cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
zMesh: Exploring Application Characteristics to Improve Lossy Compression Ratio for Adaptive Mesh Refinement

Scientific simulations on high-performance computing systems produce vast amounts of data that need to be stored and analyzed efficiently. Lossy compression significantly reduces the data volume by trading accuracy for performance. Despite the recent success of lossy compression, such as ZFP and SZ, the compression performance is still far from being able to keep up with the exponential growth of data. This paper aims to further take advantage of application characteristics, an area that is often under-explored, to improve the compression ratios of adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) - a widely used numerical solver that allows for an improved resolution in limited regions. We propose a level reordering technique zMesh to reduce the storage footprint of AMR applications. In particular, we group the data points that are mapped to the same or adjacent geometric coordinates such that the dataset is smoother and more compressible. Unlike the prior work where the compression performance is affected by the overhead of metadata, this work re-generates restore recipe using a chained tree structure, thus involving no extra storage overhead for compressed data, which substantially improves the compression ratios. The results demonstrate that zMesh can improve the smoothness of data by 67.9% and 71.3% for Z-ordering and Hilbert, respectively. Overall, zMesh improves the compression ratios by up to 16.5% and 133.7% for ZFP and SZ, respectively. Despite that zMesh involves additional compute overhead for tree and restore recipe construction, we show that the cost can be amortized as the number of quantities to be compressed increases.
Fecal Microbiome and Bile Acid Metabolome in Adult Short Bowel Syndrome

Background & aims Loss of functional small bowel surface area causes short bowel syndrome (SBS), intestinal failure, and parenteral nutrition (PN) dependence. The gut adaptive response following resection may be difficult to predict, and it may take up to two years to determine which patients will wean from PN. Here we examined features of gut microbiota and bile acid (BA) metabolism in determining adaptation and ability to wean from PN. Methods Stool and sera were collected from healthy controls and from SBS patients (n=52) with ileostomy, jejunostomy, ileocolonic and jejunocolonic anastomoses fed with PN plus enteral nutrition or who were exclusively enterally fed. We undertook 16S rRNA gene sequencing, BA profiling and 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (C4) quantitation with LC-MS/MS, and serum amino acid analyses. Results SBS patients exhibited altered gut microbiota with reduced gut microbial diversity compared to healthy controls. We observed differences in the microbiomes of SBS patients with ileostomy vs. jejunostomy, jejunocolonic vs. ileocolonic anastomoses, and PN-dependence compared to those who weaned from PN. Stool and serum BA composition and C4 concentrations were also altered in SBS patients, reflecting adaptive changes in enterohepatic BA cycling. Stools from patients who weaned from PN were enriched in secondary BAs including deoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid. Conclusions Shifts in gut microbiota and BA metabolites may generate a favorable luminal environment in select SBS patients, promoting the ability to wean from PN. Pro-adaptive microbial species and select BA may provide novel targets for patient-specific therapies for SBS.
Electron-Ion and Ion Ion Recombination Processes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses electron–ion and ion–ion recombination processes. Recombination processes have historically been distinguished by the mechanism responsible for disposal of the excess energy of recombination via radiative decay, dissociation or collision with third bodies. When intermediate resonant states become involved, the processes are further distinguished either by the mechanism for production of an intermediate, collisionally delayed energy-resonant complex of superexcited states if it exists as in dielectronic recombination or by the mechanism subsequently responsible for stabilization of this complex as in dissociative recombination. The customary electronatomic ion dielectronic recombination and electron–molecular ion-direct dissociative recombination are then assigned as dielectronic-radiative and dielectronic-dissociative recombination, respectively, because electron capture initially occurs in both cases via resonant formation of a doubly excited atomic or molecular state, which is subsequently stabilized either by radiation or by dissociation. Collisions with third bodies not only can stabilize dielectronic recombination to give dielectronic-collisional recombination, but it can also enable dissociative recombination to yield collisional-dissociative recombination.
Plasma heating by collisional magnetic pumping in a steady-state modified Penning discharge

The experimental application of collisional magnetic pumping to heat a plasma by a sawtooth magnetic perturbation is reported. Results have been obtained relating to the energy transfer process between the perturbed magnetic field and the parallel and perpendicular energy components of the heated species in a steady-state modified Penning discharge apparatus with a magnetic mirror configuration. Plasma characteristics have been measured, and heating of ions and electrons as a function of magnetic induction, electron number density, and neutral gas pressure has been investigated. >
Fractality, Lacunarity, and the Near-Isotropic Distribution of Galaxies

In the author’s fractal models, proposed in 1975, galaxies have a scale invariant fractal distribution of dimension well below 3. Fractality suffices to account for the observed clustering, and the presence of voids and walls. However, early examples of fractals presented too many holes (“lacunas”) to agree with the approximate isotropy of the sky. Better chosen fractals eliminate this defect. This paper’s careful words and pictures show that, by making lacunarity low enough, isotropy can be approached arbitrarily closely. The paper concludes with a possibly important empirical question and a possible link between fractality and the Laplace or other equations of gravitation.
Does an Independent Board Improve Nonprofit Corporate Governance

