cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lagrangian Motion of Slightly Buoyant Droplets and Fluid Particles in Isotropic Turbulence

The diffusion of slightly buoyant diesel oil droplets in isotropic turbulence is studied using high speed in-line digital holographic cinematography. Diesel fuel droplets with specific gravity 0.85 are injected into a 50×50×70 mm3 sample volume located at the central portion of a nearly isotropic turbulence facility. The turbulence in the sample volume is fully characterized using 2D PIV. Probability density functions of the Lagrangian droplet velocity are very close to a Gaussian distribution, which justifies the use of Taylor’s [1] model to calculate diffusion parameters. Similar to Friedman & Katz [2] data, our current results confirm that the mean rise velocity of diesel droplets becomes higher than the quiescent rise velocity at high turbulence levels. For most of the present droplet sizes and turbulence level, the rms of the horizontal droplet velocity fluctuations exceeds that of the horizontal fluid velocity fluctuations. The rms values of the vertical droplet velocity fluctuations are higher than those of the fluid only for the highest turbulence level. The droplet to fluid velocity rms ratio in both directions increases with turbulence level, but decreases with increasing droplet size. Assuming Fickian diffusion, Lagrangian auto-correlation functions of 22,000 droplet tracks are used for calculating the diffusion coefficient as functions of droplet size and turbulence level. Using all the data, we show that the diffusion coefficient scaled by quiescent rise velocity and the turbulence integral length scale is a monotonically increasing function of the turbulence level normalized by the droplet quiescent rise velocity.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Characterization and expression of transcripts induced by oxygen deprivation in maize (Zea mays L.).

Until recently, the only genes described in plants induced by oxygen deprivation (anoxia or hypoxia) encoded enzymes of glucose-phosphate metabolism. In the present study, two flooding-induced maize (Zea mays L.) genes that may serve a different function have been identified. These genes, with unique kinetics of mRNA induction under flooding conditions, were not induced by heat, cold, or salt stress or by seedling death. The predicted protein sequence of one gene, wus/1005, is similar to that of several other plant genes, including a nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus L.) xyloglucan-endo-transglycosylase.The predicted protein sequence of the other gene showed no significant homology to genes of known function, indicating that both of these genes may play novel roles in the maize response to oxygen deprivation.
Commonsense computing: what students know before we teach (episode 1: sorting)

We examine students' commonsense understanding of computer science concepts before they receive any formal instruction in the field. Specifically, we asked students on the first day of a CS1 class to describe in English how they would arrange a set of numbers in ascending, sorted order. We repeated the experiment with students in an introductory economics course, and again with a sub-population of the CS1 students after ten weeks of Java instruction.We found that a majority of beginning computing students could describe a coherent algorithm to correctly sort a list of numbers, while less than a third of general college students could do so. Many students gave versions of selection or insertion sort, but the most common algorithm treated numbers as strings and manipulated them digit by digit. Students who used iteration strongly preferred post-test loops. Finally, some aspects of student performance became worse after ten weeks of CS1 instruction.
The hafnium-rhodium constitution diagram

Abstract The V-Rh alloy system has been investigated over the entire composition range using metallographic, X-ray diffraction, electron microprobe and DTA measurements. There are six intermediate phases having structural similarities to phases which occur in the V-Ir and Nb-Rh alloy systems. A constitution diagram for the V-Rh system is presented.
Upstroke Thrust, Drag Effects, and Stroke-glide Cycles in Wing-propelled Swimming by Birds1

A number of bird species swim underwater by wing propulsion. Both among and within species, thrust generated during the recovery phase (upstroke) varies from almost none to more than during the power phase (downstroke). More uneven thrust and unsteady speed may increase swimming costs because of greater inertial work to accelerate the body fuselage (head and trunk), especially when buoyant resistance is high during descent. I investigated these effects by varying relative fuselage speed during upstroke vs. downstroke in a model for wing-propelled murres which descend at relatively constant mean speed. As buoyant resistance declined with depth, the model varied stroke frequency and glide duration to maintain constant mean descent speed, stroke duration, and work per stroke. When mean fuselage speed during the upstroke was only 18% of that during the downstroke, stroke frequency was constant with no gliding, so that power output was unchanged throughout descent. When mean upstroke speed of the fuselage was raised to 40% and 73% of mean downstroke speed, stroke frequency declined and gliding increased, so that power output decreased rapidly with increasing depth. Greater inertial work with more unequal fuselage speeds was a minor contributor to differences in swimming costs. Instead, lower speeds during upstrokes required higher speeds during downstrokes to maintain the same mean speed, resulting in nonlinear increases in drag at greater fuselage speeds during the power phase. When fuselage speed was relatively higher during upstrokes, lower net drag at the same mean speed increased the ability to glide between strokes, thereby decreasing the cost of swimming.
Specialization and physician-ownership in the US hospital industry: beyond the moratorium

