cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Suitability of fuzzy systems and neural networks for industrial applications

The presentation provides a comparison of fuzzy and neural systems for industrial applications. Both neural networks and fuzzy systems perform nonlinear mapping and both systems internally operate within a limited signal range between zero and one. Neural networks can handle basically an unlimited number of inputs and outputs while fuzzy systems have one output and number of inputs is practically limited to 2 or 3. The resulted nonlinear function produced by neural networks is smooth while functions produced by fuzzy systems are relatively rough. At the same time the design of fuzzy systems transparent and easy to follow while the development of neural networks is much more labor intensive. It is shows that most commonly used neural network architecture of MLP — Multi Layer Perceptron is also one of the least efficient ones. Also most commonly used EBP — Error Back Propagation algorithm is not only very slow, but also it is not able to find solutions for optimal neural network architectures. EBP can solve problems only when large number of neurons is used, but this way neural network loses its generalization property. Performances of both fuzzy systems and neural networks are compared leading to the conclusion that neural networks can produce much more accurate nonlinear mapping and they may require less hardware
Twist-to-bend ratios of woody structures

Flexural rigidity (Eη, or resistance to bending loads, and torsional rigidity (GJ), or resistance to twisting loads, were measured on a variety of woody structures-bamboo culms, three kinds of hardwood trunks, two softwood trunks, two vines, and pine roots. The ratios of these rigidities, EI/GJ, was highest and relatively constant for bamboo and hardwoods, slightly lower for softwoods, and lower still for vines and roots. All values were substantially above those for circular cylinders of ordinary isotropic materials; since all specimens were nearly circular in cross-section, the high values reflect the elastic moduli of wood rather than geometric factors. While all material showed substantial creep under torsional loading, only the vine, Wisteria, crept appreciably under flexural loading as well.
Formation and Dissociation of the Covalent Complexes Between Trypsin and Two Homologous Inhibitors, α1‐Antitrypsin and Antithrombin III

The mechanisms by which α1-antitypsin and antithrombin III inhibit trypsin were investigated by chemical stability studies and amino acid sequence analyses of the enzyme-inhibitor complexes. One-to-one covalently linked complexes were formed between each of the inhibitors and trypsin. The complexes were stable over the course of the experiments at pH 8 or lower, and benzamidine, hydroxylamine, thiols, guanidine, or dodecylsulfate had no apparent effect on the stability of the complexes. The complexes dissociated slowly at pH 9 or greater. Neither of the inhibitors was active after dissociation from its complex with trypsin. Sequence analysis indicated that no new aminoterminus was generated when α1-antitrypsin formed its complex with trypsin, but that two new amino termini were formed in approximately one-to-one ratio when the complex dissociated. This may indicate that α1-antitrypsin contains two inhibitory sites for trypsin in close spatial proximity on the molecule.
Statistical techniques and their application in palynology

The basic principals of hypothesis testing are reviewed, including the development of the hypothesis, the statistical assumptions made, and the test of the hypothesis. The appropriate experimental design and sampling technique for evaluation of hypotheses posed are discussed. Because the analysis of variance involving the F-test should be used in a wide variety of geological experiments, emphasis is placed on this analysis. Many geological experiments result in the measurement of one or more factors on a continuous scale, whereas others are recorded in a discrete fashion. This necessitates the use of a covariance analysis to evaluate the effect of discrete and continuous factors in the same model. Orthogonal comparisons are discussed as they are used to evaluate specific hypotheses following the general test of hypothesis in the analysis of variance or covariance. All procedures discussed are illustrated using actual palynofloral data.
Real Time Distributed Community Structure Detection in Dynamic Networks

Communities can be observed in many real-world graphs. In general, a community can be thought of as a portion of a graph in which intra-community links are dense while inter-community links are sparse. Automatic community structure detection has been well studied in static graphs. However, many practical applications of community structure involve networks in which communities change dynamically over time. Several methods of detecting the community structure of dynamic graphs have been proposed, however most treat the dynamic graph as a series of static snapshots, which creates unrealistic assumptions. Others require large amounts of computational resources or require knowledge of the dynamic graph from start to finish, relegating them to post-processing. For those who desire real-time community structure detection distributed over the observing network, these solutions are insufficient. This paper proposes a new method of community structure detection which allows for real time distributed detection of community structure.
HEAT TRANSFER FROM A HORIZONTAL BUBBLING SURFACE TO AN OVERLYING WATER POOL

Abstract An experimenl was performed to study the effects of bubbling from a circular, horizontal, fiat plate on the heat transfer to an overlying water pool. The plate had drilled orifices through which nitrogen was injected into an overlying pool of water at atmospheric pressure. For “deep” pools, the heat transfer coefficient was found to increase only about 20% over a range of superficial gas velocities from 0.6 to 8.5cm/s, A turbulent heat transfer model developed by Konsetov was found to agree well with the data from this experiment. This model and the experimental data suggest that under certain conditions the heat transfer coefficient is similar for both horizontal and vertical surfaces. These conditions are, that the bubbles only contribute to the stirring action in the pool and only when the bubbling pool is considered “deep”. When the pool height fell below 60% of its diameter, the heat transfer coefficient decreased almost linearly with pool height. This suggests that there occurs a reduction ...
Mechanisms of CML hyporesponsiveness in long-term renal allograft recipients.