A variety of forces have converged to pressure nonprofit boards to follow the lead of the for-profit sector to become independent, even while empirical evidence from the business sector suggests that board independence from management is not fulfilling expectations, and may be related to weakened firm performance. This background, and the paucity of governance studies in the nonprofit sector, suggests that nonprofits are prematurely jumping onto the independent board bandwagon. There is no convincing articulation of why nonprofit boards should be independent - what is it that independent boards are supposed to be able to uniquely accomplish, how many independent directors are required to ensure board independence, what evidence exists that independent boards are effective at achieving the articulated goals, not to mention whether such goals are quantifiable and measurable. Early results of governance reform suggest that corporate compliance supersedes preservation and pursuit of mission in many of today's nonprofit board rooms. No question exists that nonprofit directors can and do act in their self-interest, behave illegally (if often naively), or mishandle the assets entrusted to their stewardship. But a disproportionate focus on legal and financial accountability, with the attendant pressure to appoint directors qualified for performance of compliance activities, can divert attention from the more important question of what kind of board will serve as the best steward of the entity's resources as it pursues its mission and serves its constituencies. The goals of current governance reform might just as effectively be served by encouraging nonprofit boards to become more diverse in the skill sets of their directors; closing the gaps in current nonprofit statutes that permit weak governance structures; statutorily requiring financial audits by nonprofits over a certain size; recommending the presence of monitoring directors; and legally imposing an aggressively expanded conception of transparency.
Magnitude of the Zener relaxation effect—II: Temperature dependence of the relaxation strength in α Ag-Zn

Abstract The dependence of the magnitude of the Zener relaxation effect on temperature, T, is measured on polycrystalline samples of α Ag-Zn of three compositions. The experimental results for the relaxation strength, ΔG, are found to obey the equation: Δ G = T 0 (T − T c ) , where T0 and Tc are constants. This equation, originally derived by Zener, is rederived here under more general assumptions. The quantity Tc, which is interpreted as the critical temperature for self-induced ordering of the alloy, is found to be equal to 175°K, 140°K and 97°K for alloys containing 33.5, 30.2 and 24.2 at.% Zn, respectively.
Expressive models in online learning

We study the online learning model: a widely applicable model for making repeated choices in an interactive environment. In standard online learning model (or an online learning problem), the decision-maker is provided with a set of alternatives, and selects one alternative in each of the T sequential trials, deriving a reward for each selection. After T trials, the total reward of the decision-maker is compared with the best "single-arm" strategy which has the maximum reward in hindsight. The difference between the reward of the best single-arm strategy and that of the algorithm is called the regret, and one seeks decision-making algorithms whose regret is sublinear in T and running time is polynomial in the problem size. In this thesis, we extend the basic online learning model in two important ways. In the first extension, we model sponsored search auctions as a multi-armed bandit problem (a type of online learning problem), and allow the alternatives (or advertisers in this case) to be strategic which can report possibly wrong rewards (in order to make personal gains). We seek to provide incentives to advertisers so as to get good solutions (socially efficient solutions). We prove that any socially efficient solution that provides right incentives to advertisers (being dominant strategy truthful) must suffer much higher regret than the regret suffered by algorithms for multi-armed problem without incentive issues. In the second extension, also motivated by sponsored search and resource selection in distributed systems, we allow the set of available alternatives to vary over time, provide a natural way to define the regret, and give policies for the decision-maker that suffer low regret. We also prove that the regret suffered by our policies is information-theoretically the lowest possible.
Magnetic stresses in an anisotropic soft ferromagnetic material with a crack

Abstract Mathematical equations are derived for the magnetic potential and the magnetoelastic and the Maxwell stresses in a general anisotropic soft ferromagnetic half-space. It is assumed that the effect of magnetostriction is negligible, the magnetic potential and the stresses are independent of one of the three Cartesian coordinates and the magnetic quantities associated with the rigid body state do not vary spatially within the half-space. The equations are used to obtain explicit expressions for the magnetic stresses in an infinite anisotropic soft ferromagnetic material containing an open planar crack.
An effective auditing scheme for cloud computing

In this paper, we present a novel secure auditing scheme for cloud computing systems. Several auditing schemes have been proposed for the cloud, which periodically trigger the auditing function. These schemes are designed to monitor the performance and behavior of the cloud. One major problem with these kind of schemes is that they are vulnerable to the transient attack (also known as the timed scrubbing attack). Our secure auditing scheme is able to prevent the transient attack via modification of the Linux auditing daemon - auditd, which creates attestable logs. Our scheme utilizes the System Management Mode (SMM) for integrity checks and the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip for attestable security. Specifically, we modify the auditing daemon protocol such that it records a hash of each audit log entry to the TPM's Platform Configuration Register (PCR), which gives us an attestable history of every command executed on the cloud server. We perform real experiments on two cloud servers and the results show that the overhead of our scheme is very small.
Comparison of measured and modeled bottom reflectance spectra on the southeastern shelf of the Florida Keys

