cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An integrated view for structural identification of civil infrastructure systems: An overview of a collaborative ASCE committee effort

Structural Identification (St-Id) has been widely applied to civil infrastructure systems similar based on the developments in System Identification (Sys-Id), which is very simply establishing relationships between inputs and outputs to a system. Sys-Id started in electrical engineering by taking advantage of control theory. Recently, Sys- Id has been implemented in almost all engineering disciplines, mathematics, physics as well as social sciences. Taking advantage of previous work in Sys-Id, St-Id of civil infrastructure systems has experienced major research and developments since the 70s especially with the advances in computational power and sensing technologies. Due to the multidisciplinary and broad nature of St-Id, a wide variety of theory and applications such as ranging from geometric modeling to parameter identification to model updating can be found in the literature. Consequently, parts and pieces of these developments in St-Id have been employed for research studies or for real life problems with advanced engineering requirements. By recognizing the importance of St-Id, ASCE-SEI Performance of Structures Track established a technical committee on “Structural Identification (St-Id) of Constructed Systems” in 2005. One of the objectives of the committee is to develop guidelines for reliable field-calibrated analytical modeling and characterization of existing constructed systems to fill the gap between theory and practice by utilizing various methods and technologies for St- Id. The committee established six critical steps for conducting a complete and successful St-ID for constructed facilities. These steps are: 1) Establishing the drivers for St-ID, 2) A-Priori Modeling, 3) Experimentation, 4) Processing data for parameter ID and interpretation, 5) Evaluation of model errors and 6) Utilization for decision making. This paper summarizes these steps, the fundamental knowledge areas and their relation to concepts presented in the Committee Report. As a result, this paper provides detailed information about the collective efforts of the committee for developing St-ID guidelines for constructed facilities.
Dyadic Green's functions and electromagnetic local density of states

A formal proof to relate the concept of electromagnetic local density of states (LDOS) to the electric and magnetic dyadic Green's functions (DGF) is provided. The expression for LDOS is obtained by relating the electromagnetic energy density at any location in a medium at uniform temperature T to the electric and magnetic DGFs. The appropriate boundary conditions governing the DGFs are obtained and it is seen that the two types of DGFs are electromagnetic duals of each other. With this the concept of LDOS is also extended to material media. The LDOS is split into two terms—one that originates from the energy density in an infinite, homogeneous medium and the other that takes into account scattering from inhomogeneities. The second part can always be defined unambiguously, even in lossy materials. For lossy materials, the first part is finite only if spatial dispersion is taken into account.
Temperature dependence of ion mobilities: Experiment and theory

Abstract The mobilities of several positive ions plus chloride ion in a variety of polar and nonpolar gases were measured over the temperature range 170–380 K by ICR spectrometry. The experimental results were compared to the predictions of the first-order kinetic theory for the nonpolar neutral systems. For the ion-polar neutral pairs, several theories were used for comparison. In all cases, adequate and reasonable fits were not possible. This result is attributed to theoretical shortcomings. Possible sources of error in the experimental data are discussed in detail. Other mobility measurements (mostly from drift tubes) were also compared with the kinetic theory results. The only systems which could be fit were alkali ion/rare gas neutral pairs. The mobility-temperature curves of other atomic ions and of all polyatomic ions could not be duplicated by the first-order theory.
Micellar Morphology in Sulfonated Pentablock Copolymer Solutions

The morphology of solutions of poly[t-butyl styrene-b-hydrogenated isoprene-b-sulfonated styrene-b-hydrogenated isoprene-b-t-butyl styrene] (tBS-HI-SS-HI-tBS) pentablock copolymers with a range of sulfonation levels was studied by small-angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy. For dilute pentablock copolymer solutions, TEM confirms the spherical micellar morphology. Small-angle X-ray scattering results and their interpretation using the Kinning−Thomas model reveal that sulfonated pentablock copolymer solutions with all levels of sulfonation exhibit spherical micellar morphologies with a core of SS and a corona of solvated HI-tBS. Both the radius of the micelle core and the closest approach distance between cores increase with sulfonation level, while the number density of micelles decreases. The calculated fraction of micelles per unit volume shows an increase and then a plateau with sulfonation level. The manipulation of micelle size dramatically impacts the processability.
Carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx: a basis for comparing the results of radiotherapy and surgery.

