cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Java (TM) applications using NCSA HDF files

HDF is a library and file format for storing and exchanging scientific data. In the absence of a Java (TM) implementation of the HDF library, Java applications that need to directly access data in HDF files require a Java interface to the native code HDF library. This document describes the design of the Java interface for the HDF library and one prototype application – the Java HDF Viewer (JHV). Performance issues discussed in this paper appear to be inevitable consequences of the technologies that provide the portability and security of Java. The performance penalties are not significant for many applications, but become very significant for data-intensive computing. Just-in-time compiler technology will probably have little impact on the data copying and memory management issues described in this paper. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
SEMINOMA: RESULTS OF TREATMENT WITH MEGAVOLTAGE IRRADIATION?

Abstract The results of megavoltage irradiation treatment of patients with the diagnosis of testicular seminoma are described. Treatment techniques are explained. Overall classical seminoma survival at 3 and 5 years was 9696 and 93% Analysis of results shows that elective irradiation to the mediastinum and supraclavicular areas is not necessary in Stage I disease. Doses required for elective treatment and treatment of massive disease are reviewed.
Erring on the side of life: the case of Terri Schiavo

In debates over life and death it is often said that one should err on the side of caution--that is, on the side of life. In the light of the recent case of Terri Schiavo, it is explained how the "err-on-the-side-of-life" argument proceeds, and an objection to it is offered.
Matrix RGD ligand density and L1CAM-mediated Schwann cell interactions synergistically enhance neurite outgrowth.

Abstract The innate biological response to peripheral nerve injury involves a complex interplay of multiple molecular cues to guide neurites across the injury gap. Many current strategies to stimulate regeneration take inspiration from this biological response. However, little is known about the balance of cell–matrix and Schwann cell–neurite dynamics required for regeneration of neural architectures. We present an engineered extracellular matrix (eECM) microenvironment with tailored cell–matrix and cell–cell interactions to study their individual and combined effects on neurite outgrowth. This eECM regulates cell–matrix interactions by presenting integrin-binding RGD (Arg–Gly–Asp) ligands at specified densities. Simultaneously, the addition or exclusion of nerve growth factor (NGF) is used to modulate L1CAM-mediated Schwann cell–neurite interactions. Individually, increasing the RGD ligand density from 0.16 to 3.2 mM resulted in increasing neurite lengths. In matrices presenting higher RGD ligand densities, neurite outgrowth was synergistically enhanced in the presence of soluble NGF. Analysis of Schwann cell migration and co-localization with neurites revealed that NGF enhanced cooperative outgrowth between the two cell types. Interestingly, neurites in NGF-supplemented conditions were unable to extend on the surrounding eECM without the assistance of Schwann cells. Blocking studies revealed that L1CAM is primarily responsible for these Schwann cell–neurite interactions. Without NGF supplementation, neurite outgrowth was unaffected by L1CAM blocking or the depletion of Schwann cells. These results underscore the synergistic interplay between cell–matrix and cell–cell interactions in enhancing neurite outgrowth for peripheral nerve regeneration.
Amiloride suppression of the taste intensity of sodium chloride: evidence from direct magnitude scaling.

Abstract The transduction of Na' salts has been shown in many species to be mediated in part by an epithelial ion channel on the apical surface of the taste receptor cell membrane, which is blockable by the diuretic amiloride. In addition to this apical ion channel, Na' is also transduced via a paracellular pathway, which is not sensitive to amiloride. There are significant species differences in the contribution of the amiloride-sensitive pathway to Na+ transduction. Previous human psychophysical studies have reported conflicting results on the effects of amiloride in suppressing the intensity of NaCl. In general, these studies used amiloride doses that were much higher than those showing clear suppressive effects in electrophysiological studies in other species. In the present experiment, we used direct magnitude scaling of the intensities of five NaCl concentrations flowed over the anterior portion of the tongue to determine the effects of amiloride treatment at lower doses. NaCl was presented after adaptation of the tongue to water or mixed with and presented after adaptation to 10, 50, or 100 μM amiloride-HCI. Subjects estimated the intensity of NaCl and of these concentrations of amiloride in each treatment condition using magnitude estimation with a 0.1 M NaCl modulus presented following a water rinse prior to each session. Results showed that amiloride had a significant suppressive effect on the perceived intensity of NaCl, with a similar effect seen at all three amiloride doses. The psychophysical function after amiloride showed a parallel shift to the right. The average suppression over all NaCl concentrations was 21%. Calculations of the perceived intensity of previously published matching concentrations after 500 μM amiloride from the water-adapted NaCl function showed that the degree of suppression was equivalent between the previous report and the present one. These results suggest that the contribution of the amiloride-sensitive component to the transduction of Na+ salts is smaller in humans than in many other species.
Incorporating weather information into real-time speed estimates: comparison of alternative models