Interpretation of remotely sensed data is difficult in coastal regions compared to the open ocean, where optical signals are highly coupled to phytoplankton/chlorophyll. In estuarine and coastal areas, terrigenous colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) does not covary with chlorophyll, and if the water column is optically shallow, bottom reflectance confounds interpretation of remote-sensing reflectance (R TS ) signals. In order to more accurately model R TS in nearshore environements, bottom reflectance must be adequately characterized. During research cruises to the Florida Keys region in July, 1994 and March, 1995, reflectance spectra were obtained of various bottom types. R TS measurements, obtained during these cruises, and R TS measurements made with the Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) were compared against R TS derived from a hyperspectral model that decoupled water column and bottom contributions to the R TS signal.
The traditional birth attendant: a reality and a challenge

The traditional birth attendant (TBA) is an institution as old as the birthing process in the human species. Generally a female, in the absence of a better alternative, continues to deliver two thirds of the world's babies. A number of studies generated international interest in training TBAs. A review of TBA training and utilization programs in more than 70 countries over the past three decades revealed that there are very limited examples of their successful utilization. If unsupervised the TBA tends to slide back into her old ways and if unsupported she is rendered helpless when a killer strikes during child birth. The impact of trained TBAs on maternal mortality ratios is not palpable because of other factors such as accessibility of essential obstetric services. The challenge for the policy makers is to make the best use of this available human resource but simultaneously plan and implement a definite replacement strategy.
Vapor Deposited Gold Thin Films as Lubricants in Vacuum (10−11 mm Hg)

Vacuum deposition of gold thin films on nickel, nickel-chromium, and nickel-rhenium substrates for use as lubricants
Effects of steal-prone anatomy on intraoperative myocardial ischemia

Abstract Objectives. Our study abjective was to determine whether the presence of steal-prone anatomy conferred an increased risk in the of intraoperative myocardial ischemia. Background. Coronary artery steal of collateral blood flow has been demonstrated for many vasodilators, including isoflurane, the most commonly used inhalational anesthetic agent in the United States. It has been postulated that patients with steal-prone anatomy (total occlusion of one coronary artery that is supplied distally by collateral flow from another coronary artery with a (50% stenosis) may be particularly at risk for the development of intraoperative myocardial ischemia when an anesthetic with a vasodilator property is being administered. Methods. We evaluated the risk of myocardial ischemia under isoflurane anesthesia (vs. a high dose narcotic technique using sufentanil) using continuous intraoperative electrocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography in patients with and without steal-prone anatomy undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Results. Sixty-two (33%) of the 186 patients had steal-prone anatomy: in 5 (8%) the collateral-supplying vessel was ≥50% to 69% stenosed, in 24 (39%) it was ≥70% to 89% stenosed and in 33 (53%) it was ≥90% stenosed. The iscidence of ischemia (trsnsesophageal echocardiography or intraoperative electrocar-diography, or both) was similar in patients with and without steal-prone coronary anatomy (18 [29%] of 62 patients vs. 39 [31%] of 124 patients, p = 0.87, 95% confidence interval = -0.13 to 0.17). The incidence of intraoperative ischemia was similar in patients who received isoflurane or sufentanil anesthesia (20 [32%] of 62 patients vs. 37 [30%] of 124 patients, p = 0.87). Use incidence of tachycardia and hypotension was low (increases in heart rate = 9.8%, and decreases in systolic blood pressure = 10.8% of total monitoring time during the prebypass period compared with preoperative baseline values). The incidence of adverse cardiac outcome was similar in patients with and without preoperative steal-prone coronary anatomy (4 [7%] of 62 patients vs. 14 [11%] of 124 patients, p = 0.53). Conclusions. These findings demonstrate that under strict hemodynamic control the presence of steal-prone anatomy does not confer an increased risk in the development of intraoperative myocardial ischemia.
Virtual vehicle: parcel manipulation and dynamics with a distributed actuator array

A novel materials handling system is being developed at Carnegie Mellon University's Mechanical Engineering Department. This system contains an array of cells, each of which has two actuators. The two actuators are orthogonally oriented motorized roller wheels which, in combination, can generate a vector of motion in any planar direction. This work develops control laws for transporting and manipulating objects which rest on the array. Towards this goal, we consider the dynamics of parcel transport and manipulation. The parcel dynamics are based on an exact discrete representation of the system, unlike other methods where a continuity assumption is made. Two types of contact models are considered. This work extends the previous 1D discrete model into 2D.
Orthography, phonology, and meaning: word features that give rise to feelings of familiarity in recognition.