An analysis of 129 patients with 131 squamous cell carcinomas of the supraglottic larynx treated between October 1964 and April 1987 with radiotherapy alone or radiotherapy followed by neck dissection is presented. All patients had a minimum 2-year follow-up. Patients were excluded from analysis of disease control at the primary site and/or neck if they died within 2 years of treatment with the site(s) continuously disease-free. Local control rates with radiotherapy and ultimate local control rates, including patients successfully salvaged after a local recurrence, were as follows: T1, 13 of 13 and 13 of 13; T2, 34 of 42 (81%) and 37 of 42 (88%); T3, 25 of 41 (61%) and 34 of 41 (83%); and T4, 3 of 9 and 6 of 9. There was no significant difference in local control rates when comparing patients who were anatomically suitable for a supraglottic laryngectomy with those who would have required a total laryngectomy. Local control rates were slightly diminished in patients with T2-T3 lesions who had impaired or absent vocal cord mobility. The overall rates of ultimate local control with voice preservation for the entire series of 129 patients were as follows: T1, 100%; T2, 87%; T3, 69%; and T4,more » 57%. Cause-specific survival rates at 5 years by stage were I, 2 of 2; II, 10 of 12 (83%); III, 9 of 13 (69%); IVA, 4 of 6; and IVB, 7 of 22 (32%). The incidence of severe complications was 4 of 115 (3%) for T1-T3 lesions and 4 of 14 (29%) for T4 lesions.« less
Dictionary learning for sparse representation: Complexity and algorithms

In this paper we consider the dictionary learning problem for sparse representation. We first show that this problem is NP-hard and then propose an efficient dictionary learning scheme to solve several practical formulations of this problem. Unlike many existing algorithms in the literature, such as K-SVD, our proposed dictionary learning scheme is theoretically guaranteed to converge to the set of stationary points under certain mild assumptions. For the image denoising application, the performance and the efficiency of the proposed dictionary learning scheme are comparable to that of K-SVD algorithm in simulation.
Racial disparities and changes in clinical characteristics and survival for vulvar cancer over time.

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine changes over time in survival for African-American (AA) and white women diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. Study Design The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program for 1973-2009 was used for this analysis. We evaluated racial differences in survival between AA and white women. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards survival methods were used to assess differences in survival by race by decade of diagnosis. Results The study sample included 5867 women, including 5379 whites (91.6%) and 488 AA (8.3%). AA women were younger (57 vs 67 years; P P P = .03) and more frequently radiotherapy (24.2% vs 20.6%; P Conclusion AA presented at a significantly younger age compared with white women and had better survival compared with whites.
Asymmetric dependencies, ideal conditions, and meaning

Abstract Jerry Fodor has proposed a causal theory of meaning based on the notion of a certain asymmetric dependency between the causes of a symbol's tokens. This theory is held to be an improvement on Dennis Stampe's causal theory of meaning and Fred Dretske's information theoretic account, because it allegedly solves what Fodor calls the “disjunction problem”, and does so without recourse to the kind of optimal (ideal) conditions to which Stampe and Dretske appeal. A series of counterexamples is proposed to Fodor's account, which, it is argued, can only be met by reintroducing that same appeal to optimal conditions that he had sought to eliminate. It is then argued that Fodor's notion of asymmetric dependence is not fundamental to the explanation of why a symbol means what it does: on the contrary, the symbol's meaning what it does is explanatorily prior to the obtaining of the asymmetry, so the asymmetry cannot be used to explain the symbol's meaning. Finally, it is argued that the “disjunction problem ...
Variable location of accessory pathways associated with the permanent form of junctional reciprocating tachycardia and confirmation with radiofrequency ablation

Permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia (PJRT) occurs primarily in young patients and causes nearly incessant tachycardia that is frequently refractory to pharmacologic treatment. Previous nonpharmacologic therapy has included surgical or direct-current catheter ablation of either the His bundle or the accessory pathway. The accessory pathway in PJRT has been described as having retrograde and anterograde decremental conduction properties, and is typically identified in the posteroseptal location. This report describes radiofrequency catheter ablation of accessory pathways in 8 patients with PJRT. All ablations were successful and without adverse effects. Accessory pathway potentials were detected just before atrial activation in 6 of 8 patients. A new finding was that 5 of the 8 pathway locations, as identified by the site of successful ablation, were not in the typical posteroseptal region. In 1 patient it was located in the right posteroseptal region, 2 were in the right atrial freewall, 1 was in the right anterior septum and 1 was in the left posterior region just outside of the septal region. In conclusion, radiofrequency catheter ablation can be a highly effective and safe method for treatment of young patients with PJRT. Because the accessory pathways can be located outside of the posteroseptal region, careful mapping of both the right and left atrioventricular groove may be necessary for successful ablation.
Using Webb gliders to maintain a sustained ocean presence

Buoyancy driven Slocum gliders were a vision of Douglas Webb, which Henry Stommel championed in a vision published in 1989. Slocum gliders have transitioned from a concept to a technology serving research and environmental stewardship. The long duration and low costs of gliders allow them to anchor spatial time series. Large distances, over 600 km, can be covered using a set of alkaline batteries. Lithium batteries can anchor missions that are thousands of kilometers in length. Since the initial tests, a wide range of physical and optical sensors have been integrated into the glider allowing measurements of temperature, salinity, depth averaged currents, surface currents, fluorescence, apparent/inherent optical properties active and passive acoustics. A command/control center, entitled Dockserver, has been developed that allows users to fly fleets of gliders simultaneously in multiple places around the world via the Internet. Since October 2003, Rutgers gliders have conducted 157 missions, traversed >55,000 kilometers, logged >2600 days at sea, and logged ~350,000 vertical profiles. The capabilities of the glider make them an indispensable tool for the growing global effort to build integrated ocean observatories. For example, gliders are now a central tool within the National Science Foundation Ocean Observatory Initiative (OOI) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Gliders provide a new magnet in which to attract young people into the ocean science and engineering. For example Rutgers undergraduates now anchor long duration flights of gliders world-wide beginning their freshmen year. This is critical to training the next generation.
Modeling of optoacoustic signal generation for high resolution near-surface imaging with experimental verification

