cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resilient Respiration Rate Monitoring With Realtime Bimodal CSI Data

Vital signs, such as respiration rate, can provide useful information for personal healthcare. In this paper, we present ResBeat, a commodity 5 GHz WiFi based system to exploit bimodal channel state information (CSI), including amplitude and phase difference, for realtime, long-term, and contact-free respiration rate monitoring. Specifically, we first present an analysis of breathing signal anomalies based on bimodal CSI data. Then, we present the design of the data preprocessing, adaptive signal selection, and breathing signal monitoring modules of ResBeat, and employ peak detection to estimate respiration rates. We conduct extensive experiments on respiration rate monitoring under three different environments, where superior performance over two alternative methods is demonstrated.
Synthetic generation of DSC-MRI-derived relative CBV maps from DCE MRI of brain tumors.

PURPOSE Perfusion MRI with gadolinium-based contrast agents is useful for diagnosis and treatment response evaluation of brain tumors. Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI and dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI are two gadolinium-based contrast agent perfusion imaging techniques that provide complementary information about the tumor vasculature. However, each requires a separate administration of a gadolinium-based contrast agent. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the feasibility of synthesizing relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) maps, as computed from DSC MRI, from DCE MRI of brain tumors. METHODS One hundred nine brain-tumor patients underwent both DCE and DSC MRI. Relative CBV maps were computed from the DSC MRI, and blood plasma volume fraction maps were computed from the DCE MRIs. Conditional generative adversarial networks were developed to synthesize rCBV maps from the DCE MRIs. Tumor-to-white matter ratios were calculated from real rCBV, synthetic rCBV, and plasma volume fraction maps and compared using correlation analysis. Real and synthetic rCBV in white and gray matter regions were also compared. RESULTS Pearson correlation analysis showed that both the tumor rCBV and tumor-to-white matter ratios in the synthetic and real rCBV maps were strongly correlated (ρ = 0.87, P < .05 and ρ = 0.86, P < .05, respectively). Tumor plasma volume fraction and real rCBV were not strongly correlated (ρ = 0.47). Bland-Altman analysis showed a mean difference between the synthetic and real rCBV tumor-to-white matter ratios of 0.20 with a 95% confidence interval of ±0.47. CONCLUSION Realistic rCBV maps can be synthesized from DCE MRI and contain quantitative information, enabling robust brain-tumor perfusion imaging of DSC and DCE parameters with a single gadolinium-based contrast agent administration.
Verrucous Sarcoidosis: A Rare Clinical Presentation of Sarcoidosis

Verrucous sarcoidosis is a rare cutaneous variant of sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease characterized by non-caseating granulomas that primarily involves the lungs. The current literature on verrucous sarcoidosis is limited, with the majority of lesions presenting on the lower extremities of African American males. Here, we present two cases that highlight the unique manifestations of this uncommon cutaneous entity. The first case involves a middle-aged Hispanic woman with lesions on her arms and face, and the second case involves a middle-aged African American woman with sole facial involvement. A multi-disciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment is required as verrucous sarcoidosis can present with clinical and histopathological features indistinguishable from infectious etiologies and has an association with pulmonary sarcoidosis. Adalimumab has demonstrated success in the treatment of verrucous sarcoidosis.
Collisionless Shocks, Implicit Moments, and Laser Fusion Implosions

In 2020, the author was awarded the Charles K. Birdsall Award for the contributions performed in his studies of Computational Nuclear and Plasma Sciences. This article collects work performed during his long career in plasma modeling starting as early as 1962. In that year, he worked during the summer at The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA, USA, and in 1964, he completed his Ph.D. at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. In 1965, the author studied under a Fulbright Grant in Garching, Germany. Then, from 1965–1967, he was an Assistant Professor and a Ford Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA. From 1967 to 1972, the author was a researcher at Bell Laboratories, Whippany, NJ, USA. From 1972 to 2006, the author performed plasma physics modeling at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA. Thereafter, until 2017, the author pursued plasma studies at his Research Applications Corporation (RAC), White Rock, NM, USA. This article will review the author’s studies of laser-driven Inertial Confinement Fusion, development and use of the Implicit Moment Method of plasma simulation, Modeling of Plasma Opening Switches, and improved shock viscosity.
“When Aşiq Bəsti sang even the rocks would cry”: the legacy of azerbaijani Aşiq Bəsti