Abstract Long-term, HLA disparate, renal allograft recipients were assessed by a dose-dependent CML (cell-mediated lympholysis) assay for evidence of donor-specific CML hyporesponsiveness. The frequency of cytolytic T-cell (CTL) precursors capable for responding to donor alloantigen was also examined by a limiting-dilution assay and application of Poisson distribution statistics. Four recipients were found to have depressed CML responses against donor class I HLA antigens (mean 2–5% specific lysis), whereas significant responses against third party targets were noted (15–60% specific lysis). These data are consistent with an antigen-specific defect in the recipient CTL effector mechanism. To determine whether or not this may be due to a deletion of antidonor alloreactive cells, a sensitive limiting-dilution assay was developed in conjunction with Poisson distribution statistics to obtain the frequency of both anti-donor and anti-third party CTLp present in recipient PBLs. A simultaneous reduction in the number of alloreactive clones and the presence of an active suppressor population were defined, suggesting that several mechanisms may operate concurrently in long-term renal allograft recipients with well-functioning grafts.
On Banach spaces whose dual balls are not weak∗ sequentially compact

Theorem 1. LetX be a Banach space. (a) IfX ∗ has a closed subspace in which no normalized sequence converges weak∗ to zero, thenl 1 is isomorphic to a subspace ofX. (b) IfX ∗ contains a bounded sequence which has no weak∗ convergent subsequence, thenX contains a separable subspace whose dual is not separable.
Polymer microparticles fabricated by soft lithography

Two techniques using soft lithography and lift-off techniques for the fabrication of polymer microparticles are demonstrated. The techniques involve using microstamping of polymer structures onto a sacrificial layer for release into a water solution. The particles produced using these techniques maintain the micro-geometry of the mold and stamp.
Initiation by RNA polymerase on UV or X-ray damaged T7 DNA

Abstract It is possible to dissociate template activity from initiation specificity of E. coli RNA polymerase. Ultraviolet damage in DNA diminishes the template activity of bihelical T7 DNA but does not result in new nonspecific initiation points. On the other hand, X-ray damage in DNA not only decreases template activity, but also increases non-specific initiation. These results show that the quality of the template DNA is a critical consideration in studies on the initiation specificity of RNA polymerase in vitro .
The Role of Photochromism in Molecular Engineering

Abstract Photochromic materials are interesting components as functional groups in Molecular Engineering; they often involve a major reorganization of their electronic structure, which provide a number of useful mechanisms in the design of electronic or optical functions. Once integrated in a molecular system, their contribution is not limited to the original photochromism, i.e. change in absorption spectrum but, due to the interaction with the other molecules of the system, new properties can be generated allowing the performance of new functions for molecular design.
Measures of complexity for artificial embryogeny

We aim for a more rigorous discussion of "complexity" for Artificial Embryogeny. Initially, we review several existing measures from Biology and Mathematics. We argue that measures which rank complexity through a Turing machine, or measures of information contained in a genome about an environment, are not desireable here; Instead, we argue for measures which provide the environment "for free", allowing us to quantify the capacity for a genome to exploit a provided area of growth. This leads to our definition of Environmental Kolmogorov Complexity and Logical Depth, along with our introduction of novel measures of functional complexity. Next, we attempt at defining an exceptionally simple model of embryogenesis, the Terminating Cellular Automata. The described measures are computed in this context, and contrasted.
Acute nicotine delays extinction of contextual fear in mice.

Abstract Smoking is linked to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which suggests smoking is either a risk factor or an attempt at self-medication. The ability to reduce or extinguish fear-related memories may be altered in patients with PTSD and it is possible that nicotine modulates this. Although there are numerous studies examining the effects of nicotine on acquisition of fear learning, the effects of nicotine on extinction of contextual fear are not well understood. In the present study, we examined the effects of acute nicotine (0.18 mg/kg) on extinction of contextual fear in C57BL/6 J mice. Animals were first trained in a background contextual fear conditioning paradigm using a white noise as a conditioned stimulus (CS), which co-terminated with a 2 s 0.57 mA unconditioned foot-shock stimulus (US). Animals were then administered either nicotine or saline and exposed to either the training context or a novel context in order to measure freezing to the context during extinction. Our results demonstrate that nicotine administration during extinction delays extinction of contextual freezing while nicotine did not affect cued freezing or freezing to the novel context.
First Report of the European Lineage of Phytophthora ramorum on Viburnum and Osmanthus spp. in a California Nursery.

