cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Volume visualization in serial electron microscopy using local variance

High-throughput microscopy allows researchers to produce large volumetric images of biological tissue at sub-micrometer resolution. Serial electron microscopy (EM) has the ability to improve three-dimensional imaging dramatically by providing nanometer-scale resolution. Serial EM data sets of brain tissue can potentially be used to reconstruct the complex structure of biological neural networks. These data sets consist of gigabytes of volumetric data densely packed with anatomical information. This makes three-dimensional EM data sets difficult to visualize. In this paper, we present new methods for visualizing EM data sets using a novel transfer function based on the local variance of volumetric features. We first construct a tensor field that describes the local shape and orientation of structures. These tensors are then used to visualize anatomical features such as cell bodies, membranes, and fibers. We do this by using the tensor shape and orientation to design transfer functions that allow selective visualization of features in dense EM image stacks.
Bias due to missing exposure data using complete-case analysis in the proportional hazards regression model.

We studied bias due to missing exposure data in the proportional hazards regression model when using complete-case analysis (CCA). Eleven missing data scenarios were considered: one with missing completely at random (MCAR), four missing at random (MAR), and six non-ignorable missingness scenarios, with a variety of hazard ratios, censoring fractions, missingness fractions and sample sizes. When missingness was MCAR or dependent only on the exposure, there was negligible bias (2-3 per cent) that was similar to the difference between the estimate in the full data set with no missing data and the true parameter. In contrast, substantial bias occurred when missingness was dependent on outcome or both outcome and exposure. For models with hazard ratio of 3.5, a sample size of 400, 20 per cent censoring and 40 per cent missing data, the relative bias for the hazard ratio ranged between 7 per cent and 64 per cent. We observed important differences in the direction and magnitude of biases under the various missing data mechanisms. For example, in scenarios where missingness was associated with longer or shorter follow-up, the biases were notably different, although both mechanisms are MAR. The hazard ratio was underestimated (with larger bias) when missingness was associated with longer follow-up and overestimated (with smaller bias) when associated with shorter follow-up. If it is known that missingness is associated with a less frequently observed outcome or with both the outcome and exposure, CCA may result in an invalid inference and other methods for handling missing data should be considered.
EFFECT of HONEY AS an ANTIBROWNING AGENT IN LIGHT RAISIN PROCESSING

Various process methods were evaluated for the production of the light Thompson Seedless raisins. Treatments included: control, commercial (sulfur gas treated), 20% honey solution pressure dip, 10% honey solution pressure dip, 5000 ppm sulfite solution pressure dip, 5000 ppm sulfite solution nonpressure dip, Erthorbic Acid/Citric Acid/CaCl 2 solution pressure dip, blanch treatment and a Natick solution. Measured variables included Hunter Colorimeter tristimulus characteristics, visual assessment and rank comparison using Friedman Rank Analysis. The Hunter L, a, b results indicated the honey solution treatments produced lighter and yellower raisins than the commercial and pressure infused sulfite solution treatments. The Erthorbic Acid/Citric Acid/CaCl 2 pressure dip treatment resulted in the darkes product. Based on results of the Friedman Rank Analysis, raisins produced using honey with no added SO 2 were ranked highest by each of the 18 untrained panelists
Demonstration of QoS-aware packet protection via cross-layer OSNR signaling

Quality-of-service aware packet protection is demonstrated using cross-layer signaling from a delay-line-interferometer-assisted optical-signal-to-noise-ratio monitor. 8×10 Gb/s wavelength-striped optical messages are successfully rerouted based on performance monitoring measurements communicated between the physical and networking layers.
Esmolol as an adjunct in the treatment of systemic hypertension after operative repair of coarctation of the aorta.

Robert N. Vincent, MD, CM, Lorie A. Click, RN, MN, and Willis H. Williams, MD Henry M. Williams, PA-C, William H. Plauth, MD, FfGURE3.Schnafkrepnsentationof~~ of the afriove!nfrkular @WI & sagflal sod011 ofmIlts vantrider. In heart 1, signkant connectionb0fWe6ma3fdhodandfunetionalrfgbtvenbidewas prerent. The cometion was sdarged by surgery (infemrpfed /inc).Inhearf?,resbid LA = leff afrium; RA =dghfafrium.
The impact of childhood bullying among HIV-positive men: Psychosocial correlates and risk factors

Objectives While some studies have examined the deleterious effects of childhood bullying on adults, no studies to date have focused on the effects of bullying on Persons Living with HIV (PLH), a particularly at-risk population. PLH experience higher rates of childhood and adulthood physical and sexual abuse than the population at large, and experience of childhood abuse appears to be predictive of sexual and other risk behaviors in this population. Thus it remains critical to examine rates of childhood bullying and correlates of bullying in adult PLH.
Risk and spectral instability in portfolio analysis

