cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relatively low‐latitude wave aurora and substorms

[1] Wave aurora produces broadband particle acceleration. For many years, this type of signature was anecdotally but widely thought to occur primarily at the poleward edge of the auroral oval. Recent statistical work has found that, on the contrary, for strong solar wind driving, broadband aurora is common throughout the auroral oval. Of particular interest is the occurrence of wave aurora below 68 degrees MLAT. We have studied the dependence of such signatures, both as a function of solar wind driving, and as a function of substorm cycle. A set of about 1800 substorm onsets identified by Polar UVI, along with 116 isolated substorm onsets, were used for superposed epoch analysis. The results show that the wave aurora has a very strong substorm cycle dependence, rising dramatically in the first few minutes after onset, and peaking about 10–15 minutes later. By contrast, wave aurora has no easily identifiable solar wind driving peak, although the general trend is for wave aurora to become more common with higher driving (as do substorms themselves). This evidence adds to previous circumstantial evidence associating wave aurora particularly with substorms (for example, wave auroral power is much more strongly peaked in the premidnight region than is monoenergetic or “inverted-V” aurora).
Cloud Shadow Effects on Remote Sensing

On relatively clear days, the shadow cast by an isolated, optically dense cloud produces an effect which is similar in extent and magnitude to the adjacency effects associated with high-contrast ground albedo boundaries. We have used a Monte Carlo radiative transfer model to examine the intensity and its components, comparing the cloud shadow case with that for a Lambertian albedo boundary. Although the behavior of the total intensity is nearly the same for both cases, the behaviors of the intensity components differ significantly.
Understanding Variability in Physician Ratings of the Appropriateness of Coronary Angiography After Acute Myocardial Infarction

We examined variability in ratings of the appropriateness of coronary angiography for 890 clinical scenarios (indications) after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) from a nine-member multispecialty panel as a function of panel characteristics and the attributes of the clinical indications. We documented a substantial degree of reliability in the ratings. However, key differences among the experts in terms of both their overall propensity to score high and their beliefs regarding the impact of clinical factors on appropriateness were identified. Age, cardiac complications, post-AMI angina, and noninvasive test results were the clinical factors most strongly related to appropriateness ratings for coronary angiography. Further research on the effectiveness of coronary angiography in older patients and in patients with shock, pulmonary edema, and silent ischemia is needed to improve our knowledge about the appropriateness of this procedure in these patients.
Inner core anisotropy inferred by direct inversion of normal mode spectra

Summary The spectra of 25 inner-core-sensitive normal modes observed following eight recent major (Mw >7.5) earthquakes are inverted for anisotropic structure in the inner core, using a one-step inversion procedure. The mode data are combined with PKP(DF)–PKP(AB) differential traveltime data and the inner core is parametrized in terms of general axisymmetric anisotropy, allowing structure beyond restrictive transversely isotropic models with radially varying strength. The models obtained are in good agreement with previous ones derived through the intermediate step of computing splitting functions. Splitting functions predicted for the inner core model determined using the one-step, direct inversion of all mode spectra agree well with those obtained from non-linear inversion of individual modes. We discuss the importance of handling the perturbation to radial isotropic structure appropriately in order to align the observed and predicted spectra properly. We examine the effect of using existing tomographic mantle models to correct for mantle effects on the inner core modes versus a mantle model derived by us using a relatively small number of mantle-sensitive modes, and show that the latter leads to a significantly better fit to the inner core data. Our ability to fit the inner core spectral data degrades appreciably if an isotropic layer thicker than 100–200 km is imposed at the top of the inner core.
Probing residue-specific interactions in the stabilization of proteins using high-resolution NMR: a study of disulfide bond compensation.

ABSTRACT It is well established that the oxidation state of cysteine residues in proteins is critical to overall physical stability. Disulfide bonds most often impart thermodynamic stability, but in some cases, diminish it. Predicting the circumstances that lead to each outcome is difficult because mechanistic information is lacking. Because the techniques typically used to study protein stability do not provide sufficient detail, high-resolution NMR was used in combination with low-resolution analysis to obtain mechanistic information regarding disulfide bond formation in a model protein. T m (CD) and T onset (SLS) for the reduced and oxidized wild type and C104S and C49S mutants were measured. The mutant proteins have altered T m s and T onset s compared to the reduced wild type, indicating that differences in local interactions of the Cys side chains are important for stability. The NMR spectra clearly show distinct differences in the chemical environment surrounding these Cys residues and the overall tertiary structure. The C49S protein, which is less stable and more aggregation prone than reduced wild type, lacks a hydrogen bond between Y53 and H103. Increased flexibility of the Y53-containing loop is correlated with increased dynamics and unraveling of α2, which likely leads to edge strand initiated aggregation of the central β-sheet.
Reduced CaM/FLIP binding by a single point mutation in c-FLIP L modulates Fas-mediated apoptosis and decreases tumorigenesis