Phytophthora ramorum S. Werres & A.W.A.M. de Cock is the causal agent of sudden oak death in California and Oregon forests and ramorum blight on a broad range of host species in wildlands and nurseries. It is thought to be an introduced pathogen and only three clonal lineages are known (3). The North American lineage (lineage NA1, mating type A2) is responsible for infections in California and Oregon forests. The European lineage (lineage EU1, predominantly A1) is responsible for infections in Europe, but has also been found in nurseries in Oregon and Washington. A third lineage (NA2) has only been isolated in a few instances from nurseries in Washington and California. In June 2006, P. ramorum was isolated from diseased Viburnum tinus, Osmanthus heterophyllus, and O. fragrans cultivars from a Humboldt County retail nursery in northern California. We genotyped isolates and placed them into clonal lineages using microsatellite markers developed for P. ramorum (3,4). Genomic DNA was extracted from mycelia w...
The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire in eating disorder patients

The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) was developed to measure a variety of personality variants on three biosocial dimensions, harm avoidance (HA), novelty seeking (NS), and reward dependence (RD), which are thought to be related to serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE) function, respectively. Patients with eating disorders have been reported to have abnormalities in all of these systems, as well as personality variants described by these dimensions. We therefore administered the TPQ to 147 patients with DSM-III-R defined eating disorders (110 bulimia nervosa [BN], 27 with anorexia nervosa [AN], and 10 with BN+AN) and compared their scores to those of 350 female controls. When significant, post hoc Bonferroni t tests were performed using alpha = 0.05. All subtypes of eating disorder patients scored significantly higher on HA than controls (p < or = .0001, analysis of variance. Only patients with BN (+/- AN) had significantly higher degrees of NS (p < or = .0001), particularly on the impulsiveness subscale (NS2), although this may, in part, be due to age. No significant differences in total RD were found, although BN patients scored lower on RD3 (attachment vs. detachment) and higher on RD4 (dependence vs. independence) than controls. In addition, AN patients had significantly higher RD2 (persistence vs. irresoluteness) subscale scores. These data support a theory of 5-HT dysregulation in both types of eating disorders and suggest that further research be done on the role of DA and NE in BN.
Switching Dynamics And Structures Of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals In The Surface Stabilized Geometry

Ferroelectric smectic C Liauid Crystals (FLCs) in the Surface Stabilized geometry offer high speed, high contrast, bistable electro-optic switching characteristics. As a result, SSFLC devices are now beginning to be employed in a variety of light control applications in laboratory, display, fiber optic, and data processing applications. In this paper we discuss the structural and dynamic properties of SSFLC cells and their relationship to electro-optic switching characteristics. We have used optical transmission spectroscopy to determine the spatial variation of molecular orientation within non-uniform FLC cells as a function of applied electric field. Numerical solutions of the equation of motion suggest that director reorientation could be governed by the motion of solitary waves at very high fields.
Survival of Fish-Pathogenic Strains of Aeromonas hydrophila under Starvation

AbstractThe survival of Aeromonas hydrophila under low-nutrient conditions was investigated in this study. The behavior of three strains isolated from Common Carp Cyprinus carpio (China) and Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus (USA) was compared when cells were starved at different temperatures (4, 15, 25, and 35°C) over a 4-week period. Temperature played a major role in cell survival, and cell viability decreased rapidly at 4°C. Conversely, cells stored at 15°C did not lose viability over time. Warmer temperatures (25°C and 35°C) decreased cell numbers by approximately one order of magnitude. Ultrastructural changes in cell morphology were observed in starved cells. Our data confirm that A. hydrophila can persist in the aquatic environment for extended periods, but survival is strongly influenced by temperature.Received December 13, 2013; accepted March 22, 2014
Thickness dependence in the action of gramicidin A on lipid bilayers.