A moratorium in the US on referrals of Medicare and Medicaid patients to new cardiac, orthopedic, or surgical specialty hospitals by physician-investors was recently lifted, yet the considerable controversy stirred by this growing hospital organizational form continues. This paper calls attention to the peculiar trade-offs introduced by entry of these specialty hospitals, and highlights distinctions among their different types. New policy approaches should be open to the notion that all physician-owned specialty hospitals need not necessarily be regulated in the same way. And caution will be required not to compromise the capacity of community general hospitals to service more complex patients and to maintain the social safety net.
Inotropic Effects of Purines and Pyrimidines on the Isolated Heart

Hypoxanthine, guanine, thymine, and uracil were found to be positively inotropic for failing left ventricle preparations of the dog heart. Inosine, guanosine, thymidine, uridine, and their corresponding bases were found to be positively inotropic for failing rabbit hearts perfused with an artificial medium. Adenosine and cytidine and their corresponding bases were found to be negatively inotropic. Inosine, guanosine, uridine, and their constituent bases, and thymine were found to be positively inotropic for nonfailing rabbit hearts perfused with an artificial medium. Compounds that had hydroxyl groups in addition to one in the six position (xanthine, uric acid, 5-hydroxyuridine, barbituric acid and alloxan) had no consistently positive inotropic effects. The methylated purine, caffeine, was always positively inotropic. Compounds containing other substituents in the four or six position (6-mercaptopurine; 6-chloropurine; 2,4,6-trichloropyrimidine; 4-carboxypyrimidine) had no consistently positive inotropie effects. The carboxy derivative of uracil, orotic acid, was always a positive inotrope. Parent ring compounds such as purine, pyridine, and benzene had no consistent inotropic effects, while pyrimidine was always positively inotropic. Four consistently negative inotropic substances were found among all these compounds: xanthine, alloxan, 6-chloropurine, and 4-carboxypyrimidine. It was concluded that the constituent bases of naturally occurring nucleosides have cardiac effects similar to those of the nucleosides and that their inotropic effects are characteristic in both failing and nonfailing hearts.
A Survey of Dynamic Spectrum Access: Signal Processing and Networking Perspectives

In this paper, we provide a survey of dynamic spectrum access techniques. Various approaches envisioned for dynamic spectrum access are broadly categorized under three models: dynamic exclusive use model, open sharing model, and hierarchical access model. Based on this taxonomy, we provide an overview of the technical challenges and recent advances under each model.
Structural basis for Rab GTPase activation by VPS9 domain exchange factors

RABEX-5 and other exchange factors with VPS9 domains regulate endocytic trafficking through activation of the Rab family GTPases RAB5, RAB21 and RAB22. Here we report the crystal structure of the RABEX-5 catalytic core in complex with nucleotide-free RAB21, a key intermediate in the exchange reaction pathway. The structure reveals how VPS9 domain exchange factors recognize Rab GTPase substrates, accelerate GDP release and stabilize the nucleotide-free conformation. We further identify an autoinhibitory element in a predicted amphipathic helix located near the C terminus of the VPS9 domain. The autoinhibitory element overlaps with the binding site for the multivalent effector RABAPTIN-5 and potently suppresses the exchange activity of RABEX-5. Autoinhibition can be partially reversed by mutation of conserved residues on the nonpolar face of the predicted amphipathic helix or by assembly of the complex with RABAPTIN-5.
Radiation‐induced emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate and styrene

Studies have been made of the γ-induced emulsion polymerization of styrene and comparisons made with chemically initiated emulsion polymerization. The polymerization proceeded smoothly to high conversions at 0 and 60°C, the reaction showing a high G (monomer) value. Complete conversions were obtained with total doses of less than 0.05 Mrad. In accordance with the behavior expected of systems having a constant rate of initiation, the molecular weight was found to decrease with decreasing temperature. The molecular weight and particle size distributions were narrower than those obtained in chemically initiated emulsion polymerizations at the same temperature. The radiation-induced emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate proceeded smoothly at temperatures in the range 0–50°C to give polymers of much higher molecular weight than these obtained from chemically initiated polymerizations at the same temperature. Complete conversion was attained after a dose of 0.02 Mrad for latices approaching 50% solids. The elimination of ionic endgroups in the poly(vinyl acetate) radicals tends to drive the polymerization from the aqueous phase, resulting in faster rates and higher molecular weights than are obtained from chemically initiated systems. Rates of polymerization were found to be independent of temperature and the molecular weight of the polymer to be independent of dose rate. Latices of poly(vinyl acetate) of high solids content were evaluated for latex and film properties and found to have improvements over commercially available samples in both areas, especially in clarity of film and scrub resistance. A number of acrylate and maleate esters were copolymerized with vinyl acetate in a radiation-initiated emulsion system. High molecular weight copolymers were produced after low dose.
Acute Energy Deprivation Affects Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis and Associated Intracellular Signaling Proteins in Physically Active Adults