Optoacoustic systems making use of optical detection probes are potentially advantageous over contact transducers for noncontact, noninvasive high-resolution near surface imaging applications. In this work, an interferometer is used for high-frequency optoacoustic microscopy. The limitations of this system in terms of both sensitivity and resolution are discussed. A theoretical model has been developed for two-dimensional excitation source geometries, which can be used to predict the optoacoustic signal from a target material with an arbitrary through-thickness optical absorption distribution. The model incorporates the temporal and spatial profile of the excitation laser pulse, and is used to predict the actual out-of-plane displacement at the target surface. An adaptive, photorefractive crystal-based interferometry system has been used to measure the optically induced displacement on the surface of target materials, and the results show reasonable quantitative agreement with theory. The detection system has a 200 MHz bandwidth allowing for high-resolution imaging, and the use of optical probes for both generation and detection allows for the probes to be easily co-aligned on the sample surface. Preliminary experimental results are presented demonstrating the feasibility of using all-optical optoacoustic microscopy for near surface imaging of small-scale spatial variations in optical absorption.
A remark on complete non-expanding Ricci solitons

In [7], Wylie proved that a complete shrinking Ricci soliton has finite fundamental group. In this note, we show that if M is a complete non-expanding Ricci soliton, then under a technical assumption on the universal covering of M, any finitely generated subgroup of the fundamental group of M has polynomial growth.
Rate and power control on a reverse link for multi-cell mobile data networks

Rate and power control are extremely important in determining the quality of service and radio resource utilization in mobile data networks. In the literature, the rate is assigned such that the system throughput is maximized and the transmit power at the mobile station (MS) is controlled in order to maintain a signal to interference ratio (SIR) that can provide a 1% frame error rate at the base station (BS). When the objective of radio resource allocation is the maximization of the system throughput, all MSs do not obtain the same rates. The current CDMA standard (cdma2000-1x-EV-DO) employs rate control in a probabilistic way. The rate assignment may not result in maximizing the system throughput and the interference at the BS may exceed the allowable levels. Power control based on a fixed target SIR that was suitable for voice cellular networks is still used in the emerging mobile data networks in spite of the different requirements of voice and data MSs. In this work, we propose new approaches of rate and power control that can provide high throughput and completely utilize the radio resources while overcoming these drawbacks. The proposed schemes attempt to maximize the throughput of each MS while staying within the maximum allowable interference. Each MS gets the same transmission rate. Moreover, the scheme can be implemented in practice unlike other theoretical approaches. The proposed scheme shows better throughput and radio resource utilization than the traditional schemes of 1x-EV-DO systems.
A simple and cost-effective spectrophotometric assay for cephalosporin C usingAlcaligenes faecalis

A spectrophotometric assay for cephalosporin C was established usingAlcaligenes faecalis as a test organism. The optimal pH range for the sensitivity of the assay was pH 6.7–7.4. The dose-response curve became linear after 4 h incubation with 15% (v/v) dosage. Deviations between spectrophotometric and chemical assays were within 6%. The cost of the spectrophotometric assay is about one-hundredth that of the chemical assay.
Advances in Interventional Oncology: Percutaneous Therapies

The field of interventional oncology has emerged over the last decade to focus on the minimally invasive image-guided techniques for the treatment of cancer. Ablative techniques specifically have evolved in more recent years and garnered significant evidence supporting their increased inclusion in standards of care and their novel use as curative or disease-modifying therapies, while still maintaining a large role in supportive or symptomatic treatment. Percutaneous ablation will more than likely continue to evolve because of the parallel innovations in imaging and engineered medical devices used in percutaneous interventions but also the improved understanding of cancer behavior and development of personalized cancer therapy.
Na,K-ATPase mRNAβ1 expression in rat myocardium – effect of thyroid status