Abstract Lipid specificity and apparent autocatalytic behavior were studied as clues to the mechanism of action of Gramicidin A. In its presence the rate of conductance increment through lipid bilayers decreases exponentially with the thickness of the hydrophobic region as measured by capacity changes. With acidic lipids this is expressed as apparent autocatalytic behavior which goes over into straight kinetics as ionic strength is increased. For these phospholipids there is a spontaneous decrease of thickness with time in the absence, as well as a further smaller induced decrease in the presence of antibiotic. For amphoteric and neutral lipids these effects are much reduced or absent, giving power law or straight kinetics. These, together with results of modification of the N -formyl terminal are consistent with the π (L,D) type helix structures proposed for Gramicidin A by D. W. Urry.
Comparing patient-level and site-level anticoagulation control as predictors of adverse events

Abstract Introduction Percent time in therapeutic range (TTR) is increasingly used to summarize anticoagulation control over time among patients receiving warfarin. Higher TTR improves outcomes of care, but studies have varied regarding whether TTR is best summarized as center-based percent time in therapeutic range (cTTR) or as individual percent time in therapeutic range (iTTR). Our aim was to compare cTTR to iTTR in predicting ischemic stroke, major hemorrhage, and all-cause mortality. Materials and methods Veterans Health Administration data of 57,281 patients receiving warfarin therapy were included. iTTR was calculated using linear interpolation. Each site’s mean TTR was calculated, and the cTTR was assigned to all patients at that site. We used Cox proportional hazards to examine cTTR and iTTR as predictors of major hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, and all-cause mortality. Results Comparing worst to best quartiles of INR control, cTTR was not a statistically significant predictor of major hemorrhage or ischemic stroke, hazard ratios (HR) were 1.02 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93-1.11) and 1.00 (95% CI: 0.88-1.13), respectively. cTTR was a weak predictor of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07-1.22). iTTR predicted major hemorrhage (HR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.63-1.96), ischemic stroke (HR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.67-2.19), and all-cause mortality (HR: 2.20, 95% CI: 2.05-2.35). Conclusion iTTR significantly predicted risk of major hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, and all-cause mortality. cTTR was a weak predictor of all-cause mortality. Though cTTR may be a better target for site-level quality improvement efforts, iTTR may be a more suitable measure for use in comparative effectiveness research.
Expert system assisted test data generation for software branch coverage

Abstract With the increased production of complex software systems, verification and validation (V & V) has evolved into a set of activities that span the entire software life cycle. Among these various activities, software testing plays a major role in V&V. Conventional software testing methods generally require considerable manual effort which can generate only a limited number of test cases before the amount of time expended becomes unacceptably large. In this paper, we present a new approach to generating test cases based on artificial intelligence methods. By analyzing the branch coverage of previous test cases, an expert system is able to generate new test cases which provide additional coverage. Heuristic rules are used to modify previous test cases in order to achieve the desired branch coverage. This approach to software testing has the potential for greatly reducing the overall costs associated with branch coverage testing.
Genetic correlations among inbred strain sensitivities to convulsions induced by 9 convulsant drugs

Inbred mouse strains differed significantly in sensitivity to convulsions induced by 9 convulsant drugs administered using a timed infusion procedure. Some strains (e.g. BALB/cJ, A/J) were generally seizure-susceptible, while some were generally seizure resistant (e.g. C57BL/6J, SWR/J). However, the overall pattern of strain sensitivities was complex, and depended upon drug and convulsant sign. Five of the drugs (bicuculline, DMCM, picrotoxin, TBPS and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ] produce convulsions, at least in part, through their interactions with the GABA receptor, while the other 4 (strychnine, CHEB, 4-aminopyridine and kainic acid) act through independent mechanisms. We predicted that responses to drugs with similar mechanisms of action would be genetically correlated. However, strains sensitive to picrotoxin-induced convulsions were not necessarily sensitive to convulsions elicited by PTZ or TBPS. Furthermore, different convulsant signs produced by a single drug were not always strongly correlated. Instead, genetic correlations were found among inbred strains for sensitivity to similar convulsant signs produced by different drugs. This suggests that genetic variation in sensitivity to these convulsant drugs arises primarily from variation in systems important for the expression of the convulsion.
Caring for the Parkinson's patient: a nurse's perspective.

s a nurse or physician caring for a patient with Parkinson’s disease (PD), any challenges will be encountered. This population is unique in that, hereas PD is a chronic, progressive, neurodegenerative disease, it can uctuate from day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute. This presents hallenges for not only the nurse and physician but more significantly for he patient and family. What follows are practical guidelines for the ealthcare professional in order to maximize the care of this unique opulation of patients. Before going further, it is helpful to have an awareness of the erminology that is associated with this disease process. The following is collection of definitions that may be useful in understanding Parkinson’s isease.
The use of 96-well Scintiplates to facilitate definitive metabolism studies for drug candidates

