cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elliptic Regularization and the Solvability of Self-Propelled Locomotion Problems

Humans have been fascinated by the wonders of animal locomotion since antiquity. The effortless grace of birds in flight, and the silent glide of fish through water exemplify the elegance possible with control over the local fluid flow. While we have been free to observe the poetry in these motions for centuries, the ability to predict and mimic these motions with any degree of accuracy is a much more recent development. Advances in computing hardware and our numerical simulation capabilities have opened the door to the analysis and prediction of the motion of complex shapes in fluid environments. As we continue to develop more depth and sophistication in our ability to simulate the mathematical models of fluid mechanics, we must be sure to maintain an awareness of the existence and smoothness of the exact solutions to our mathematical models. In this paper we present a very brief overview of some techniques from partial differential equations which can be used to analyze physically relevant problems in animal locomotion. The ideas used here give important insight into situations where control systems for ordinary differential equations may be used to control the trajectories of vehicles through fluid environments.
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus

Of all the families of viruses, it is tempting to say that none but the arenaviruses has brought to light so many principles on which modern-day viral immunobiology and viral immunopathology are based. The touchstone, and prototype of the Arenaviridae, is murine lymphocytic choriomenigitis virus (LCMV). As strikingly demonstrated in the following chapters, the LCMV murine model has proven to be without equal for the study of acute and persistent infections, including related disease, in a natural host. For this reason, as well as to give the reader some feeling of the excitement and frustration of everyday science as we know it, we recount the history of the discovery of LCMV and its long-awaited place and convergence in a newly emerging taxon. We also briefly discuss the epidemiology of LCMV, since it has been so troublesome for researchers, especially nonvirologists working in cancer and immunobiology fields.
Alcohol Use, Physical Performance, and Functional Limitations in Older Men

OBJECTIVES: To describe associations between recent alcohol intake, physical performance, and functional limitations in older men. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Six U.S. clinical centers. PARTICIPANTS: Five thousand nine hundred sixty-two men aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Self-reported functional limitations; problem drinking history (≥2 positive responses on the CAGE questionnaire); history of sustained excessive drinking (history of consumption of ≥5 drinks/day on most days); and alcohol intake categorized by drinks/week (0=abstainers, n=2,116; < 1=intermittent, n=739); 1 to <7= light, n=1,563; 7 to <14=low-moderate, n=848; 14 to <21 =high-moderate, n=459; and ≥21=heavy, n=237). Grip strength, leg power, chair stand, and walking tests were completed during a standard examination. RESULTS: After age adjustment, men with low-moderate or high-moderate intake generally performed 3% to 5% better on physical performance tests than abstainers; heavy drinkers performed similarly to abstainers. These associations lessened yet tended to remain significant after multivariate adjustment. Men with low-moderate alcohol intake had the lowest odds of reporting a limitation in instrumental activities of daily living (multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR)=0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.39–0.69) compared to abstainers; similar odds were seen for high-moderate and heavy use. The association between alcohol intake and self-reported physical limitation was U-shaped, with the highest odds of physical limitation in abstainers (OR=1.0, referent) and heavy users (OR=0.88, 95% CI=0.58–1.36) and the lowest odds in low-moderate users (OR=0.62, 95% CI=0.46–0.95). CONCLUSION: Moderate alcohol intake was associated with modestly better physical performance and lower odds of reporting a functional limitation in older men.
Local theories of the x-ray background

Recent theories of the origins of diffuse-background X-rays are reviewed, with emphasis on theories of the soft flux in the galactic plane and at the poles. This is probably partly galactic and partly extragalactic in origin. Failure to observe absorption by the Small Magellanic Cloud and by galactic gas in neighboring directions may be due to sources in the Cloud and to statistical fluctuations in galactic emission and absorption. Several models for numerous low-luminosity sources in the Galaxy are available. True ‘diffuse’ emission seems unnecessary. Absorption by Galactic gas seems to agree roughly with theory. The soft extragalactic component may arise in a hot intergalactic medium.
Joining University Affiliated Programs and Schools of Social Work: A Collaborative Model for Disabilities Curriculum Development and Training

Schools of social work vary widely in their ability and commitment to prepare students for practice with individuals with disabilities. Given their teaching and training expertise and resources, University Affiliated Programs (UAPs) are uniquely positioned to partner with schools of social work to remedy this situation. This article describes a model of collaboration to develop and actively promote specialized curriculum and training opportunities in the field of mental retardation and developmental disabilities. The model builds on the “best practices” of existing collaborative efforts between UAPs and social work programs.
Infrared Pumping and Polarization of Molecular Lines in IRC+10216