To date, few studies have characterized the influence of energy deprivation on direct measures of skeletal muscle protein turnover. In this investigation, we characterized the effect of an acute, moderate energy deficit (10 d) on mixed muscle fractional synthetic rate (FSR) and associated intracellular signaling proteins in physically active adults. Eight men and 4 women participated in a 20-d, 2-phase diet intervention study: weight maintenance (WM) and energy deficient (ED; approximately 80% of estimated energy requirements). Dietary protein (1.5 g x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and fat (approximately 30% of total energy) were constant for WM and ED. FSR and intracellular signaling proteins were measured on d 10 of both interventions using a primed, constant infusion of [(2)H(5)]-phenylalanine and Western blotting techniques, respectively. Participants lost approximately 1 kg body weight during ED (P < 0.0001). FSR was reduced approximately 19% (P < 0.05) for ED (0.06 +/- 0.01%/h) compared with WM (0.074 +/- 0.01%/h). Protein kinase B and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 phosphorylation were lower (P < 0.05) during ED compared with WM. AMP activated protein kinase phosphorylation decreased (P < 0.05) over time regardless of energy status. These findings show that FSR and associated synthetic intracellular signaling proteins are downregulated in response to an acute, moderate energy deficit in physically active adults and provide a basis for future studies assessing the impact of prolonged, and perhaps more severe, energy restriction on skeletal muscle protein turnover.
Motion of the Rivera plate since 10 Ma relative to the Pacific and North American plates and the mantle

Abstract To better understand the influence of Rivera plate kinematics on the geodynamic evolution of western Mexico, we use more than 1400 crossings of seafloor spreading magnetic lineations along the Pacific–Rivera rise and northern Mathematician ridge to solve for rotations of the Rivera plate relative to the underlying mantle and the Pacific and North American plates at 14 times since 9.9 Ma. Our comparison of magnetic anomaly crossings from the undeformed Pacific plate to their counterparts on the Rivera plate indicates that significant areas of the Rivera plate have deformed since 9.9 Ma. Dextral shear along the southern edge of the plate from 3.3–2.2 Ma during a regional plate boundary reorganization deformed the Rivera plate farther into its interior than previously recognized. In addition, seafloor located north of two rupture zones within the Rivera plate sutured to North America after 1.5 Ma. Anomaly crossings from these two deformed regions thus cannot be used to reconstruct motion of the Rivera plate. Finite rotations that best reconstruct Pacific plate anomaly crossings onto their undeformed counterparts on the Rivera plate yield stage spreading rates that decrease gradually by 10% between 10 and 3.6 Ma, decrease rapidly by 20% after ∼3.6 Ma, and recover after 1 Ma. The slowdown in Pacific–Rivera seafloor spreading at 3.6 Ma coincided with the onset of dextral shear across the then-incipient southern boundary of the Rivera plate with the Pacific plate. The available evidence indicates that the Rivera plate has been an independent microplate since at least 10 Ma, contrary to published assertions that it fragmented from the Cocos plate at ∼5 Ma. Motion of the Rivera plate relative to North America has changed significantly since 10 Ma, in concert with significant changes in Pacific–Rivera motion. A significant and robust feature of Rivera–North America motion not previously recognized is the cessation of margin-normal convergence and thus subduction from 2.6 to 1.0 Ma along the entire plate boundary, followed by a resumption of trench-normal subduction along the southern half of the Rivera–North America plate boundary after 1.0 Ma. Motion of the Rivera plate relative to the underlying mantle since 10 Ma has oscillated between periods of landward motion and seaward motion. The evidence suggests that the torque exerted by slab pull on this young and hot oceanic plate is either minimal or is effectively counterbalanced by forces that resist its motion.
The Role of Human Papillomavirus in Oral Carcinogenesis

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection with high-risk types 16 and 18 has widely been reported as one of the prominent mechanisms behind the development of cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Links between HPV and oral cavity cancer have been suggested as well, based on epidemiologic and molecular means, though the association is less well-established. It is likely that HPV plays a role in oral cavity carcinogenesis, though only in a small subset of cases. The difficulty in providing true causal evidence of HPV's role in oral cancer lies in our lack of understanding of the significance of mechanisms by which HPV leads to oral carcinogenesis, as well as limitations in the molecular analysis of HPV. Further studies are necessary for the contribution of HPV in oral cavity malignancy to be better demonstrated.
Customer Switching Behavior in Online Services: An Exploratory Study of the Role of Selected Attitudinal, Behavioral, and Demographic Factors

With a quarter of a billion Internet users worldwide and estimates of more than one-half billion people online by the year 2003, growth in the online services industry has been exponential. With this growth has come concern about customer “churn”, a concern that parallels issues of customer switching behavior in services industries in general. This manuscript reports results of two field studies, conducted among two randomly selected samples of online service users, that investigate the degree to which selected behavioral (information that customers used when making the online service decision, their service usage), attitudinal (risk-taking propensity), and demographic (income and education) factors are effective in discriminating between continuers and switchers. The research in Study 1 is replicated in Study 2 and extended to consider additional attitudinal factors of satisfaction and involvement. Implications for managers and researchers are discussed.
Integral mean value theorems and the Ganelius inequality