This study focuses on the sung poetry of Asiq Bəsti (1836–1936), a woman master of the asiq art, Azerbaijan’s musical-poetic bardic tradition. Asiq Bəsti, who was blind, not only travelled widely to perform, but also became part of 19th century Azerbaijan’s most renowned asiq performance collectives. She reached the status of a master asiq (ustad) who trained apprentices, and her songs have been passed down and are still performed in Azerbaijan today. The purpose of this article is to reveal the importance of Asiq Bəsti’s creative life and legacy. The Azerbaijani asiq art is a form of living oral narrative that has been performed continuously since the 16th century, yet has not been studied in the global context; this study introduces this artist in translation and opens a path towards integrating the asiq art into discussions of comparative world literature. This material for this study is drawn from scholarly manuscripts and archives as well as interviews with living asiqs and folklorists. Methods used include fieldwork, historical-contextual analysis, comparative literary analysis and close reading. The results of the study open a window into the creative life of a rural woman artist working in a traditional genre. The discussion sets the historical and cultural stage then looks closely at Asiq Bəsti ’s life and legacy, with a close reading of several of her poems. The conclusion focuses on the multifacted value of Asiq Bəsti ’s poetry both as personal creative expression and as a part of broader social movements.
Radical radiation therapy in the management of prostatic adenocarcinoma: the initial prostate specific antigen value as a predictor of treatment outcome

AbstractWe studied 161 prostate cancer patients treated by radical irradiation alone without endocrine therapy in whom pretreatment and posttreatment prostate specific antigen (PSA) values were measured, and who had a minimum followup of 2 years. Outcome was analyzed in an actuarial fashion using clinical disease-free survival and biochemical disease-free survival (freedom from an increasing PSA level or a PSA level of greater than 1.0ng./ml. 2 years following irradiation) as end points. Of the patients 54% achieved a post-irradiation nadir value in the range 0 to 1.0ng./ml. and 29% had a nadir value that was undetectably low (less than 0.5ng./ml.). The likelihood of achieving these values was greater among patients with early stage than locally advanced tumors. For all T stages the likelihood of being disease-free at 4 years was substantially and significantly lower when PSA was used as an end point than when clinical evaluation alone was used: stages T1 and T2 (85 patients) 41% versus 71%, and stages T3...
On the injectivity of modular mappings

Affine space-time mappings have been extensively studied for systolic array design and parallelizing compilation. However, there are practical important cases that require other types of transformations. This paper considers so-called modular mappings described by linear transformations modulo a constant vector. Sufficient conditions for these mappings to be one-to-one are investigated for rectangular domains of arbitrary dimensions. It is shown that a sufficient condition for a modular mapping to be one-to-one is that its (n/spl times/n) coefficient matrix T has entries t/sub ii/=/spl plusmn/1 and t/sub ij/=0 for i/spl supdot/j where /spl supdot/ is a total order on {1,2,, n), n=domain dimension. These conditions are strengthened and extended for particular types of rectangular domains and affine transformations modulo a constant vector. The results of this paper can be used to identify a space of valid modular mappings of specific algorithms into time and space. They are illustrated by examples which include Cannon's matrix multiplication algorithm. >
Unstructured-grid spectral method for 3D Maxwell's equations with well-posed PML

A spectral penalty method for the solution of 3D Maxwell's equations with a well-posed PML (perfectly matched layer) has been developed to model the electromagnetic waves in an unbounded physical region. Numerical results of the radiation of an electric dipole source located at a sphere center show an excellent agreement with the analytical solution. Other numerical results also illustrate the high accuracy and geometric flexibility of the spectral penalty method. The well-posed PML can be successfully introduced into the spectral penalty methods and works very well in absorbing outgoing waves.
Bending Membranes into Different Shapes

BAR domains bend membranes by imposing their curved shape. In this issue, Isas et al. show the structural differences in the interaction of the BAR domain protein amphiphysin with vesicles and tubes. They find that superficial interactions lead to vesicles, whereas more penetrating interactions of a more crowded protein lead to tubes.
Nonideal statistics and positive correlation in phage recombination: studies with λ tandem duplication phages

ABSTRACT he question of nonideality in phage recombination, that is, the extent to which recombinant frequencies differ from those expected from the proportions of the two parental types in the mass culture, was addressed by experiments with λ tandem duplication phages. Isolation and genotypic analysis of triplication-phage progeny, all of which must be the result of intermolecular recombination, yielded a value of about 0.5 for the nonideality parameter h, i.e. , the frequency of unlike-parent matings was only about ½ the "ideal" value. This value was independent of multiplicity and about the same for the Rec or Red recombination systems. Similar analysis of single-copy phage progeny yielded estimates of k , the ratio of intramolecular to intermolecular recombination of about ⅙ for the Rec system; no intramolecular events were detected in Red-mediated crosses. Consideration of known nonideality factors (finite input, limited number of intracellular sites for phage growth) suggests that the observed h values correspond to intracellular mixing efficiencies of 55 to 100%, depending on the number of intracellular phage growth sites assumed. Analysis of long-range positive correlation (negative interference) indicates that statistical effects caused unlike-parent double crossovers to be three to four times as frequent as an independent-event calculation would predict. In addition, Rec-mediated crosses showed a 1.3-fold positive correlation for unlike-parent crossovers (in a second interval) among the progeny of like-parent recombinations.
Embryonic human persons. Talking Point on morality and human embryo research.