In a circumstellar environment, the central star provides a source of radiation that is anisotropic at any point in the envelope. Observa-tionally the vibrationally excited, circumstellar SiO masers are known to be quite linearly polarized and close to the star — a phenomenon that can be understood as due to the stellar radiation (Western and Watson 1983). Here, we consider polarization that is produced in the ground vibrational state emission as a result of infrared excitations in the circumstellar gas due to the star light. As a specific (and probably optimal) example, we treat the SiO molecule.
Gender differences in endocrine responses to posture and 7 days of -6 degrees head-down bed rest

Endocrine regulation of fluids and electrolytes during 7 days of -6 degrees head-down bed rest (HDBR) was compared in male (n = 8) and, for the first time, female (n = 8) volunteers. The subjects' ...
Ambient Earth noise: A survey of the Global Seismographic Network

[1] It has been a decade since the last comprehensive model of ambient Earth noise was published (Peterson, 1993). Since then, observations of ambient Earth noise from the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Global Seismographic Network (GSN) of widely distributed, similarly equipped, and well-calibrated stations have become available. The broad geographic sampling of this large data set and the ease of access to waveform data provided by the IRIS Data Management System facilitate analysis of global noise samples. We have analyzed data from the 118 GSN stations operating during the year July 2001 through June 2002. On the basis of over 738,000 hourly spectral estimates computed from these stations' data, we have developed a robust noise model that exhibits significant differences from previous models both in the normal mode and body wave bands. Our analysis technique has the advantage that we do not need to search for quiet periods but can include all data where the instruments are operating correctly.
Comparative radiation resistance calculation for graded- and constant-composition n Al/x/Ga/1-x/As-p Al/z/Ga/1-z/As solar cells

The performance and radiation resistance of a new double-graded-band-gap solar cell are theoretically determined. The performance of this device is similar to that of the single-graded-band-gap cell. The power-conversion efficiencies of both graded-band-gap structures are shown to be less sensitive to minority-carrier lifetime degradation than a similar constant-composition heteroface cell.
Pelvic CT angiography: application to blunt trauma using 64MDCT

The evolution of multi-row detector computed tomography (MDCT) technology has resulted in evolving applications of CT angiography (CTA) in the trauma setting. In patients with significant blunt pelvic injuries, the immediate diagnosis and characterization of vascular injuries are of significant import given their morbidity and mortality in this patient population. The application of MDCT technology, specifically 64MDCT, to pelvic CTA is useful in evaluating for potential vascular injuries and may be integrated into admission trauma imaging in order to triage patients with blunt pelvic trauma to appropriate emergent intervention. This review will discuss the use of pelvic CTA in blunt pelvic trauma and its utility in detecting and characterizing vascular injury, including the differentiation of arterial from venous hemorrhage. Protocol considerations in pelvic CTA using 64MDCT technology will be detailed as well as the integration of pelvic CTA into torso CT trauma protocols.
Regional differences in willingness to help strangers: A field experiment with a new unobtrusive measure☆☆☆

Abstract Keys, tagged with the owner's name and address, were “lost” in four major cities. The greatest frequency of keys returned came from the Midwest and the lowest frequency of returns came from the Far West. Keys returned from the East coast or the Midwest were more likely to contain a personal letter than were keys returned from the West or West Coast. Results were consistent with the stereotype of the Midwesterner as more friendly and helpful toward strangers than people from other regions. Results also indicated that the “lost-key” technique provides both a qualitative and quantitative measure of helpfulness.
Modeling subpixel orientation effects for hyperspectral demixing

The radiance spectrum corresponding to a single pixel in an airborne or space-based hyperspectral image is dependent on the reflectance spectra and orientations of the material surfaces within the pixel area. We develop a hyperspectral demixing algorithm that estimates the pixel area fractions of multiple materials present within a pixel. The algorithm exploits a nonlinear physics-based image formation model that allows surfaces with multiple orientations within the pixel area. Geometric constraints are derived in conjunction with the image formation model. The algorithm involves solving a constrained nonlinear optimization problem to estimate the pixel area fractions and the surface orientation parameters. An experiment using simulated radiance spectra is presented to demonstrate the utility of the algorithm.
Studies of the edge plasma of RF heated PLT discharges

Abstract Studies of RF heated PLT discharges have been performed using Langmuir probes and combined electrostatic calorimeter probes. In addition to the usual conductive and convective losses in the edge, evidence is found for the presence of a substantial group of fast ions having energies in the ≈105 eV range. Such ions are present in the cases of H+ minority and H+ 2nd harmonic heating, however, no such group has been observed in 3He minority heating. The data are presented with calculations to estimate the velocity space distributions of these ions.
The Growth and Decline of Executive-Centered Intergovernmental Management

