont SEC). Step changes in flow rate were made and the polymer concentration in the column effluent was monitored continuously. When the flow rate was increased, the partition coefficient for polymer between mobile and stationary phase shifted toward more polymer retention in the column, as evidenced by the drop in outlet concentration for several minutes following the step change. Molecular weight, pore size and solvent effects have all been thoroughly investigated. The conclusion is that polymer molecules diffuse into the internal pores of the column packing at a flow ratedependent rate and moreover, they do so to a greater extent the larger the polymer molecule, provided they are not sterically excluded from the pores. This dynamic diffusional partitioning is clearly important in its effect on resolution characteristics of an SEC column and also sheds some light on qualitatively similar observations in polymer flooding for enhanced oil recovery.
Estimating and Testing Treatment Effects on Two Binary Endpoints and Association Between Endpoints in Clinical Trials

ABSTRACT Often, two or more binary endpoints are used to assess the impact of a new treatment in a randomized phase III clinical trial. In this article, we focus on two binary endpoints. In assessing treatment effects, we are interested in positive treatment effects on the endpoints, and a positive correlation between the two endpoints, i.e., we expect to see positive treatment effects on the same patient. Four estimation methods are reviewed and contrasted for this problem: weighted least squares (WLS), generalized estimating equations (GEE), maximum likelihood (ML), and Mantel-Haenszel (MH) type estimator. In order to test the efficacy of the new treatment, four testing strategies are proposed: a global test and three multi-stage tests. Simulation studies are conducted to study the performances of the four estimation methods and the four testing strategies. Different combinations of significance levels for multi-stage tests are also evaluated. Empirical test size, test power, and estimation precision (i...
Collisional quenching of excited iodine atoms I(5p52P1/2) BY I2

Abstract The rate of collisional quenching of I(5p52P1/2) by I2 has been determined using time-resolved atomic absorption spectroscopy following tunable laser photolysis of molecular iodine as (3.6 ± 0.3) × 10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. Discrepancies between this and earlier results are discussed.
Pseudoscalar mixing effects on hadronic and photonic decays of the new mesons

The mixing of eta, eta', and eta/sub c/ is calculated in a cylinder dominated model and the results are applied to the hadronic decay psi' ..-->.. psi eta and a number of photonic decays, using vector meson dominance. The results are in excellent agreement with all experimental data.
Nitric oxide-mediated suppression of detrusor overactivity by arginase inhibitor in rats with chronic spinal cord injury.

Objectives We investigated the effects of an arginase inhibitor on bladder overactivity and measured bladder arginase I and II mRNA levels in rats with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods We performed awake cystometrograms 3 to 4 weeks after spinal cord transection in female rats. Cystometric parameters such as mean amplitudes and number of non-voiding contractions (NVCs), voided volume, voiding efficiency, and micturition pressure were evaluated before and after intravenous (IV) injection of an arginase inhibitor (nor-NOHA: N ω -hydroxy-nor-L-arginine) in SCI rats. We also examined the effects of an NOS inhibitor (L-NAME: N ω -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride) to determine whether suppression of bladder overactivity by arginase inhibition is mediated by increased production of NO. In addition, we measured mRNA levels of arginase I and II in SCI bladders using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results We found that nor-NOHA (10 mg/kg, IV) significantly decreased the amplitude and number of NVCs. There were no significant changes in other parameters before and after administration of vehicle or nor-NOHA at any dose. When we administered L-NAME (20 mg/kg, IV) before nor-NOHA injection (10 mg/kg, IV), nor-NOHA–induced inhibition of NVCs was prevented. The relative levels of both arginase I and II mRNA in the bladder were significantly higher in SCI rats compared with spinal cord–intact rats. Conclusions These results suggest that arginase inhibition can suppress SCI-induced bladder overactivity as indicated by a reduction in NVCs. Thus, arginase inhibition could be an effective treatment for neurogenic bladder overactivity in pathological conditions such as SCI.
Nucleation and growth in the reaction of titanium with germanium and some silicon-germanium alloys