If, as we believe, human embryos are human beings who deserve the same basic respect we accord to human beings at later developmental stages, then research that involves deliberately dismembering embryonic humans in order to use their cells for the benefit of others is inherently wrong. Just as harvesting the organs of a living child for the benefit of others is immoral and illegal, so ‘disaggregating’ embryonic human beings would also be immoral and should be illegal—of course governments should therefore not fund such procedures. In this article, we provide some of the evidence that human embryos are indeed human beings and, as such, deserve a level of respect that is incompatible with treating them as disposable research material. We also consider two recent objections to our position. > …human embryos are indeed human beings and, as such, deserve a level of respect that is incompatible with treating them as disposable research material In sexual reproduction, conception occurs when a sperm cell unites with an oocyte, the two cease to be, and their constituents successfully enter into the makeup of a new and distinct organism, which is called a zygote in its original one‐celled stage. This new organism begins to grow by the normal process of differentiated cell division into an embryo, dividing into two cells, then four, eight and so on, although some divisions are asynchronous. Its cells constitute a human organism, for they form a stable body and act together in a coordinated manner, which contributes to regular, predictable and determinate development toward the mature stage of a human being. That is, from the zygote stage onward, the human embryo has within it all of the internal information needed—including chiefly its genetic and epigenetic constitution—and the active disposition to develop itself to the mature stage of a human organism. …
Role of neuroglobin in regulating reactive oxygen species in the brain of the anoxia-tolerant turtle Trachemys scripta.

Neuroglobin (Ngb) is an oxygen binding heme protein found in nervous tissue with a yet unclear physiological and protective role in the hypoxia-sensitive mammalian brain. Here we utilized in vivo and in vitro studies to examine the role of Ngb in anoxic and post-anoxic neuronal survival in the freshwater turtle. We employed semiquantitative RT-PCR and western blotting to analyze Ngb mRNA and protein levels in turtle brain and neuronally enriched cultures. Ngb expression is strongly up-regulated by hypoxia and post-anoxia reoxygenation but increases only modestly in anoxia. The potential neuroprotective role of Ngb in this species was analyzed by knocking down Ngb using specific small interfering RNA. Ngb knockdown in neuronally enriched cell cultures resulted in significant increases in H2O2 release compared to controls but no change in cell death. Cell survival may be linked to activation of other protective responses such as the extracellular regulated kinase transduction pathway, as phosphorylated extracellular regulated kinase levels in anoxia were significantly higher in Ngb knockdown cultures compared to controls. The greater expression of Ngb when reactive oxygen species are likely to be high, and the increased susceptibility of neurons to H2O2 release and external oxidative stress in knockdown cultures, suggests a role for Ngb in reducing reactive oxygen species production or in detoxification, though it does not appear to be of primary importance in the anoxia tolerant turtle in the presence of compensatory survival mechanisms.
That’s What Friends Are For: Adolescent Peer Social Status, Health-Related Quality of Life and Healthcare Costs

Background Social connections at all stages of life are essential for physical and mental well-being. Of particular importance are social relationships during adolescence that shape adult health behaviors and health outcomes.
Liturgical Anthropology of a Soulful Sister: Thea Bowman, FSPA

This article considers the potential contribution to theology and disability studies of the life work of Sister Thea Bowman, an African American Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, a Faulkner scholar, an educator par excellence, and a woman of spirit, song, and dance. I propose that Bowman offers a liturgical key to accepting difference and overcoming divisions. I explore two works in particular, her introduction to the first African American Catholic Hymnal and her address to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, to see the change that liturgy can make in Catholic faith communities.
Report of the histopathologic study of the jaws of a diet-deficient monkey, and its relation to Vincent's infection

Abstract Study of the sections from the jaws of a monkey which lived on a deficient diet during a six-month voyage and died the day of arrival shows changes similar to those resulting from a dietary deficiency described by other investigators. Vincent's infection with necrosis of the papillae was demonstrated by clinical signs and verified histologically. A study of the developing teeth confirmed, furthermore, a diagnosis of ascorbic acid deficiency, the relationship of the enamel-dentine width being of diagnostic importance. In man, the breakdown of the crevicular epithelium and the epithelial attachment in Vincent's infection histologically is the same as found in this monkey. From this we may conclude that Vincent's infection may not be a contagious disease but a manifestation of a dietary disease with the fusospirochetal flora superimposed.
The Creation of the Future: The Role of the American University

(2005). The Creation of the Future: The Role of the American University. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 76, No. 3, pp. 358-362.
Nonpremixed turbulent reacting flow near extinction