Abstract This study extends the traditional E-V portfolio selection model pioneered by Markowitz and extended by others to accommodate the investor's attitude towards predicted instability. It is argued that investors—given the choice between the two equal amplitude net earnings series—may either prefer, or be averse to, investing in that stock with the highest frequency, all other things constant. An instability aversion (preference) function was developed in this study that could accomodate alternative attitudes toward instability. Finally, a situation where an investor (who is assumed to be averse to predicted instability) was given the choice of selecting among alternative combinations of six stocks, was analyzed under alternative weights assigned to the importance of instability relative to risk. The results showed that the optimal portfolio combination may begin to differ sharply from the traditional E-V solution as the investor's aversion toward instability becomes more important relative to his aversion to risk.
A vaccine strategy that protects against genital herpes by establishing local memory T cells

Most successful existing vaccines rely on neutralizing antibodies, which may not require specific anatomical localization of B cells. However, efficacious vaccines that rely on T cells for protection have been difficult to develop, as robust systemic memory T-cell responses do not necessarily correlate with host protection. In peripheral sites, tissue-resident memory T cells provide superior protection compared to circulating memory T cells. Here we describe a simple and non-inflammatory vaccine strategy that enables the establishment of a protective memory T-cell pool within peripheral tissue. The female genital tract, which is a portal of entry for sexually transmitted infections, is an immunologically restrictive tissue that prevents entry of activated T cells in the absence of inflammation or infection. To overcome this obstacle, we developed a vaccine strategy that we term 'prime and pull' to establish local tissue-resident memory T cells at a site of potential viral exposure. This approach relies on two steps: conventional parenteral vaccination to elicit systemic T-cell responses (prime), followed by recruitment of activated T cells by means of topical chemokine application to the restrictive genital tract (pull), where such T cells establish a long-term niche and mediate protective immunity. In mice, prime and pull protocol reduces the spread of infectious herpes simplex virus 2 into the sensory neurons and prevents development of clinical disease. These results reveal a promising vaccination strategy against herpes simplex virus 2, and potentially against other sexually transmitted infections such as human immunodeficiency virus.
The essential pre-mRNA splicing factor SF2 influences 5' splice site selection by activating proximal sites.

SF2 is a 33 kd protein factor required for 5′ splice site cleavage and lariat formation during pre-mRNA splicing in HeLa cell extracts. In addition to its essential role in constitutive splicing, SF2 can strongly influence 5′ splice site selection. When pre-mRNAs containing multiple cis-competing 5′ splice sites are spliced in vitro, high concentrations of purified SF2 promote the use of the 5′ splice site closest to the 3′ splice site. However, SF2 discriminates properly between authentic and cryptic splice sites. These effects of SF2 on splice site selection may reflect the cellular mechanisms that prevent exon skipping and ensure the accuracy of splicing. In addition, alterations in the concentration or activity of SF2, and of other general splicing factors, may serve to regulate alternative splicing in vivo.
Kidney dysfunction and fatal cardiovascular disease—an association independent of atherosclerotic events: Results from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) study

Background Impaired kidney function has been associated with increased risk for death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure in high-risk populations. We evaluated whether impaired kidney function predicted risk of fatal cardiovascular disease independent of prevalent and incident cardiovascular events. Methods The Health, Aging, and Body Composition study is a cohort of well-functioning, elderly participants aged 70 to 79 years at entry. We measured serum cystatin C and creatinine from baseline plasma samples of 3044 participants and followed them over 6 years, examining the associations among kidney function, cardiovascular death, and incident cardiovascular events. Cystatin C was categorized as low ( 2 ) were dichotomized. Results During follow-up, 242 cardiovascular deaths occurred, of which 69 were in participants without prior cardiovascular events; 294 incident cardiovascular events occurred including 135 myocardial infarctions and 163 strokes. Higher cystatin C concentrations were significantly associated with cardiovascular death (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-2.76 for the medium cystatin C group; and HR 2.24, 95% CI 1.30-3.86 for the high cystatin C group, relative to the low cystatin C group). The point estimate was of greater magnitude in the analysis that excluded prevalent cardiovascular disease (adjusted HR 2.68, 95% CI 0.94-7.70 for the medium cystatin C group; and HR 4.91, 95% CI, 1.55-15.54 for the high cystatin C group). Elevated creatinine levels (adjusted HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.02-2.33, and HR 2.28, 95% CI 1.10-4.73 among participants without a history of cardiovascular disease) were also associated with cardiovascular death. No significant association was found between low eGFR and cardiovascular death. In addition, cystatin C, low eGFR, or elevated creatinine levels were not associated with other cardiovascular events. Conclusion Impaired kidney function is a strong predictor of cardiovascular death, particularly among participants without prior history of cardiovascular disease.
Fatou points of harmonic normal functions and uniformly normal functions

1. Let D denote the unit disk, C the unit circle, and l e t f be a real or complexvalued function defined in D. We say t h a t f is a normal function if the family { f ( s (z)): se S}, where S denotes the family of all one-to-one conformal mappings of D onto itself, has the property that each sequence of functions in the family contains a subsequence which converges uniformly on each compact subset of D. By a Stolz angle A at a point ~eC is meant a set of the form
Spin-Disorder Thermal Resistivity of the Ferromagnetic Transition Metals