Abstract Titanium reacts with pure Ge in two different ways. At low temperatures one observes the formation of Ti6Ge5 with some characteristics typical of diffusion-controlled reaction. Upon completion of this first stage Ti6Ge5 reacts with remaining Ge to form TiGe2, isomorphous with C54 TiSi2, in a process which is clearly controlled by nucleation. The same observations apply to reactions with an alloy containing 25 at% Si. With an alloy containing 50 at% Si the two stages become merged, so that while remaining identifiable, they are much less distinct than with the previous conditions. In the case of the 50-50 alloy, careful comparison of data obtained by backscattering, X-ray diffraction and resistance measurements reveals that in the formation of the mixed disilicide solid solution the formation of the C54 structure is preceded by that of the C49 structure as with pure Si. The reaction behavior observed with an alloy containing 80 at% Si resembles that generally obtained with pure Si: there are no easily identifiable steps between the initial SiTi sample and the final one, SiTiSi2. The gradual merging of the diffusion-controlled reaction and that controlled by nucleation as the concentration of Si in the substrate increases implies that nucleation plays a significant role in the formation of TiSi2, even if that role cannot be easily isolated. Values of the resistivity for both Ti6Ge5 and TiGe2 were obtained.
Biological effects of long-duration, high-field (4 T) MRI on growth and development in the mouse.

The effects of long-duration, high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on fetal growth and postnatal development in mice were studied. Seven experimental groups of pregnant ICR mice were exposed for 9 hours on day 9 and/or day 12 post coitus (pc) to magnetic fields (4 T static, 5 T/sec switched gradient, and 0.2 W/kg radiofrequency at 170 MHz) associated with MRI conditions. Two experimental groups (sham and exposure groups) were exposed to a combination of ultrasound (day 9 pc, 3.25 MHz, focused) and MRI-associated fields (day 12 pc). No statistically significant changes in fetal growth were observed in the animals exposed to only MRI or ultrasound fields. However, in the combined ultrasound and MRI-exposed group, the fetal weight and crown-rump length were reduced compared with the sham and cage controls. These results suggest that MRI and ultrasound exposure well in excess of current clinical conditions can exert biological effects if applied at sensitive stages of fetal development. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2000;12:140‐149. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
CT measurement of suprasellar cistern predicts rate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease

Previous studies reveal significant relationships between some quantitative computed tomography (CT) measures and level of cognitive functioning in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study was designed to determine whether measurements from CT scans of AD patients could predict future rates of decline in cognitive function. Subjects were 8 men and 19 women diagnosed with probable AD. CT measures included bifrontal ratio, bicaudate ratio, and areas of lateral ventricles, third ventricle, and suprasellar cistern (SSC). Measures of cognitive and adaptive functioning were obtained at the time of the scan and on follow-up. Of the CT measures, the SSCR (SSC corrected for intracranial area) was the most highly correlated with Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) score and other cognitive measures at the time of the scan. Follow-up data were obtained for those 20 individuals who were mildly to moderately demented at the time of the scan (MMSE ≥ 10). Rate of change was calculated for each neuropsychological measure. The SSCR correlated significantly with rate of change for MMSE and other measures of cognitive and adaptive functioning. This study demonstrates that CT measurement of the SSC can predict the subsequent rate of neurocognitive decline in AD patients. ( JINS , 1996, 2 , 89–95.)
Evaluation of the enantiomers of 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 1‐octyn‐3‐ol as attractants for mosquitoes associated with a freshwater swamp in Florida, U.S.A.

Field studies were conducted at wooded wetlands in Gainesville, FL, U.S.A., to assess responses of natural populations of adult mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) to American Biophysics MM-X ™ and Coleman MD-2500 ™ traps baited with enantiomers of 1-octen-3-ol, a naturally occurring compound, and 1-octyn-3-ol, a closely related synthetic compound. Overall, the same species of mosquitoes were attracted by all enantiomers, although the (R)-(+) isomer of octenol generally attracted more species, and it is the isomer produced in greatest proportion in nature. Traps baited with the R-enantiomer caught greater numbers of mosquitoes than those baited with the S-enantiomer of each compound, whereas traps baited with S-enantiomers were equally or slightly less attractive than those baited with carbon dioxide only.
The glass state in weak-coupled superconductors

Abstract We review the work of the Ohio State group on the equilibrium and non-equilibrium properties of disordered granular superconductors in a magnetic field, pointing out the connections between the behavior of these materials and that of more conventional spin glasses, and considering briefly the possible connections to the behavior of high-Tc materials in a magnetic field.
Entropy/energy stable schemes for evolutionary dispersal models