We have previously demonstrated that calmodulin (CaM) binds directly to c-FLIP(L) in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. Deletion of the CaM-binding region (amino acid 197-213) results in reduced CaM binding, and increased Fas-mediated apoptosis and decreased tumorigenesis of cholangiocarcinoma cells. The present studies were designed to identify the precise amino acids between 197 and 213 that are responsible for CaM/FLIP binding, and their roles in mediating the anti-apoptotic function of c-FLIP(L). Sequence analysis of the CaM-binding region at 197-213 predicted three unique positively charged residues at 204, 207 and 209, which might be responsible for the CaM/FLIP binding. A point mutation at H204 of c-FLIP(L) was found to markedly reduce CaM binding, whereas point mutation at R207 or K209 did not affect c-FLIP(L) binding to CaM. Decreased CaM/FLIP binding was confirmed in cholangiocarcinoma cells overexpressing the H204 c-FLIP(L) mutant. Reduced CaM binding by the H204 mutant resulted in increased sensitivity to Fas-mediated apoptosis and inhibited tumor growth in mice compared with wild-type c-FLIP(L). Death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) analysis showed that the reduced CaM binding to H204 mutant resulted in less c-FLIP(L) recruited into the DISC. Concurrently, increased caspase 8 was recruited to the DISC, which resulted in increased cleavage and activation of caspase 8, activation of downstream caspase 3 and increased apoptosis. Therefore, these results demonstrate that the H204 residue is responsible for c-FLIP(L) binding to CaM, which mediates the anti-apoptotic function of c-FLIP(L), most likely through affecting recruitment of caspase 8 into the DISC and thus caspase 8 activation. These studies further characterized CaM/FLIP interaction and its function in regulating Fas-mediated apoptosis and tumorigenesis, which may provide new therapeutic targets for cancer therapy.
Thermodynamics of phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol mixed model membranes in the liquid crystalline state studied by the orientational order parameter.

It is shown that good estimates of the activity of cholesterol in phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol mixed model membranes are obtained by examining the orientational order parameter S of cholestane spin probe (CSL) that is obtained from electron spin resonance by spectral simulation. By introducing thermodynamic stability conditions of liquid mixtures, the variation of activity (or S) as a function of cholesterol mole fraction is utilized to predict the concentration at which the phase separation occurs. These results for DMPC and cholesterol binary mixtures agree very well with those of Tempo-partitioning experiments. The comparison of activity coefficients and the phase boundary in DMPC/cholesterol mixtures with those of POPC/cholesterol mixtures suggests that acyl chain unsaturation leads to poorer mixing of cholesterol in phosphatidylcholine model membranes at higher temperatures (i.e., greater than 35 degrees C). In ternary solutions of DMPC, POPC, and cholesterol, it is found that cholesterol shows less deviation from ideality than in either of the two binary mixtures, and this implies that the phase separation occurs at higher cholesterol concentration than in either of the two binary mixtures. The present analysis suggests that there may not be a critical point in DMPC/cholesterol mixtures, even though phase separation does occur.
Ozone pollution regimes modeled for a summer season in California’s San Joaquin Valley: A cluster analysis

Abstract This study demonstrates an application of cluster analysis to model simulation data for California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV) for the purpose of identifying meteorologically representative pollution regimes. Principal component analysis is employed to facilitate exploring and visualizing temporal variations in highly resolved gridded model data. Six regimes are clustered according to the spatial distribution of SJV 8 h ozone maxima. Meteorological effects (temperature and winds) are shown to explain the observed ozone spatial distributions in the SJV, and their relationship to those in upwind San Francisco Bay Area air basin (SFB) under certain prevailing wind flow patterns. In general, average ozone levels in the SJV increase with temperature, while their spatial distributions depend on flow regimes, especially the strength of sea breezes and upslope flows. More ventilated flow regimes, associated with stronger sea breeze and upslope flows, cause eastward transport of pollutants, increasing ozone in the southeastern SJV and decreasing it in the northwest SJV. The opposite occurs during the most stagnant conditions associated with the weakest sea breeze and upslope flows. The two most prominent relationships between the SFB and SJV were found to be associated with the most ventilated and the most stagnant conditions, respectively, indicating a strong inter-basin transport (or the lack thereof) event. Spatial representativeness of existing measurement sites and the confounding influences of emission changes on clustering results are also investigated. Existing measurement sites are able to capture ozone spatial patterns in the SFB and Sacramento Valley (SV), whereas those along the western side of the SJV are under-represented. Differences in day-of-week emissions produce minor effects on spatial ozone distributions and the clusters are largely stable under these changes.
Application of colour metallography in the examination of ancient metals

AbstractThe use of colour in the metallographic examination of ancient metals is useful both for research and teaching purposes. Application of different optical methods of examination include: polarized light, with or without a first-order red compensator, and differential interference contrast microscopy (DIC). The use of DIC can be combined with the other techniques mentioned in the text for the examination of etched or unetched metal surfaces, which are best observed microscopically using a metallograph. Colour techniques are now used routinely in industrial metallography, and are available for a variety of metals and alloys. Colour tint etching can be used to enhance grain structure or different phases present in the metallic artefact which may not be visible in conventional etched samples, or which lack optical contrast. Many more applications of these techniques in the examination of ancient metals will be published in the literature as they become better known and second-hand equipment with DIC le...
Computed tomographic appearance of Prolene Hernia System and polypropylene mesh plug inguinal hernia repair.