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are used to study fundamental processes in non-premixed turbulent reacting flows. A broad range of Damkohler number, Da, and reaction zone thicknesses are studied, encompassing: stable, near-equilibrium reaction; local extinction; and global extinction. A simple thermochemical model for one-step reversible reaction is employed, in which the state of the fluid is described by the mixture fraction {xi}(x, t) and the perturbation from equilibrium y(x, t). A pseudo-spectral method, with grid sizes up to 128{sup 3}, is used to solve the Navier-Stokes equations and the conservation equations for {xi} and y. These equations are augmented with artificial forcing, so that the resulting velocity and mixture fraction fields are statistically stationary, homogeneous and isotropic. At sufficiently high Damkohler number, the perturbation field is also statistically stationary, corresponding to stable reaction. But at lower Da, y increases without bound, corresponding to global extinction. The critical Damkohler number Da{sub crit} at which global extinction occurs is determined from the simulations, and is found to be significantly different from that predicted by simple models (flamelet, conditional moment closure, etc.). A simple statistical model is used to show that the discrepancy can plausibly be explained by statistical variability. The simulation results aremore » used to assess the accuracy of simple models, especially for Damkohler numbers at which there is globally stable reaction, but significant local extinction.« less
Lumping, Splitting, and Making Sense: Implications of Soft Tissue Sarcoma Staging for Prognosis, Therapy, and Research

Alex B. Haynes, MD, MPH and Raphael E. Pollock, MD, PhDDepartment of Surgical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TXThe concept of staging cancer originated in the earlytwentieth century as a way of understanding the extent andseverity of disease and thereby estimating prognosis. Theseearly efforts at classifying cancer were anatomically basedand as such this has provided the foundation for modernstaging. The tumor, node, metastasis classiﬁcation systemof staging was ﬁrst introduced in the 1940s as a stan-dardized method of anatomic staging and used assessmentof primary tumor extent, lymph node involvement, anddistant disease. Through an objective assessment of thesethree parameters, patients were able to be grouped in arough estimation of the severity of the disease. Thisapproach was adopted by the American Joint Committeeon Cancer (AJCC) and provides the underpinning of themodern staging system for solid tumors. Reﬁnements havebeen made for individual malignancies whereby otherpertinent factors such as serum markers and histologicgrade have been included in staging.As therapeutic strategies have improved and becomemore complex, stage has played an important role intreatment decisions, in comparisons of results acrossinstitutions and across time, and in assessment of progno-sis. The decision to include elements of multimodal care isoften based on stage, such as in adjuvant therapy formalignant melanoma or neoadjuvant approaches to rectalcancer. Additionally, standardized staging is important inclassifying patients for clinical research so that ﬁndingsabout treatment and outcome can be applied to theappropriate population of patients. Finally, staging plays animportant role in cancer epidemiology. Measuring anddeﬁning the rate of early and late stage presentation canhelp to better direct prevention, screening, and diagnosis,as well as the application of the correct therapy at thecorrect point in time.Staging of soft tissue sarcoma presents some uniquedifﬁculties, which Maki et al. illustrate.
REDUCED DISGUST PROPENSITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENT IN CONTAMINATION/WASHING SYMPTOMS IN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER.

Objectives Disgust is a well-established phenomenon with known neurobiological correlates. However, it remains unclear how or whether disgust changes with clinical treatment, because few longitudinal studies have tracked the association of disgust vulnerability and clinical symptoms in patient populations.
X-ray structural study of a bulky iron-substituted trisilane

Abstract The structure of (η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2Si(Ph)(SiMe3)2, 1 has been studied by X-ray diffraction; 1 crystallizes in the P 1 space group with a 8.767(1), b 15.782(3), c 16.543(3) A, α 87.84(1), β 86.28(1), and γ 85.47(1)°. There are two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit. Both conformers are staggered and related by a 120° rotation. The FeSi bond lengths are 2.366(1) and 2.355(1) A. A steric argument is used to discuss the discrepancy in the FeSi distances.
In-Situ Deposition of C-Axis Oriented Barium Ferrite Films for Microwave Applications

We report the deposition of M-type films by the alternating target laser ablation deposition using Fe2O3 and BaFe4O7 targets to simulate the unit cell of BaFe12O19 rather than a previous used tridymite structure, such as BaFe2O4 for R-block. In fact, the natural composition of the R-block is easier to be simulated by BaFe4O7. This target provides a flexible control over magnetic properties of the deposited films. Magnetic, electrical, and structural properties were measured using both types of targets in simulating barium ferrite. The films are consistent with bulk properties of barium ferrite. However, the use of BaFe4O7 targets improved resistivity of the films.
Amino acid-induced inhibition and stimulation of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis. I. Variations in the response to pantothenic acid induced by casein hydrolysate.