In this paper we propose some entropy/energy stable finite difference schemes for the reaction-diffusion-advection equation arising in the evolution of biased dispersal of population dynamics. The peculiar feature of these active dispersal models is that the transient solution converges to the stable steady state when time goes to infinity. For the numerical method to capture the long-time pattern of persistence or extinction, we use the relative entropy when the resource potential is logarithmic, and explore the usual energy for other resource potentials. The present schemes are shown to satisfy three important properties of the continuous model for the population density: (i) positivity preserving, (ii) equilibrium preserving, and (iii) entropy or energy satisfying. These ensure that our schemes provide a satisfying long-time behavior, thus revealing the desired dispersal pattern. Moreover, we present several numerical results which confirm the second-order accuracy for various resource potentials and underline the efficiency to preserve the large time asymptotic.
Current status of psychosomatic training in primary care residencies in the United States

Abstract Psychosomatic medicine is an important interface between psychiatry and primary care. However, what aspects of psychosomatic medicine is taught to medical students and primary care physicians depend on the nature of the program and also in what country it is being taught. In a survey of 1365 primary care training residency program directors in the United States, we found that a majority of internal medicine (IM), family practice (FP), obstetrics and gynecology (OB), and pediatrics programs (Peds) teach the psychosomatic areas of Somatoform Disorders, Psychological Factors Affecting Physical Condition, Physical Illness Affecting Emotions/Behavior, Eating Disorders, Grief/Bereavement, and the Dying Patient. However, a majority of IM, OB, and Peds programs considered their training in all the areas to be inadequate ( p
Cells in Affine Weyl Groups and Tensor Categories

Abstract In this paper we construct a tensor (or monoidal) category for any two-sided cell in a finite or affine Weyl group. The isomorphism classes of simple objects of this category correspond to the elements of the two-sided cell; the tensor product arises by a certain truncation procedure from the standard convolution of perverse sheaves on a flag manifold, which imitates geometrically the definition of the ring J given in G. Lusztig ( J. Algebra 109 , 1987, 536–548). Similarly, we construct, for any left cell, a tensor category in which the isomorphism classes of simple objects correspond to the elements in the left cell intersected with its inverse (a right cell). This contains as a special case the category of equivariant perverse sheaves on an affine grassmannian, which, as a consequence of G. Lusztig ( Asterisque 101 – 102 (1983), 208–209) is a tensor category for convolution (without truncation), closely related to the tensor category of representations of the group dual, in the sense of Langlands, to the group which gives rise to the affine grassmannian. But our construction can be specialized in other ways, and it gives a (conjectural) realization of the tensor category of representations of the reductive quotient of the centralizer of any unipotent element of the Langlands dual group.
Psychotherapy as a moral enterprise

This article addresses the phenomenon of psychotherapy as a moral enterprise by discussing the notion of morality as it relates to the therapeutic task, enumerating ways in which the practices of psychotherapy can confuse a moral sense of things and by offering suggestions as to how psychotherapy can be undertaken as a moral enterprise.
A novel approach to the synthesis of electrostatic lenses with minimized aberrations

A novel approach to the synthesis of axially symmetric electrostatic lenses with minimum aberrations is presented. The method uses computer optimization to determine the electrode potentials of a multielectrode lens. The method can be used for designing lenses for many different applications. As a preliminary result, an example of a lens with very small spherical aberration is given. The synthesis of electrostatic lenses can be accomplished automatically with an experimental setup controlled by an online computer. >
Selective Coronary Angiography in Pediatric Patients

Selective coronary angiography (SCA) is an important diagnostic tool in pediatric cardiology; however, there are few reports on its feasibility and safety in young patients. We reviewed our experience with SCA from July 1, 1993 to December 31, 1997. There were 158 cardiac catheterizations that included SCA in patients whose ages ranged from 2 days to 46 years (median, 5.3 years). The most common indication was surveillance for coronary vasculopathy after heart transplantation. A retrograde approach was used in all patients through the femoral artery (n = 157) or umbilical artery (n = 1). Preformed coronary catheters were used and the Judkins left (JL) and Judkins right (JR) were the most common catheters, with the catheter curve size correlating with patient height (R(2) =.76 for JL, R(2) =. 673 for JR). Complications during SCA included brief ST-T wave changes (11%), bradycardia (2.5%), and ventricular fibrillation (0. 6%). Complications of vascular access were transient pulse loss (6%), hematoma (5%), and rebleeding (0.6%). Only one case of femoral artery occlusion was encountered on subsequent cath. In conclusion, complications of SCA were infrequent and serious complications were rare. SCA can be safely performed in pediatric patients at any age including neonates.
Modeling Concrete Masonry Walls Subjected to Explosive Loads