In the present study, it is shown that participants can recognize test cues as resembling studied words even when these cues cannot be used to recall the words that they resemble. After studying a list of words, participants were given a cued recall test for which half of the cues resembled studied words on one particular feature dimension and half resembled nonstudied words on that dimension. In addition to trying to use each cue to recall a study list item, participants rated the degree to which the cue resembled a studied word. For those cues whose targets could not be identified, the mean rating was higher when the cues corresponded to studied items than when they corresponded to nonstudied items. Various types of features can give rise to this phenomenon, which was found when orthographic, phonemic, and semantic cued recall tasks were used. In all of these cases of recognition without recall, analysis of receiver operating characteristics revealed a pattern consistent with that of an equalvariance signal detection process.
Fluoride Supplementation During Lactation: Caries Inhibition without Reduction in Enamel Solubility:

The mechanism of caries inhibition by sodium fluoride was studied in the albino rat and in vitro using mild acid buffer and a phosphatase model system. Feeding of fluoride to lactating mothers affected the ultimate caries experience of the pups, but did not reduce the subsequent solubility of the molar tooth enamel, or the ability of the enamel to act as a substrate for phosphoprotein phosphatase.
Modeling and measurement of wear of coated and uncoated high speed steel end mills

A research program was conducted to study tool wear on uncoated and coated (with TiN) high speed steel (HSS) for fluted end mill cutters. These cutters were used to machine AISI 4340 steel at axial and radial engagements of 12.7 mm (0.5 in.). All the machining was carried out using production conditions with the process periodically interrupted to carefully measure the wear condition of the cutting tool. Cutting conditions were carefully chosen so that a linear wear model for the useful life of the cutting tool could be statistically tested. One phase of testing used uncoated tools from 30 different suppliers and the nonstationary linear wear model provided a stochastic representation to determine tool quality using reliability and economic measures. Another phase used the coated tools and a stationary linear wear model to relate force, power, specific cutting energy, and mechanistic model parameters to service life measures. The cutters from each of these phases were carefully examined using optical and scanning electron microscopes so that the dominant wear mechanisms could be identified.
A model‐dye comparison experiment in the tidal mixing front zone on the southern flank of Georges Bank

[1] A process-oriented model-dye comparison experiment was conducted to examine the ability of a numerical ocean model to simulate the observed movement of dye across the tidal mixing front on the southern flank of Georges Bank during 22–26 May 1999. The experiment was made using the unstructured-grid Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) with varying horizontal resolution. The results indicate that the observed cross-isobath movement of the dye patch was primarily controlled by meso-scale temporal and spatial variability of the water temperature and salinity fields. Onset of vertical stratification tended to slow down an upward stretching of the dye column and trapped the dye within the bottom mixed layer. To reach a convergent numerical solution that reproduced the observed lateral turbulent dispersion of dye, the FVCOM grid required a horizontal resolution of ∼500 m in the dye study region. Within the tidal mixing front of Georges Bank, the movement of the center of the dye patch was mainly driven by the ensemble velocity integrated over the dye volume, with a first-order contribution from vertical shear of the dye's horizontal velocity.
Preparation of analyte-sensitive polymeric supports for biochemical sensors

Abstract The preparation and use of multiple polymers attached to a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor for optimization of signal enhancement and minimization of fouling during sensing of biological species has been achieved. These polymers are advantageous compared to the current practice of carboxymethylated-dextran (CM-dextran). The polymers offer a wide range of functionalities and different molecular weights. Using these polymers, the SPR sensors can be fabricated as fast or faster than the CM-dextran sensor. In this study, we investigated the use of nine polymers for SPR biosensors. Polysaccharides, including CM-dextran, CM-hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid, and alginic acid, were investigated. Humic acid, polylactic acid, polyacrylic acid, orthopyridyldisulfide-polyethyleneglycol-N-hydroxysuccinimide (OPSS-PEG-NHS) and a synthesized polymer; polymethacrylic-acid-co-vinyl-acetate (PMAVA), were also used. The polymers were chemically attached to a thiol monolayer on the SPR biosensor using carbodiimide chemistry. The polymers were functionalized for binding of anti-myoglobin (anti-MG). The sensor performance was measured using myoglobin (MG) at 25 ng ml−1, a biologically relevant level for myocardial infarction detection. Most polymers offered similar performance to CM-dextran for MG detection in HEPES buffer saline pH 7.4 (HBS). In preliminary studies in bovine serum, each of the candidate polymers demonstrated better performance than CM-dextran.
Construction of a mechanistic model of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis on Ni(1 1 1) and Co(0 0 0 1) surfaces