Data of White and Woods for the thermal resistivity $W$ of the transition metals show that $W$ for Fe, Co, and Ni displays an anomalous persistent temperature dependence in the region just below and through the Debye temperature. Since $W$ for the nonferromagnetic transition metals is approximately constant in this region, it is reasonable to attribute the additional temperature dependence to the well-known spin-disorder scattering of conduction electrons. It is shown, however, that a model which treats the magnetic $d$ electrons as localized and neglects $s\ensuremath{-}d$ transitions cannot account for the anomalous behavior of $W$, while a model which treats magnon-induced $s\ensuremath{-}d$ interband transitions presents a plausible explanation.
Guiding lights: recent developments in optogenetic control of biochemical signals

Optogenetics arises from the innovative application of microbial opsins in mammalian neurons and has since been a powerful technology that fuels the advance of our knowledge in neuroscience. In recent years, there has been growing interest in designing optogenetic tools extendable to broader cell types and biochemical signals. To date, a variety of photoactivatable proteins (refers to induction of protein activity in contrast to fluorescence) have been developed based on the understanding of plant and microbial photoreceptors including phototropins, blue light sensors using flavin adenine dinucleotide proteins, cryptochromes, and phytochromes. Such tools offered researchers reversible, quantitative, and precise spatiotemporal control of enzymatic activity, protein–protein interaction, protein translocation, as well as gene transcription in cells and in whole animals. In this review, we will briefly introduce these photosensory proteins, describe recent developments in optogenetics, and compare and contrast different methods based on their advantages and limitations.
Strobilation in the chesapeake bay sea nettle chrysaora quinquecirrha—III. Dissociation of the neck-inducing factor from strobilating polyps

Abstract 1. 1. The neck-inducing factor (NIF), which is involved in initiation of strobilation in Chrysaora quinquecirrha, is dissociated into polypeptide subunits of molecular weight 1650 daltons in 7 M guanidinium hydrochloride, as shown by gel filtration. 2. 2. When guanidinium hydrochloride is removed, subunits recombine in aggregates of approximately 3000, 6000, 12,000, 24,000 and over 200,000 daltons. 3. 3. Polyps appear to respond physiologically to what appear to be monomers, dimers and tetramers of NIF, although it is still unknown to which members of the above set of aggregates this refers.
Drop Formation in Non-Newtonian Jets at Low Reynolds Number

The major objective of this work is to develop accurate computational models to predict evolution of shear thinning liquid jets. A secondary objective is to investigate the formation of satellite drops, and to determine the conditions under which their diameter can be controlled. The theoretical approach of Galerkin-finite element analysis is used solve the complete two-dimensional set of axisymmetric governing equations and the kinematic and dynamic boundary conditions at the free surface. The effect of shear thinning behavior on break-up is studied in detail, in the case of an infinitely long non-Newtonian jet. It is found that the shear thinning behavior may be useful in controlling satellite drop sizes. (We observe that increasing the shear thinning behavior at moderate Reynolds number (Re = 5) leads to an initial increase in the satellite drop size, followed by a subsequent decrease.) Experimental validation for the theory is then presented for the case of a shear thinning non-Newtonian jet. The experimental fluid is pumped through a capillary and drop shapes are obtained using a high speed camera. The experimentally obtained shapes are compared to those predicted by theory with results found to be in good agreement.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
A note on the boundary layer in the sixth-order theory of transverse bending of anisotropic shear-deformable elastic plates

Given the existing interest, from a computational point of view, in the boundary layer aspects of the theory of thin shear-deformable plates, we undertake an asymptotic analysis of the stress boundary problem for a semi-infinite anisotropic plate. Our principal conclusion is that the effect of anisotropy can result in order of magnitude changes for the quantities of interest, relative to the corresponding quantities for orthotropic and isotropic plates.
Scalable personalization of interactive experiences through creative automation

Personalization entails the recommendation or tailoring of goods and services. We see personalization in many domains from education to healthcare to marketing. In the arena of entertainment, there are many systems that recommend movies, books, TV shows, and music; however, there is little tailoring of entertainment content. One reason for this is the economies of scale of personalizing entertainment. Computer-based interactive entertainment – computer games – can be ideal platforms for automated tailoring of interactive content in order to deliver on-demand and just-in-time experiences. The automatic generation of tailored interactive experiences, through artificial intelligence player modeling and content generation has the potential to address the challenge of scalable personalization. The ability to dynamically produce unique, tailored experiences that make use of players’ individual differences such as tastes, preferences, play styles, range of capabilities can potentially change the way we relate to entertainment media and implications for serious applications such as education and training through tailored serious games.
Interpretation of magnetic susceptibility data for CeP

Abstract The observed anomalous behavior for the magnetic susceptibility of CeP at low temperatures is shown to be due to a crystal field interaction and not a valancy change of the Ce3+-ion as previously postulated.
Serine-O-galactosyl linkages in glycopeptides from carrot cell walls