Abstract Semi-quantitative analysis of the drug-related components in biological samples collected during definitive metabolism studies using radiolabelled drug candidates is commonly achieved by HPLC profiling, using either on-line radiochemical detection or off-line liquid scintillation counting (LSC) following collection of the HPLC eluent into vials. However, although the use of LSC with vials has high sensitivity, the approach is time-consuming, laborious and destructive, whilst on-line detection methods are inappropriate for samples with low-levels of radioactivity (commonly the case with plasma samples). The use of 96-well microtitre plates (Scintiplates) for fraction collection during HPLC profiling provides a sensitive, effective and efficient alternative method for the semi-quantitative analysis of radiolabelled components in biological samples. Furthermore, the approach is non-destructive, such that subsequent identification of the isolated components can be achieved. Although the Scintiplate methodology is not appropriate for the analysis of excreta samples, where quenching of the radiochemical signal by endogenous components was observed, the approach was demonstrated to be valid for the relative quantification of [ 14 C ]-labelled material in plasma samples for all species investigated. In addition, good sensitivity was observed, with a counting efficiency of 79% for [ 14 C ], such that a drug-related component accounting for 10–15 dpm is quantifiable. The utility of the methodology for profiling circulating metabolites was demonstrated by the analysis of a rat plasma sample following oral administration of [ 14 C ]-UK-349,862. The Scintiplate approach and subsequent mass spectrometric analysis resulted in the relative quantitation and specific characterisation of circulating metabolites accounting for 93% of the total plasma radioactivity.
Electrodynamic bare tether systems as a thruster for the Momentum-Exchange/Electrodynamic Reboost (MXER) project

The concept of electrodynamic tether propulsion has a number of attractive features and has been widely discussed for different applications. Different system designs have been proposed and compared during the last 10 years. In spite of this, the choice of proper design for any particular mission is a unique problem. Such characteristics of tether performance as system acceleration, efficiency, etc., should be calculated and compared on the basis of the known capability of a tether to collect electrical current. We discuss the choice of parameters for circular and tape tethers with regard to the Momentum-Exchange/Electrodynamic Reboost (MXER) tether project.
Triple-product correlations in semileptonic decays.

The use of triple-product correlations to signal the presence of $\mathrm{CP}$ violations in decays of charged pseudoscalar mesons is studied. It is pointed out that observation of such correlations in the semileptonic modes is likely to be evidence for new physics. The effect of unitarity phases is discussed and a detailed analysis of the Weinberg Higgs-boson model of $\mathrm{CP}$ violation is carried out for charged $B$ mesons and kaons.
Force fields for classical atomistic simulations of small gas molecules in silicalite-1 for energy-related gas separations at high temperatures

High temperature (>573 K) molecular dynamics studies of gas diffusion in microporous zeolites require consideration of the zeolite framework flexibility. Pore windows can expand and contract at high temperatures, affecting phase space and material properties. No studies to date have addressed the application of the condensed-phase optimized molecular potentials for atomistic simulation studies or the consistent valence force field to simulate gas diffusion and adsorption in siliceous MFI (silicalite-1). The current study seeks to validate these intramolecular and intermolecular potentials along with another zeolite-specific force field reported by Nicholas et al. (JACS 113:4792–4800, 1991) for silicalite-1, one of the most extensively investigated zeolites, with respect to diffusion of several gas molecules. The experimental diffusion coefficients of H2, CO2, CH4, O2 and N2 in silicalite-1 obtained using pulse-field gradient-nuclear magnetic resonance and quasi-elastic neutron scattering methods were compared to theoretically derived diffusion coefficients employing these force fields in molecular dynamics simulations. The diffusion coefficients obtained using the three force fields for H2, CO2, CH4, O2 and N2 agreed well with these experimental data. The zeolite-specific force field of Nicholas et al. was employed in grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations to obtain adsorption isotherms of these gases. The adsorption isotherms and isosteric heats of adsorption predicted were also in agreement with the expected range of available experimental and theoretical adsorption data reported in the literature.
Electron transport in nitrogen‐polar high electron mobility transistors

The electron mobility in N-polar heterostructures was measured as a function of gate bias using resistance and capacitance measurements on gated transmission line method structures. The mobility was observed to decrease as the gate was reverse biased. Experimental results also revealed that the access resistance of the device increased with increasing reverse bias of the gate. Theoretical scattering rates caused by phonon, alloy disorder and ionized impurity scattering were calculated as a function of gate bias and found to match the experimental data well. An electrostatic model was developed to calculate the sheet charge density of the devices, and they were found to be independent of the polarization of the barrier layer. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Modeling RNA Structure