The idea that the president should manage intergovernmental relationships gained credence and became more feasible as the Executive Office of the President developed managerial capacities. Executive-centered intergovernmental management gained considerable support in the Kestnbaum Comnunission 's deliberations, developed rapidly in response to Great Society coordination problems, and culminated during the Nixon administration. This perspective relies on the use of hierarchical management techniques to produce an orderly, rational federal system. Its decline began during the Carter administration and accelerated during the Reagan years. It is doubtful that this perspective will again be influential, given the erosion of professional support for and waning presidential interest in comprehensive, federal intergovernmental management.
Symptom Validity Test Performance and Consistency of Self-Reported Memory Functioning of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans with Positive Veteran Health Administration Comprehensive Traumatic Brain Injury Evaluations

Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom combat veterans given definite diagnoses of mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) during the Veteran Health Administration (VHA) Comprehensive TBI evaluation and reporting no post-deployment head injury were examined to assess (a) consistency of self-reported memory impairment and (b) symptom validity test (SVT) performance via a two-part study. Study 1 found that while 49 of 50 veterans reported moderate to very severe memory impairment during the VHA Comprehensive TBI evaluation, only 7 had reported any memory problem at the time of their Department of Defense (DOD) post-deployment health assessment. Study 2 found that of 38 veterans referred for neuropsychological evaluations following a positive VHA Comprehensive TBI evaluation, 68.4% failed the Word Memory Test, a forced choice memory recognition symptom validity task. Together, these studies raise questions concerning the use of veteran symptom self-report for TBI assessments and argue for the inclusion of SVTs and the expanded use of contemporaneous DOD records to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the VHA Comprehensive TBI evaluation.
Water Budgets for Small Diked Marshes

: This paper reports an analysis of the water budgets of 10 small (5–6 ha) diked areas (cells) within the Delta Marsh in southcentral Manitoba, Canada. The important terms in the water budget equation in this study were precipitation (P), water pumped in (SWI), evapotranspiration (ET), seepage in (GWI) and out (GWO), and change in storage (ΔS). P, SWI, and S were measured directly, and the sum of ET and GWO determined by difference. Estimating ET as 0.7 pan evaporation gave a seepage loss of 2.9 mm/day from the most intensively studied cell. Other methods of estimating ET produced estimates of GWO ranging from 2.4 to 3.8 mm/day. Water budgets for less intensively studied cells indicated seepage loss increased as perimeter available for seepage increased, but not proportionately. Efforts to measure seepage directly or estimate it from measured hydraulic gradients and hydraulic conductivity produced estimates much lower than the estimates from the water budget equation. Hydraulic conductivities were very heterogeneous, reflecting the sorting of water deposited sediments. Comparison of the hydraulic conductivities with seepage estimates from the water budget strongly suggests water movement downward as well as laterally from these diked areas.
Experiments on mechanics of flowing snow

Abstract Results are summarized from a number of experiments performed on granular and aggregate blocks of snow to determine the mechanics of the flow of the material. A Bingham locking property is shown to apply to snow flowing at low speeds, and the shear stress for locking is evaluated for one test configuration to be T 0 = 540 N m −2 . A velocity profile is measured through the depth of a 0.4 m deep flow of granular snow having a nominal speed of 7.0 m s −1 and fit by an exponential curve. This fit is indicative of a rapidly varying velocity gradient region near the bottom surface of the flow in a 1–5 cm layer, above which the snow moves more uniformly.
Contributions of neutrophils to resolution of mucosal inflammation

Neutrophil (PMN) recruitment from the blood stream into surrounding tissues involves a regulated series of events central to acute responses in host defense. Accumulation of PMN within mucosal tissues has historically been considered pathognomonic features of both acute and chronic inflammatory conditions. Historically, PMNs have been deemed necessary but detrimental when recruited, given the potential for tissue damage that results from a variety of mechanisms. Recent work, however, has altered our preconceived notions of PMN contributions to inflammatory processes. In particular, significant evidence implicates a central role for the PMN in triggering inflammatory resolution. Such mechanisms involve both metabolic and biochemical crosstalk pathways during the intimate interactions of PMN with other cell types at inflammatory sites. Here, we highlight several recent examples of how PMN coordinate the resolution of ongoing inflammation, with a particular focus on the gastrointestinal mucosa.
Bingo vs. physical intervention in stimulating short-term cognition in Alzheimer's disease patients:

Past research has shown that pharmacological measures can enhance cognitive and functional capacities for patients with Alzheimer's disease, but may result in unacceptable side effects. Investigations using nonpharmacological treatments are limited. This study evaluates the therapeutic effect of the game of Bingo as cognitive stimulation, versus daily physical activity, on short-term memory, concentration, word retrieval, and word recognition. Informed consent was obtained from the designated representatives of 50 subjects from six community adult day care centers on Long Island. The results show that cognitive stimulation enhanced performance on the Boston Naming Test and a Word List Recognition Task; physical intervention, however, did not reach statistical significance. Thus, a simple cognitive activity such as Bingo can be of great value to the daily management of Alzheimer's patients.
Feeding patterns of exclusively breast-fed infants during the first four months of life.