Abstract Tools for computer generation of reaction mechanisms were extended to handle heterogeneous catalytic reactions. Development of these generic capabilities was carried out by constructing a detailed kinetic model of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis on Ni(1 1 1) and Co(0 0 0 1) surfaces. To estimate rate constants during automatic mechanism generation for heterogeneous catalytic reactions, linear free energy relationships were applied using heat of reaction as the reactivity index, and theoretical approaches were used to estimate activation energies and preexponential factors. Calculation of heats of reaction involving surface species presented special challenges due to unknown heats of adsorption for many adsorbates. This problem was addressed by estimating heats of adsorption using a phenomenological approach which relates the chemisorption energy of multiatomic species to that of adatoms. To provide a basis set of values for adsorbed species on Ni(1 1 1) and Co(0 0 0 1) surfaces, the binding energies of key intermediates were calculated using an ab initio method developed for periodic systems. The energetics obtained were used in an automatically constructed reaction mechanism describing Fischer–Tropsch synthesis via carbene polymerization. The model predictions for Ni(1 1 1) and Co(0 0 0 1) surfaces successfully captured product selectivities observed experimentally over nickel and cobalt catalysts.
European Fairy Lore in the New World

FAIRY lore was dear to the heart of Katharine Briggs, and she knew no rival anywhere in the English-speaking world for her thorough knowledge of these diminutive creatures of lower mythology. Like many scholars of her generation, Dr. Briggs worked mainly in the literary and historical dimension, though with her friend, Ruth L. Tongue, and others, she made an occasional collecting foray into the field in search of living folk traditions. These probings were made for her to see for herself how the corpus of ancient folklore had survived into modern times, despite almost universal education and the spread of enlightenment. (To her intimates Katharine Mary Briggs was herself a bearer of these traditions, being, among other things, an accomplished raconteur of old folk stories and verses.) It is of the tenacity of the ancient belief in fairies, and particularly of the transmission of European fairy lore to the New World, that I have the pleasure of writing in this special number of Folklore honouring one of Britain's greatest folklorists. Although my concern is mainly with fairies in the strict sense, I shall nevertheless advert to kindred species of wee folk such as elves, dwarfs, brownies, and other creatures of lower mythology that fall under the generic English term fairy mythology.' A considerable body of European fairy lore has reached American shores, but archival holdings have generally not been inventoried, and publication of accounts of fairies has been meagre. Apart from references in the Children 's and Household Tales of the Brothers Grimm, and in other collections of European folktales available in English,2 deposits of fairy lore are largely in folk beliefs and superstitions.3 With the publication of Donald Ward's fine translation of the Deutsche Sagen of the Brothers Grimm,4 the first to be made in English, much additional fairy lore will be put on the record. Subject and motif
Multicultural Education and Multiliteracies: Exploration and Exposure of Literacy Practices with Preservice Teachers

This quasi-experimental, mixed model study explored the use of an instructional approach that provided direct instruction and experiences in multicultural education while empowering preservice teachers to examine their perspectives using a hybrid classroom format. The purpose of the study was to explore preservice teachers’ attitudes and dispositions toward the integration of multicultural education and multiliteracies to promote literacy among struggling readers. For the purposes of this study, we defined multicultural education as a field of study and an emerging discipline whose major aim is to create educational opportunities for all students, including students who are traditionally disenfranchised, to meaningfully and successfully engage in the education process. The study used a convenience sample of preservice teachers enrolled in a graduate-level educational program at a small private university in the Northeast. Results indicate opportunities for the use of an instructional approach that provide...
Effect of Ischemia on Quantification of Local Cerebral Glucose Metabolic Rate in Man

Summary: The model for quantifying local cerebral glucose metabolic rates originally developed by Sokoloff et al. and modified by Phelps, Huang and co-workers was applied to humans with cerebral ischemia (i.e., stroke). Rate constants for fluorodeoxyglucose were measured in ischemic and nonischemic regions with positron computed tomography. Using measured rate constants for ischemia, the model generates more accurate estimates of local cerebral glucose metabolism as compared to the use of rate constants from normal young adults, because the local metabolic rate is significantly underestimated, and temporal instability of the model is observed when normal values are applied to ischemic regions. A method was also developed to test the stability of the local lumped constant. The estimates of the lumped constant showed no or only small variations between ischemic and nonischemic types. Thus, errors introduced in the calculated local cerebral glucose metabolism by inappropriate rate constants appear to be more significant than those caused by any potential change in the lumped constant in ischemia.
Improved thermomechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite using amino functionalized XDCNT

Carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composites (CFEC) are fabricated infusing up to 0.40 wt % amino-functionalized XD-grade carbon nanotubes (XDCNT) using the compression molding process. Interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and thermomechanical prop- erties of these composites are evaluated through short beam shear and dynamic-mechanical thermal analysis tests. XDCNTs are infused into Epon 862 resin using a mechanical stirrer followed by sonication. After the sonication, the mixture was placed in a three roll milling processor for three successive cycles at 140 rpm for uniform dispersion of CNTs. Epikure W curing agent was then added to the resin using a high-speed mechanical stirrer. Finally, the fiber was reinforced with the modified resin using the compressive mold. ILSS was observed to increase by 22% at 0.3 wt % XDCNT loading. Thermal properties, including storage modulus, glass tran- sition temperature, and crosslink density demonstrated linear enhancement up to the 0.3 wt % XDCNT loading. Scanning electron microscopy revealed better interfacial bonding in the CNT-loaded CFEC. V C 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40709.
Rapid cystometry in males

Rapid injection cystometry is performed by injecting 100 ml of saline into the bladder within three seconds. with continuous pressure recording. The same injection is repeated after the pressure stabilizes. up to bladder capacity which has been determined by a slow CMG performed prior to the test. This test was performed on 70 male patients. Following the rapid rise in intravesical pressure due to the viscoelastic properties of the bladder. three types of detrusor contractions were observed. Type A were single contractions of short amplitude and duration and were always seen in patients with peripheral nerve lesions. Type B were single. coordinated sustained contractions while Type C consisted of polyphasic contractions of variable amplitude and duration. The putential diagnostic usefulness of rapid cystometry is discussed.
Design and optimization of an electrostatic micro-harvester for sensors applications

This paper presents a novel design, modeling and optimization of an electrostatic micro energy scavenger using the environmental vibration energy on systems like aircraft fuselage or wings. The design incorporates MEMS comb-drive in-plane overlap and in-plane gap closing topologies into one structure to realize an optimized electrostatic capacitive vibration energy harvester. A novel surface micromachining technology in conjunction with UV-LIGA process is used to fabricate the prototype. The dynamic modeling and optimization is carried out in MATLAB to determine the best device geometry and dimensions for maximum power output. Simulation of the optimized vibration-to-electric microconverter demonstrated a power density of 534.25 W/m3 with external acceleration magnitude of 9.8 m/s2 at a vibration frequency of 1500 Hz.
James–Stein Type Center Pixel Weights for Non-Local Means Image Denoising

Non-Local Means (NLM) and its variants have proven to be effective and robust in many image denoising tasks. In this letter, we study approaches to selecting center pixel weights (CPW) in NLM. Our key contributions are 1) we give a novel formulation of the CPW problem from a statistical shrinkage perspective; 2) we construct the James-Stein shrinkage estimator in the CPW context; and 3) we propose a new local James-Stein type CPW (LJSCPW) that is locally tuned for each image pixel. Our experimental results showed that compared to existing CPW solutions, the LJSCPW is more robust and effective under various noise levels. In particular, the NLM with the LJSCPW attains higher means with smaller variances in terms of the peak signal and noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity (SSIM), implying it improves the NLM denoising performance and makes the denoising less sensitive to parameter changes.
Hybrid quantum/classical molecular dynamics simulations of the proton transfer reactions catalyzed by ketosteroid isomerase: analysis of hydrogen bonding, conformational motions, and electrostatics.

Hybrid quantum/classical molecular dynamics simulations of the two proton transfer reactions catalyzed by ketosteroid isomerase are presented. The potential energy surfaces for the proton transfer reactions are described with the empirical valence bond method. Nuclear quantum effects of the transferring hydrogen increase the rates by a factor of ∼8, and dynamical barrier recrossings decrease the rates by a factor of 3−4. For both proton transfer reactions, the donor−acceptor distance decreases substantially at the transition state. The carboxylate group of the Asp38 side chain, which serves as the proton acceptor and donor in the first and second steps, respectively, rotates significantly between the two proton transfer reactions. The hydrogen-bonding interactions within the active site are consistent with the hydrogen bonding of both Asp99 and Tyr14 to the substrate. The simulations suggest that a hydrogen bond between Asp99 and the substrate is present from the beginning of the first proton transfer ste...
Property–reactivity correlation for HDS of middle distillates

Abstract This study aims to gain a quantitative understanding of feedstock effects on hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of middle distillates by developing an overall property–reactivity correlation. The data space consists of HDS reactivities of 13 high-sulfur (0.95–3.17 wt.%) feeds, each characterized by 24 physicochemical properties. Insights gained from a chemometric analysis of the database reveal that the dominant features of the system can be projected onto a three-dimensional subspace spanned by the following properties in order of decreasing importance: degree of feed saturation>>sulfur steric hindrance>organonitrogen poisoning. This leads to a correlation for distillate HDS reactivity in terms of the API gravity, and DBTs (dibenzothiophene+sterically hindered dibenzothiophenes), and organonitrogen content (N). Specifically, the correlation gives a scaling “law” of the form: HDS reactivity ∝ (API) 2.18 (DBTs) −0.31 (N) −0.2 . This correlation is compared and contrasted with two literature correlations.
One-dimensional hybrid continuum/particle simulation approach for rarefied hypersonic flows