PURPOSE To describe the normal postoperative computed tomographic (CT) appearance of inguinal hernia repair with the Prolene (polypropylene) Hernia System and polypropylene mesh plug. MATERIALS AND METHODS The medical records for 480 consecutive patients who underwent inguinal mesh hernioplasty were reviewed to identify posthernioplasty pelvic CT scans. The presence or absence of the appearance and size of focal inguinal findings at CT for each groin was recorded by 2 radiologists in consensus. The CT scan reports and medical records were reviewed to determine prospective interpretations of these inguinal findings. FINDINGS Posthernoplasty CT scans were identified in 26 patients, of whom, 20 had Prolene Hernia System (unilateral, n = 20; bilateral, n = 1) or mesh plug (unilateral, n = 5; bilateral, n = 1) repairs. These patients consisted of 23 men and 3 women with a mean age of 63 years (range, 36-89 years). For Prolene Hernia System hernioplasty patients, ipsilateral focal inguinal findings were found at CT in 21 of 22 groins. These focal findings had a mean size of 2.6 +/- 0.4 by 2.0 +/- 0.5 cm and were ringlike in 9, nodular in 7, and feathery in appearance in 5 groins. For mesh-plug hernioplasty, ipsilateral nodular focal inguinal findings were found in all 6 of 6 groins at CT. In 2 patients, nodular focal inguinal findings were mistaken for lymphadenopathy on the prospective CT report. CONCLUSION Focal inguinal findings from mesh plug inguinal hernioplasty are common, have characteristic appearances at CT, and should not be mistaken as lymphadenopathy.
Epidemiology of Erectile Dysfunction

Following the landmark Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS) that provided the first relatively unbiased study of the epidemiology of erectile dysfunction (ED), a number of additional studies were carried out in the U.S. and around the world. The studies vary in quality because they used different definitions of ED, different assessment instruments, different and sometimes biased sources of populations, inadequate response rates to questionnaires and interviews, cultural disparities in willingness to discuss sexual issues, and differing interpretations of the results. Nevertheless, the studies demonstrated similar levels of ED by age and an exponential rise with age. They also generally confirmed the conditions that correlated with ED in the MMAS, namely, diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, prostate cancer therapy, and depression. These were exacerbated by cigaret smoking.
FEMTO: Fast Error Analysis in Multipliers through Topological Traversal

Approximate computing has emerged as a circuit design technique that can reduce system power without significantly sacrificing the output quality in error-resilient applications. However, there are few approaches for systematically and efficiently determining the error introduced by approximate hardware units. This paper focuses on the development of error analysis techniques for approximate multipliers, which are a key hardware component used in error-resilient applications, and presents a novel algorithm that efficiently determines the probability distribution of the error introduced by the approximation. The accuracy of the technique is demonstrated to be comparable to Monte Carlo simulations, while being significantly less computationally intensive.
Integrating chemosensors for amine-containing compounds into cross-linked dendritic hosts

Trifluoroacetylazo dye 1, a known chemosensor for amines, has been integrated into cross-linked dendrimer hosts. Thus, boronic acid 16 was linked to iododye 9 via a Suzuki coupling reaction. In situ deprotection and alkylation with dendrons 3 and 4, containing 8 homoallyl or allyl ether groups, respectively, afforded dendrons 18 and 19 with chemosensor units at their focal point. Conversion of 18 (19) to the bis-imine of butane 1,4-diamine, extensive cross-linking via the ring closing metathesis reaction with Grubbs catalyst 25, and hydrolysis produced dendrimer hosts 28 and 29. Host-guest studies with a small library of amines and alcohols showed 28 and 29 to selectively signal certain diamines but not due to template mediated imprinting.
The Synthesis and Characterization of Polyfluoroanilinetricarbonylchromium Complexes

Abstract The tricarbonylchromium complexes of the following arenes were prepared: 5-methoxy- α,α,α-trifluoro-m-toluidine, the ortho, meta and para isomers of aminobenzotrifluoride and all six ring substituted isomers of difluoroaniline. Preparative and spectral information is presented.
Spatial and temporal patterns of cell death in limb bud mesoderm after apical ectodermal ridge removal.