The inequality of Ganelius states that, for suitable functions f and g on an interval [a, b], [inf f + var f]sup ∫ jdg, where the supremum is taken over all sub-intervals J of [a, b]. A more general version of this inequality is derived as well as certain related generalized mean-value theorems.
Inhibition of nucleolar transcription as a trigger for neuronal apoptosis

In post-mitotic neurons, the mechanisms of the apoptotic checkpoint that is activated by DNA damage remain unclear. Here we show that in cultured cortical neurons, the DNA damaging agent camptothecin (CPT) reduced transcription of rRNA and disrupted nucleolar staining for B23/nucleophosmin suggesting DNA damage-induced nucleolar stress. Although CPT activated the pro-apoptotic protein p53, the CPT-induced nucleolar stress was unaffected by p53 inhibition. In addition, brain-derived neurotrophic factor-mediated protection from CPT-induced apoptosis prevented neither nucleolar stress nor p53 activation. Therefore, inhibition of rRNA transcription might be upstream of the pro-apoptotic p53 activity. Indeed, short hairpin RNA-mediated inhibition of a RNA-Polymerase-I co-factor, transcription initiation factor IA, attenuated rRNA transcription causing nucleolar stress and p53-dependent neuronal apoptosis. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide blocked apoptosis that was induced by over-expressed shTIF-IA or active form of p53. Also, the general transcription inhibitor actinomycin D triggered nucleolar stress and activated p53. However, it did not induce apoptosis except at the low concentration of 0.05 microg/mL with stronger inhibitory activity against nucleolar than extranucleolar transcription. Hence, nucleolar stress-activated apoptosis requires extranucleolar transcription. This study identifies the nucleoli of post-mitotic neurons as sensors of DNA damage coupling reduced rRNA transcription to p53-mediated apoptosis that requires de novo expression of protein-coding genes. Thus, rDNA selectivity of DNA damage may determine its ability to induce neuronal apoptosis.
Benson Bertheau Roe, MD, July 7, 1918–August 6, 2012

"Ben" Roe was the eighth president of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. He was a fourth-generation native Californian, a hall of fame athlete, a pioneer in the development of cardiac surgery, and a crusading reformer of professional standards, education, and ethics. Educated in both northern California and in Boston, his career reflected the influence of both cultures and his California heritage.
Role of the glandular trichomes in resistance of perennial alfalfa to the potato leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae).

Experiments were performed to elucidate resistance of glandular-haired alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., to the potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris). The primary objective was to examine the potential role of the glandular trichomes and stem lignification for imparting resistance to this pest. During free-choice foliar discoloration experiments, the resistant alfalfa clone FGplh13 expressed lower levels of injury than the susceptible P5373 after 13 d. No-choice tests performed using nymphal potato leafhoppers showed higher levels of mortality associated with the resistant glandular-haired clone FGplh13, and no nymphs survived after 48 h. Additional no-choice experiments using FGplh13 and P5373 alfalfa with the glandular and nonglandular trichomes intact or removed show that mortality of nymphs and adults decreased after removal of the glandular trichomes from FGplh13. Nymphal and adult mortality and nymphal development time did not differ on FGplh13 with the trichomes removed and P5373 with the trichomes intact or removed. First-instar, and possibly second-instar, potato leafhoppers were entrapped by an exudate produced by the glandular trichomes on the FGplh13 alfalfa. Stem lignification and the number of vascular bundles did not differ between FGplh13 and P5373 alfalfas. The glandular trichomes on FGplh13 alfalfa appeared to provide the major host resistance factor, with resistance to adults being chemically based and resistance to nymphs being chemically and mechanically based. To maintain levels of potato leafhopper resistance, breeders would appear to benefit by continuing to select for the expression of the glandular trichome phenotype.
Modeling Effects of Precursor Duration on Behavioral Estimates of Cochlear Gain

Physiological data show that preceding sound can reduce cochlear amplifier gain via the medial olivocochlear reflex (MOCR). Our laboratory has used forward masking as a tool to look for evidence of this effect psychophysically, which has led us to reassess mechanisms of forward masking. The traditional temporal window model (TWM) proposes that masking occurs via an excitatory mechanism that integrates within a temporal window. We propose that gain reduction may also contribute to forward masking. In our stimulus paradigm, growth of masking is measured with an off-frequency forward masker to estimate the basilar membrane input/output (I/O) function. The gain of the I/O function is reduced when an on-frequency precursor is introduced, consistent with a gain reduction hypothesis. Recently we explored the time course of this estimated gain reduction by examining the effect of precursor duration (Roverud and Strickland ). In that study, thresholds initially increased with increasing precursor duration, then decreased for longer durations. This result is not consistent with solely excitatory masking, but may reflect gain reduction by the MOCR. If the precursor is long enough, it could be influenced by the gain reduction it elicited. In the present study, we examine the effect of precursor duration with an on-frequency precursor and an off-frequency precursor. If intense enough, an off-frequency precursor may reduce gain at the signal frequency place. However, assuming it has no gain at the signal place, it would not be influenced by the reduction in gain, regardless of its duration. We developed a modified TWM that includes time-varying gain reduction by the precursor, resulting in an adapting I/O function. Results are modeled with the standard TWM and the TWM with gain reduction.
Evidence for immobile transitional state of water in methane clathrate hydrates grown from surfactant solutions