A hybrid numerical technique, based on local application of continuum and particle methods, is applied to the one-dimensional normal shock structure in a monatomic gas. The methods are coupled iteratively via a flux boundary condition in a region where both are applicable. The validity of each method through the shock structure is quantified. The physical and numerical aspects of coupling are discussed and a variety of coupling methods are assessed. Results are presented to show the improvement in computational efficiency available via the hybrid approach.
Morphological Deformities in Chironomus (Chironomidae: Diptera) Larvae as Indicators of Pollution in Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin

Lake Winnebago, a large, shallow lake in east-central Wisconsin, supports substantial populations of several different chironomid species (the larvae of which inhabit bottom sediments) and has been the repository of substantial amounts of lead from non-point sources. Larval morphological characters, in particular mouthpart deformities, have been used in other systems as sensitive, but non-specific, indicators of anthropogenic pollution. Forty-eight percent of the lake fly (Chironomus spp.) larvae collected from Lake Winnebago had either a deformed mentum or a deformed mandible. That level of deformities is taken as strong evidence of polluted bottom sediments. Lake Winnebago sediments were found to contain approximately 50 ppm lead. In laboratory experiments, Chironomus pallidivittatus larvae were cultured in Lake Winnebago sediments supplemented with different concentrations of lead as high as 20,000 ppm. Less than 10% of the larvae in those experiments had either a deformed mentum or a deformed mandible. These results suggest that lead alone is unlikely to be the cause of the high levels of deformities seen in the Chironomus spp. larvae collected from the Lake Winnebago sediments.
Inhibition of neurotensin release by a cyclic hexapeptide analog of somatostatin.

Abstract Studies were performed to determine whether the cyclic hexapeptide analog of somatostatin, cyclo(N-Me-Ala-Tyr-D-Trp-Lys-Val-Phe) II, could alter circulating levels of neurotensin (NT) and inhibit the release of NT from small intestine following the intraluminal perfusion of lipid and ETOH. The small intestine of anesthetized rats was perfused with 0.9% NaCl, 1 mM ETOH, 100 mM ETOH or 1 mM oleic acid with and without the intravenous infusion of the somatostatin analog. Plasma samples collected from the superior mesenteric vein were extracted, chromatographed on HPLC and assayed with both C-terminal and N-terminal antisera to NT. The basal circulating levels of chromatographically and immunochemically identified NT observed during the perfusion of the small intestine with 0.9% NaCl were significantly lower ( p ) during the IV infusion of the somatostatin analog as compared to animals infused IV with saline. The 2–3 fold increase in plasma levels of NT observed with the intestinal perfusion of oleic acid and ETOH did not occur in animals simultaneously infused IV with the somatostatin analog. The somatostatin analog was also effective in decreasing the basal levels of NT metabolite NT (1–8) as well as inhibiting the increase in this metabolite that accompanies the stimulated release of NT.
The role of positive psychology constructs in predicting life satisfaction in adolescents with and without cognitive disabilities: An exploratory study

Positive psychology has begun to foster change in the study of adolescence by directing increased attention to the importance of building on adolescents’ strengths and abilities as a means to promote positive outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between hope, optimism, locus of control, self-determination, and life satisfaction in adolescents with and without cognitive disabilities using structural equation modeling. The results demonstrated comparability in the measurement of each of these constructs in adolescents with and without disabilities. Hope, optimism, locus of control, and self-determination were strongly correlated, and hope and optimism predicted life satisfaction in adolescents with and without cognitive disabilities. The implications of the findings for future research are discussed.
Positive inotropic and toxic effects of brevetoxin-B on rat and guinea pig heart.

Abstract Brevetoxin-B (GbTX-B), a cyclic polyether purified from the marine dinoflagellate Gymnodinium breve, produced positive inotropic and arrhythmogenic effects on isolated rat and guinea pig cardiac preparations at concentrations between 1.25 × 10−8 and 1.87 × 10−7 m . The toxin (10−7 m ) transiently increased left ventricular +dP dt , hydraulic work, and oxygen consumption of paced working rat hearts, then reduced these variables during continuous exposure. Brevetoxin-B exerted a much smaller positive inotropic effect on working guinea pig hearts, but produced a marked and sustained inotropic effect on guinea pig left atria. The toxin also produced arrhythmias in rat and guinea pig hearts, characterized by ventricular tachycardia and A-V blockade. Sympatholytic procedures (β blockade or reserpine pretreatment) partially blocked the positive inotropic effects, and eliminated the ventricular tachycardia, but not the A-V blockade. Tetrodotoxin markedly inhibited the positive inotropic effect of GbTX-B. Brevetoxin-B did not inhibit guinea pig cardiac Na,K-ATPase activities. The results show that GbTX-B is a potent cardiotoxin and suggest that GbTX-B exerts positive inotropic and arrhythmogenic effects by increasing sarcolemmal sodium permeability, and by releasing catecholamines from sympathetic nerve endings.
Dynamic analysis of an electrostatic compressor