Abstract A spatiotemporal pattern of cell death occurred in the chick wing and leg bud mesoderm after removal of apical ectodermal ridge at stages 18–20. Cells died in a region extending from the limb bud distal surface to 150–200 μm into the mesoderm. Limb buds from which ridge was removed at later stages in development did not exhibit a spatiotemporal pattern of cell death. In control experiments in which dorsal ectoderm was removed, a pattern of cell death did not occur. Removal of the ridge and part of the 150- to 200-μm zone of prospective cell death resulted in cell death in an area approximately equal to the amount of the zone remaining. After removal of all of the prospective zone of cell death plus the apical ridge, cell death was observed in the remaining limb bud mesoderm. In these limb buds, cell death occurred in a region in which it had not been seen in limb bud with apical ridge alone removed. We conclude that at stages 18–20 the mesodermal cells 150–200 μm beneath the ridge require the apical ridge to survive. More proximal mesodermal cells do not die after ridge removal alone, but apparently require the presence of the more distal mesoderm to survive. Whether this is a requirement for something intrinsic to the distal mesoderm or something it possesses by way of the ridge is unknown. After stage 23, the limb mesoderm cells do not die when the apical ridge is removed. Nevertheless, at the later stages, ridge continues to be required for limb bud proximal-distal elongation and the differentiation of distal limb elements.
PROTON HELICITY FROM A DECAY

S>A necessary consequence of parity nonconservation is the longitudinal polarization of the decay proton from unpolarized LAMBDA hyperons decaying at rest. This longitudinal polarization appears as a partial transverse polarization when a LAMBDA decays in flight. Measurements of the helicity of the proton were obtained in scattering experiments. For each analyzed event the angle between the spin and direction of motion of the proton was computed. The sine of this angle divided into the transverse polarization, found as a function of incoming momentum and scattering angle, gave the longitudinal polarization. The data gave a value of -0.45 plus or minus 0.4 for the longitudinal polarization. This indicated a positive helicity for the proton in contradiction to theory. (M.C.G.)
Mitochondrial quality control and dynamics in Parkinson's disease.

Significance: Studies of sporadic cases, toxin models, and genetic causes of Parkinson's disease suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction may be an early feature of pathogenesis. Recent Advances: Compelling evidence of a causal relationship between mitochondrial function and disease was found with the identification of several genes for recessive parkinsonism, PINK1, DJ-1, and parkin. There is evidence that each of these regulates responses to cellular stresses, including oxidative stress and depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane. Specifically, PINK1 and parkin modulate mitochondrial dynamics by promoting autophagic removal of depolarized mitochondria. Mutations in all genes linked to Parkinson's disease lead to enhanced sensitivity to mitochondrial toxins and oxidative stress. Critical Issues: Both increased mitochondrial damage due to complex 1 inhibition, mishandling of calcium, oxidant stress, or impaired clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria would lead to the accumulation of nonfunctional organelles and could contribute to neuronal dysfunction. However, several unanswered questions remain about the underlying mechanism(s) involved. Future Directions: PINK1 and parkin have been demonstrated to regulate mitochondrial dynamics, but the pathways linking PINK1 activity to parkin function are still unclear and warrant further investigation. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 16, 869–882.
Application of ultrasonic techniques for brain injury diagnosis

In this work, we evaluate methods for detecting brain injury using ultrasound. We have used simulations of ultrasonic fields in the head to model the phase distortion of the skull. In addition we present experimental data from the crania of large animals. The experimental data help us understand and evaluate the performance of different transducers in acquiring the backscatter data from the brain through the skull. Both the simulations and acquired data illustrate the superiority of lower-frequency (<= 1 MHz) ultrasonic fields for transcranial acquisition of signals from inside the brain. Additionally, the experimental work shows that the higher-frequency (5 MHz) ultrasound can also be useful in acquiring clean nearfield data to help detect the position of the inner boundary of the skull.
An Adaptation of the “Randomized Block” to Nutrition Experiments

Abstract THE purpose of this paper is to show how the method and principles of the randomized block, so successfully used by agronomists in field plot experiments, may be adapted to animal nutrition experiments, and to indicate a few of the possible applications of covariance analysis. In the randomized-block agronomic experiment the land to be used is divided into a number of blocks which in turn are subdivided into small plots of the same shape and of equal size. The plant varieties, or fertilizer treatments, to be compared are distributed at random among the plots with the restriction that each variety, or treatment, shall occur once, and only once, in any block. The blocks need not be alike so far as the soil is concerned; however, they are made small enough so that the individual plots in any given block are not greatly different. The number of plots in a block . . .
Neurobiology of cochlear inner and outer hair cells: intracellular recordings