Abstract The response pattern of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis (ATCC 9080) to pantothenic acid in Atkin's medium was changed dramatically by adding small amounts of casein hydrolysate (0.032 to 0.32 mg/ml) to the assay medium. Under static, mildly anaerobic conditions, growth at low pantothenic acid levels was reduced by 54 to 69%, whereas at saturating or near saturating pantothenate concentrations marked stimulation of growth (up to 41%) was observed. Under aerobic conditions, inhibition but not stimulation of growth occurred. It is recommended that Atkin's medium for the assay of pantothenic acid with S. carlsbergensis (ATCC 9080) be modified to include 0.6% acid-hydrolyzed casein (Vitamin Free Casamino Acids, Difco) to prevent erroneous growth responses, which may result if significant amounts of amino acids are present in natural materials being assayed for this vitamin.
Correcting the record: Understanding the history of federal intervention and failure in securing U.S. educational reform

The authors show here that contrary to popular rhetoric, at an early stage the American federal government demonstrated remarkable influence over national education policy. This occurred in spite of the fact that the political institutions of the national government were fragmented and poorly organized to accomplish such goals. In this light, the authors' focus is on how late-19th-century developments set the tone and impediments for meaningful educational reform that carry over through today. The historical development of American education detailed here traces the roots of the ongoing policy tug-of-war between localism and national progressive goals that characterize contemporary reform efforts. Ironically, it is its early roots as the premier educational resource provider that has ultimately contributed to the greatly diminished role of the U.S. federal government in education today. This is a legacy that policy makers, parents, and educators are wise to understand but often neglect as they craft reform.
Respiratory Response to Cigarette Smoking among Adolescent Smokers: A Pilot Study

Abstract Background. Because cigarette smoking affects the respiratory system earlier than many other systems of the human body, an attempt was made to identify objective and subjective respiratory problems among adolescent smokers. Methods. Two studies based on a pulmonary function test (PFT), respiratory symptom assessment, and other smoking-related variables were undertaken. Study 1 involved cigarette smokers ( N = 18, 22% males, mean age 18.7 years) from a freshman college class who participated in an acute smoking experiment that involved performing a PFT before and after smoking a single cigarette. Study 2 was performed on a combined group of vocational–technical high school students and freshman college students ( N = 44, 48% males, mean age 17.8 years) where PFT parameters, respiratory symptoms, and smoking-related health vulnerability were assessed among smokers vs nonsmokers. Results. In Study 1, the average reduction across PFT parameters was 4.4% and the mean estimated lung age increased from 27.15 to 29.84 years. In Study 2, a consistent trend toward reduction of PFT values among smokers vs nonsmokers was observed; the mean forced expiratory volume in 1 sec/forced vital capacity ratio (90.51% vs 94.59%), peak expiratory flow rate (80.32% vs 92.06%), and flow rate of 50% of forced vital capacity (88.39% vs 102.81%) differed significantly. Significant differences in respiratory symptoms were also observed among smokers vs nonsmokers. Conclusions. The beginning of respiratory health disorders can be identified among adolescent smokers. These findings might provide important clues on how to improve outcomes from health care provider-based adolescent smoking cessation counseling.
The New Jerusalem People as Place, Not Place for People

Symbolic language fills the Book of Revelation as it fills other apocalyptic literature. We may therefore presume that the description of the New Jerusalem in Rev 21:1-22:5 deals in symbolism. Our presumption is rewarded when we read of the city's coming down out of heaven, stretching out and up to unheard-of dimensions, having gates that each consist of a single pearl, being paved with gold that can be seen through, and so on. Such language invites symbolic interpretation, whatever the nature, whether concrete or abstract, of the reality so described. But the New Jerusalem is a very large symbol. Its description occupies a whole chapter or more. Therefore we may rightfully expect that the details of the description contribute small, individual symbols to the large, overall symbol, even as contemporary interpreters ofJesus' parables have come to understand that although we must resist allegorism, the longer the story that constitutes a narrative parable, the more likely it is that some details of the parable have their own significance within the overall meaning.I A symbolic interpretation of the New Jerusalem will be an hypothesis, for any interpretation of any text is an hypothesis. The proofs of an interpretative hypothesis lie first in its power to bring the text to life, to make it understandable why the author took the trouble to write the text and (to a lesser degree) why its first readers thought enough of it at least not to throw it away. Then those proofs
Therapeutic Antibodies for Brain Disorders

The enzyme β-secretase (BACE1) remains an important potential disease-modifying target for developing drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease. However, finding selective BACE1 inhibitors that can penetrate the brain has proved challenging. In this issue of Science Translational Medicine, a pair of studies describes a new approach to inhibiting BACE1 using a human monoclonal antibody that uses receptor-mediated transcytosis to cross the blood brain barrier (Atwal et al. and Yu et al.). The authors engineer a low-affinity bispecific monoclonal antibody targeting both BACE1 and the transferrin receptor and show that this antibody enters the brain more readily and inhibits BACE1 activity more efficiently than does a monospecific antibody against BACE1 alone. These findings should stimulate attempts to use receptor-mediated transcytosis to increase brain uptake of therapeutic antibodies for a variety of brain disorders.
Computer generation of binary and ternary phase diagrams via a convex hull method