Weather information is frequently requested by travelers. Prior literature indicates that inclement weather is one of the most important factors contributing to traffic congestion and crashes. This paper proposes a methodology to use real-time weather information to predict future speeds. The reason for doing so is to ultimately have the capability to disseminate weather-responsive travel time estimates to those requesting information. Using a stratified sampling technique, cases with different weather conditions (precipitation levels) were selected and a linear regression model (called the base model) and a statistical learning model [using support vector machines for regression (SVR)] were used to predict 30-min-ahead speeds. One of the major inputs into a weather-responsive short-term speed prediction method is weather forecasts; however, weather forecasts may themselves be inaccurate. The effects of such inaccuracies are assessed by means of simulations. The predictive accuracy of the SVR models show that statistical learning methods may be useful in bringing together streaming forecasted weather data and real-time information on downstream traffic conditions to enable travelers to make informed choices.
Bayesian Modeling of Initiating Event Frequencies at Nuclear Power Plants1

Probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs) of nuclear power plants proceed by modeling potential accident sequences at the plant of interest. These hypothesized accident sequences begin with initiating events. A very important initiating event phenomenon is the loss of off-site power (LOSP). This is the interruption of the preferred power supply to the essential and nonessential switchgear buses resulting in the use of emergency power supplies. If off-site power is not restored in a reasonable period of time, emergency backup sources of AC and DC power may subsequently fail, resulting in a possible core meltdown. Industry data show 63 LOSP incidents in the operating history of nuclear plants in the United States. Two Bayesian models for the frequency of incidents of LOSP are presented. One model assumes that all nuclear power generating stations share a common incidence rate for LOSP, and a posterior distribution is found for the mean incidence rate for all plants. The second model assumes that the incidence rates for individual plants belong to a superpopulation of incidence rates. Under this model the incidence rate for each plant is unique, but related to the incident rate of all other plants through the superpopulation. These models provide a vehicle for incorporating initiating event uncertainty into PRAs.
Heritability of juvenile growth for the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria

The heritability of juvenile growth in the hard clamMercenaria mercenaria (L.) sampled from Wellfleet Harbor, USA, in 1987, was analyzed in two experiments using standard quantitative genetic methods. In the first experiment, culture density was not controlled and was found to have a significant impact upon the non-additive genetic component of growth, possibly through genotype-environment correlation. Variable clam density appeared to have little impact on the additive genetic variance component. Estimates of the narrow sense heritability, calculated from the additive genetic component, ranged from 0.72 (±0.32) to 0.91 (±0.17). Culture density was controlled in the second experiment. The narrow sense heritability estimate from this experiment was 0.37 (±0.13). These estimates suggest that selection, either natural or artificial could bring about rapid change in the mean phenotype(s) of juvenile growth characteristics in hard clams.
Hypoxic-ischemic cerebral necrosis in midgestational sheep fetuses: Physiopathologic correlations

Abstract Thirty-eight midgestational sheep fetuses were exposed 120 min to marked hypoxia. The brains in eight that reduced their mean arterial blood pressure to less than 30 mm Hg were markedly damaged. In these same fetuses the serum lactic acid concentrations were elevated during exposure to hypoxia to excessively high values (> 15 m m ) and remained elevated for a prolonged period during recovery. Twenty-one fetuses exposed to the same magnitude of hypoxia that maintained their blood pressure unchanged showed less marked elevations of serum lactate concentrations and remained brain-intact. Greater quantities of pentobarbital administered to the ewes during hypoxia seemed to protect the brain from hypoxia and this effect was dose-dependent. Exposure of midgestational sheep fetuses to marked hypoxia associated with reductions in cerebral blood flow due to decreased blood pressure and impaired cerebral autoregulation caused major focal cerebral necrosis.
Mayans' Rhetóórica and the Search for a Spanish Rhetoric