The abundance of Na,K-ATPase and its α and β subunit mRNAs is upregulated in cardiac and other target tissue by thyroid hormone (T3). Multiple Na,K-ATPase mRNAβ1 species encoding an identical β1 polypeptide are expressed in the heart. The different mRNAβ1 species result from utilization of two transcription start-sites in the first exon and multiple (five) poly(A) signals in the terminal exon of the β1 gene. In the present study we identify the mRNAβ1 species that are expressed in rat ventricular myocardium under basal conditions, and determine whether they are differentially regulated by T3. mRNAβ1 species were identified by 3′-RACE followed by DNA sequencing, and by Northern blotting using probes derived from different regions of rat cDNAβ1. Five mRNAβ1 species are expressed in rat heart: mRNAβ1 species that are initiated at the first transcription start-site and end at the first, second and fifth poly(A) sites (resulting in mRNAs of 1630, 1810, and 2780 nucleotides), and mRNAβ1 species initiated at the second transcription start-site and ending at the second and fifth poly(A) sites (resulting in mRNAs of 1500 and 2490 nucleotides); in order of increasing length, the five mRNAs constitute 0.04, 0.15, 0.38, 0.11 and 0.32 of total mRNAβ1 content. In hypothyroid rats (induced by addition of propyl-thiouracil to the drinking water for 3 weeks), total mRNAβ1 content decreased to 0.18 euthyroid levels, which was associated with a disproportionate 7.5-fold decrease in the abundance of the longest transcript (P < 0.05); transcripts initiating at the first transcription start-site and ending at the second poly(A) signal in hypothyroid hearts were 0.26 euthyroid levels (P < 0.05). Hyperthyroidism induced by injection of normal rats with three doses of 100 µg T3/100 g body weight every 48 h resulted in an overall ≈ 2-fold increase in mRNAβ1 content with no change in the fractional contribution of any of the mRNAβ1 species. The results indicate a complex heterogeneity in the expression of mRNAβ1 in myocardium.
“Walk the Talk”: Developing Personal Ethical Agency Through a Business Partnership Program:

This article proposes a pedagogical approach dedicated to help students develop personal ethical agency—the ability to make decisions that involve ethical dilemmas consistent with an individual’s ethical standards and professional standards of practice. The approach presented involves a tripartite gathering of students, business executives, and faculty in discussions of cases embedded with ethical dilemmas. Sessions highlight ethical issues that closely correspond with core components from courses. The article provides a description of personal ethical agency, the developmental stages of the Walk the Talk program, and assessment of the program and concludes with plans for future program development and expansion.
Method for measuring 32P-labeled cAMP levels in intact tissue

Abstract A new method has been developed for prelabeling tissue ATP pools with 32 P inorganic phosphate (P i ) and for the subsequent isolation of [ 32 P]cAMP and [ 32 P]ATP. The new method of prelabeling eliminates the need to separate trace amounts of radioactive cAMP from radioactive breakdown products of adenine formed in tissues prelabeled with [ 3 H]- or [ 14 C]adenine. The effect of epinephrine to increase [ 32 P]cAMP levels in rat ventral prostate tissue fragments has been studied in terms of increase in the ratio of [ 32 P]cAMP/[ 32 P]ATP in the absence and presence of various phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Tissue prelabeling with 32 P i labels GTP as well as ATP (and other nucleoside triphosphates); thus the method lends itself to the isolation of [ 32 P]cGMP as well as [ 32 P]cAMP from the same tissue sample.
RECOIL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTIONS INDUCED BY HEAVY IONS

The mechanism of nuclear reactions induced by heavy ions was investigated by measuring the recoil ranges of Tb/sup 149/, At/sup 211/, and other alpha emitting isotopes of At and neighboring elements and by determining the cross sections for the formation of Tb/sup 149/ and At/sup 211/. Recoil ranges wer e consistent with compound-nucleus formation at all energies studied for the following reactions: Pr/sup 141/(C/sup 12/,4n)Tb/sup 1/ >s/sup 49/, Ce(N/ sup 14/.xn)Tb/sup 149/, La/sup 139/(O/sup 18/,bn)Tb/sup 1/ >s/sup 49/, La/sup 139/ (8/sup >/8n)Tbitl. and Ba(Ne/sup 22/.pxn)Tb/sup 149/. A similar result was obtained for th e reaction Pr/sup 141/(O/sup 16/,2p6n)Tb/sup 149/ at 138 and 14 6 Mev and for the reactions Au/sup 197/(O/sup 16/,2pxn, and 3pxn)At, Po at energies b elow 100 Mev. The excitation functions of the (HI.xn)Tb/sup 149/ reactions seemed to be characteristic of an evaporation process but had smaller peak cross sections than did the excitation functions of the reactions Ba(Ne/sup 22/,pxn)Tb/ sup 149/ or Pr/sup 1/ /sup 41/(O/sup 16/. 2p6n)Tb/sup 149/. It was concluded that most reactions probably involve charged-particle emission. The reaction Ba(Ne/sup 22/ pxn)Tb/sup 149/ seemed to occur with much greater probability than the reaction Ba(Ne/sup 20/,pxn)Tb/sup 149/. In many cases the compound-nucleus mechanism could notmore » account for the results. Partial momentum transfer was observed in the reactions Au/sup 197/(O/sup 16/,2pxn, and 3pxn)At, Po at enengies above 100 Mev. Partial momentum transfer also occurred when Bi was bombarded at energies 1.3 times the barrier energy or greater. Reactions ot Bi with heavy ions (Ne/sup 20/ is a possible exception) at energies near the Coulomb barrier produced At/sup 211/ with greater recoil energy than expected from a compound- nucleus mechanism. Apparently particles were emitted in the backward direction. Near the barrier the cross section for the production of At/sup 211/ by C/sup 12/ , O/sup 1/ s/sup 6/, and Ne/sup 20/ bombardment comprised about one-fourth the value calculated for compound-nucleus formation. Therefore. the cross section for all noncompound-nucleus reactions must comprise a large fraction of the total interaction cross section. The experiments with Pb as a target were also consistent with this conclusion. (auth)« less
Aggravation of exercise performance in patients with anemia by 3% carboxyhemoglobin.