Abstract Cell walls obtained from carrot disks aged for 6 days were treated with mild acid to remove the arabinosyl sidechains from the hydroxyproline residues of extensin, and subsequently digested with trypsin. The peptides in the tryptic digest were fractionated according to MW by gel filtration and further purified with Dowex 5OX2. The peptides were rich in hydroxyproline and contained small amounts of carbohydrate, especially galactose. Treatment of the glycopeptides with NaOH in the presence of Na 2 SO 3 resulted in a considerable loss of serine residues (up to half in some fractions) and the formation of cysteic acid. Free carbohydrate, consisting mostly of galactose was released by this treatment. Treatment with NaOH in the presence of NaBH 4 , resulted in the release of carbohydrate sidechains which primarily contained galactitol and galactose. The data indicate that the serine- O -galactosyl linkage occurs in glycopeptides of different sizes and is most abundant in the hydroxyproline-rich glycopeptide fractions.
A Synthesis of Kootenai River Burbot Stock History and Future Management Goals

Abstract In Idaho, Burbot Lota lota are endemic only to the Kootenai River, where they once provided an important winter fishery to the indigenous people and European settlers. This fishery and that of Kootenay Lake in British Columbia may have been the most robust Burbot fisheries in North America. However, the fishery in Idaho rapidly declined after the construction of Libby Dam by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1972, and it closed in 1992. Concomitant to the collapse in Idaho was the collapse of the Burbot fishery in Kootenay Lake and the Kootenay River. The operation of Libby Dam for hydroelectric power generation and flood control created major changes in the river's nutrient concentration, temperature, and seasonal discharge, particularly during the winter when Burbot spawn. Libby Dam operations were implicated as the major limiting factor to Burbot recruitment, giving rise to higher winter temperatures and widely fluctuating flows. Because the Burbot in the Kootenai River are at risk of demogr...
Non-consecutive versus consecutive footstrikes as an equivalent method of assessing gait asymmetry

Asymmetry of gait is often studied to characterize populations and assess the efficacy of treatment protocols. However, despite the continuous nature of gait, many studies have made comparisons between data from non-consecutive footstrikes. This is typically considered a limitation of these studies. However, if gait characteristics are sufficiently repeatable within a side, consecutive footstrikes may not be necessary to properly describe the asymmetry between sides. Therefore, one purpose of this study was to compare asymmetry values calculated from consecutive and non-consecutive footstrikes. Additionally, the variability of gait within and between sides was compared to assess the repeatability and distinctiveness of the characteristics on each side. The results suggest that kinetic and kinematic asymmetry can be assessed from either consecutive or non-consecutive footstrikes. Further, the patterns of movement tend to be sufficiently consistent within a side, such that the variability within a side is much lower than the variability between sides. However, there may be some variables, or populations, that exhibit high within-side variability. Several trials of consecutive footstrikes may be a better way to characterize asymmetry of those variables.
Biomechanical and Microstructural Properties of Common Carotid Arteries from Fibulin-5 Null Mice

Alteration in the mechanical properties of arteries occurs with aging and disease, and arterial stiffening is a key risk factor for subsequent cardiovascular events. Arterial stiffening is associated with the loss of functional elastic fibers and increased collagen content in the wall of large arteries. Arterial mechanical properties are controlled largely by the turnover and reorganization of key structural proteins and cells, a process termed growth and remodeling. Fibulin-5 (fbln5) is a microfibrillar protein that binds tropoelastin, interacts with integrins, and localizes to elastin fibers; tropoelastin and microfibrillar proteins constitute functional elastic fibers. We performed biaxial mechanical testing and confocal imaging of common carotid arteries (CCAs) from fibulin-5 null mice (fbln5 ⁻(/)⁻) and littermate controls (fbln5 (+/+)) to characterize the mechanical behavior and microstructural content of these arteries; mechanical testing data were fit to a four-fiber family constitutive model. We found that CCAs from fbln5 ⁻(/)⁻ mice exhibited lower in vivo axial stretch and lower in vivo stresses while maintaining a similar compliance over physiological pressures compared to littermate controls. Specifically, for fbln5 ⁻(/)⁻ the axial stretch λ = 1.41 ± 0.07, the circumferential stress σ(θ) = 101 ± 32 kPa, and the axial stress σ ( z ) = 74 ± 28 kPa; for fbln5 (+/+) λ = 1.64 ± 0.03, σ(θ) = 194 ± 38 kPa, and σ(z) = 159 ± 29 kPa. Structurally, CCAs from fbln5 ⁻(/)⁻ mice lack distinct functional elastic fibers defined by the lamellar structure of alternating layers of smooth muscle cells and elastin sheets. These data suggest that structural differences in fbln5 ⁻(/)⁻ arteries correlate with significant differences in mechanical properties. Despite these significant differences fbln5 ⁻(/)⁻ CCAs exhibited nearly normal levels of cyclic strain over the cardiac cycle.
Stabilizing unstable periodic orbits in a fast diode resonator using continuous time-delay autosynchronization