Abstract: Gregorio Mayans y Siscar9s Rhetoorica (Valenda, 1757) must be regarded as a pivotal work in the evolution of eighteenthcentury Spanish rhetorical theory. Since Mayans9 ideas did not appear without precedent in the Rhetoorica , this article begins by tracing the development of his principles through his earlier writings about the state of discourse in Spain. A detailed analysis of the Rhetoorica itself is followed by a demonstration of how Mayans modified classical rhetoric into a rhetoricized poetics whose history became integrated into the history of Spanish literature. Thus Mayans9 transformation of classical rhetoric takes its place in the development of Spanish cultural history, in which rhetoric increasingly came to be regarded as a part of the larger study of the national literature.
Stimulus-activated changes in brain tissue temperature in the anesthetized rat.

A new thin-film, multisensor probe was used to determine tissue oxygen tension, tissue temperature, and electrical activity at two depths below the brain surface in chloral hydrateor nitrous oxide/halothane-anesthetized rats. Brain tissue temperature at both depths was found to be lower than core temperature by 1–2°C. Electrical activation, spreading depression, and pentylenetetrazol seizures all resulted in transient increases of brain tissue temperature of a few tenths degree centigrade. Vasodilation, induced by hypercapnia or hypoxia, caused a warming of brain tissue. Near-maximum oxygen metabolism, reached upon reoxygenation after severe hypoxia, was accompanied by tissue temperature rises of greater than 1°C. It was concluded that brain tissue temperature in the anesthetized rat is lower than core temperature due to extensive radiative and conductive heat loss to the environment through the head. Transient increases in tissue temperature during activation are caused by vasodilation and increased metabolism.
Progress in nitrogen fixation

Recent Developments in Nitrogen Fixation. Edited by W. Newton, J. R. Postgate and C. Rodriguez-Barrueco. Pp. 622 (Academic: London and New York, 1977.) £16; $31.25.
The inconsistency index method for estimating the accuracy of Schweitzer's approximation

Product-form queueing networks have proved to be useful for predicting the performance of computer systems. In practice, these networks are analyzed using approximate methods because exact methods are computationally too expensive. Schweitzer's approximation is one of the most commonly used. However, there is no method for estimating the error in the solution. This paper proposes a new approach for estimating the error in Schweitzer's approximation for fixed-rate product-form networks. It is based on detecting the extent to which the approximation assumptions used hold. Empirical evidence is presented to show that this approach can be used to accurately predict the error in the approximation.
MONKEY DISPERSAL AND WASTE OF A NEOTROPICAL FRUIT