Abstract To evaluate the effect of breathing 50 ppm carbon monoxide (CO) on exercise capacity in persons with anemia, 10 nonsmoking subjects with chronic anemia (mean hemoglobin 8.9 g%) were studied. No subject had heart or lung disease. By double-blind, randomized, crossover design, duration of fatigue-limited exercise after breathing CO and purified air for 1 hr was compared. Mean carboxyhemoglobin levels increased from 2.14 to 3.38% after breathing CO and decreased from 2.15 to 1.86% after breathing purified air, P
Recovery migration to the City of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina: a migration systems approach

Hurricane Katrina’s effect on the population of the City of New Orleans provides a model of how severe weather events, which are likely to increase in frequency and strength as the climate warms, might affect other large coastal cities. Our research focuses on changes in the migration system—defined as the system of ties between Orleans Parish and all other U.S. counties—between the pre-disaster (1999–2004) and recovery (2007–2009) periods. Using Internal Revenue Service county-to-county migration flow data, we find that in the recovery period, Orleans Parish increased the number of migration ties with and received larger migration flows from nearby counties in the Gulf of Mexico coastal region, thereby spatially concentrating and intensifying the in-migration dimension of this predominantly urban system, while the out-migration dimension contracted and had smaller flows. We interpret these changes as the migration system relying on its strongest ties to nearby and less-damaged counties to generate recovery in-migration.
Morphology development during reactive and non-reactive blending of an ethylene-propylene rubber with two thermoplastic matrices

The development of morphology from pellet-sized particles to submicrometre droplets during the polymer-blending process is investigated for two pairs of polymer blends. The systems are blends of a rubbery phase in a glassy matrix, namely amorphous nylon/ethylene-propylene rubber and polystyrene/ethylene-propylene rubber blends. In each case the investigation is pursued for a non-reactive blend and a similar reactive blend where the phases may chemically react at the interface during the blending process. The dispersed phase particle size distribution is determined as a function of mixing time for these systems. The behaviour of the blends with matrices of nylon and polystyrene is qualitatively similar. The major reduction in the dispersed phase size is found to occur at short mixing times, in conjunction with the softening process. For example, in the case of a reactive nylon/ethylene-propylene rubber blend, the volume average particle diameter of the dispersed phase is reduced from ∼4 mm (pellet size) to ∼ 1 μ m within the first 90 s of mixing. At intermediate mixing times, the morphology consists of a large number of small dispersed phase particles (which are about the same size as the particles observed in the final blend) along with a small number of very large particles which constitute most of the volume occupied by the rubber phase. The effect of subsequent mixing is primarily to reduce the size of the largest particles in the size distribution. The interfacial chemical reaction between the phases reduces the dispersed phase size and narrows the size distribution.
The Radial Heat Equation and Laplace Transforms

Radial heat equation and Laplace transforms, discussing representations alternative to two solutions
Evaporation rate and equilibrium phase separation data in relation to casting conditions and performance of porous cellulose acetate reverse osmosis membranes

Quantitative data on solvent evaporation rates and equilibrium phase separation compositions corresponding to different film casting conditions are given, and the results are discussed with reference to reverse osmosis data on membrane performance. A typical evaporation rate curve plotted on a semilog scale consists of an initial linear part from whose slope evaporation rate constants b have been determined. For a given casting solution composition and temperature, an optimum value of b exists for best membrane performance, and identical values of b result in same membrane performance. Treating the casting solution as a polymer–solvent–nonsolvent ternary system, the data on equilibrium phase separation compositions have been plotted in a triangular diagram for solution temperatures of −10°, 0°, and 24°C. The data indicate that even small changes in solution temperature can bring about significant changes in solution structure and hence membrane performance, and useful conclusions on solution structure can be drawn from such phase equilibrium diagrams. The data and correlations presented here offer a quantitative confirmation of the governing significance of the solution structure-evaporation rate concept relating to the mechanism of phase separation and pore formation in the surface region during the process of making reverse osmosis membranes.
Time course of transvenous pacemaker stimulation impedance, capture threshold, and electrogram amplitude.