Abstract We report studies of the kinetics of growth of methane hydrate from liquid water containing small amounts of surfactant ( 500 ppm of sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS). The kinetics are monitored using simultaneous measurements of the uptake of methane detected by a pressure drop in the gas phase, and either visual observations of the amount of liquid water and solid phase in the reaction vessel, or in situ micro-Raman measurements or in situ NMR measurements. These diagnostics show that the uptake of methane and the conversion of liquid water to a solid phase do not occur simultaneously; the uptake of gas always lags the visual and spectroscopic signatures of the disappearance of liquid water and the formation of solid. The evidence suggests that the SDS causes water to form an intermediate immobile solid-like state before combining with the methane to form hydrate. This growth mechanism is related to the surfactant and disappears for low SDS concentrations ( 25 ppm ) .
Syndromes of Corruption: The international setting: power, consensus, and policy

New life for an old issue Corruption is back on the international agenda after a generation's absence because important economic and political interests put it there. Policymakers have changed the ways we pursue international development and reform, while international businesses and the governments that increasingly have a stake in their success have extended their reach both in the world economy and in policy debates. Scholars and advocacy groups have produced important new theories and data that have moved us beyond old conundrums regarding corruption. Many of these activities reflect business- and trade-oriented worldviews, organizational interests, and analytical outlooks advocating liberalized markets and politics, in that order. With respect to corruption this worldview and the power behind it have at least three major implications. First, and most visible, is the general trend toward liberalization and privatization of economic activity, along with the withdrawal of the state into more limited and technical kinds of functions, that has marked global development for a generation. Those changes affect the ways people pursue, use, and exchange both wealth and power and, as we shall see, shape corruption syndromes in critical ways. Second, businesses based in affluent countries play major roles in the corruption that occurs in developing societies, often with the blessings of their home governments: until recently some affluent societies allowed their international businesses to deduct foreign bribe payments from their tax bills. Third, a new consensus has emerged over corruption's origins, consequences, and remedies.
A data-driven concept schema for defining clinical research data needs.

Abstract Objectives The Patient, Intervention, Control/Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) framework is an effective technique for framing a clinical question. We aim to develop the counterpart of PICO to structure clinical research data needs. Methods We use a data-driven approach to abstracting key concepts representing clinical research data needs by adapting and extending an expert-derived framework originally developed for defining cancer research data needs. We annotated clinical trial eligibility criteria, EHR data request logs, and data queries to electronic health records (EHR), to extract and harmonize concept classes representing clinical research data needs. We evaluated the class coverage, class preservation from the original framework, schema generalizability, schema understandability, and schema structural correctness through a semi-structured interview with eight multidisciplinary domain experts. We iteratively refined the schema based on the evaluations. Results Our data-driven schema preserved 68% of the 63 classes from the original framework and covered 88% (73/82) of the classes proposed by evaluators. Class coverage for participants of different backgrounds ranged from 60% to 100% with a median value of 95% agreement among the individual evaluators. The schema was found understandable and structurally sound. Conclusions Our proposed schema may serve as the counterpart to PICO for improving the research data needs communication between researchers and informaticians.
The Viability of B. coli and B. aerogenes in Soil.

Very large numbers of Bacterium coli are introduced into the soil in the process of manuring. Little is known as to the viability of these bacteria in soils. We know something of their viability in water, and Murray 1 has shown that in manure piles they are rapidly crowded out by other organisms. If the soil harbors B. coli for long periods of time, it is evident that bacteria in soils will be found in surface water draining from those soils. If, on the othei hand, B. coli rapidly disappears from soils, the presence of this organism in water is a better index of human fecal pollution. It is now well established that the so-called colon bacilli which are found in the feces of warm blooded animals and most of those found in soil differ in certain cultural characteristics.2 The fecal "colon bacilli" are largely Bacterium coli, the methyl red positive and Voges-Proskauer negative organism, while in the soil most of the organisms of this group are found to be Bacterium aerogenes, an organism showing opposite methyl red and Voges-Proskauer characters. Possibly neither of these organisms is a single species, but, following Levine,2 they will be grouped as single species. According to Koser,3 the relatively few B. coli that are found in soil differ from the fecal strains in that they possess the ability of using citrates as a source of energy. That B. aerogenes in soil may in some cases be the "B. coli" found in routine water analysis has been known for some time. B. aerogenes is present in most soils,2 but not in very large numbers. Their function there is known, although Pillai 4 has demonstrated significant nitrogen fixation by Bacterium pneumoniae, which he considers identical or closely allied to B. aerogenes. B. coli did not fix nitrogen.
Breath-based meditation: A mechanism to restore the physiological and cognitive reserves for optimal human performance