Abstract Milk intake and feeding patterns of 45 exclusively breast-fed infants were documented longitudinally over the first four months of life. Two prevailing feeding patterns were identified: one in which feedings were distributed throughout the 24-h day and one in which feedings were excluded from the early 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. period. No significant differences in total milk intake (g/24 h) were detected between months or feeding patterns. Milk intake per feeding decreased throughout the day irrespective of feeding pattern. Feeding frequency and duration declined in successive months of lactation. Total milk intake was not significantly correlated to feeding frequency or duration.
Velocity and Temperature Oscillations in Drainage Winds

Abstract Spectra of the time series of wind speeds and temperatures measured in the outflow area of a large drainage region are presented. Peaks are found in these spectra at frequencies corresponding to periods of oscillation of ∼1.5 h. A simple model is given, which accounts qualitatively for some of the observed features.
Cortisol reactivity in the laboratory predicts ineffectual attentional control in daily life.

Objective: The objective was to examine an executive control difficulty perspective on individual differences in cortisol reactivity using a daily protocol.Design: Fifty participants competed a laboratory stressor task and individualdifferences in cortisol reactivity were quantified.Main outcome measures: Daily attentional control, conflicting thoughts, error reactivity, worry and mindfulness were assessed.Results: The findings support the idea that as cortisol responses to stress get larger (as an individual difference), attentional control ceases to function as it should in terms of variables that should predict (mindfulness) and follow from (e.g. worry) it.Conclusion: The findings support the idea that individual differences in cortisol reactivity can be conceptualised in terms of ineffectual attentional control.
A comparison of bivalirudin to heparin with protamine reversal in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass: The EVOLUTION-ON study

Objectives Unfractionated heparin and its antidote, protamine sulfate, allow for rapid and reversible anticoagulation during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, yet limitations exist, including a variable dose-response, dependence on a cofactor for anticoagulant effect, and antigenic potential. This trial was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of bivalirudin as an alternative to heparin with protamine reversal in on-pump cardiac surgery. Methods We conducted a randomized, open-label, multicenter trial comparing heparin with protamine reversal to bivalirudin in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. The primary objective was to demonstrate comparable rates of in-hospital procedural success defined as freedom from death, Q-wave myocardial infarction, stroke, or repeat revascularization. Twenty-one institutions enrolled 101 patients randomized to bivalirudin and 49 patients to heparin treatment. Results The primary end point of procedural success was not significantly different between the bivalirudin arm and the heparin/protamine arms at 7 days, 30 days, or 12 weeks' follow-up. Adequate anticoagulation was achieved in all patients. Secondary end points including mortality, 24-hour blood loss, overall incidence of transfusions, and duration of surgery were similar between the two arms. Conclusions Bivalirudin is a safe and effective anticoagulant for patients undergoing a wide range of cardiac surgical procedures with cardiopulmonary bypass. Procedural success rates with bivalirudin were similar to rates in patients receiving heparin anticoagulation, with no difference in mortality. Avoidance of blood stasis and attention to the intraoperative medical management of patients is critical for successful use of bivalirudin during cardiopulmonary bypass.
Scale invariance, killing vectors, and the size of the fifth dimension

An analysis is made of the classical five-dimensional sourceless Kaluza-Klein equations with the existence of the usual ..cap alpha../..cap alpha../PSI/ Killing vector not assumed, where /PSI/ is the coordinate of the fifth dimension. The physical distance around the fifth dimension D/sub 5/, needed for the calculation of the fine structure constant ..cap alpha.., is not calculable in the usual theory because the equations have a global scale invariance. In the present case, the Killing vector and the global scale invariance are not present, but it is found rather generally that D/sub 5/ = 0. This indicates that quantum gravity is a necessary ingredient if ..cap alpha.. is to be calculated. It also provides an alternate explanation of why the universe appears four-dimensional.
Electrically and osmotically induced changes in permeability and structure of toad urinary bladder

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to explore the effects of electrical gradients on the permeability and structure of the load urinary bladder and to compare these results with those produced by osmotic gradients. From this we hoped to gain new insight into permeation pathways across epithelia. A marked increase in conductance begins within 20 ms, when voltage gradients of several hundred mV are applied in either direction across the bladder. This is accompanied by increased permeability of both mannitol and 1,7-heptanediol. Electron microscopy shows that these gradients also produce “blisters” within the tight junctions of the bladder epithelium. However, this structural change occurs only after the conductance change is complete. Osmotic gradients applied in either direction across the epithelium produce conductance and permeability changes virtually identical to those produced electrically. Blisters are formed in the tight junctions only when the mucosal solution is made hypertonic. We conclude: (a) Blister formation in tight junctions does not cause the conductance and permeability changes. (b) Both polar and non-polar permeation pathways are altered. (c) Both types of gradient probably act by basically the same mechanism.
Age-Related Effects of Scopolamine on REM Sleep Regulation in Normal Control Subjects: Relationship to Sleep Abnormalities in Depression