To examine the time course of atrial and ventricular stimulation impedance, capture threshold, and electrogram amplitude, we obtained noninvasive telemetric data in 63 patients who underwent implantation of unipolar, endocardial pacing leads and a second-generation dual chamber pacemaker with expanded bidirectional telemetry, including stimulation impedance, endocardial electrograms, and automatic capture threshold determination. On follow-up of 9-20 months (mean, 15 months), all but six patients continued to pace in the DDD mode. To validate measurements made with telemetry, invasive measurements made directly with a pacing system analyzer at time of implant were compared with immediate postimplant telemetric measurements. Significant correlation of acute stimulation impedance was noted in both atrial (r = .7, p less than .001) and ventricular (r = .8, p less than .001) lead systems. The atrial stimulation impedance decreased from 538 ohms at implant to 471 ohms at 13 months (p less than .01); the ventricular stimulation impedance similarly declined from 545 ohms to 485 ohms at 13 months (p less than .01). Capture thresholds peaked at one month, then declined: atrial, 1.2 V at implant vs 2.2 V at 1 month (p less than .008) and 1.4 V at 13 months; ventricular, 1.1 V at implant vs 1.9 V at 1 month (p less than .001) and 1.3 V at 13 months. There were no significant changes noted in atrial or ventricular electrogram amplitude following implantation. We conclude that there is close correlation of invasive recordings with those made telemetrically with this pacemaker at time of implant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Steiner centers in graphs

The Steiner distance of a set S of vertices in a connected graph G is the minimum size among all connected subgraphs of G containing S. For n ≥ 2, the n-eccentricity en(ν) of a vertex ν of a graph G is the maximum Steiner distance among all sets S of n vertices of G that contains ν. The n-diameter of G is the maximum n-eccentricity among the vertices of G while the n-radius of G is the minimum n-eccentricity. The n-center of G is the subgraph induced by those vertices of G having minimum n-eccentricity. It is shown that every graph is the n-center of some graph. Several results on the n-center of a tree are established. In particular, it is shown that the n-center of a tree is a tree and those trees that are n-centers of trees are characterized.
Spectral Calculations of Viscoelastic Flows: Evaluation of the Giesekus Constitutive Equation in Model Flow Problems

Spectral solutions of viscoelastic flow equations offer significant advantages emanating from their high, exponentially fast converging with mesh refinement, accuracy of the solutions. The analysis of the behavior of the Giesekus model is presented in a) the undulating channel steady-state flow and b) the evolution of Taylor-Couette flow instabilities. By comparison to the results corresponding to an inelastic shear thinning analog, it is shown that the presence of elasticity, while it introduces a minor change in the flow resistance for the flow within an undulating channel, significantly affects the stability of the Couette flow. In aedition, no purely elastic (inertialess) instability is obtained in the Couette flow, in contrast to the Oldroyd-B fluid calculations. Thus, the stabilizing effect of the negative second normal stress, present in the Giesekus model, is verified.
SU-FF-T-600: 3D Dose Volume Histogram with Position Index — 3D DVHp

Purpose: To correlate the dose grid and anatomic position from a treatment plan, and to determine spatial information including volume, location and inter‐distance of hot spot clusters in any given structure. Method and Materials: A test phantom into which different anatomic structures can be inserted was constructed, and a treatment plan was designed with Pinnacle to provide necessary data. The dose grid, anatomic position indices and related information were extracted and were used in functions compiled in Matlab. The dose grid and anatomic position were correlated. Color wash of hot spots and Dose Volume Histograms were reproduced for verification purposes. Functions to search for hot spot clusters and their spatial information were compiled in Matlab. Results: Color wash of hot spots and Dose Volume Histograms were compared to those in the treatment plan from Pinnacle, and they matched well, demonstrating that the correlation was correct. Interpolation for dose grid was performed, so the dose at any point in any structure could be determined. Spatial information of hot spot clusters, such as location, volume, and distances between each cluster were successfully calculated. Conclusion: This work indicates the potential of creating a new tool in treatment plan evaluation. The development of a new Dose Volume Histogram with “position‐specific” indices is possible. Most current bio‐models do not include detailed spatial information such as the distance between multiple hot spot (or cold spot) clusters. With the dose and position correlation capability, it may be possible to extend or add to these models to better refine their predictive power and improve clinical input to physicians for planning.
The Impact of the Sierra Nevada on Low-Level Winds and Water Vapor Transport

Abstract To understand the influence of the Sierra Nevada on the water cycle in California the authors have analyzed low-level winds and water vapor fluxes upstream of the mountain range in regional climate model simulations. In a low Froude number (Fr) regime, the upstream low-level wind disturbances are characterized by the rapid weakening of the crosswinds and the appearance of a stagnation point over the southwestern foothills. The weakening of the low-level inflow is accompanied by the development of along-ridge winds that take the form of a barrier jet over the western slope of the mountain range. Such upstream wind disturbances are either weak or nonexistent in a high-Fr case. A critical Fr (Frc) of 0.35 inferred in this study is within the range of those suggested in previous observational and numerical studies. The depth of the blocked layer estimated from the along-ridge wind profile upstream of the northern Sierra Nevada corresponds to Frc between 0.3 and 0.45 as well. Associated with these low...
Retardation of fracture healing in experimental diabetes.