Recordings were made in the low-frequency region (third and fourth turns) of the guinea pig cochlea from both inner (IHC) and outer (OHC) hair cells. Certain electrical characteristics of these cells that have been described before (P. Dallos (1985) J. Neurosci. 5, 1591-1608) are reviewed. These are resting membrane potentials, response magnitude and saturation, and response phase. A comparison of sensitivity and best frequency is provided for IHCs and OHCs that are located in the same cochlear region. New data are presented for the level-dependence of response phase and for the properties of response asymmetry and the resulting dc component. The effects of intracellular polarizing current upon ac response magnitude are shown for both cell types.
The crisis in FL teaching in American colleges: Towards a diagnosis and a remedy

Abstract The paper assesses the effect of a partially implemented programme of communicative language teaching on foreign language acquisition in the United States of America. It describes a situation of generalised frustration, on the part of both FL teachers and students across foreign language departments in colleges and universities, at the difficulty that students are experiencing in making the transition to the senior‐level component of the language programme. Calling this difficult transition the Post‐Intermediate Void, the author attributes it to an unacknowledged dual system, consisting of communicative teaching at beginner and intermediate levels, followed by grammar‐and‐translation pedagogy at post‐intermediate and undergraduate level. He suggests that the institutions affected can remedy the problem by requiring that their FL majors spend their third year in college on a minimum one‐year immersion programme in countries where their target languages are spoken.
Oxidation Behavior of Aerospace Materials in High Enthalpy Flows Using an Oxyacetylene Torch Facility

The oxyacetylene torch facility is used to measure the ablation rates of graphite and the surface temperatures of different aerospace materials. The free-stream flame environment is characterized as a function of flame chemistry for heat flux, pO2, and flow velocity. Measured ablation rates for graphite increase as a function of increasing heat flux and pO2, which are validated by applying an oxygen diffusion based model. The model uses experimentally measured values for temperature, pO2, and gas velocity in order to confirm torch testing results are reliable and reproducible. Surface temperatures of ultra-high temperature ceramic composites are measured as a function of increasing heat flux and show an enthalpic cooling effect on the flame during oxidation testing.
Structure of the magnetopause: Observations and implications for reconnection

The Earth's magnetopause is the boundary between a hot tenuous plasma in the magnetosphere and a cooler denser plasma in the magnetosheath. Both of these plasmas contain magnetic fields whose directions are usually different but whose magnitudes are often comparable. Efforts to understand the structure of the magnetosphere have been hampered by the variability and complexity of this boundary. Waves on the magnetopause surface propagate toward the magnetotail and produce the multiple boundary crossings frequently seen by spacecraft. Boundary velocities are poorly known and range anywhere within an order of magnitude of 10 km s−1. Typical thicknesses are probably on the order of a few hundred km which is a few times the gyroradius of a thermal proton. Although conclusive direct evidence for a field component, B n , across the magnetopause has not been found, this lack of evidence may reflect the difficulty in determining B n in the presence of magnetopause waves rather than the real absence of this component. Considerable indirect evidence exists for an open magnetosphere, but the importance of the reconnection process thought to produce open field lines has recently been questioned.
Conquering Heart Disease: A Call to Action

Despite 20th century scientific and technologic advances in the area of cardiovascular medicine and public health and associated benefits in terms of significant declines in mortality, heart disease remains as the dominant cause of death for all Americans. Tremendous geographic variation in age-adjusted coronary heart disease mortality, varying over two-fold between the highest and lowest states, provides troubling evidence that this epidemic is raging unrelentingly in many communities across our country. Also disturbing are signs that the significant decline in coronary heart disease mortality observed since the 1960s may have slowed in recent years. The coronary heart disease epidemic continues to hit hard among certain racial and ethnic minorities, prompting the Healthy People 2010 national call for action to eliminate cardiovascular disease disparity.
Comparing implants with hearing aids in profoundly deaf children

Abstract Speech perception, speech production, and spoken language skills of 13 age-matched groups of prelingually deaf children, all enrolled in the same educational setting, were compared. Each group consisted of three children, two with hearing aids but different degrees of hearing loss (pure-tone average >100 dB HL and pure-tone average between 90 and 100 dB HL) and one who had used a Nucleus multichannel implant (Cochlear Corp., Englewood, Colo.) for 3 years. The implanted group exhibited significantly better performance in all areas than aided children with greater than 100 dB losses. However, children with hearing losses in the 90 to 100 dB range who received hearing aids and auditory oral instruction at an early age performed just as well as children who had used implants for 3 years. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1997;117:150-4.)
Sample Attrition and Cronbach's Alpha: A Five-Year Longitudinal Study