Stress can be associated with many physiological changes resulting in significant decrements in human performance. Due to growing interests in alternative and complementary medicine by Westerners, many of the traditions and holistic yogic breathing practices today are being utilized as a measure for healthier lifestyles. These state-of-the-art practices can have a significant impact on common mental health conditions such as depression and generalized anxiety disorder. However, the potential of yogic breathing on optimizing human performance and overall well-being is not well known. Breathing techniques such as alternate nostril, Sudarshan Kriya and bhastrika utilizes rhythmic breathing to guide practitioners into a deep meditative state of relaxation and promote self-awareness. Furthermore, yogic breathing is physiologically stimulating and can be described as a natural "technological" solution to optimize human performance which can be categorized into: (1) cognitive function (i.e., mind, vigilance); and (2) physical performance (i.e., cardiorespiratory, metabolism, exercise, whole body). Based on previous studies, we postulate that daily practice of breathing meditation techniques play a significant role in preserving the compensatory mechanisms available to sustain physiological function. This preservation of physiological function may help to offset the time associated with reaching a threshold for clinical expression of chronic state (i.e., hypertension, depression, dementia) or acute state (i.e., massive hemorrhage, panic attic) of medical conditions. However, additional rigorous biomedical research is needed to evaluate the physiological mechanisms of various forms of meditation (i.e., breath-based, mantra, mindfulness) on human performance. These efforts will help to define how compensatory reserve mechanisms of cardiovascular and immune systems are modulated by breath-based meditation. While it has been suggested that breath-based meditation is easier for beginning practitioners when compared to other forms of meditation more research is needed to elucidate these observations. A breath-based meditation sequence such as Sudarshan Kriya has the potential to help develop an individual's self-awareness and support better integration of the brain (i.e., mind) with other organ systems (i.e., body) for enhanced human performance.
An Interactive Context-aware Power Management Technique for Optimizing Sensor Network Lifetime

A key problem in sensor networks equipped with renewable energy sources is deciding how to allocate energy to various tasks (sensing, communication etc.) over time so that the deployed network continues to gather high-quality data. The state-of-the-art energy allocation algorithm takes into account current battery level and harvesting energy and fairly allocates as much energy as possible along the time dimension. In this paper we show that by not considering application-context this approach leads to very high and uniform sampling rates. However, sampling the environment at fixed predefined intervals is neither possible (need to accommodate system failures) nor desirable (sampling rate might not capture an important event with desired fidelity). To that end, in this paper we propose a novel interactive power management technique that adapts sampling rate as a function of both application-level context (e.g., user request) and system-level context (e.g harvesting energy availability). We vary several key parameters including application request patterns, geographic locations, time slot length, battery end point voltage and evaluate the performance of our approach in terms of energy efficiency and accuracy. Our simulations use sensor data and system specifications (battery and solar panel specs, sensing and communication costs) from a real sensor network deployment. Our results show that the proposed approach saves significant amounts of energy by avoiding oversampling when application does not need it while using this saved energy to support sampling at high rates to capture events with necessary fidelity when needed. The computational complexity of our approach is lower (O(n)) than the state-of-the-art noninteractive energy allocation algorithm (O(n2)).
Nurture and improvement of scientific research ability in medical professionals based on tacit knowledge construction

After an analysis of the constitution of scientific research ability in medical professionals based on tacit knowledge construction and its mechanism,the authors pointed out that the scientific research ability in medical professionals could be improved by establishing their research orientation,applying master and apprenticeship in study,deep exchange and communication,project research,and construction of hospital culture.
Determination and analysis of complete genomic sequences of three Dengue 2 virus strains isolated in Guangdong province, China

Objective To determine the complete genomic sequences of 3 Dengue 2 virus(DEN-2) strains isolated in Guangdong province, China and to investigate their genotypes and sources.Methods The complete genomic sequences of 3DEN-2 strains(GD09/93, GD05/98, and GD19/2001) from Guangdong province were established by RT PCR amplification. The phylogenetic tree of DEN-2 was constructed by Kimura method.Results The complete genomic sequences of 3 DEN-2 strains were 10 723 nucleotides(nt) in length and contained a single long open reading frame(ORF) of 10 173 nucleotides(97-10 269 nt),encoding 3391 amino acids. The ORF encoded structural and non structural proteins, flanked by 5′and 3′non coding regions.Comparing GD05/98 with GD09/93, GD05/98 with GD19/2001, and GD09/93 with GD19/2001, the nucleotide sequence homologies were 93.3%, 92.4%, and 97.6%, respectively, and the deduced amino acid sequence homologies were 96.7%, 96.5%,and 98.5%, respectively.Conclusion The DEN-2 strains are pathogenic in suckling mice. Compared with DEN-2-04 strain(nonpathogenic in suckling mice), there are 18 amino acid substitutions that confer changes in charge or polarity. The charge changes at PrM-134, NS2A-153, and NS4B-102 have a relatively strong impact on the antigenicity. GD05/98 strain falls within the groupⅡcomprising Thailand strains, while GD09/93 and GD19/2001 strains fall within the groupⅣcomprising strains from Indonesia, Australian and Taiwan. There are different DEN genotypes in China, and one genotype of DEN-2 may be transmitted in different periods.
Treatment of acute laryngotracheobronchitis.