In order to assess the influence of development on the regulation of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep by cholinergic systems, the REM sleep responses to scopolamine were assessed in five normal adolescent and seven adult control subjects in this preliminary investigation. Subjects were studied on two separate occasions for three consecutive nights. Subjects received placebo or scopolamine (1.5 ug/kg, i.m.) on night 2; night 3 was considered the “recovery” night. As expected, scopolamine delayed REM latency and suppressed REM sleep on night 2 in both the adolescents and adults. Subtle developmental differences occurred, with scopolamine having a tendency to suppress REM sleep less effectively in younger subjects. On night 3, REM latency was shortened and REM sleep was increased to comparable extent in both the adolescents and adults. The comparable REM sleep responses to scopolamine between normal adolescents and adults, particularly on night 3, are discussed in relation to the age-related expression of REM sleep abnormalities in depression.
Effect of continuous enteral medium-chain fatty acid infusion on lipid metabolism in rats.

This study compared (i) the relative effects of long-chain triglycerides (LCT) and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), (ii) the influence of amount of MCT, and (iii) the impact of medium-chain fatty acid position, on plasma and lymphatic triglycerides and portal vein free fatty acids. The animals were fed approximately at 250 kcal/kg.day for 20 h. The lymph from lymphatic duct and blood from portal vein and systemic circulation were collected. The results showed that feeding 100% MCT for 20 h was sufficiently long to reduce significantly the level of linoleic acid in portal vein fatty acids and plasma and lymph triglycerides. However, this alteration induced by MCT feeding was partially prevented by adding LCT to the diet. The level of arachidonic acid was significantly reduced in plasma triglycerides by any of the diets containing medium-chain fatty acids compared to 100% LCT. When feeding MCT only, palmitoleic acid, presumably reflecting de novo lipogenesis, was increased in lymphatic triglycerides and portal vein fatty acids. Total saturated fatty acids as a total percentage of total fatty acids were also significantly increased in plasma and lymphatic triglycerides and portal vein fatty acids. Thus, when linoleic acid is limiting, the conversion of MCT into long-chain fatty acids by de novo lipogenesis is likely to be an important metabolic route. Providing LCT with MCT or 2-monodecanoin appears to limit this pathway.
Functional Evidence for P-glycoprotein at the Nose-Brain Barrier

Purpose. Experiments were performed to assess the brain distribution of [3H]-verapamil, including the influence of delivery route of inhibitor and substrate (nasal vs. systemic) on brain distribution. The anatomic location of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) at the nose-brain barrier also was investigated.
Cellular materials as porous scaffolds for tissue engineering

A major goal of tissue engineering is to synthesize or regenerate tissues and organs. Today, this is done by providing a synthetic porous scaffold, or matrix, which mimics the body's own extracellular matrix, onto which cells attach, multiply, migrate and function. Porous scaffolds are currently being developed for regeneration of skin, cartilage, bone, nerve and liver. The microstructures of many porous scaffolds ressemble that of an engineering foam. In this paper, we describe the microstructural requirements for porous scaffolds, review several processes for making them and show typical microstructures. Clinical studies have found that a collagen-based scaffold for skin regeneration reduces wound contraction during the healing process, reducing scar formation. The process of wound contraction is not well understood. Here, we describe the measurement of contraction of collagen-based scaffolds by fibroblasts in vitro using a cell force monitor.
Training Older Workers: Implications for HRD/HPT Professionals

Article discussing training older workers and implications for human resource development (HRD) and human performance technology (HPT).
In vitro effects of ethanol withdrawal and spermidine on viability of hippocampus from male and female rat.

Background: Long-term ethanol dependence results in neuronal adaptation that likely contributes to ethanol withdrawal-induced central nervous system excitability and, potentially, neurotoxicity. This has been suggested to result, in part, from increased release of or response to endogenous polyamines. Furthermore, it has been reported that neurological difficulties related to ethanol dependence and withdrawal may be more severe in female than in male alcoholics. Thus, we designed this study to examine effects of the polyamine spermidine on neurotoxicity associated with withdrawal from long-term ethanol exposure by using organotypic hippocampal slice cultures derived from male and female rats. Methods and Results: Twenty-four hours of withdrawal after continuous 10 day ethanol exposure (100 mM in culture medium) resulted in cytotoxicity in hippocampal slice explants obtained from both sexes. This was most evident in pyramidal cell layers of the CA1 region, and no sex differences were observed in the severity of damage. Exposure of explants from both sexes to the NMDA blocker MK-801 during ethanol withdrawal significantly reduced this toxicity. In control cultures, exposure to spermidine (100 μM) alone produced significant and similar cytotoxicity in hippocampal explants of male and female rats. Exposure to spermidine (100 μM) during ethanol withdrawal significantly increased cytotoxicity in all regions of explants. In the CA3 region, spermidine-potentiation of ethanol withdrawal damage was significantly greater in explants from female rats compared with those from male rats. Conclusions: These data demonstrate the presence of significant hippocampal neurotoxicity during withdrawal from long-term ethanol exposure that is mediated, in part, by overactivation of NMDA receptors. Furthermore, these findings suggest that the central nervous system of females may be more susceptible than that of males to polyamine-mediated neuronal damage during withdrawal from long-term ethanol exposure.
Relaxation to equilibrium of single cluster dynamics of the Ising model