Conventional wisdom indicates that as attrition in a field sample occurs, the remaining sample becomes more similar (e.g., homogeneous). This narrowing of the differences in the sample will cause a decrease in reliability as measured by Cronbach's alpha. The current research is a five-year longitudinal study that involved a group of auditors from five Big Six firms. The initial sample (Bernardi, 1994a) of 494 auditors was followed for a period of five years to determine the effect of attrition on Cronbach's alpha for the Defining Issues Test (Rest, 1979a). At the beginning of the research, alpha was .348; however, by the end of year five, alpha had decreased to .309. When the sample was stratified by gender and geographic location, the data indicate that, while alpha increased for the majority of the sample, it dramatically decreased for females in the New York City Metropolitan area. This study should assist other researchers who are examining data on a longitudinal bases where the sample is presumed to become more similar as time passes.
The use of self-gripping (Progrip™) mesh during laparoscopic total extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair: a prospective feasibility and long-term outcomes study

Background The use of self-gripping mesh during laparoscopic TEP inguinal hernia repairs may eliminate the need for any additional fixation, and thus reduce post-operative pain without the added concern for mesh migration. Long-term outcomes are not yet prospectively studied in a controlled fashion.
The influence of grid discretization on the percolation probability within discrete random fields

Abstract Recent advances in the study of stochastic modeling of groundwater systems have shown that the stochastic behavior of a random system varies substantially with the dimension of the system. In this study, Monte Carlo simulation was utilized in connection with percolation theory on finite sized lattices to investigate the transition of the mean critical probability (as defined in percolation theory) within discretized random fields as the field geometry varies from two dimensions to three dimensions. It is shown that this mean critical probability is very sensitive to vertical discretization. Increasing the geometric complexity of a simulation grid from a one-layered, two-dimensional plane to a two-layered system, for example, decreased this probability for large grids from approximately 0.595 to 0.485. Increasing this complexity further to obtain a cubic grid geometry caused a decrease in the mean critical probability to approximately 0.315. Further, it is demonstrated that the variation of the mean critical probability can be described by a simple scaling relationship. Finally, it is concluded that the complexity lost through reduced discretization in the third dimension cannot be regained through increased discretization in the remaining two dimensions.
Smoothness and dimension reduction in Quasi-Monte Carlo methods

Monte Carlo integration using quasirandom sequences has theoretical error bounds of size O (N^-^1 log^dN) in dimension d, as opposed to the error of size O (N^-^1^2) for random or pseudorandom sequences. In practice, however, this improved performance for quasirandom sequences is often not observed. The degradation of performance is due to discontinuity or lack of smoothness in the integrand and to large dimension of the domain of integration, both of which often occur in Monte Carlo methods. In this paper, modified Monte Carlo methods are developed, using smoothing and dimension reduction, so that the convergence rate of nearly O (N^-^1) is regained. The standard rejection method, as used in importance sampling, involves discontinuities, corresponding to the decision to accept or reject. A smoothed rejection method, as well as a method of weighted uniform sampling, is formulated below and found to have error size of almost O (N^-^1) in quasi-Monte Carlo. Quasi-Monte Carlo evaluation of Feynman-Kac path integrals involves high dimension, one dimension for each discrete time interval. Through an alternative discretization, the effective dimension of the integration domain is drastically reduced, so that the error size close to O(N^-^1) is again regained.
Physiological comparisons of two soybean cultivars differing in canopy photosynthesis. II. Variation in specific leaf weight, nitrogen, and protein components.

Cultivar differences in canopy apparent photosynthesis (CAP) have been observed in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) but little is known about the physiological mechanisms which are responsible for such differences. This study was initiated to determine if variation in ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPCase) and soluble protein exists among cultivars which differ in CAP during reproductive growth. In addition, the relationship between specific leaf weight (SLW) and leaf protein was examined. Two Maturity Group VI cultivars, ‘Tracy’ (high CAP) and ‘Davis’ (low CAP), were grown in the field during 1979, 1980, and 1981 and in a greenhouse experiment. Leaves located at two canopy positions (topmost, fully expanded leaf and eighth node from the top) in 1979 and three canopy positions (those mentioned, plus the fourth node from the top) in 1980 and 1981 were sampled. Leaves at the two upper canopy positions exhibited greater SLW, RuBPCase m−2, and soluble protein m−2 than found at the eighth node down. Photosynthetic capacity of leaves at inner canopy regions was therefore affected by both light penetration into the canopy and leaf protein status. Over the three year period, the SLW was 23 percent and the soluble protein m−2 leaf 21 percent greater in Tracy than in Davis. Although the trend in RuBPCase m−2 leaf was not significant, it was consistently greater in Tracy in the field and greenhouse. No cultivar differences were observed when the proteins were expressed on a unit of leaf dry weight. The quantity of RuBPCase per unit leaf area was positively correlated with SLW with significant partial correlation coefficients of 0.62, 0.67, 0.35, and 0.82 for 1979, 1980, 1981, and the greenhouse study, respectively. Since these cultivars have similar leaf area indices during September, the greater SLW of Tracy is translated into more photosynthetic proteins per unit ground area and higher CAP rate.
Preliminary design of an underground reservoir for pumped storage