A rapid computational technique for determining equilibrium phase diagrams of multicomponent systems by constructing the convex hull of the free energy surface is introduced. Rather than calculating tangent lines or planes, this method guarantees a convex representation of the equilibrium free energy surface on a discrete set of points in composition space. Although the accuracy of these phase diagrams is limited by the spacing of points, there are no restrictions on the number or types of free energy functions that may be considered; functions with singular or unknown derivatives may even be used. This method is then applied to generate several model binary and ternary phase diagrams.
A Sustainable Nuclear Fuel Cycle Based on Laser Inertial Fusion Energy

The National Ignition Facility (NIF), a laser-based Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) experiment designed to achieve thermonuclear fusion ignition and burn in the laboratory, will soon be completed...
Sensitivity of Aircraft Performance to Icing Parameter Variations

A IRCRAFT icing is widely recognized as a significant hazard to aircraft operations. For this reason, aircraft and ice protection systems must be certified for flight into icing conditions. The aircraft certification and icing research communities rely on icing wind tunnels as an efficient way to produce ice accretions in a controlled environment. The aerodynamic performance of aircraft with these ice accretions contributes to the certification of aircraft. It is therefore critical to ensure that the ice accretions are simulated within a known aerodynamic uncertainty. The aerodynamic performance of an airfoil containing an ice accretion is highly dependent on the geometry of the ice accretion, which is in turn dependent on icing conditions such as temperature, liquid water content (LWC), and median volume diameter (MVD). Icing wind tunnels have the capability to vary LWC and MVD, however, the accuracy in LWC and MVD required to create an aerodynamically representative ice accretion is not known. This research addressed the problem of “how good is good enough” by determining the relationship and sensitivity of iced-airfoil performance to these icing cloud parameters. In addition, these data were placed in perspective by relating measurable or significant aircraft performance changes to the underlying changes in airfoil aerodynamic performance. Recent NASA studies [1,2] in the Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) measured the effect of icing parameter variations on ice-accretion geometry. These studies showed that small variations in LWC and MVD corresponded to distinct changes in ice-accretion geometry. In addition, the effect of ice-accretion geometry on aerodynamic performance has been recently investigated [3–6]. Papadakis et al. [3,4] used spoilers to simulate horn ice and showed that Clmax degradation was related to the horn height (k=c). Kim and Bragg [5], and Broeren et al. [6] showed that k=c and surface location (s=c) had the biggest impact on airfoil performance degradation. This study used ice tracings from theNASA studies [1,2] as a basis to examine the sensitivity of aerodynamic performance to icing parameter variations. Eleven ice-accretion tracings were selected from the 39measured byMiller et al. [2] to reasonably span the range of LWC andMVD tested. The selected ice tracings were modeled as two-dimensional smooth simulated ice shapes for wind-tunnel testing. The experiments for this research were performed in the Illinois subsonic, low-turbulence, open-return wind tunnel. The airfoil model was an aluminum NACA 0012 airfoil with an 18 in. chord, 33.6 in. span, and a removable leading edge to facilitate installation of the ice simulations. Testing was performed at a Reynolds number of 1.8 million, and a Mach number of 0.18. The results of the aerodynamic testing were related to the corresponding icing parameters in the form of two sensitivities: airfoil performance to icing parameter variations, and derived aircraft performance to icing parameter variations. More details can be found in Campbell et al. [7,8].
Plasma follistatin-like protein 1 is elevated in Kawasaki disease and may predict coronary artery aneurysm formation.

Objective To determine whether plasma levels of follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL-1), a pro-inflammatory protein produced by mesenchymal tissue, including cardiac myocytes, correlate with the development of Kawasaki disease (KD) and coronary artery aneurysms (CAA). Study design FSTL-1 plasma levels were measured serially with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 48 patients with KD at time of diagnosis and, when available, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 6 months after onset of disease. These were compared with FSTL-1 plasma levels in 23 control subjects. Data were analyzed with generalized estimating equations. Results Plasma FSTL-1 levels were elevated in patients with acute KD compared with control subjects ( P = .0086). FSTL-1 levels remained significantly elevated at 2 weeks after disease onset, but returned to control levels by 6 months. Seven patients with CAA had significantly higher FSTL-1 levels at the time of diagnosis than patients in whom aneurysms did not develop ( P = .0018). Sensitivity and specificity rates for CAA at a specific FSTL-1 cutoff point (178 ng/mL) were 85% and 71%. Conclusions Plasma levels of FSTL-1 are elevated in acute KD and may predict cardiac morbidity in this disease. These results suggest a possible role for FSTL-1 in the formation of CAAs.
Regulation of Phenylethanolamine N‐Methyltransferase Gene Expression by Imidazoline Receptors in Adrenal Chromaffin Cells