Abstract The approach to equilibrium at the critical temperature of the two-dimensional Ising model from an initial ordered spin configuration is investigated using the single cluster Monte Carlo dynamics introduced by Wolff. An initial configuration of all up spins and its dual, a checkerboard state, are considered. We give simple mean-field and scaling arguments for the existence of power-law decay. Because the usual arguments for time rescaling might not be applicable when the system is approaching equilibrium, we directly determine the relation of the number of cluster flips to the number of Monte Carlo steps per spin. For both initial configurations we find that the effective dynamical critical exponent determined from the power-law behavior and the proper time rescaling differs from the estimates of the equilibrium dynamical exponent and depends on the initial conditions for the system sizes and times we have investigated.
Martian Tharsis bulge : insight to mantle-related processes

Abstract When examining the tectonics of the one-plate planet Mars it is possible to test and even to develop further some ideas with respect to Earth's plate-tectonic paradigm. The definition of terrestrial plate movements does not unambiguously identify the actual mantle processes involved. One way to leam more about the endogenous development of planets is to undertake comparative studies. The main tectonic structures of Mars are interpreted here to give information concerning mantle processes which may relate to those processes driving Earth's plate tectonics, but which in the case of Mars, have been insufficient to break Martian lithosphere into plates, but which have been sufficient to cause rift-block tectonics and to build the Tharsis bulge.
On the Kinematics of Uniformly Accelerated Motions and Classical Electromagnetic Theory

In continuation of earlier work a study is made of the 4-dimensional conformal group of transformations in space-time as the extension of the Lorentz group permitting the introduction of uniformly accelerated reference frames into relativity theory. The problem of the motion of a particle is discussed, as well as the implications for the classical-type electron theory developed by Dirac.
Intelligent geocoding system to locate traffic crashes

Abstract State agencies continue to face many challenges associated with new federal crash safety and highway performance monitoring requirements that use data from multiple and disparate systems across different platforms and locations. On a national level, the federal government has a long-term vision for State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) to report state route and off-state route crash data in a single network. In general, crashes occurring on state-owned or state maintained highways are a priority at the Federal and State level; therefore, state-route crashes are being geocoded by state DOTs. On the other hand, crashes occurring on off-state highway system do not always get geocoded due to limited resources and techniques. Creating and maintaining a statewide crash geographic information systems (GIS) map with state route and non-state route crashes is a complicated and expensive task. This study introduces an automatic crash mapping process, Crash-Mapping Automation Tool (C-MAT), where an algorithm translates location information from a police report crash record to a geospatial map and creates a pinpoint map for all crashes. The algorithm has approximate 83 percent mapping rate. An important application of this work is the ability to associate the mapped crash records to underlying business data, such as roadway inventory and traffic volumes. The integrated crash map is the foundation for effective and efficient crash analyzes to prevent highway crashes.
A novel hybrid approach to the treatment of common iliac aneurysms: Antegrade endovascular hypogastric stent grafting and femorofemoral bypass grafting

A progressively enlarging left common iliac artery aneurysm developed in a 72-year-old man 7 years after open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with a bifurcated Dacron graft. Because both the right hypogastric and inferior mesenteric arteries had been ligated at the initial operation, preservation of left hypogastric flow was critical to avoid pelvic or intestinal ischemia. He was a poor open surgical candidate owing to obesity, a hostile abdomen, and multiple medical comorbidities. Therefore, a novel hybrid approach was used consisting of left transbrachial selective left hypogastric artery catheterization, followed by deployment of two, overlapping, antegrade, covered stent grafts extending from the proximal left graft limb into the left hypogastric artery. A right-to-left femorofemoral crossover bypass was added to perfuse the left lower extremity and was performed in end-to-end fashion to the left common femoral artery to exclude and prevent retrograde flow into the iliac aneurysm. Also presented are potential procedural pitfalls and a detailed review of open, endovascular and hybrid options to preserve hypogastric flow when treating iliac aneurysms in complex, high-risk patients.
Integrating service learning and technical communication: Benefits and challenges