Foraging birds and mammals were observed at a Panamanian rain forest tree Tetra- gastris panamensis (Burseraceae) in order to determine (1) relative importance of different dispersal agents and (2) the relationship between fruit production and dispersal. The system is of interest because fruits provide little but sugar, fruits are not depleted by animals (i.e., are superabundant), and the tree is visited by a variety of vertebrates with different effects on seed dissemination. Three mammals (Alouatta palliata, Cebus capucinus, Nasua narica) account for 97% of all seeds removed from the trees; the howler monkey (Alouatta) is alone responsible for 74% of the seeds removed. Seeds from the feces of these mammals are fully viable. In addition, two diurnal mammals, three nocturnal mammals, and nine birds ingest and disperse small numbers of seeds, but these species are numerically insignificant. Two parrots (Amazona farinosa and A. autumnalis) are im- portant fruit thieves and seed predators, while three mammals and three additional birds kill or drop small numbers of seeds near the parent trees. Assemblage richness increases markedly with crop size, but most of 25 visitors are of little significance to the plant. Use by three monkeys closely reflects their relative abundance; the abundance of the coatimundi (Nasua) is unknown. This system is characterized by enormous seed waste. Of >430,000 seeds produced by 19 study trees in 1978, <4% had even a remote chance of establishment. The remainder were killed by parrots (6%), were dropped or spontaneously fell under parent trees (66%), or were doomed to intense competition in fecal clumps (24%). The three primary dispersal agents indirectly caused most seed and seedling mortality by dropping seeds under the tree crown or leaving them in fecal clumps, precluding survival of any but a small fraction of seedlings. Crop size ranged from 165 to 100,000 arillate seeds per season, but fruits appeared superabundant on all trees. Numbers of seeds dispersed increased dramatically with crop size, but the proportion dispersed was highest at plants with crops of intermediate size. The proportion of seeds killed by parrots increased with crop size. Dispropor- tionate mortality of seedlings in high densities near adult trees indicated density-dependent mortality among juveniles. Wide geographical ranges of this tree and members of the frugivore assemblage, use of other food resources by common foragers, richness of the assemblage, variation in species visitation at individual trees, irregular annual fruit production, and obvious "inefficiency" of the dominant dispersal agents from the perspective of the plant suggest that Tetragastris has a generalized dispersal strategy and is not closely coevolved with particular frugivores. A generalized dispersal system is expected from a tree, such as this one, that produces sugary fruit incapable of providing a balanced diet.
Validation and fine mapping of lyc12.1, a QTL for increased tomato fruit lycopene content

Lycopene content is a key component of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit quality, and is a focus of many tomato-breeding programs. Two QTLs for increased fruit lycopene content, inherited from a high-lycopene S. pimpinellifolium accession, were previously detected on tomato chromosomes 7 and 12 using a S. lycopersicum × S. pimpinellifolium RIL population, and were identified as potential targets for marker-assisted selection and positional cloning. To validate the phenotypic effect of these two QTLs, a BC2 population was developed from a cross between a select RIL and the S. lycopersicum recurrent parent. The BC2 population was field-grown and evaluated for fruit lycopene content using HPLC. Statistical analyses revealed that while lyc7.1 did not significantly increase lycopene content in the heterozygous condition, individuals harboring lyc12.1 in the heterozygous condition contained 70.3 % higher lycopene than the recurrent parent. To eliminate the potential pleiotropic effect of fruit size and minimize the physical size of the lyc12.1 introgression, a marker-assisted backcross program was undertaken and produced a BC3S1 NIL population (n = 1,500) segregating for lyc12.1. Lycopene contents from lyc12.1 homozygous and heterozygous recombinants in this population were measured and lyc12.1 was localized to a 1.5 cM region. Furthermore, we determined that lyc12.1 was delimited to a ~1.5 Mb sequence of tomato chromosome 12, and provided some insight into potential candidate genes in the region. The derived sub-NILs will be useful for transferring of lyc12.1 to other tomato genetic backgrounds and for further fine-mapping and cloning of the QTL.
First-wall coatings for Tokamak fusion reactors☆

Abstract The coating of the first wall of a fusion reactor must withstand an intense neutron flux, the impact of energetic charged and neutral particles, and photons, all of which escape from the plasma. Penetration of material eroded from the first-wall coating into the plasma will have a detrimental effect on the plasma stability and energy balance. Therefore material selection for the first-wall coating of a fusion reactor represents one of the critical problem areas for the achievement of fusion power. Theoretical and experimental studies which have been conducted on the many facets of the problem are reviewed with special emphasis placed on the more critical aspects. Possible directions of future research in this area are outlined.
Expert Judgment versus Statistical Models: Explanation versus Prediction

One of my favorite political scientists (and mentors in graduate school) defined a great idea as one he would have liked to have had himself. The Supreme Court Forecasting Project is a great idea, one I wish I had hatched. It is such a good idea that it is a little surprising no one had attempted it earlier. I commend this team and urge them, as I shall say in more detail later, to continue, expand, and perhaps redirect this undertaking. That this team combines legal academics and political scientists is a happy sign of the more general recognition in both disciplines of the great things we have to offer each other.Gregory A. Caldeira was Jack N. Pritzker Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at Northwestern University Law School when he wrote this commentary.
Optimal cube-connected cube multicomputers