Abstract Fracture healing is retarded in rats with uncontrolled alloxan diabetes, as determined by tensile-strength and histochemical evaluation of the fracture callus. Treated alloxan diabetes produces histochemical evidence of a less severe delay of fracture healing but no adverse effect on gain in callus tensile strength.
Recent advances in the simulation of partly cloudy scenes

This paper discusses recent advances in the simulation of spectral scenes with partial cloud cover. We examine the effect of broken cloud fields on the solar illumination reaching the ground. Application of aerosol retrieval techniques in the vicinity of broken clouds leads to significant over-prediction of aerosol optical depth because of the enhancement of visible illumination due to scattering of photons from clouds into clear patches. These illumination enhancement effects are simulated for a variety of broken cloud fields using the MCScene code, a high fidelity model for full optical spectrum (UV through LWIR) spectral image simulation. MCScene provides an accurate, robust, and efficient means to generate spectral scenes for algorithm validation. MCScene utilizes a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo approach for modeling 3D atmospheric radiative transfer (RT), including full treatment of molecular absorption and Rayleigh scattering, aerosol absorption and scattering, and multiple scattering and adjacency effects, as well as scattering from spatially inhomogeneous surfaces.
Deep X-ray and UV lithographies for micromechanics

A bilevel photoresist system which uses optical processing only is presented. The photoresist for this work is poly(methyl methacrylate) or PMMA. It is sensitive to X-ray photons and deep ultraviolet radiation. It can be used for spin coating or can be applied by casting and in situ polymerization. This implies that there are at least four possible versions of the deep lithography process. All of them hinge on the availability of a developer with very high selectivity and low stress formation during liquid processing. Deep X-ray and UV lithography (DUVL) results in PMMA definitions with excellent resolution for photoresist thicknesses of up to 10 mu m. It can be extended to 30 mu m or so by a simple process change. The progress reported indicates that DUVL is a viable tool for micromechanics which is accessible without synchrotron access. This process can be used with many metals which can be plated and therefore extends the micromechanics material base considerably. >
Some aspects of inverse bipolar transistor improvement through recombination reduction

This paper describes the effect of recombination in the external base and epitaxial regions on the inverse current gain and related parameters of the n+pnn+ bipolar transistor. It is shown that the inverse current gain increases with the decrease in recombination in the external base region by use of the doublebase process. Improvement of the inverse gain is also shown with a decrease in epitaxial-layer thickness until it reaches a point of diminishing return at about one micrometre width between the space-charge regions. Breakdown phenomena related to the external base depth and the epitaxial layer thickness are also discussed.
Evidence of reflective thinking across the curriculum: college experience versus individual courses

This study investigated how individual and course-level variables across the curriculum at a four-year college (college here refers to a higher education institution that offers undergraduate education but not graduate degrees) in the southeastern US impacted student reflective thinking as measured by Kember and colleagues' [2000. Development of a questionnaire to measure the level of reflective thinking. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 25(4): 381–395] scale. The measure includes four constructs: (1) non-thinking (i.e., habitual action), (2) understanding, (3) reflection, and the deepest level (4) critical reflection. The construct of understanding – students' assessment of their thoughtful use of knowledge – was the only measure that increased with credit hours completed. Students (n = 802) reported more thinking to comprehend in science courses compared to business and humanities courses. An interaction of subject areas and gender showed that males reported more reflection in business cours...
Cognitive Outcome After Coronary Artery Bypass: A One-Year Prospective Study

Abstract Background . Cognitive deficits have been reported in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting, but the incidence of these deficits varies widely. We studied prospectively the incidence of cognitive change and whether the changes persisted over time. Methods . Cognitive testing was done preoperatively and 1 month and 1 year postoperatively in 127 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Tests were grouped into eight cognitive domains. A change of 0.5 standard deviation or more at 1 month and 1 year from patient's preoperative Z score was the outcome measure. Results . We identified four main outcomes for each cognitive domain: no decline; decline and improvement; persistent decline; and late decline. Only 12% of patients showed no decline across all domains tested; 82% to 90% of patients had no decline in visual memory, psychomotor speed, motor speed, and executive function; 21% and 26% had decline and improvement in verbal memory and language; approximately 10% had persistent decline in the domains of verbal memory, visual memory, attention, and visuoconstruction; and 24% had late decline (between 1 month and 1 year) in visuoconstruction. Conclusions . This study establishes that the incidence of cognitive decline varies according to the cognitive domain studied and that some patients have persistent and late cognitive changes in specific domains after coronary artery bypass grafting. (Ann Thoracic Surg 1997;63:510–5)
A six-year study of surgical teaching and skills evaluation for obstetric/gynecologic residents in porcine and inanimate surgical models.