As adrenal medullary chromaffin cells express imidazoline binding sites in the absence of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors, these cells provide an ideal system in which to determine whether imidazolines can influence catecholamine gene expression through nonadrenergic receptors. This study evaluates the ability of clonidine and related drugs to regulate expression of the gene for the epinephrine-synthesizing enzyme phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) in the rat adrenal gland and in bovine adrenal chromaffin cell cultures. In vivo, PNMT and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA levels increase in rat adrenal medulla after a single injection of clonidine. Clonidine also dose-dependently stimulates PNMT mRNA expression in vitro in primary cultures of bovine chromaffin cells, with a threshold dose of 0.1 microM. Other putative imidazoline receptor agonists, including cimetidine, rilmenidine, and imidazole-4-acetic acid, likewise enhance PNMT mRNA production showing relative potencies that correlate with their binding affinities at chromaffin cell I1-imidazoline binding sites. The effects of clonidine on PNMT mRNA appear to be distinct from and additive with those exerted by nicotine. Moreover, neither nicotinic antagonists nor calcium channel blockers, which attenuate nicotine's influence on PNMT mRNA production, diminish clonidine's effects on PNMT mRNA. Although 100 microM clonidine diminishes nicotine-stimulated release of epinephrine and norepinephrine in chromaffin cells, this effect appears unrelated to stimulation of imidazoline receptor subtypes. This is the first report to link imidazoline receptors to neurotransmitter gene expression.
Powerful Professional Development: Building Expertise within the Four Walls of Your School

Powerful Professional Development: Building Expertise within the Four Walls of Your School provides a refreshing perspective on strengthening professional development in schools today. The book foc...
Continuous thermal diffusion—the analogy to distillation

Abstract The classical equation which describes the effects of the variables is based on a simplifying assumption which limits the variation of concentration. That assumption is here removed to give a more realistic description of concentration throughout the column. This leads to a correction term in the classical equation which can be large, but in correlating experimental data makes a difference smaller than errors caused by the measurements. Thus the improved solution if of consequence in correlating data. However, the more realistic description of concentration allows an analogy to distillation to be developed which can be extended to a McCabe—Thiele diagram, with an unusual definition of an “equilibrium” line. The result is that the library of concepts, rules of thumb, design methods, and effects of the variables may be transferred from distillation to thermal diffusion. The sole exception appears to be that the value of HETP for a thermal column can cover a much wider range of values.
Some finite summation theorems and an asymptotic expansion for the generalized hypergeometric series

(2-l) The proof here again is based on induction. Note that induction on r has already been demonstrated in the proof of (1.6). To effect induction on p and q we apply the Laplace and the inverse Laplace transform techniques. Indeed, induction on p is carried out by replacing x by xt, multiplying by and then raking the Laplace transform with respect to t using the known result [3, (17), p. 2191. Th en, to effect induction on q, we replace x by
Computergraphic modeling and analysis: A portable system for tracking arm movements in three-dimensional space

A system is presented that allows automated, three-dimensional tracking of hand and arm movements. The system incorporates commercially available optoelectronic cameras and provides portable and affordable, yet accurate, three-dimensional monitoring of multiple joints of the hands and arms. Special-purpose hardware components were developed, as was software for data acquisition, data processing, and graphic display. The hardware and software are described, along with such necessary procedures as system calibration and transformation of coordinate system frames of reference. Testing of the system revealed highly accurate three-dimensional spatial tracking. The three-dimensional numeric and graphic analyses of movement made possible by this system allow new studies into the nature of the neural control of movement.
The intrinsic pitch of vowels: Theoretical, physiological, and clinical considerations

Summary This article reviews theories and physiologic data regarding the mechanisms underlying the intrinsic pitch of vowels (IPV). It is suggested that the IPV is probably a result of both mechanical and neural coupling of the phonatory and articulatory systems. The clinical implications of the present findings for singing and voice disorders are discussed.
Optimal spectra for indirect detector breast tomosynthesis

The detection of lesions in conventional mammography is a difficult task, predominantly due to the masking effect of superimposed parenchymal breast patterns. Breast tomosynthesis is a technique that has been proposed to reduce this masking effect, by providing the radiologist with tomographic image slices through the breast. The goal of this research was to investigate the impact of varying x-ray spectra on image quality of breast tomosynthesis using an indirect CsI based detector. The ideal observer SNR was used as a figure-of-merit, under the assumption that the imaging system is linear and shift-invariant. Computations of the ideal observer SNR used a serial cascade model to predict signal and noise propagation through the detector, as well as a model of the lesion detection task in breast imaging. An indirect detector breast tomosynthesis prototype system was modeled which acquires 11 projection views by rotating the x-ray tube over a 50° angular range, with the breast and detector remaining stationary. Specific attention was focused on the impact of electronic noise for indirect detector breast tomosynthesis. Three different target/filters were studied including Mo/Mo, Mo/Rh, and W/Rh. Spectra were scaled to give a total of 2.4 mGy average glandular dose to the breast. It was observed that theW/Rh target/filter exhibited the best performance. In addition, electronic noise was observed to have a moderate effect on the SNR with more impact for thicker breasts and lower kVp settings.
Access to Drugs for Treatment of Noncommunicable Diseases