Our ethnographic study of a service‐learning class revealed some students benefited in developing civic values, improving academic learning, and accepting responsibility for their own education. Other students struggled to see the connection between technical communication and service learning, felt frustrated with nonacademic writing, and experienced team conflict. We must redefine both technical communication and service learning, help students make the transition to the workplace, and educate community organizations about the role of technical communicators.
Home care for dementia patients

Examined the effects of an intervention on the sense of competence of primary caregivers and the number of admissions for a total of 119 dementia patients. Controlled analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed no significant overall effect of the intervention on change in primary caregiver's sense of competence between pre- and posttest. A subgroup of female caregivers sharing a household with the dementia patient showed a significantly more favorable change in sense of competence in the experimental group compared with the control group. There were significantly fewer admissions to a nursing or retirement home in the experimental group than in the control group.
A cloudiness transition in a marine boundary layer

Boundary layer cloudiness plays several important roles in the energy budget of the earth. Low level stratocumulus are highly reflective clouds which reduce the net incoming shortwave radiation at the earth's surface. Climatically, the transition to a small area fraction of scattered cumulus clouds occurs as the air flows over warmer water. Although these clouds reflect less sunlight, they still play an important role in the boundary layer equilibrium by transporting water vapor upwards, and enhancing the surface evaporation. The First ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) Regional Experiment (FIRE) included a marine stratocumulus experiment off the southern California coast from June 29 to July 19, 1987. The objectives of this experiment were to study the controls on fractional cloudiness, and to assess the role of cloud-top entrainment instability (CTEI) and mesoscale structure in determining cloud type. The focus is one research day, July 7, 1987, when coordinated aircraft missions were flown by four research aircraft, centered on a LANDSAT scene at 1830 UTC. The remarkable feature of this LANDSAT scene is the transition from a clear sky in the west through broken cumulus to solid stratocumulus in the east. The dynamic and thermodynamic structure of this transition in cloudiness is analyzed using data from the NCAR Electra. By averaging the aircraft data, the internal structure of the different cloud regimes is documented, and it is shown that the transition between broken cumulus and stratocumulus is associated with a change in structure with respect to the CTEI condition. However, this results not from sea surface temperature changes, but mostly from a transition in the air above the inversion, and the breakup appears to be at a structure on the unstable side of the wet virtual adiabat.
Randomized shared queues

This paper presents a specification of a randomized shared queue that can lose some elements or return them out of order (not in FIFO), shows that the specification can be implemented over the probabilistic quorum algorithm of [4, 3], and analyzes the behavior of this implementation. Distributed algorithms that can tolerate some lost and out-of-order messages are candidates for replacing the message queues with random queues. The modified algorithms will inherit positive attributes concerning load and availability from the underlying queue implementation. The behavior of an application — a class of combinatorial optimization algorithms — when it is implemented using random queues is analyzed.
Where's the Party?: Changing State Party Organizations

The condition of state party organizations is unclear. Some argue they are declining, whereas others argue they are making a comeback. Some of the ambiguity stems from incomplete information, but some of it stems from changes in the organization of the "state party." New organizations have emerged and our organizational assessments have not incorporated the changing reality. The traditional state party committees have been joined by legislative party campaign committees, and party resources have become more dispersed. The state party organization is no longer defined by just the traditional state party organization. This article presents a comprehensive case study of these changes. It examines the condition and growth of all state party organizations in New York across three election cycles. The legislative party committees are better financed than the traditional state party committees, and they play a major role in financing state legislative candidates. The focus, it appears, should be as much on the l...
The Perils and Promise of Evolutionary Computation on Wall Street

Real-world examples of evolutionay computation technologies in use in institutional asset management are scarce. The passage of time and the intellectual generosity of the sponsoring firm allow publication of this report. It underscores the problems of applying techniques that rely on massive computation, such as evolutionary computation, neural networks, and knowledge discovery in financial settings. Much of the published work in these areas exhibits at least one of the sins of data mining. Statistical techniques developed in a era of manual or expensive machine computation can be fooled as we push the edges of Moore9s Law. Additional measures are needed to find financially and economically meaningful solutions.
Genetic Assessment of Sheepshead Stock Structure in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Morphological Divergence in the Face of Gene Flow

Abstract Strategies for conservation and management of marine species are increasingly relying on molecular genetic data for the delineation of independent fishery stocks. These data may be more reliable and less subjective than morphological or ecological variables, although their biological interpretations can be problematic. Here, we review existing morphological data synergistically with a new molecular data set for sheepsheads Archosargus probatocephalus. Two named subspecies of sheepshead exist in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (A. probatocephalus probatocephalus and A. probatocephalus oviceps). Although these subspecies exhibit divergent morphology, it is unclear whether morphological divergence represents meaningful differentiation for management. We show that frequency distributions of each of five meristic counts are significantly different between the subspecies (P < 0.05). However, Bayesian structure analysis of microsatellite genotypes indicated that all Gulf of Mexico sheepshead populations...
UPSTREAM SUBSITE INTERACTIONS FOR OLIGONUCLEOTIDE BINDING WITH RIBONUCLEASE T1