The current interest in the potential utilization of subsurface space for the storage of a wide variety of materials is responsive to the increasing pressures of environmental concerns, particularly as it applies to the development of urban or suburban space. These pressures, in conjunction with the continuing development of underground excavation technology, combine to provide a situation within which the concept of subsurface space utilization is becoming increasingly attractive relative to more conventional surface developments. Underground pumped storage is currently an economically viable alternative to the conventional above ground type of facility, and is made increasingly attractive by consideration of the reduced environmental impact, which the underground concept make possible. This paper is intended to provide an introduction to the engineering challenges of underground pumped storage, with particular reference to a limestone mine located some 671 m below the ground surface and having a volume of 9.6 million m3. To this end, the paper presents the numerical modeling and analyses to establish a powerhouse setting that would provide both a structurally stable excavation under the loading conditions imposed by the high-pressure brine, and eliminate the possibility of significant brine inflow to the excavated caverns.
Climate and Society: Lessons from the Past 10 000 Years

This paper distinguishes three major "revolutions" in the socio-environmental interactions that reflect growth in the extent to which human beings invest in and modify their environments. As people settled in villages during the Neolithic, interactions between more people became an important element in survival strategies, shifting the emphasis in survival strategies from mobility to sociality. The emergence of cities changed human societies by: i) creating dependencies between more and more distant regions, ii) increasing the degree of aggregation of human populations, iii) narrowing the range of subsistence resources on which people depended, and iv) increasing further their investment in the natural environment and in material culture. Altogether, urbanization drove human social systems further and further away from flexibility and rapid adaptation to environmental change, while increasing the demands on the social system, including major increases in energy and matter to support urban populations. This was achieved by linking together larger and larger hinterlands for these cities, in effect creating Empires. The fundamental change is one from humans responding to environmental change and disruption by migration to humans investing in the environment, and therefore responding to environmental change by problem solving. One therefore needs to look at the combined socio-environmental systems over the longer term that reflect the buildup and culmination of the shifts in the social and environmental risk spectra due to the human-environmental interactions in periods before the "crisis" occurs, which are a fact of life in any society's interaction with its environment, and should be seen as "social" challenges rather than "environmental" ones. These are generally due to the fact that the society in question has invested so much in a particular way of life that it cannot innovate itself out of difficulty before time runs out. This implies that we have to shift our thinking about socio-environmental issues, from "population thinking" to "organization thinking." In this perspective, a crisis does not imply the disappearance of the people involved, but a transformation of the organization that links them.
Extremal set systems with restricted k -wise intersections

A large variety of problems and results in Extremal Set Theory deal with estimates on the size of a family of sets with some restrictions on the intersections of its members. Notable examples of such results, among others, are the celebrated theorems of Fischer, Ray-Chaudhuri-Wilson and Frankl-Wilson on set systems with restricted pairwise intersections. These also can be considered as estimates on binary codes with given distances. In this paper we obtain the following extension of some of these results when the restrictions apply to k-wise intersections, for k > 2.Let L be a subset of non-negative integers of size s and let k > 2. A family F of subsets of an n-element set is called k-wise L-intersecting if the cardinality of the intersection of any k distinct members in F belongs to L. We prove that, for any fixed k and s and sufficiently large n, the size of every k-wise L-intersecting family is bounded by |F| ≤ k+s-1/s+1 () + Σi≤s-1 () This result is asymptotically best possible. In addition, we show that for an extremal k-wise L-intersecting family, L consists of a s consecutive integers. Our proof combines tools from linear algebra with some combinatorial arguments.
Orofacial pain due to trigeminal autonomic cephalgia with features of short-lasting neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing: a case report

Background We present a case of a 64-year-old woman with a presumptive diagnosis of short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) syndrome with telangiectasia. Dental procedures were not successful in alleviating the condition. Results The patient's symptoms of short unilateral severe pain episodes abated after geographic relocation, although orofacial pain continued. Sphenoid sinus surgery further decreased the patient's chronic pain complaints. The patient's current pain condition is controlled with gabapentin therapy. Clinical Implications Diagnostic, etiologic, and therapeutic issues related to SUNCT syndrome are discussed. This case represents the first case report of trigeminal autonomic cephalgia with SUNCT syndrome–like features illustrating possible problematic dental therapies. It is only the third SUNCT case report in the dental literature, and the third case reporting a correlation between SUNCT syndrome and sinusitis.
Shape fibrations and strong shape theory