Abstract Many CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and other scientific applications can be partitioned into subproblems. However, in general, the partitioned subproblems are very large. They demand high-performance computing power themselves, and their solutions have to be combined at each time step. In this paper, the cube-connect cube (CCCube) architecture is studied. The CCCube architecture is an extended hypercube structure with each node represented as a cube. It requires fewer physical links between nodes than the hypercube, and provides the same communication support as the hypercube does on many applications. The reduced physical links can be used to enhance the bandwidth of the remanding links and, therefore, enhance the overall performance. The concept and the method to obtain optimal CCCubes, which are the CCCubes with a minimum number of links under a given total number of nodes, are proposed. The superiority of optimal CCCubes over standard hypercubes has also been shown in terms of the link usage in the embedding of a binomial tree. A useful computation structure based on a semi-binomial tree for divide-and-conquer type of parallel algorithms has been identified. We have shown that this structure can be implemented in optimal CCCubes without performance degradation compared with regular hypercubes. The result presented in this paper should provide a useful approach to design of scientific parallel computers.
Structure and development of setae on the thoracic limbs of the anostracan crustacean, Thamnocephalus platyurus

Setae are a prominent feature of arthropod limbs. In taxa where the limbs develop during the larval phase, developing setae are an integral part of the developing limb bud and their differentiation cannot easily be separated from the early patterning and formation of the overall limb. Here I describe the morphogenesis and adult setae in a branchiopod crustacean, the anostracan, Thamnocephalus platyurus. The majority of the setae on the limbs are non-innervated plumose setae that are formed from six underlying cells. Because branchiopods are often sampled in comparative studies of limb development, the details of the cellular morphogenesis of their limbs provide a necessary basis for studies of limb patterning.
Carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate 19-9 antigen as markers for colorectal carcinoma in children and adolescents.

Colorectal cancer is rare in patients younger than 20 years of age (incidence, 1 in 10 million). Although carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate 19-9 antigen (CA 19-9) have been used widely as markers for the efficacy of therapy or detection of recurrent colorectal carcinomas in adults, no studies evaluating their efficacy in children and adolescents have been performed. Between 1986 and 1989, serial measurements of serum CEA and CA 19-9 levels were obtained from 11 patients (aged 8 to 18 years) treated at the institution of the authors. In contrast to the experience in adults, most (9 of 11) of the tumors were localized in the right or transverse colon. Histologically, 10 of 11 carcinomas were mucinous. Most patients had either Dukes' C (5 of 11) or D (5 of 11) lesions. After surgery, all patients were treated with a combination of 5-fluorouracil with Leucovorin (Lederle Laboratories, Pearl River, NY). With the use of the adult normal standards (CEA < 3.0 ng/ml and CA 19-9 < 37 ng/ml)6 for the patients, the specificity and sensitivity of CEA were 77% and 64%, respectively, whereas the specificity of CA 19-9 was 79% and the sensitivity was significantly low (10%). The combined specificity of the two markers was 71%, and the combined sensitivity was 60%. On the basis of these results, the authors believe that CEA and CA 19-9 are not effective markers for detection of recurrent or progressive colorectal carcinomas in children and adolescents. Cancer 1992; 69:1487-1491.
An integrated model to solve the winter asset and road maintenance problem

Winter road maintenance operations require many complex strategic and operational planning decisions. The main problems include locating depots, designing sectors and routes, and configuring and scheduling vehicles. The complexity involved in each of these decisions has generally resulted in research that approaches each of the problems separately, which can lead to isolated and suboptimal solutions. In addition to being integrated, a successful approach to these problems must consider the necessary practical aspects of each problem and include a straightforward, easily executable solution methodology; otherwise, it is unlikely to be implemented. This research proposes a systematic, heuristic-based optimization approach to integrate the winter road maintenance planning decisions. The approach is illustrated using an example of the state highway road network in Boone County, Missouri, which is maintained by the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Use of a validated quality of life questionnaire to assess sexual function following laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