RNA secondary structure can be most simply visualized on the basis of runs of complementary bases in the primary sequence. These complementary regions predict an ability of a molecule to fold back on itself to form double stranded helical regions. Computer methods which utilize energy rules to predict a secondary structure for the entire molecule have been devised. These predictions can be made to accommodate other types of chemical and genetic analysis. The limitations of the modeling methods are discussed and their use in folding several RNA molecules is demonstrated. Regulatory mechanisms which may be controlled by RNA structure and amenable to genetic analysis are also discussed.
Dynamic documents: authoring, browsing, and analysis using a high-level petri net-based hypermedia system

caT (for Context-Aware Trellis) was initially developed to support context-aware documents by incorporating high-level Petri-net specification, context-awareness, user modeling, and fuzzy knowledge handling features into Trellis, a Petri-net-based hypermedia system. The browsing behavior of documents specified in the caT model can reflect the reader's contextual (such as location and time) and preference information. Recently, to provide a framework for the authoring, browsing, and analysis of reasonably complex, dynamic documents, we added (or extended) several features in the caT system, providing hierarchical Petri net support, a structured authoring tool, browsing tools for multiple presentations of a particular document's specification, and a Petri net analysis tool. In this paper, we present the extended features of caT and give examples of using caT to define and present various documents, such as formal specification of software requirements and customized Web documents. Since caT is based on a formal model, the behavioral characteristics of developed caT models can be analyzed. Current debugging and analysis tools, integrated into the authoring tool, are also introduced.
Mechanical response of the left ventricle during AC induced hemodynamic collapse

Medical equipment can unintentionally allow the flow of small amounts of AC current through the patient causing hemodynamic collapse without fibrillation. This study examines the mechanical response of the left ventricle during AC induced hemodynamic collapse. Six dogs received 5 seconds of AC current stimulation ranging from 4-160 Hz and 10-1000 /spl mu/A to the right ventricle. A quadripolar catheter was placed in the apex of the left ventricle to measure left ventricular volume. Short-axis ultrasound images were recorded to measure left ventricular cross sectional area and wall thickness. Our results showed that the mean volume of the left ventricle during collapse was significantly smaller (p < 0.05) than the mean volume preceding collapse. Cross sectional area also decreased significantly and wall thickness increased. This suggests that the heart assumes a contracted, systole-like state during collapse.
Modeling high speed MRI coil switching using PIN diodes

A dynamic time-domain model with improved reverse bias modeling performance suitable of modeling high speed switching in MRI coils with PIN diodes is presented. This model is easily integrated with previous forward bias charge control models and now allows full modeling of high speed, high frequency PIN diodes in time domain simulators. The model is verified with experimental data and good agreement was obtained. The model is then used in determining the dynamic switching characteristics of MRI coils.
Energy Cascades and Loss of Balance in a Reentrant Channel Forced by Wind Stress and Buoyancy Fluxes

AbstractA large fraction of the kinetic energy in the ocean is stored in the “quasigeostrophic” eddy field. This “balanced” eddy field is expected, according to geostrophic turbulence theory, to transfer energy to larger scales. In order for the general circulation to remain approximately steady, instability mechanisms leading to loss of balance (LOB) have been hypothesized to take place so that the eddy kinetic energy (EKE) may be transferred to small scales where it can be dissipated. This study examines the kinetic energy pathways in fully resolved direct numerical simulations of flow in a flat-bottomed reentrant channel, externally forced by surface buoyancy fluxes and wind stress in a configuration that resembles the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The flow is allowed to reach a statistical steady state at which point it exhibits both a forward and an inverse energy cascade. Flow interactions with irregular bathymetry are excluded so that bottom drag is the sole mechanism available to dissipate the up...
Integration of soil moisture, xylem water potential, and fall–spring herbicide treatments to achieve the maximum growth response in newly planted Douglas-fir seedlings

Early in the establishment of Pacific Northwest Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) plantations, herbaceous vegetation can decrease seedling growth through competition for soil moisture during the dry summer months. This study was designed to statistically quantify soil moisture, seedling xylem water potential (Ψ), vegetation community, and seedling growth response to six herbicide treatment regimes commonly applied over the first 2 years of establishment. When compared with the control, soil moisture and seedling Ψ increased in response to reductions in competitive cover, allowing seedlings to extend productive growing time from 28 to 80 days. As a result, seedling volume growth increased from 56 cm3 in the untreated control to greater than 250 cm3 for the most intensive herbicide treatment regimes. Vegetation surveys revealed that treatment regimes had the potential to provide a disturbance, which could shift community composition from native to introduced species as the relationship decr...
Driftcretions: The legacy impacts of driftwood on shoreline morphology

This research demonstrates how vegetation interacts with physical processes to govern landscape development. We quantify and describe interactions among driftwood, sedimentation, and vegetation for Great Slave Lake, which is used as proxy for shoreline dynamics and landforms before deforestation and wood removal along major waterways. We introduce driftcretion to describe large, persistent concentrations of driftwood that interact with vegetation and sedimentation to influence shoreline evolution. We report the volume and distribution of driftwood along shorelines, the morphological impacts of driftwood delivery throughout the Holocene, and rates of driftwood accretion. Driftcretions facilitate the formation of complex, diverse morphologies that increase biological productivity and organic carbon capture and buffer against erosion. Driftcretions should be common on shorelines receiving a large wood supply and with processes which store wood permanently. We encourage others to work in these depositional zones to understand the physical and biological impacts of large wood export from river basins.
The Transmission of Early Bronze Technology to Thailand: New Perspectives