Fast chaotic dynamics in a diode resonator are controlled using a continuous feedback scheme proposed by Pyragas [Phys. Lett. A 181, 203 (1993)]. The resonator is driven by a 10.3 MHz sinusoidal voltage (corresponding to a drive period under 100 nsec). Period-[ital k] orbits, with [ital k]=1, 2, and 4, have been stabilized by applying a vanishingly small feedback signal that is generated by continuously comparing the state of the resonator with its state one orbital period in the past. We observe that the control is effective even in the presence of a [similar to]24 nsec time lag between the sensing of the system and the application of the feedback that arises from unavoidable propagation delays through the feedback electronics.
ECOLOGY OF GEORGETOWN SALAMANDERS (EURYCEA NAUFRAGIA) WITHIN THE FLOW OF A SPRING

Abstract The Georgetown salamander, Eurycea naufragia, is a permanently neotenic salamander known only from about a dozen surface springs and caves in Williamson County, Texas. Rapid urbanization places all known populations at risk and conservation strategies are hindered by a lack of information on the ecology of the species. To better understand requirements of microhabitat and spatial distribution of E. naufragia within flows of surface springs, we conducted counts of salamanders on the surface at one locality over a 12-month period. Numbers of salamanders and percentage of cover objects occupied by salamanders varied among months, with a general trend of higher abundance in spring and summer. Few juveniles were observed, and there was no strong seasonal trend in distribution of size of salamanders. Within the flow of the spring, abundance of salamanders decreased linearly with distance from origin of the spring. Salamanders were more likely to be under rocks than under other types of cover objects an...
Nucleon tunnelling model of mass diffusion in deep inelastic heavy ion collisions

Abstract We derive a simple expression for the mass diffusion coefficient in deep inelastic collisions, based on a proximity formulation of nucleon tunnelling. The predicted value of the coefficient is consistent with empirical data. The mass diffusion coefficient has a negligible dependence on excitation energy in the physically interesting domain.
NON)ETERNAL BRANE INFLATION

The random walk type eternal inflation in brane inflationary scenarios is reviewed. Unlike inflation in field theory with standard kinetic term, the DBI nature of the action describing the brane motion introduces extra constraints on eternal inflation. Constraints also appear due to the finite size of extra dimensions. In the context of false vacuum eternal inflation, we note that the Coleman–De Luccia instanton for a D-brane receives corrections due to the DBI nature of the action. This can enhance vacuum decay for a fine-tuned region of parameter space. Finally, some recent work on the stochastic Langevin description of the D-brane motion is reviewed. This leads to a modification to the Hawking–Moss probability distribution.
Intercalated cells of the rat inner medullary collecting duct

Intercalated cells of the rat inner medullary collecting duct. There is increasing evidence of acidification along the entire mammalian collecting duct including the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD). Recent studies have provided morphologic evidence that the intercalated cells are involved in hydrogen ion secretion in the cortical and outer medullary collecting duct of the rat. In the present study we performed a quantitative and qualitative morphologic examination of the intercalated cells in the IMCD of the rat and compared the results to observations obtained from intercalated cells in the collecting duct in the inner stripe of the outer medulla (OMCD i ). Kidneys of male rats were preserved by in vivo perfusion with glutaraldehyde and processed for morphologic evaluation. With light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy intercalated cells were found in the outer third of the IMCD (IMCD 1 ) and accounted for 10% of the total cell population. They were absent in the terminal two–thirds of the IMCD. Examination of the intercalated cells using transmission electron microscopy revealed striking similarities between the cells of the IMCD 1 and those in the OMCD i . In addition, no differences were found in the surface densities of the apical or basolateral plasma membranes or the volume densities of the mitochondria of the intercalated cells in the two regions. In light of the morphologic similarity with the intercalated cells of the OMCD i that are believed to be involved in hydrogen ion secretion, it is likely that the intercalated cells of the IMCD 1 are also involved in the acidification of tubular fluid.
Novel Poly(phenylene vinylenes) with Well-Defined Poly(∊-caprolactone) or Polystyrene as Lateral Substituents: Synthesis and Characterization

New macromonomers containing dialdehyde functionalities placed at the middle or at the end of the chains were synthesized in two reaction steps. First, using ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of e-caprolactone (CL) or atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene (St) in the presence of proper initiators provided well-defined low molecular weight polymers with dibromobenzene moieties. In the second step, using Suzuki couplings of these dibromobenzene functions with 4-formylphenyl boronic acid, macromonomers having 4,4‘-dicarbaldehyde terphenyl moieties were obtained. Poly(phenylenevinylene)s (PPVs), with lateral subtituents PSt or PCL chains respectively, were synthesized by following a Wittig polycondensation in combination with bis(triphenylphosphonium) salts in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide. The resulting PPVs were soluble in common organic solvents at room temperature as were the starting macromonomers. All of the starting and intermediate polymers and the final PPVs were characteri...
Case Study Research in Applied Linguistics edited by DUFF, PATRICIA A.