Abstract The notion of shape fibration was introduced by Mardesic and Rushing. In this paper we use ‘fibrant space’ techniques in strong shape theory to prove that every shape fibration p : E → B of compact metric spaces is contained in a map of fibrant spaces p ′: E ′→ B ′ which enjoys a certain lifting property and whose homotopy properties reflect the strong shape properties of the map p . Standard methods for studying Hurewicz fibrations are readily applied to the map p ' and in this way we obtain a number of strong shape generalizations of results of Mardesic and Rushing. We also prove the following theorem which answers a question of Rushing: A shape fibration of compact metric spaces which is a strong shape equivalence is an hereditary shape equivalence . Since the converse was known, this gives a characterization of hereditary shape equivalences.
Comparing infrared star formation rate indicators with optically derived quantities

We examine the UV reprocessing efficiencies of warm dust and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) through an analysis of the mid- and far-infrared surface luminosity densities of 85 nearby H$\alpha$-selected star-forming galaxies detected by the volume-limited KPNO International Spectroscopic Survey (KISS). Because H$\alpha$ selection is not biased toward continuum-bright objects, the KISS sample spans a wide range in stellar masses ($10^8$-$10^{12}\rm{M}_\odot$), as well as H$\alpha$ luminosity ($10^{39}$-$10^{43}\rm{ergs/s}$), mid-infrared 8.0$\mu$m luminosity ($10^{41}$-$10^{44}\rm{ergs/s}$), and [Bw-R] color (-.1-2.2). We find that mid-infrared polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission in the Spitzer IRAC 8.0$\mu$m band correlates with star formation, and that the efficiency with which galaxies reprocess UV energy into PAH emission depends on metallicity. We also find that the relationship between far-infrared luminosity in the Spitzer MIPS 24$\mu$m band pass and H$\alpha$-measured star-formation rate varies from galaxy to galaxy within our sample; we do not observe a metallicity dependence in this relationship. We use optical colors and established mass-to-light relationships to determine stellar masses for the KISS galaxies; we compare these masses to those of nearby galaxies as a confirmation that the volume-limited nature of KISS avoids strong biases. We also examine the relationship between IRAC 3.6$\mu$m luminosity and galaxy stellar mass, and find a color-dependent correlation between the two.
Detection and recognition of visual targets

To aid the development of detection-based interpretations of visual resolution, we evaluated theorems that (1) relate observers’ performance in detection of a single target to that in 1-of-m signal detection and (2) predict recognition performance from measured performance at 1-of-m detection. These theorems require that the sensory effects of the stimuli be continuous and that the m signals be equally detectable and mutually orthogonal. To evaluate the theorems, we tested observers in simple detection, 1-of-m detection, and recognition of Landolt C targets and compared predicted and observed performance. Predictions of 1-of-m detection performance from that for simple detection and predictions of recognition from the 1-of-m receiver operating characteristic (ROC) were both accurate to within 0.03 in P(A). In addition, predictions of recognition based on the 1-of-m ROC predicted from simple detection were generally accurate. Thus, under restricted experimental conditions, recognition is determined completely by that for simple detection.
Automatic detection of fragments in dynamically generated web pages

Dividing web pages into fragments has been shown to provide significant benefits for both content generation and caching. In order for a web site to use fragment-based content generation, however, good methods are needed for dividing web pages into fragments. Manual fragmentation of web pages is expensive, error prone, and unscalable. This paper proposes a novel scheme to automatically detect and flag fragments that are cost-effective cache units in web sites serving dynamic content. We consider the fragments to be interesting if they are shared among multiple documents or they have different lifetime or personalization characteristics. Our approach has three unique features. First, we propose a hierarchical and fragment-aware model of the dynamic web pages and a data structure that is compact and effective for fragment detection. Second, we present an efficient algorithm to detect maximal fragments that are shared among multiple documents. Third, we develop a practical algorithm that effectively detects fragments based on their lifetime and personalization characteristics. We evaluate the proposed scheme through a series of experiments, showing the benefits and costs of the algorithms. We also study the impact of adopting the fragments detected by our system on disk space utilization and network bandwidth consumption.
Transgene expression in various organs post BM-HSC transplantation

Gene therapy mediated by bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem cells (BM-HSC) has been widely used in treating genetic deficiencies in both pre-clinical and clinical settings. Using mitotically inactive cell-targeting lentivirus with separate promoters for our gene of interest (the murine MHC class II (MHCII) chaperone, invariant chain (Ii)) and a GFP reporter, we monitored the expression and function of introduced Ii in various types of professional antigen presenting cells (B cells, macrophages and DC) from different organs (spleen, pancreatic lymph nodes (PLN), BM and blood). Ii and GFP were detected. Ii levels correlated with GFP levels only in macrophages and monocytes from spleen, monocytes from PLN and macrophage precursors from blood. By cell type, Ii levels in PLN cells were more similar to those in spleen cells than to those in blood or BM cells. Functionally, Ii expressed in PLN or spleen had more effect on MHCII abundance than Ii expressed in BM or blood. The results have implications for analysis of the outcomes of gene therapy when both therapeutic and reporter genes are introduced. The findings also have implications for understanding the development of immune molecule function.