In the four decades since the discovery that a discrete Bronze Age preceded the Iron Age in mainland Southeast Asia, much has been learned about the dating, technology, production, organization, and use of bronze metallurgy in the region, particularly in prehistoric Thailand. Although independent invention of copper smelting in Southeast Asia has not been considered likely by most regional archaeologists since the 1980s, the source of copper-base technology and the mechanisms of adoption remain poorly understood. Arguments claiming that the primary stimulus for the appearance of copper-base metallurgy in Southeast Asia came from early states in the Central Plain of China have dominated recent discussions, but anthropological approaches to technology transmission, adoption, and adaptation have yet to be systematically explored. After summarizing the current evidence for early bronze metallurgy in Thailand, this paper proposes an alternative to the predominant Sinocentric view of the source for Southeast Asian bronze technology. It will be proposed on both chronological and technological grounds that the first bronze metallurgy in Southeast Asia was derived from pre-Andronovo late third millennium BC Eurasian forest-steppe metals technology, and not from the second millennium, technologically distinctive, elite-sponsored bronze metallurgy of the Chinese Erlitou or Erligang Periods. Hypotheses for a transmission route and a research agenda for resolving debates on bronze origins in Southeast Asia are offered.
Semi-automated neuron boundary detection and nonbranching process segmentation in electron microscopy images

Neuroscientists are developing new imaging techniques and generating large volumes of data in an effort to understand the complex structure of the nervous system. The complexity and size of this data makes human interpretation a labor-intensive task. To aid in the analysis, new segmentation techniques for identifying neurons in these feature rich datasets are required. This paper presents a method for neuron boundary detection and nonbranching process segmentation in electron microscopy images and visualizing them in three dimensions. It combines both automated segmentation techniques with a graphical user interface for correction of mistakes in the automated process. The automated process first uses machine learning and image processing techniques to identify neuron membranes that deliniate the cells in each two-dimensional section. To segment nonbranching processes, the cell regions in each two-dimensional section are connected in 3D using correlation of regions between sections. The combination of this method with a graphical user interface specially designed for this purpose, enables users to quickly segment cellular processes in large volumes.
Transverse impedance distribution measurements using the response matrix fit method at APS

The Advanced Photon Source storage ring has a number of narrow-gap insertion device vacuum chambers, and there is a plan to further increase their number. These vacuum chambers contribute to the impedance of the machine and to the impedance limits the single-bunch current threshold. In order to understand the contribution of the vacuum chambers and its dependence on the gap, the distribution of the vertical transverse impedance around the circumference of the APS storage ring has been determined using the response matrix fit method. This method allows us to find focusing errors around the storage ring and was originally used to determine and correct the linear model of the APS. The high accuracy of the method enables us to measure the variation of betatron phase advance around the ring with beam current. Results of these measurements are reported and the impedance of different parts of the storage ring is presented.
The effect of primary organic particles on emergency hospital admissions among the elderly in 3 US cities

Background: Fine particle (PM2.5) pollution related to combustion sources has been linked to a variety of adverse health outcomes. Although poorly understood, it is possible that organic carbon (OC) species, particularly those from combustion-related sources, may be partially responsible for the observed toxicity of PM2.5. The toxicity of the OC species may be related to their chemical structures; however, few studies have examined the association of OC species with health impacts. Methods: We categorized 58 primary organic compounds by their chemical properties into 5 groups: n-alkanes, hopanes, cyclohexanes, PAHs and isoalkanes. We examined their impacts on the rate of daily emergency hospital admissions among Medicare recipients in Atlanta, GA and Birmingham, AL (2006–2009), and Dallas, TX (2006–2007). We analyzed data in two stages; we applied a case-crossover analysis to simultaneously estimate effects of individual OC species on cause-specific hospital admissions. In the second stage we estimated the OC chemical group-specific effects, using a multivariate weighted regression. Results: Exposures to cyclohexanes of six days and longer were significantly and consistently associated with increased rate of hospital admissions for CVD (3.40%, 95%CI = (0.64, 6.24%) for 7-d exposure). Similar increases were found for hospitalizations for ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction. For respiratory related hospital admissions, associations with OC groups were less consistent, although exposure to iso-/anteiso-alkanes was associated with increased respiratory-related hospitalizations. Conclusions: Results suggest that week-long exposures to traffic-related, primary organic species are associated with increased rate of total and cause-specific CVD emergency hospital admissions. Associations were significant for cyclohexanes, but not hopanes, suggesting that chemical properties likely play an important role in primary OC toxicity.
Reduction mammaplasty in adolescents: a review of the indications, timing, and outcomes in a regional plastic surgery unit