The article reviews the book "Case Study Research in Applied Linguistics," by Patricia A. Duff.
Coarsening kinetics from a variable-mobility Cahn-Hilliard equation: application of a semi-implicit Fourier spectral method

An efficient semi-implicit Fourier spectral method is implemented to solve the Cahn-Hilliard equation with a variable mobility. The method is orders of magnitude more efficient than the conventional forward Euler finite-difference method, thus allowing us to simulate large systems for longer times. We studied the coarsening kinetics of interconnected two-phase mixtures using a Cahn-Hilliard equation with its mobility depending on local compositions. In particular, we compared the kinetics of bulk-diffusion-dominated and interface-diffusion-dominated coarsening in two-phase systems. Results are compared with existing theories and previous computer simulations.
Management of intra-abdominal sepsis

Summary The management of seventy-five patients requiring 116 surgical drainage procedures for intra-abdominal abscesses over a two and a half year period is presented. Fifty-six of the patients were injured by hostile fire in Vietnam and nineteen had abscesses from other than wounds. Early diagnosis and aggressive therapy are stressed. Surgical treatment and preventive measures are discussed.
Differentiation of involved and uninvolved psoriatic skin from healthy skin using noninvasive visual, colorimeter and evaporimeter methods.

Background/aims: Uninvolved skin of psoriasis may not be entirely normal. The object was to characterize healthy, uninvolved psoriatic skin and lesional skin by biophysical methods. Methods: Involved and uninvolved psoriatic and age-gender matched healthy skin was measured objectively with a colorimeter and evaporimeter and subjectively with visual assessment in 14 subjects. Methods: Visual assessment of erythema (E), scaling (S) and induration (I) as well as the target lesion score at the involved psoriatic skin sites were significantly elevated (p uninvolved psoriatic skin >healthy skin (p<0.05). Objective assessment of skin color in 3 color scales, L*, a*, and b*, differentiated involved and uninvolved psoriatic skin from healthy skin sites. Involved psoriatic skin demonstrated higher (p<0.01) a-scale values and lower (p<0.01) L* and b* scale values than uninvolved psoriatic skin. Further, colorimeter L* and a* scale values at uninvolved psoriatic skin sites were lower and higher (p<0.05), respectively, than healthy skin. The individual chromameter parameters (L*, a*, b*) correlated well with the visual parameters (E, S and I). Composite colorimeter description (L*× b*)/a* significantly differentiated healthy skin from both involved and uninvolved psoriatic skin. Conclusions: These collective data highlight that even visually appearing uninvolved psoriatic skin is compromised compared with healthy skin. These objective, noninvasive but differential capabilities of the colorimeter and evaporimeter will aid in the mechanistic quantification of new psoriatic drug therapies and in conjuction with biochemical studies, add to understanding of the multifactorial pathogenesis of psoriasis.
Studies of the relationship of specific gravity to total solids of potatoes

Specific gravity and total solids data were studied statistically to test the absolute reliability of the relationship in American potatoes. On a limited number of samples it is strongly indicated that studies should be instituted in the United States to establish a regression curve especially suited to American varieties and growing conditions. The variation in the relationship, due to tissue air space and perhaps other causes, indicates doubt as to the absolute reliability of individual total solids values determined by means of specific gravity. This is amply demonstrated by the 95% confidence limit of ± 1.5% total solids.
A Calculation Method of Track Quality

Aimed at accurately selecting data source in calculation of track association, the track quality(TQ) assessment method based on two-points extrapolate is studied. The method takes into account the influencing impact of the TQ calculation including platform navigation error, the radar measurement error and extrapolation error. The simulation results of various types of error on the TQ calculation are analyzed. It is verified that the method is simple and feasible, be able to accurately evaluate TQ and be able to adapt to different platforms and different sensor requirements.
An investigation of creep behavior in an SiC2124 Al composite

The creep behavior of powder metallurgy (PM) 10 vol.% silicon carbide particulate reinforced 2124 aluminum (SiC{sub p}-2124 Al composite) was studied under experimental conditions identical with those used in an earlier investigation on the unreinforced matrix alloy, PM 2124 Al. The results show that the creep behavior of PM 10 vol.% SiC{sub p}-2124 Al composite is similar to that of PM 2124 Al with regard to: (a) the variation in both the apparent stress exponent and the apparent activation energy for creep with applied stress, (b) the value of the true stress exponent (n = 4.5), (c) the value of the true activation energy for creep (Q{sub c} {approx} Q{sub D}), (d) the interpretation of creep in terms of a threshold stress and (e) the temperature dependence of the threshold stress. These similarities indicate that deformation in the matrix alloy, 2124 Al, controls the creep of the composite, 10 vol.% SiC{sub p}-2124 Al composite; and that SiC particulates are not directly responsible for the threshold stress behavior in the composite. A comparison between the creep rates of the composite and those of the unreinforced matrix alloy reveals that, for constant temperature, strengthening arising from SiC particulates is eliminated at highmore » strain rates and the creep strength of PM 10 vol.% SiC{sub p}-2124 Al composite becomes essentially equal to that of the unreinforced matrix alloy, PM 2124 Al.« less
Reverse T3 Does Not Reliably Differentiate Hypothyroid Sick Syndrome from Euthyroid Sick Syndrome