For general practitioners, in whose practice is included a major proportion of the medical management of infants and children, and for the specializing pediatrician as well, Postgraduate Medicine presents this special regular department devoted to brief discussions by recognized authorities on their preferred methods of the treatment and management of diseases and problems of infancy and childhood.
Psychotherapies for the person with HIV disease.

The therapist treating a person with an HIV condition must be aware of the many complex ways in which biologic, psychological, and social factors intersect to create special stresses and evoke adaptive responses in each individual. Patients seeking therapy have their own internalized model of what the consequences of being HIV positive have for them. Old psychiatric problems may be exacerbated and new pathologic conditions may arise. The physical condition of the person may create problems of self-image and self-efficacy. Thus, the therapist must be aware of the realistic medical and social issues of the patient as well as be sensitive to the particular constructs of meaning that the condition holds for each patient. The key to effective treatment is flexibility of therapeutic response. This article discusses several broad issues, including special concerns of the patient, critical issues of clinicians treating HIV-infected patients, goals of psychotherapeutic treatment, selection of therapy, treatment of patients with cognitive impairment, and medication in therapy for special populations.
Präsentation von Produktmodellen

In diesem Kapitel werden vom Verfasser dieses Buches die Ergebnisse aus den vorherigen Kapiteln in Beziehung zueinander gebracht und letztendlich in einem Referenzgraphen detailliert dargestellt. Berucksichtigt sind darin die beiden grundlegenden Sachverhalte: Prasentation ist die Schnittstelle zwischen Computer-Graphik und CAD/CIM (siehe Abb. 3.3) Prasentation ist Bestandteil des Produktmodells (siehe Abb. 6.1).
State and empire

The ‘year one’, as computed by most eighteenth–century British political writers, was 1688. At the various centenary celebrations, the era commencing with the Revolution of 1688 was declared ‘glorious'. The ‘settlement’ of outstanding constitutional anomalies had made possible the political consolidation of the British state on the island that had since been united and the simultaneous extension of that state's power across the globe. Politics and empire were obverse and reverse of the formation of this territorial state. Despite general agreement on the purpose of political life, the precise nature of the service of this common good was, as we have observed, a matter of some disagreement. Suspicion of government and a hankering after an ill–defined liberty turned some eighteenth–century opposition writers into enemies of what they perceived to be its debased modern, British version. Parliamentary supremacy had been achieved by corrupting government and population with the wealth drawn from Britain's overseas commerce. Those, however, whose view of politics could be summed up by the word ‘prudence’ eschewed the politics of moral reformation. They advocated listening to the dictates of necessity; only by securing the well–being of the political community could government earn its legitimacy. Trade, rather than corrupting the nation, strengthened it. The establishment and encouragement of colonies, especially in North America, were components of this political strategy. If the practice of colonization in the seventeenth century occurred under the banner of the reason of state, its eighteenth–century theory reflected the more refined logic of the science of politics. Revolution, union, war and expansion.
Hydrologic characteristics, food resource abundance, and spatial variation in stream assemblages

A primary focus of ecological research is to characterize the factors responsible for patterns in biodiversity and assemblage structure along gradients of resources and environmental conditions. In addition to biotic and abiotic factors, the spatial relatedness of locations can also influence assemblage patterns and should be accounted for when inferring the influences of environmental factors on assemblage structure. To address this issue, we examined the influences of hydrology, food resources, and a spatial component by comparing assemblage attributes of fishes and macroinvertebrates at 13 sites in the Meramec River watershed, southeastern Missouri, USA. Redundancy analyses and multiple regression techniques were used to predict variation in species composition, richness, and abundance. Results suggest that spatial processes play an important role in structuring fish assemblages, while macroinvertebrates are regulated to a greater extent by local environmental conditions. Additionally, hydrologic variability, alone or in combination with resource abundance and habitat quality, explains considerable amounts of variation in composition, richness, and abundance of fishes and macroinvertebrates. In particular, fish species richness increases with increasing flow variability, potentially because the majority of species are characterized by opportunistic and equilibrium life history strategies, which are favored by hydrologic variability; we also observed negative effects of extreme hydrologic variability on macroinvertebrate taxon richness. Overall, these results demonstrate the importance of natural flow regimes for explaining spatial variation in aquatic assemblages at the within-watershed scale and point to the strength of a framework integrating hydrologic variability, resource abundance, and spatial relatedness when predicting assemblage patterns in freshwater systems.
Mechanism of action of narcotics in the production of menstrual dysfunction in women