Concrete masonry unit walls subjected to blast pressure were analyzed with the finite element method, with the goal of developing a computationally efficient and accurate model. Wall behavior can be grouped into three modes of failure, which correspond to three ranges of blast pressures. Computational results were compared to high-speed video images and debris velocities obtained from experimental data. A parametric analysis was conducted to determine the sensitivity of computed results to critical modeling values. It was found that the model has the ability to replicate experimental results with good agreement. However, it was also found that, without knowledge of actual material properties of the specific wall to be modeled, computational results are not reliable predictors of wall behavior.
Sustained blood pressure control with controlled-release isradipine

The efficacy and safety of different doses of a new controlled release formulation of isradipine (isradipine-CR, ICR) were evaluated in patients with mild to moderate (stages 1 and 2) essential hypertension in a placebo-controlled study. Of 402 randomized patients, 384 completed the study (placebo = 77, 5 mg ICR = 76, 10 mg ICR = 76, 15 mg ICR = 78, 20 mg ICR = 77). All doses of ICR decreased the blood pressure and the effect was greater with doses of 10, 15, and 20 mg once daily (P < .001). The most common clinical side effect was mild ankle edema, which was dose dependent, occurring in 35.5% of the patients taking the 20-mg ICR dose. This study showed that ICR is long acting, effective, and well tolerated.
Soil carbon: Microbes, roots and global carbon

Interactions between soil microbes, the physical soil environment and vegetation will determine the magnitude of the terrestrial carbon sink under climate change.
Can't See the Forest for the Trees: State Restoration's Limitations in Post-silicon Trace Signal Selection

State Restoration Ratio (SRR) has been the de facto standard for evaluating quality of signals selected for post-silicon tracing and debug. Given a set S of selected signals, SRR measures the fraction of (gate-level) design states that can be inferred from observing signals in S at each cycle. Unfortunately, in spite of its widespread use, we found that SRR is intrinsically unsuitable as a metric for evaluating trace signal quality, as it captures neither the higher-level functionality of the design nor the constraints and requirements on trace signals imposed by architectural, physical, or security requirements. In this paper, we argue with strong empirical evidence that SRR must be replaced by a metric that closely models high-level behavioral coverage. We propose assertion coverage as a first step in this direction. We also present a new algorithm, based on Pagerank, for post-silicon trace selection. Pagerank is not designed to maximize SRR. We found that Pagerank has upto 70% higher behavioral coverage than SRR optimizing methods, and the RTL PageRank has upto 30% higher behavioral coverage than the netlist PageRank algorithm. Assertion coverage of PageRank RTL is upto 50% while SRR based methods have less than 5% assertion coverage.
VERTICAL PILGRIMAGE AND INTERIOR LANDSCAPE IN THE VISIONARY DIARY OF RŪZBIHĀN BAQL? (D.1209)1

L'article est consacre a la notion de pelerinage dans le soufisme et plus specialement dans l'oeuvre du soufi persan Rūzbihān Baqlī de Shiraz (mort en 1209). Le monde interieur decrit dans cette oeuvre est structure par une imagerie de l'ascension verticale interpretee de facon mystique. L'A. cite un certain nombre de visions de cette oeuvre utilisant une scenographie spatiale exprimant la transcendance.
Response of the maize catalases and superoxide dismutases to cercosporin-containing fungal extracts: the pattern of catalase response in scutella is stage specific