Thomas Bollyky explains the emerging controversy over patented medicines for noncommunicable diseases and their affordability in developing countries. Another transformation in global health is required that focuses on low-cost interventions and patient-centered, rather than country-focused, strategies. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary
Cotton crop spectral imaging analysis: a web-based hyperspectral synthetic imagery simulation system

The development of spectral libraries for specific vegetation species and soils is useful for identifying different physiological or physical-chemical characteristics. Usually, spectral libraries are provided as a data-base add-in of current commercial software used for analyzing hyperspectral imagery. The use of those databases requires installation of the software in the user’s machine for either visualizing or using the spectral libraries. There are also spectral libraries available on the web but the data is static and partitioned by spectrum of vegetation or soil because the size of the files of actual hyperspectral images precludes it’s publication on the web. In this paper, a web-based simulation environment for generating hyperspectral synthetic imagery of cotton plots is presented. The system was developed using Java and is based on a previous synthetic imagery program 1 . The mathematical and numerical formulation of the model is briefly sketched. The core computing components of the simulation environment were written in C for their computational efficiency. The emerging Java Native Interface (JNI) technique and standard Java techniques were used to design a user-friendly simulator. The simulation system provides interactive user control and real time visualization of the resulting hyperspectral image through standard web browsers. It shows potential for providing web-based hyperspectral libraries, in the form of images, for public use.
Adolescents' interest in computers: the role of attitude and socioeconomic status

Abstract This study investigated adolescents' interest in using computers, as well as academic and social activities which are associated with an interest in computers, among students in lower and middle class schools. The image that adolescents have of those who use computers and how that relates to their own interest in computers was also examined. One-hundred eighty-five students were given a list of activities and were also asked to describe “what kind of kid likes computers”. The results include the following: (a) Most adolescents are indifferent to computers. They are about as interested in them as they are in other intellectual activities. (b) There is a social class difference in computer interest. The students from lower socioeconomic schools and less exposure to computers show more interest. (c) Interest in computers is associated with an interest in intellectual activities, video games, and a lack of interest in typical adolescent activities across gender and socioeconomic status. (d) Adolescents who like computers were seen as the “smart” kids, particularly by adolescents without intellectual interests. This attitude was also found across gender and in both schools.
Comparison of reliability performance of group connected and conventional HVdc transmission systems

A group connected HVDC transmission scheme is a variant of the unit connection where instead of a single generator, a group of generators are directly connected to the power converter. Studies conducted in the past indicated that significant cost reduction can be achieved using this scheme. This is mainly due to the elimination of many components which results in considerable capital and operating cost savings to the utility. Concerns regarding the reliability performance of unit connected schemes were raised, however, there has not been a detailed reliability study conducted. This paper addresses the reliability evaluation aspect of a group connected scheme and compares the reliability performance of the group connected scheme with that of the conventional common collector system. Reliability models for both schemes were developed using a hypothetical model based on the Nelson River power system. Practical power system component outage data was used to examine the reliability performance of both schemes. >
Isolation of a Microsporidian from a Human Patient

Several genera of microsporidia have been identified morphologically in human tissue but none has yet been propagated in vitro. These primitive, obligate intracellular parasitic protozoa are poorly understood pathogens of a wide variety of vertebrates and invertebrates. In humans they are especially important as opportunistic pathogens in AIDS patients. A microsporidian was recovered from a human patient and propagated in vitro. The organism has diplokarya, divides by binary fission, and often is found free in the host cell cytoplasm. The name Nosema corneum is suggested.
Simultaneous determination of urinary free cortisol and 6β-hydroxycortisol by liquid chromatography–atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry and its application for estimating hepatic CYP3A induction

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-APCI-MS-MS) assay was developed to simultaneously determine monkey urinary free cortisol (C) and 6beta-hydroxycortisol (6beta-OHC) in 8 min. Urine sample (0.5 ml) containing fludrocortisone acetate (F-C) as the internal standard was extracted with ethyl acetate for 5 min with an extraction efficiency of 90% and 75% for C and 6beta-OHC, respectively. A Perkin-Elmer Sciex API 3000 triple quadruple instrument was used for mass spectrometric detection and the column eluent was directed to a heated nebulizer probe. The assay was linear over the range 0.25-10 microM for each analyte. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviation (RSD) over the entire concentration range for both analytes was less than 10%. Accuracy determined at three concentrations (0.8, 2.0 and 8.0 microM) ranged between 95.5 and 108%. The method described herein is suitable for the rapid and efficient measurement of 6beta-OHC/C ratio in Rhesus monkey urine following administration of known hepatic CYP3A inducers and can be used to estimate potential CYP3A induction by drug candidates in the process of early drug development.