To assess the efficacy of reverse T3 in differentiating between the hypothyroid and euthyroid state in the setting of illness, all reverse T3 determinations obtained over a 4-year period in a University teaching hospital were analyzed in the context of concurrent thyroid function tests, bilirubin, albumin, creatinine, subsequent treatment, and follow-up. Based on T4 (or free T4 index) and TSH, the thyroidal state of the patient and the appropriateness of the reverse T3 determination were assigned. A total of 262 reverse T3 determinations were made in 246 patients. There is an inverse linear relationship between the log TSH and the reverse T3. Patients with hypothyroidism plus illness may have a normal reverse T3 and patients with euthyroidism may have a low reverse T3. Reverse T3 is linearly related to bilirubin up to a bilirubin of approximately 171 microM (10 mg/dL). Sixty percent of the reverse T3 determinations were obtained for seemingly inappropriate indications. In association with a low free T4 index/T4, an unmeasurable reverse T3 did not lead to institution of thyroid hormone treatment in over 52% of cases. Although reverse T3 may be elevated in the setting of nonthyroidal illness, it is not reliable in distinguishing between the hypothyroid sick patient and the euthyroid sick patient. This is probably because of drug and disease effects on thyroid hormone metabolism as well as the presence of sufficient T4 substrate for conversion to reverse T3 in many hypothyroid sick patients.
Stable silver nanoparticle–DNA conjugates for directed self-assembly of core-satellite silver–gold nanoclusters

We report a novel strategy to functionalize silver nanoparticles with chimeric phosphorothioate modified DNA (ps-po-DNA) and the fabrication of bimetallic core-satellite nanoclusters that each contain a silver core (diameter 32 nm) surrounded by 5 nm gold NPs.
Tillage and urea ammonium nitrate fertilizer rate and placement affects winter wheat following grain sorghum and soybean

In the eastern Great Plains, winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is often rotated with other crops to diversify cropping systems. In these multicropping systems, wheat typically is planted with conservation tillage methods, but previous crop residues influence fertilizer N management. This field study was conducted from 1992 through 2001 in southeastern Kansas on a Parsons lilt loam soil (fine, mixed, thermic, Mollic Albaqualf). The objectives were to determine effects and interactions of previous crop {grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]], tillage system [reduced tillage (RT) and no-tillage (NT)], N rate (67 and 134 kg ha -1 ), and preplant placement (surface-broadcast and subsurface-knife) of urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN, 280 g kg -1 ) on wheat grain yield, yield components, and plant N uptake in a 2-yr cropping rotation. Wheat yields averaged 339 Mg ha -1 following soybean compared with 2.90 Mg ha -1 following grain sorghum. Tillage effects on grain yield were smaller than other treatment factors, averaging 3.23 Mg ha -1 for RT and 3.06 Mg ha -1 for NT. Grain yields were greatest in all cropping systems for the high-N-rate subsurface-knife treatment. Plant N uptake responses indicated that grain yield differences were primarily related to greater immobilization of both fertilizer and soil N following grain sorghum, compared with soybean, and to better utilization of subsurface-knifed N than surface-broadcast N. Results indicate that wheat yield potential is more strongly influenced by previous crop, fertilizer N rate, and N placement method than tillage system.
Distribution of diffuse flow megafauna in two sites on the Eastern Lau Spreading Center, Tonga

Hydrothermal vent environments are characterized by large gradients of toxic chemicals and high temperatures, which play a significant role in defining species’ distributions. We used high-resolution imagery and spatially explicit in-situ physico-chemical measurements analyzed within a Geographic Information System (GIS) in order to characterize the spatial relations among different groups of megafauna, temperature, and chemistry within two discrete vent communities (40 and 50 m2) on the Eastern Lau Spreading Center (ELSC). Chemical (sulfide and O2 concentrations) and temperature data were obtained from approximately 75 different locations within each community using in-situ instruments. All data were integrated into a GIS, which served as a visualization tool and enabled the data to be analyzed in a spatial context. Our results confirm the importance of abiotic variables in defining the distributions of some fauna and elucidate several biological associations that are consistent between the two communities. The provannid snail, Alviniconcha spp., appears to actively avoid temperatures above 32–46 °C and/or sulfide concentrations exceeding approximately 260 μM. Slightly higher average sulfide concentrations and temperatures were measured among aggregations of Ifremeria nautilei compared to aggregations of the mussel Bathymodiolus brevior; however, the presence of mixed aggregations of the two species indicates an overlap in requirements. The brachyuran crab, Austinograea spp., was consistently observed directly on symbiont-containing species, particularly Alviniconcha spp. The solitary snail, Eosipho desbruyeresi, was rarely observed on biological substrata, but was often (60% of its population at the most active site) within 5 cm of symbiont-containing fauna, indicating a tolerance and preference for proximity to areas of high productivity. Densities and coverage of species differed substantially between the two communities despite high species overlap. Symbiont-containing species covered much larger areas at the more hydrothermally active site, ABE1, while shrimp and anemones occurred in relatively higher densities within the less-active site, TM1. This is the first study to thoroughly characterize realized distributions of megafauna at vent sites along the ELSC.
Coupled-mode sound propagation in a range-dependent, moving fluid