Cercosporin, a photoactivated polyketide toxin produced by fungi of the genus Cercospora, reacts with molecular oxygen to produce oxygen radicals. Using both minus-and plus-cercosporin fungal extracts and purified cercosporin, we have analyzed antioxdant defense gene responses in maize scutella at two stages in development. The three maize catalases (CATH2O2: H2O2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.6) respond differentially to applied cercosporin, and this response varies with developmental stage. Total catalase activity, as well as individual isozyme proteins and their corresponding steady-state levels of RNA changed in parallel in response to applied cercosporin. In contrast, both toal superoxide dismutase (SOD, O2:O2 oxidoreductase; EC 1.15.1.1) activity and individual isozyme protein levels remained constant in all treatments. Sod transcript accumulation, however, changed dramatically. Comparison of the response of these genes to minus- and plus-cercosporin fungal extracts with their response to purified cercosporin demonstrated that other fungal compounds influence the expression of bothSod and Cat.
Marker or mediator? The effects of adolescent substance use on young adult educational attainment

Aims We tested the effects of adolescent substance use on college attendance and completion by young adulthood in the context of the behavioral and familial risk factors that influence substance use.
Energy and water balance of two contrasting loblolly pine plantations on the lower coastal plain of North Carolina, USA

Abstract During 2005–2007, we used the eddy covariance and associated hydrometric methods to construct energy and water budgets along a chronosequence of loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda ) plantations that included a mid-rotation stand (LP) (i.e., 13–15 years old) and a recently established stand on a clearcut site (CC) (i.e., 4–6 years old) in Eastern North Carolina. Our central objective was to quantify the differences in both energy and water balances between the two contrasting stands and understand the underlining mechanisms of environmental controls. We found that the LP site received about 20% more net radiation ( R n ) due to its lower averaged albedo ( α ) of 0.25, compared with that at the CC ( α = 0.34). The mean monthly averaged Bowen ratios ( β ) at the LP site were 0.89 ± 0.7, significantly ( p = 0.02) lower than at the CC site (1.45 ± 1.2). Higher net radiation resulted in a 28% higher ( p = 0.02) latent heat flux (LE) for ecosystem evapotranspiration at the LP site, but there was no difference in sensible heat flux ( H ) between the two contrasting sites. The annual total evapotranspiration (ET) at the LP site and CC site was estimated as 1011–1226 and 755–855 mm year −1 , respectively. The differences in ET rates between the two contrasting sites occurred mostly during the non-growing seasons and/or dry periods, and they were small during peak growing seasons or wet periods. Higher net radiation and biomass in LP were believed to be responsible to the higher ET. The monthly ET/Grass Reference ET ratios differed significantly across site and season. The annual ET/ P ratio for the LP and CC were estimated as 0.70–1.13 and 0.60–0.88, respectively, indicating higher runoff production from the CC site than the LP site. This study implied that reforestation practices reduced surface albedos and thus increased available energy, but they did not necessarily increase energy for warming the atmosphere in the coastal plain region where soil water was generally not limited. This study showed the highly variable response of energy and water balances to forest management due to climatic variability.
Mathematical physics: added dimensions to grain growth.

A long-standing mathematical model for the growth of grains in two dimensions has been generalized to three and higher dimensions. This will aid our practical understanding of certain crucial properties of materials.
Tracking tremor frequency in spike trains using the extended Kalman smoother

Tremor is one of the most disabling symptoms in patients with many movement disorders including Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET). Neural tremor manifests itself as a quasi-periodic fluctuation of the firing rate. We describe a frequency tracking method based on the extended Kalman smoother (EKS) to estimate the instantaneous tremor frequency (ITF) exhibited in binary spike trains detected from neural recordings. Simulation results demonstrate that the EKS frequency tracker can estimate the ITF accurately, even though the signal of interest is not sinusoidal and the noise is not Gaussian. The EKS frequency tracker can obtain a normalized mean squared error (NMSE) as low as 0.1 and performs much better than the conventional approach based on the Hilbert transform
Conditioning, Correlation and Entropy Generation in Maxwell’s Demon