Wide variations exist in the methods for evaluating potency following radical prostatectomy. We describe our technique of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP), present our methods for assessing the return of potency following LRP, and discuss the relevant literature. Sexual function was assessed pre- and postoperatively using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite questionnaire (EPIC). Sexual function subscale scores (SFSS) were reported as a percentage of preoperative baseline sexual function. The EPIC was also used for single-question assessment of successful intercourse. We also reviewed the literature on prospective health-related quality of life results following LRP and open radical retropubic prostatectomy. Only patients reporting preoperative intercourse were analyzed. Of these, 72 and 35% undergoing bilateral and unilateral nerve sparing (NS) reported postoperative intercourse at 12 months (P=0.01). Mean SFSS at 12 months was 61 and 57% of baseline after bilateral and unilateral NS, respectively (P=0.71). Following NS procedures, 74% of patients ⩽58 years of age and 41% of patients >58 years of age reported successful intercourse at 12 months (P=0.015). Mean SFSS was 64 and 52% of baseline function (P=0.249) at 12 months for patients ⩽58 and >58 years of age, respectively. In patients <58 years of age who underwent bilateral NS surgery, 82% reported intercourse at 12 months. In conclusion, return of sexual function following NS LRP in our experience is comparable to reports from centers of excellence in open prostatectomy. Standardizing data collection using validated quality of life instruments can provide both surgeon and patient with a realistic forecast of relative return to normal sexual function following prostatectomy.
Sources of gaseous oxidized mercury and mercury dry deposition at two southeastern U.S. sites

Abstract Wet deposition measurements have shown that relative to other parts of the US, the southeastern region has the highest mercury (Hg) inputs. The source of this Hg has been investigated by multiple researchers and is suggested to be derived from local, regional and global sources. Here we focus on trying to understand potential sources of Hg to this area during periods dominated by dry gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) deposition. Dry deposition of GOM to a surrogate surface was measured in conjunction with speciated atmospheric Hg, and ancillary parameters from September 2007 through September 2008 at two sites located within 25 km of coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) near Yorkville, GA, and Pensacola, FL. Mean weekly GOM dry deposition, daily GOM, and daily sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) concentrations were significantly ( P 2 concentrations were significantly correlated ( P 2 concentrations when air moved to the sites from the direction of the nearest CFPPs. Most periods of enhanced GOM concentrations ([GOM] > 98th percentile), were also associated with NO y /SO 2 ratios that were within 25% of that reported for the local CFPPs ( N = 27 of 33 at Yorkville, N = 18 of 26 at Pensacola). During these events, termed Category 1, mean GOM/SO 2 enhancement ratios were 2.4 ± 0.1 and 2.3 ± 0.1 pg m −3 ppb −1 for Yorkville and Pensacola, respectively (range = 0.5 to 5.5). The remaining events at both sites (termed Category 2) displayed significantly lower SO 2 concentrations, yet GOM concentrations were not significantly different compared to Category 1 events. The potential sources of GOM during the Category 2 events at OLF were investigated using gridded frequency distributions (GFD) of 72-h atmospheric back trajectories. During these periods there was a greater component of air mass transport from the free troposphere, and less precipitation along the trajectory paths compared to GFDs for Category 1 events. GFDs developed for the weeks when GOM dry deposition was in the upper quartile at both sites simultaneously revealed a similar pattern to the GFDs of Category 2 GOM concentration events, that is, greater free tropospheric transport and relatively little precipitation. Although dry deposition inputs are thought to represent
A sensitive measure of surface stress in the resting neutrophil