Background With an increase in the incidence of childhood obesity and body awareness among adolescents, there has been a rise in the number of reduction mammaplasties being performed in this group of patients. Our study aims to review the indications, complications, and long-term outcomes of reduction mammaplasty in this subgroup of patients.
Decidability for Lightweight Diffie-Hellman Protocols

Many protocols use Diffie-Hellman key agreement, combined with certified long-term values or digital signatures for authentication. These protocols aim at security goals such as key secrecy, forward secrecy, resistance to key compromise attacks, and various flavors of authentication. However, these protocols are challenging to analyze, both in computational and symbolic models. An obstacle in the symbolic model is the undecidability of unification in many theories in the signature of rings. In this paper, we develop an algebraic version of the symbolic approach, working directly within finite fields, the natural structures for the protocols. The adversary, in giving an attack on a protocol goal in a finite field, may rely on any identity in that field. He defeats the protocol if there are attacks in infinitely many finite fields. We prove that, even for this strong adversary, security goals for a wide class of protocols are decidable.
Commentary on "The risky business of studying prognosis".

To the Editor: We have read with great interest the review1 of our recent article2. Lim and Feldman provide valuable insights into the multiple pitfalls and limitations of retrospective studies, aiming to guide readers in better understanding the methodological underpinnings of different study designs and to help in selecting optimal studies to inform their practice. We thank Lim and Feldman for their comments; we take this opportunity to clarify several points. First, we point out that our study does not meet the definition of a “prognostic study,” because “prognostic studies” imply a directional causal relationship between a predictor and an outcome. Indeed, Lim and Feldman quoted an … Address correspondence to Dr. Broder. E-mail: abroder{at}montefiore.org
Modeling the Atmospheric General Circulation Using a Spherical Geodesic Grid: A New Class of Dynamical Cores

Abstract This paper documents the development and testing of a new type of atmospheric dynamical core. The model solves the vorticity and divergence equations in place of the momentum equation. The model is discretized in the horizontal using a geodesic grid that is nearly uniform over the entire globe. The geodesic grid is formed by recursively bisecting the triangular faces of a regular icosahedron and projecting those new vertices onto the surface of the sphere. All of the analytic horizontal operators are reduced to line integrals, which are numerically evaluated with second-order accuracy. In the vertical direction the model can use a variety of coordinate systems, including a generalized sigma coordinate that is attached to the top of the boundary layer. Terms related to gravity wave propagation are isolated and an efficient semi-implicit time-stepping scheme is implemented. Since this model combines many of the positive attributes of both spectral models and conventional finite-difference models in...
Cancer-associated thrombosis: updates and controversies

Abstract Emerging data have enhanced our understanding of cancer-associated thrombosis, a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. This update will focus on recent findings, including the phenomenon of incidental venous thromboembolism (VTE), novel approaches to risk assessment, and the results of randomized clinical trials focusing on prophylaxis of cancer outpatients. Incidental VTE is an important contributor to rates of cancer-associated VTE and, in terms of outcomes, appears to be as consequential for patients as symptomatic VTE. Multiple biomarkers have been studied, with the highest level of evidence for prechemotherapy elevated platelet counts, elevated leukocyte counts, and low hemoglobin. Other candidate biomarkers, including D-dimer and tissue factor, are currently being evaluated. A recently validated risk score for chemotherapy-associated VTE has now been evaluated in more than 10 000 cancer patients in a variety of clinical settings and trials and is ready for clinical use (Level 1 clinical decision rule). Several randomized clinical trials in solid-tumor patients with low-molecular-weight heparins and semuloparin, an ultra-low-molecular-weight heparin, demonstrate clearly that outpatient thromboprophylaxis is feasible, safe, and effective. Selecting the appropriate patients for prophylaxis, however, continues to be a matter of controversy.
The Remarkable Mitochondrion of Trypanosomes and Related Flagellates

While the single mitochondrion of trypanosomatid flagellates contains many of the hallmarks that are known from mitochondria in other conventional model organisms, it also possesses several unique features, making it a subject of intense research. Here, we summarize current knowledge of the (1) structure, maintenance and replication of the extensive kinetoplastid DNA network, (2) byzantine organellar RNA metabolism, including insertion/deletion RNA editing, (3) translation of mitochondrial-encoded proteins, and, finally, (4) distinctive aspects of energy metabolism of the organelle. While we focus on the mitochondrion of Trypanosoma brucei, particularly in the context of its radical physiological and biochemical changes during the life cycle of the parasite, in order to get a more complete picture of the workings of this fascinating organelle, we also discuss significant findings obtained from other trypanosomatids.