Maxwell’s Demon conspires to use information about the state of a confined molecule in a Szilard engine (randomly frozen into a state subspace by his own actions) to derive work from a single-temperature heat bath. It is widely accepted that, if the Demon can achieve this at all, he can do so without violating the Second Law only because of a counterbalancing price that must be paid to erase information when the Demon’s memory is reset at the end of his operating cycle. In this paper, Maxwell’s Demon is analyzed within a “referential” approach to physical information that defines and quantifies the Demon’s information via correlations between the joint physical state of the confined molecule and that of the Demon’s memory. On this view, which received early emphasis in Fahn’s 1996 classical analysis of Maxwell’s Demon, information is erased not during the memory reset step of the Demon’s cycle, but rather during the expansion step, when these correlations are destroyed. Dissipation and work extraction are analyzed here for a Demon that operates a generalized quantum mechanical Szilard engine embedded in a globally closed composite, which also includes a work reservoir, a heat bath and the remainder of the Demon’s environment. Memory-engine correlations lost during the expansion step, which enable extraction of work from the Demon via operations conditioned on the memory contents, are shown to be dissipative when this decorrelation is achieved unconditionally so no work can be extracted. Fahn’s essential conclusions are upheld in generalized form, and his quantitative results supported via appropriate specialization to the Demon of his classical analysis, all without external appeal to classical thermodynamics, the Second Law, phase space conservation arguments or Landauer’s Principle.
Radiation from Grating Antennas on Dielectric Waveguides of Finite Width

A practical and systematic approach is presented for calculating the radiation properties of dielectric grating antennas of finite width. Such grating antennas, which show great promise for the millimeter-wave range, are placed on dielectric waveguides, such as the rectangular dielectric image line, which are necessarily of finite width. The complications introduced by the finite width are overcome in this approach by employing a new rigorous intermediate solution and an approximation relating to the sides of the antenna. Since the finite width of the antenna influences the scan angle and beam width of the radiation, this approach yields the effects of electronic beam scanning. Furthermore, the finite width introduces TE-TM coupling, which produces significant cross-polarization effects.
New assay for multiple single molecule enzyme kinetics

A population of identical proteins has the same amino acid sequence, but there may be subtle differences in local folding that lead to variations in activity. Single molecule studies allow us to understand these subtle differences. Single molecule experiments are usually time consuming and difficult because only a few molecules are observed in one experiment. To address this problem, we have developed an assay where we can simultaneously measure the activity of multiple individual molecules of a protease, α-chymotrypsin. The assay utilizes a synthetic chymotrypsin substrate that is non-fluorescent before cleavage by chymotrypsin, but is intensely fluorescent after. To study the activity of individual enzymes, the enzyme and substrate are encapsulated in micron-sized droplets of water surrounded by silicone oil. On average, each micro-droplet contains less than one enzyme. The fluorescence of these droplets is recorded over time using a microscope and a CCD camera system. Software tracks individual droplets over time and records fluorescence. The kinetics of individual chymotrypsin molecules is calculated through the increase of fluorescence intensity of the same individual droplet over time. The activity profiles of the individual enzymes and the bulk sample of the enzyme are very similar. This validates the assay and demonstrates that the average of a few individual molecules can be representative of the behavior of the bulk population.
Block-Glide Landslides in the Dakota Group of the Front Range Foothills, Colorado

West and northwest of Fort Collins, Colorado, the upper beds of the Dakota Group are extensively folded; short fold axes roughly parallel the regional strike but are arcuate eastward down the dip. These folds are parts of block-glide landslides, which are probably pre-Wisconsin in age.
Pisiform Excision for Pisotriquetral Instability and Arthritis

Purpose To evaluate wrist strength and kinematics after pisiform excision and preservation of its soft tissue confluence for pisotriquetral instability and arthritis. Methods We evaluated 12 patients, (14 wrists) subjectively and objectively an average of 7.5 years after pisiform excision. Three additional patients were interviewed by phone. Subjective evaluation included inquiry about pain and satisfaction with the treatment. Objective testing included measuring wrist flexion and extension range of motion, grip strength, and static and dynamic flexion and ulnar deviation strengths of the operative hand compared with the nonsurgical normal hand. Four patients had concomitant ulnar nerve decompression at the wrist. Results All patients were satisfied with the outcome. Wrist flexion averaged 99% and wrist extension averaged 95% of the nonsurgical hand. Mean grip strength of the operative hand was 90% of the nonsurgical hand. Mean static flexion strength of the operative hand was 94% of the nonsurgical hand, whereas mean dynamic flexion strength was 113%. Mean static ulnar deviation strength of the operative hand was 87% of the nonsurgical hand. The mean dynamic ulnar deviation strength of the operative hand was 103% of the nonsurgical hand. Conclusions Soft tissue confluence-preserving pisiform excision relieved pain and retained wrist motion and static and dynamic strength. Associated ulnar nerve compression was a confounding factor that may have affected outcomes. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
Foliar and ecosystem respiration in an old‐growth tropical rain forest