The ability of morphine to block ovulation in animals prompted investigation of the frequency and mechanisms of menstrual abnormalities in women addicted to narcotic analgesics. Menstrual histories obtained from 76 former heroin addicts receiving daily methadone maintenance revealed that more than one-half of these women had experienced menstrual abnormalities while taking heroin or methadone. In order to determine the specific physiologic effects of narcotic analgesics on reproductive function, detailed endocrinologic studies were carried out in seven of these patients who complained of amenorrhea or irregular menses while receiving methadone. Four of the seven women manifested abnormalities of the control of gonadotropin secretion. Three of these four failed to exhibit cyclic gonadotropin release, as evidenced by an absence of increased levels of follicular phase follicle-stimulating hormone, midcycle gonadotropin peaks or luteal phase progesterone increments. In the fourth patient a prolonged follicular phase (30 days) of the menstrual cycle was detected. One of these four patients also had low basal gonadotropin levels and failed to exhibit luteinizing hormone increments greater than control levels in response to ethinyl estradiol (positive feedback). The remaining three women exhibited normal patterns of gonadotropin secretion during the observation period. In these women, menstrual bleeding occurred in response to withdrawal from luteal phase (10 to 20 ng/ml) progesterone levels and to exogenous ethinyl estradiol, suggesting normal uterine responsivity to progesterone and estrogen. Although not documented, it is likely that oligo-ovulation was the cause of the irregular menses in these three patients. Amenorrhea is commonly associated with methadone ingestion or heroin addiction and appears to be related to an alteration of the hypothalamic mechanisms controlling gonadotropin secretion. Tolerance to these effects of methadone may develop after chronic ingestion.
Scaling FETs to (beyond?) 10 nm: From semiclassical to quantum models

We present full-band semi-classical and quantum-mechanical transport models required to study electronic transport in nanometer-scale devices.
An Extension of the Orthogonal Packing Problem Through Dimensional Flexibility

This paper presents a new approach to solving the orthogonal packing problem (OPP). The OPP is shown to be related to one class of resource allocation problems, namely the land allocation problem. The proposed method differs from traditional methods in that component dimensions are not prescribed, allowing designers greater flexibility and giving them the ability to choose from a number of different solutions. We will show that in removing constraints from dimensions, we allow for the possibility for finding better solutions and this is verified in the case study.
Wide-field surface-enhanced CARS microscopy of cells (Conference Presentation)

We have previously demonstrated a total internal reflection, wide-field CARS microscope, where the signal is enhanced with the aid of a thin gold layer that supports surface plasmon polariton resonances. This surface-enhanced CARS microscope is capable of generating images of lipid structures in close proximity (<100 nm) to the glass substrate at excitation densities that are 4 orders of magnitude lower than in point-scanning CARS microscopy. In this contribution, we demonstrate its application to visualizing lipids in aqueous media, including imaging of cells, with a unique surface-sensitive contrast that cannot be obtained with conventional CARS microscopy.
Erratum: “GPU-accelerated Monte Carlo convolution/superposition implementation” [Med. Phys. 37, 5593–5603 (2010)]

The MCCS algorithm is the work of Dr. Naqvi et al. and should cite following paper at the beginning of the second-to-last paragraph: S. A. Naqvi, M. Earl, and D. Shepard, “Convolution/superposition using the Monte Carlo method,” Phys. Med. Biol. 48, 2101–2121 (2003). Figure 1(b) is reproduced with permission from Physics in Medicine and Biology. The derivation of the extrafocal source distribution function is described in S. A. Naqvi, M. Sarfaraz, T. Holmes, C. X. Yu, and X. A. Li, “Analyzing collimator structure effects in head-scatter calculations for IMRT class fields using scatter raytracing,” Phys. Med. Biol. 46, 2009–2028 (2001).
Bacterial Derived Carbohydrates Bind Cyr1 and Trigger Hyphal Growth in Candida albicans

The dimorphic yeast Candida albicans is the most common pathogenic fungus found in humans. While this species is normally commensal, a morphological switch from budding yeast to filamentous hyphae allows the fungi to invade epithelial cells and cause infections. The phenotypic change is controlled by the adenylyl cyclase, Cyr1. Interestingly, this protein contains a leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain, which is commonly found in innate immune receptors from plants and animals. A functional and pure LRR domain was obtained in high yields from E. coli expression. Utilizing a surface plasmon resonance assay, the LRR was found to bind diverse bacterial derived carbohydrates with high affinity. This domain is capable of binding fragments of peptidoglycan, a carbohydrate polymer component of the bacterial cell wall, as well as anthracyclines produced by Streptomyces, leading to hyphae formation. These findings add another dimension to the human microbiome, taking into account yeast–bacteria interactions that occur...