Abstract Ribonuclease T 1 (RNase T 1 ) specifically cleaves RNA at guanylyl residues. Previous studies revealed the presence of an enzyme-subsite interaction for adenosine residues of ApGpC and ApGpU substrates (Osterman and Walz (1979) Biochemistry 10, 1984–1988). The binding of ApG and 2′-deoxyadenylyl-(3′,5′)-guanosine (dApG) with RNase T 1 was studied in the pH range 5–9 using ultraviolet difference spectroscopy. The association constants for these dinucleoside monophosphates showed the same pH dependence both of which differed at low pH values with that for the methyl phosphoester of 5′-GMP (MepG). This difference suggested that binding of the adenosine group is strongly dependent on the deprotonation of an enzyme/ligand group with a p K a value of ≤4.8. Δ G° for ApG binding minus that for MepG at pH>6 yielded a Δ Δ G of −1.17±0.10 kcal/mol which is a measure of the contribution of the adenosine moiety to binding. ApG bound more tightly than dApG with a mean Δ Δ G value of −0.73±0.10 kcal/mol which demonstrated the involvement of the adenosine 2′-OH group in binding. These and other comparisons indicated that Δ Δ G for maximal binding the adenine base per se was −0.44 kcal/mol. Δ Δ G for binding pdApdG minus that for dApdG (−0.94 kcal/mol) suggested an enzyme subsite for the phosphomonoester group of former ligand.
Vascular Response of the Breast to Estrogen1

ABSTRACT Permeability changes in the microcirculation have been demonstrated in cleared whole mounts of breast tissue by the technique of vascular labeling, which permits identification of leaking blood vessels by means of visible accumulations of colloidal mercuric sulfide particles within the vascular walls. This study compares the degree of vascular labeling in the breasts of estrogen-treated and untreated castrate female rabbits as induced by the submammary injections of histamine and estrogen. An intense response of the mammary microcirculation in treated animals to both histamine and estrogen is shown by the degree and extent of mercuric sulfide labeling. A response of similar intensity is provoked in untreated animals by histamine, but not by estrogen. In the latter case, the vascular response is absent and is associated with a reduction in the concentration of histamine in the breast. Marked vascular labeling in the castrate animal stimulated by submammary estrogen is seen only after prior treatme...
Molecular self-assembly: Best of both worlds.

The four-letter molecular code of DNA and the twenty-letter expression language of peptides have inspired the development of two thriving, but distinct, branches of nanotechnology; a technique that combines the two approaches could lead to robust, scalable materials with unique optoelectronic properties.
Use of midlevel providers in US EDs, 1993 to 2005: implications for the workforce

Abstract Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate use of physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in US emergency departments (EDs). Methods We analyzed visits from the 1993 to 2005 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, seen by midlevel provider (MLP), and compared characteristics of MLP visits to those seen by physicians only. Results From 1993 to 2005, 5.2% (95% CI, 4.6%-5.8%) of US ED visits were seen by PAs and 1.7% (95% CI, 1.5%-2.0%) by NPs. During the study period, PA visits rose from 2.9% to 9.1%, whereas NP visits rose from 1.1% to 3.8% (both Ptrend Conclusions Midlevel provider use has increased in US EDs. Their involvement in some urgent visits and those requiring admission suggests that the role of MLPs extends beyond minor presentations.
Arachidonic acid protection of rat mucosa against stress ulceration

To evaluate the effect of arachidonic acid (AA), a prostaglandin precursor, on the mucosal level of PGE2 and its possible protective role against stress ulcerations, 40 Holtzman rats were divided into four groups: Group I intragastrically receiving 1 ml of normal saline (NS); Group II, NS pretreatment followed by stress; Group III, intragastric AA pretreatment without stress; and Group IV, intragastric AA followed by stress. AA was administered as a 120 mM solution in a nonionic detergent, adjusted to a pH of 8.0. Stress was provided by the cold-restraint method. After sacrifice, the number of gastric mucosal ulcerations were counted. Specimens of nonulcerated mucosa were assayed for PGE2 by derivatization with panacyl bromide and by using high-performance liquid chromatography. The animals in Groups I, III, and IV developed no gastric ulcerations and their mucosal prostaglandin E2 remained at a normal level, while those in Group II had a significant reduction of mucosal PGE2 (P < 0.05) and a significantly increased number of gastric ulcerations (P < 0.002). These data indicate that stress-induced mucosal ulcerations are associated with significant decreases in the gastric mucosal levels of PGE2. Intragastric administration of arachidonic acid prevents the formation of stress mucosal ulcerations and maintains a normal level of mucosal PGE2.