Foliar respiration is a major component of ecosystem respiration, yet extrapolations are often uncertain in tropical forests because of indirect estimates of leaf area index (LAI). A portable tower was used to directly measure LAI and night-time foliar respiration from 52 vertical transects throughout an old-growth tropical rain forest in Costa Rica. In this study, we (1) explored the effects of structural, functional and environmental variables on foliar respiration; (2) extrapolated foliar respiration to the ecosystem; and (3) estimated ecosystem respiration. Foliar respiration temperature response was constant within plant functional group, and foliar morphology drove much of the withincanopy variability in respiration and foliar nutrients. Foliar respiration per unit ground area was 3.5 0.2 mmol CO2 m -2 s -1 , and ecosystem respiration was 9.4 0.5 mmol CO2 m -2 s -1 [soil = 41%; foliage = 37%; woody = 14%; coarse woody debris (CWD) = 7%]. When modelled with El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) year temperatures, foliar respiration was 9% greater than when modelled with temperatures from a normal year, which is in the range of carbon sink versus source behaviour for this forest. Our ecosystem respiration estimate from component fluxes was 33% greater than night-time net ecosystem exchange for the same forest, suggesting that studies reporting a large carbon sink for tropical rain forests based solely on eddy flux measurements may be in error.
N4ITK: Improved N3 Bias Correction

A variant of the popular nonparametric nonuniform intensity normalization (N3) algorithm is proposed for bias field correction. Given the superb performance of N3 and its public availability, it has been the subject of several evaluation studies. These studies have demonstrated the importance of certain parameters associated with the B-spline least-squares fitting. We propose the substitution of a recently developed fast and robust B-spline approximation routine and a modified hierarchical optimization scheme for improved bias field correction over the original N3 algorithm. Similar to the N3 algorithm, we also make the source code, testing, and technical documentation of our contribution, which we denote as ?N4ITK,? available to the public through the Insight Toolkit of the National Institutes of Health. Performance assessment is demonstrated using simulated data from the publicly available Brainweb database, hyperpolarized 3He lung image data, and 9.4T postmortem hippocampus data.
The NIH 3D Print Exchange: A Public Resource for Bioscientific and Biomedical 3D Prints.

Abstract The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched the NIH 3D Print Exchange, an online portal for discovering and creating bioscientifically relevant 3D models suitable for 3D printing, to provide both researchers and educators with a trusted source to discover accurate and informative models. There are a number of online resources for 3D prints, but there is a paucity of scientific models, and the expertise required to generate and validate such models remains a barrier. The NIH 3D Print Exchange fills this gap by providing novel, web-based tools that empower users with the ability to create ready-to-print 3D files from molecular structure data, microscopy image stacks, and computed tomography scan data. The NIH 3D Print Exchange facilitates open data sharing in a community-driven environment, and also includes various interactive features, as well as information and tutorials on 3D modeling software. As the first government-sponsored website dedicated to 3D printing, the NIH 3D Print Exchang...
Remanent magnetic fields for measuring particle retention and distribution in the lungs.

A relatively inexpensive method for the noninvasive in vivo detection of ferrimagnetic particles within the lungs of a large laboratory animal, viz., the donkey, is described. The particles were neutron activated prior to inhalation, which permitted a comparison of two different retention measurements for the same particles, i.e., a well-characterized radiological-detection method concurrent with the newer magnetic-field technique. The long-term clearance of the particles from the lung was monitored in terms of the reduction in initial remanent field following magnetization, and the reduction in gamma-ray flux reaching the collimated scintillation detectors. Comparison of the measurements confirmed that the reduction of the initial remanent-field values with time was due to particle clearance rather than a change of the iron state to a nonmagnetic form. This validates previous reports that particle clearance studies can be performed using remanent magnetic-field measurement techniques. However, remanent magnetic-field measurements require careful design and interpretation, since they are highly sensitive to the distribution of the particles within the effective viewing field.
Influence of Cement Kiln Dust on Strength and Stiffness Behavior of Subgrade Clays