Full-field acoustic methods for current velocity inversion require accurate and efficient mathematical models of sound propagation in a range-dependent waveguide with flow. In this paper, an exact coupled-mode representation of the acoustic field is derived. To account for the physics of the problem, normal modes in a corresponding range-independent waveguide are chosen as the local basis. In the absence of currents, mode shape functions form a complete orthogonal basis. This property is heavily used in coupled-mode theories of sound propagation in motionless fluid. Unlike in the motionless case, however, vertical dependencies of acoustic pressure in individual normal modes are not orthogonal in the presence of currents. To overcome this difficulty, linearized equations of hydrodynamics are rewritten in terms of a state vector. Its five components are expressed in terms of acoustic pressure and particle displacement due to the wave. Orthogonality of the state vectors corresponding to individual normal modes is established. Coupled differential equations are derived for range-dependent mode amplitudes, leading to a remarkably simple result. The mode-coupling equations have the same form as those known for the motionless case, but of course the values of the mode-coupling coefficients differ as long as the range dependence of the flow velocity contributes to mode coupling in addition to the range dependence of sound speed and fluid density. The mode-coupling formulation is verified against known coupled-mode equations for certain limiting cases and an exact analytic solution of a benchmark problem.
Estimating the Number of Manually Segmented Cellular Objects Required to Evaluate the Performance of a Segmentation Algorithm

We propose a new strategy for estimating the number of cellular objects that should be manually segmented for evaluating the segmentation performance of an algorithm. The strategy uses geometric and edge quality measurements that are directly related to segmentation performance, but do not require highly accurate segmentation. Sample sizes are determined from standard deviations of cell features calculated from the entire image set. We examine the relationship between approximate confidence level and sample size. The use of our strategy may reduce the effort and time required for generating a reference dataset for evaluating segmentation algorithm performance with images of biological cells. We demonstrate the usefulness of this methodology on a large and diverse data set for which reference data are available.
Interpretation of the Gamma-Ray Bump from Cygnus X-1

The strong 0.5-2 MeV gamma-ray bump of Cyg X-1 recently reported by HEAO 3 observers can be interpreted self-consistently as the emission from a hot (kT of about 400 keV) pair-dominated plasma. The emission region parameters are uniquely determined by the spectral fit and observed luminosity via the pair-balance condition, suggesting that the gamma rays are produced in the inner region of the accretion flow at the expense of the normal power-law hard X-rays.
Reducing CKD risks among vulnerable populations in primary care

Ethnic/racial and socioeconomic status disparities in the health-care and clinical outcomes of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are pervasive. The vast majority of care to decrease incidence of CKD risk and progression occurs in primary care settings. High-quality primary care, therefore, represents a key strategy through which disparities in the incidence and progression of CKD may be eliminated. The Chronic Care Model provides a framework for the delivery of high-quality primary care for chronic diseases, and it is frequently used to guide health-care quality improvement initiatives. Evidence suggests that Chronic Care Model constructs, including provider and organizational quality improvement initiatives focused on team approaches to chronic care (eg, case management, community health workers), are effective in modifying patients' CKD risks among ethnic minority and low-income patients. Other Chronic Care Model constructs, including clinical information systems (eg, disease registries), decision support interventions, and the provision of patient-centered care have been shown to improve processes related to CKD care but with limited and/or mixed effects on patient outcomes. Few studies have examined the effect of these approaches on reducing disparities. Research is needed to examine the effectiveness of these strategies to eliminate CKD disparities among vulnerable populations.
College Students’ Judgment of Others Based on Described Eating Pattern

Abstract Background: The literature available on attitudes toward eating patterns and people choosing various foods suggests the possible importance of “moral” judgments and desirable personality characteristics associated with the described eating patterns. Purpose: This study was designed to replicate and extend a 1993 study of college students’ judgments of others based on described dietary fat patterns. Methods: Participants rated male or female peer models described as having low-fat, high-fat, or “good fat” eating habits. Data were analyzed using factorial MANOVA to determine effects of model gender and described eating pattern on two scales: likeability and personal success orientation. Results: The results of this analysis revealed no signifcant overall effect of model gender. However, there was a signifcant overall effect of described eating pattern (F(6, 574)=38.48, p<.01). There were no signifcant model gender by described eating pattern interactions. Low-fat and good-fat male and female models...