Objective This study was undertaken to evaluate an ongoing teaching and objective surgical skills testing program for obstetric/gynecologic residents in a laboratory setting, and assess the impact on residents of having 4 years of a surgical laboratory curriculum. Study design From 1997 through 2002, we conducted surgical skills training sessions for all obstetric/gynecologic residents, using both inanimate and animal (porcine) models. Once a year we tested each resident on 12 structured surgical bench tasks. At the end of each year, we conducted formal objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSATS) with all residents attempting multiple surgical procedures. We compared residents who had 4 years of laboratory training with those who started residency earlier and had only 1 or 2 years of the new curriculum. We also compared residents' own performance from year to year and cohort performance by resident year. Results PGY3 and PGY4s who had 4 years of surgical laboratory training did significantly better on bench laboratory skills than PGY3 and PGY4s with fewer years of training sessions (total scores of 48.8 vs 30.3, P P P P Conclusion Residents who completed the 4-year curriculum showed significantly better technical skills on bench tasks but not on OSATS compared with those with less training. Resident surgical skills evaluated by OSATS significantly improve over time both individually and as a cohort by resident year.
M1 and M2 Microglia Exhibit Significant Differences in their K+ Channel Expression

Microglia effector functions are widely associated with specific phenotypes, which are referred to as M1 and M2. Classically activated M1 microglia release pro-inflammatory cytokines and neurotoxic molecules and have been associated with neurological damage in ischemic stroke and Alzheimer's disease. Alternatively activated M2 microglia exhibit beneficial immunological effector functions such as phagocytosis of debris and release of anti-inflammatory and neurotrophic factors. Similar to B- and T-cells, microglia activity is regulated by calcium (Ca2+)-signaling, which is maintained by potassium (K+) channels.
REDUCING COSTS BY CHANGING CRITERIA FOR ROUTINE HEAD ULTRASOUNDS (HUS) IN VERY-LOW-BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS. ▴ 1252

REDUCING COSTS BY CHANGING CRITERIA FOR ROUTINE HEAD ULTRASOUNDS (HUS) IN VERY-LOW-BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS. ▴ 1252
Differential effects of mood on cortical cerebral blood flow: A 133xenon clearance study

Studies of healthy and clinical populations have suggested valence-specific cortical and subcortical neural systems regulating emotions. In a study of 12 normal volunteers, the 133xenon clearance method for measuring regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) was used to study the effects of experimentally controlled mood states on regional brain activity within superficial cortex. CBF was measured with 254 detectors and bolus infusion during a happy mood induction task, a sad mood induction task, a sex differentiation task, and a resting baseline condition. CBF increased during sad and decreased during happy mood induction, relative to the activated (sex differentiation) and the nonactivated (resting) nonemotional control conditions. Increased CBF during sad mood induction was correlated with greater negative mood changes. Conversely, increased CBF was associated with a stronger subjective experience of positive affect during happy mood induction. This suggests that cortical arousal may serve to intensify the conscious experience of emotion. Heart rate accelerated during happy and sad mood induction and during sex differentiation relative to a pretask baseline condition. Some regional specificity of effects was also observed. The occipital temporal region showed higher overall CBF during sad mood induction than during happy mood induction. The only region that showed specific lateralized changes in CBF which differentiated sad from happy states was the frontal pole, with left CBF being higher during sad and lower during happy mood induction relative to right CBF. For sad mood induction, there were significant regional differences among correlations between CBF and self-ratings. These were attributable to higher negative correlations (i.e., higher CBF correlates with negative self-rating) in midtemporal, occipital temporal, and postcentral regions. These correlations did not vary across the 15 regions for happy mood induction. For sad mood induction, heart rate correlated positively with CBF increase and with negative affect. Correlations were opposite for happy mood induction. The results suggest high cortical and autonomic arousal during negative/sad mood and low cortical and high autonomic arousal during positive/happy mood. They underscore the value of integrating emotional experience with physiologic measures in neuroimaging activation studies.
Gauge Chiral U(1) Symmetry and {CP} Invariance in the Presence of Instantons

I explore a model which conserves $\mathrm{CP}$ automatically by the Peccei-Quinn mechanism and contains a relatively heavy axion consistent with the present data. Phenomenological implications are discussed.
Fatty acid profiles of the total lipids and lipid oxidation in pork muscles as affected by canola oil in the animal diet and muscle location

Twelve pigs at about 35 days of age were fed a control diet or test diets containing either 10% or 20% canola oil (CO) for 100 days. Four different muscles were excised from each carcass at 24 h post-mortem for analyses. Inclusion of 10% and 20% CO in the animal diet increased (P < 0·05) the relative amount (weight per cent) of unsaturated fatty acids in the total lipids (lipids extracted by 2:1 chloroform-methanol) by 6·7 and 15·8 percentage points, respectively, from 57·8% for the control and also increased (P < 0·05) that of polyunsaturated fatty acids by 5·5 and 9·7 percentage points, respectively, from 19·4% for the control. The 20% CO treatment increased (P < 0·05) the relative amount of monounsaturated fatty acids (primarily C18:1) by 6·1 percentage points from 38·4% for the control, while the 10% CO treatment had no significant effect. The 10% or 20% CO treatment had no significant effect on microsomal enzymic lipid peroxidation activity, heme pigment content, nonheme iron content and total lipid concentration. Overall lipid oxidation in ground muscle samples stored at 4°C tended to be higher for the 10% and 20% CO treatment groups than for the control. The tendency of increased lipid oxidation by the CO treatments apparently resulted from the increased percentages of polyunsaturated fatty acids, rather than from changes in catalytic constituents.