A comparative laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the suitability of different percentages of cement kiln dust (CKD) for stabilizing three different types of subgrade clays. Cylindrical specimens were compacted and cured for 28 days in a moist room having a constant temperature and controlled humidity. After curing specimens were tested for unconfined compressive strength (UCS), modulus of elasticity (ME) and resilient modulus (Mr). These properties were compared with those of the raw clay specimens to determine the extent of enhancement. The study revealed that the addition of CKD substantially increased the UCS, ME and Mr values of the clay specimens. In addition, these improvements increased with the increase in the amount of CKD. The extent of improvement, however, was found to be dependent upon the characteristics of the clay such as plasticity index (PI) and silica/sesquioxide ratio (SSR).
A new frame-recompression algorithm and its hardware design for MPEG-2 video decoders

An algorithm and its implementation to recompress video frame data, which is to be stored into external memory, are proposed, thereby enabling reduction of memory requirements and bandwidth. To support random access capability, frames are organized as 1/spl times/8-pixel arrays, which are then compressed into 32-bit segments. The compression ratio is fixed at 50%. For both compression efficiency and low complexity, modified Hadamard transform and Golomb-Rice (GR) coding are utilized. Objective and subjective video quality assessments are performed. Efficient hardware designs including GR encoding/decoding and packing/unpacking are also proposed to reduce the total compression/decompression latency cycles. The proposed hardware designs are suitable for the integration with MPEG-2 decoders thanks to fast operation and simple interface logic.
Sun, wind, rain and the sewer: outward form opportunities in a degraded landscape

The US housing market is infamous on at least two counts: implicated in the global financial crisis and notorious for its unsustainable consumption of resources and consequent discharge of carbon dioxide. Lately anything like good news regarding housing in the USA is scarce. However, the pause resulting from the collapse of the market, and increasing concern regarding building's agency in the environment, combine to provide an opportunity to reconsider the form and performance of housing. This may yet create an opening for design.
Comparative Study on Antibacterial Effect of Pediocin ACCEL and Nisin Against Fluorescencestained Listeria monocytogenes BCRC 14845

sity in stained cells and increase in efflux were observed with the increase in bacteriocin concentrations up to sity in stained cells and increase in efflux were observed with the increase in bacteriocin concentrations up to sity in stained cells and increase in efflux were observed with the increase in bacteriocin concentrations up to sity in stained cells and increase in efflux were observed with the increase in bacteriocin concentrations up to 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 � g/mL. No further decreases in fluorescence intensity and cell numbers were obtained when the concentrag/mL. No further decreases in fluorescence intensity and cell numbers were obtained when the concentrag/mL. No further decreases in fluorescence intensity and cell numbers were obtained when the concentrag/mL. No further decreases in fluorescence intensity and cell numbers were obtained when the concentrag/mL. No further decreases in fluorescence intensity and cell numbers were obtained when the concentration of bacteriocins was over 12.5 tion of bacteriocins was over 12.5 tion of bacteriocins was over 12.5 tion of bacteriocins was over 12.5 tion of bacteriocins was over 12.5�
Disposition of [14C]secalonic acid D in male mice.

Abstract Secalonic acid D is an acutely toxic, teratogenic, and weakly mutagenic mycotoxin, secreted mainly by Penicillium oxalicum in corn. Distribution and excretion of [ 14 C]secalonic acid D were studied in male mice after iv administration of 15 mg/kg. Elimination of [ 14 C]secalonic acid D-derived radioactivity from plasma was biphasic. A rapid phase with a half-life of 24.3 min and a slower phase with a half-life of 20.5 hr were identified. The volume of distribution was equivalent to total body water. Liver, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, and muscle contained major quantities of radioactivity. The concentration of radioactivity in the liver and kidneys exceeded that in plasma at all times beginning 1 hr after administration. Urinary excretion, accounting for 5% of the total radioactivity, was essentially complete by 48 hr after administration. Excretion by the fecal route was predominant with 74% of the administered radioactivity being recovered in the feces by 7 days. High-performance liquid chromatography of bile samples indicated that only 13% of the radioactivity excreted in the bile was accounted for by the parent compound, 10% by sulfate conjugates, and the rest by at least three unidentified organosoluble metabolites. No glucuronides were detected in the bile.