This paper presents an analytical approach for modeling the transient dynamic forces in a diaphragm compressor which operates under the action of an electrostatically actuated diaphragm. An experimentally validated, quasi-static model for a diaphragm compressor for electronics cooling was previously developed in which dynamic effects were neglected. In the new model, the dynamic forces induced due to the finite time necessary for deflection of the diaphragm are taken into consideration using the segmentation approach developed earlier. Results from the analytical model compare favorably with those from a detailed numerical simulation as well as with experimental measurements available in the literature. The analytical dynamic model is applied to two different pumping devices to illustrate the effects of the dynamic forces on the overall performance of the device. The effect of pumping frequency of the device on the operating voltage is also explored.
Detecting patterns in protein sequences

Abstract The detection of conserved sequence patterns (motifs) in related proteins often yields valuable structural and functional insights. We describe a method that utilizes rigorous statistics and a depth-first search procedure to efficiently and exhaustively search a set of proteins for significant patterns up to a specified length. Additional procedures classify related patterns into groups and identify protein segments most likely to share a common motif. The utility of the method was demonstrated on several difficult test problems; detection of motifs among 56 protein in the acyltransferase family, detection of a dinucleotide-binding fold present within a small subset of a set of 91 distantly related and unrelated proteins, detection of the helix-turn-helix motif in 15 distantly related proteins and detection of subtle internal repeats in a prenyltransferase. In a search of a large set of sequences for internal repeats, the method detected novel ankyrin-like repeats in an Escherichia coli protein.
Oxidation and detoxification of trivalent arsenic species

Arsenic compounds with a +3 oxidation state are more toxic than analogous compounds with a +5 oxidation state, for example, arsenite versus arsenate, monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)) versus monomethylarsonic acid (MMA(V)), and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)) versus dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)). It is no longer believed that the methylation of arsenite is the beginning of a methylation-mediated detoxication pathway. The oxidation of these +3 compounds to their less toxic +5 analogs by hydrogen peroxide needs investigation and consideration as a potential mechanism for detoxification. Xanthine oxidase uses oxygen to oxidize hypoxanthine to xanthine to uric acid. Hydrogen peroxide and reactive oxygen are also products. The oxidation of +3 arsenicals by the hydrogen peroxide produced in the xanthine oxidase reaction was blocked by catalase or allopurinol but not by scavengers of the hydroxy radical, e.g., mannitol or potassium iodide. Melatonin, the singlet oxygen radical scavenger, did not inhibit the oxidation. The production of H2O2 by xanthine oxidase may be an important route for decreasing the toxicity of trivalent arsenic species by oxidizing them to their less toxic pentavalent analogs. In addition, there are many other reactions that produce hydrogen peroxide in the cell. Although chemists have used hydrogen peroxide for the oxidation of arsenite to arsenate to purify water, we are not aware of any published account of its potential importance in the detoxification of trivalent arsenicals in biological systems. At present, this oxidation of the +3 oxidation state arsenicals is based on evidence from in vitro experiments. In vivo experiments are needed to substantiate the role and importance of H2O2 in arsenic detoxication in mammals.
Propagation measurements for UHF spread spectrum mobile communications

The U.S. Army is currently developing a number of spread spectrum radio systems to support its needs for more survivable and efficient mobile UHF data distribution on the tactical battlefield of the 1990's and beyond. The analysis and prediction of the performance of these systems in mobile tactical environments has been met with a great deal of uncertainty relating to the applicability of narrow-band propagation models and the effects of terrain irregularity and vegetation on broad-band signals. An overview is presented of an ongoing Army program utilizing wide-band pulse response measurements to characterize ground mobile tactical UHF spread spectrum propagation channels. Recently acquired experimental data are used to demonstrate the potential of this program for improving available tools for prediction and analysis of tactical UHF spread spectrum systems employing bandwidths of hundreds of MHz.
A fluid mechanics model of the planar flow melt spinning process under low reynolds number conditions

A mathematical model for the planar flow melt spinning process was developed under the constraints of low Reynolds numbers. The model shows melt spun ribbon thickness is controlled by chilled wheel speed and nozzle passage flow resistance. A stability criterion was used to determine conditions under which formation of transverse waves on the ribbon free surface is favored.
Inhibition of phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase and brain-stimulated reward

Three centrally active inhibitors of phenylethanolamine-N-methyl transferase (PNMT; E.C.2.1.1.28), the terminal enzyme for epinephrine biosynthesis in the brain, produced dose-related decreases in rates of responding for rewarding brain stimulation in adult male rats. Decreases occurred at dosages that did not produce measurable neurologic impairment. This suggests a possible role for central epinephrine-containing neurons in the maintenance of reward-mediated behaviors.