The simplest parameterized model of the "passive" or "resting receptive" neutrophil views the cell as being composed of an outer cortex surrounding an essentially liquid-like highly viscous cytoplasm. This cortex has been measured to maintain a small persistent tension of approximately 0.035 dyn/cm (Evans and Yeung. 1989. Biophys. J. 56:151–160) and is responsible for recovering the spherical shape of the cell after large deformation. The origin of the cortical tension is at present unknown, but speculations are that it may be an active process related to the sensitivity of a given cell to external stimulation and the "passive-active" transition. In order to characterize further this feature of the neutrophil we have used a new micropipet manipulation method to give a sensitive measure of the surface stress as a function of the surface area dilation of the highly ruffled cellular membrane. In the experiment, a single cell is driven down a tapered pipet in a series equilibrium deformation positions. Each equilibrium position represents a balance between the stress in the membrane and the pressure drop across the cell. For most cells that seemed to be "passive," as judged by their spherical appearance and lack of pseudopod activity, area dilations of approximately 30% were accompanied by only a small increase in the membrane tension, indicative of a very small apparent elastic area expansion modulus (approximately 0.04 dyn/cm). Extrapolations back to zero area dilation gave a value for the tension in the resting membrane of 0.024 +/- 0.003 dyn/cm, in close agreement with earlier measures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Interpolating high-order Runge-Kutta formulas

Abstract A Runge-Kutta formula becomes inefficient when the step size must be reduced often to produce answers at specified points. Recently, a lot of effort has been devoted to providing Runge-Kutta formulas with an “interpolation” capability so that answers can be produced inexpensively throughout the span of a step. Though quite successful at low and moderate orders, interpolation of high-order formulas is still unsatisfactory. A new approach to the task is presented in the context of interpolating an important pair of orders 7 and 8 due to Prince and Dormand [J. Comput. appl. Math.7, 67–75 (1981)].
GIG/DISN Quality of Service and Service Level Agreement Management for Integrated Global Wireless Tactical Services Provider Network

As the defense information systems network (DISN) transitions to a native-IP network supporting converged unclassified and secret data, voice, and video on the global information grid (GIG) backbone, an extensive quality of service (QoS) architecture will be required to effectively support real-time and mission critical traffic. Service level agreements (SLAs), which define the negotiated and contracted service between the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and it's customers, will rely on QoS policy implementations to ensure contracted service levels can be satisfied. Effectively managing SLAs can be challenging in fixed, wireline environments given the dynamic nature of packet-based traffic and varying mission priorities and requirements of the DoD. Extending these services into wireless tactical environments with mobile users and varying wireless link conditions and network topologies introduces additional complexity. With the emergence of standards-based commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies including 802.16, 802.20, and other OFDM-based technologies, broadband wireless networks may soon provide a last-mile tactical extension of the DISN/GIG. Supporting real-time and mission critical services across these wireless networks involves traditional IP QoS mechanisms as well as additional link layer QoS mechanisms to dynamically and intelligently allocate RF spectrum among multiple users. To provide a more seamless extension of the DISN/GIG, these wireless networks must be capable of maintaining QoS and SLAs that adhere to the GIG's end-to-end QoS policy. This paper addresses the following topics: the deployment of a GIG end-to-end QoS policy that meets the needs of the disadvantaged tactical warfighter; the challenge of deploying and managing a consistent end-to-end QoS policy when using network hardware with differing QoS capabilities; and the evaluation of QoS and SLAs management, and policy-based QoS
Laparoscopy as a diagnostic aid in women with localized ureteral obstruction due to endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common disease which can produce localized ureteral obstruction. Many women will have significant disease without any clinical signs or symptoms until they present with distal ureteral obstruction. In the reported literature, the diagnosis of ureteral involvement by endometriosis usually has been made at surgery. It is therefore suggested that women with distal ureteral obstruction not attributable to calculous disease undergo laparoscopy in an attempt to rule out endometriosis as the cause of ureteral obstruction.
Effective parameter extraction using multiple-objective function for VLSI circuits

Effective parameter extraction is a crucial step in accurate simulation of microelectronic circuits and systems. A parameter extraction program, which is based on a global optimization algorithm, uses a single objective function that minimizes the drain current error between the predicted and measured data. Parameter sets extracted on this basis are adequate for the purpose of digital circuit simulation, but fall short of simulation requirements for analog circuits. The use of a multiple-objective function is proposed, which simultaneously optimizes several critical electrical quantities including the drain current, output conductance, and transconductance. Experimental results with the multiple-objective function are presented, to show the improvement in extracted parameters. The recently developed BSIM_plus MOS transistor model for sub-half-micron integrated circuits uses a compact set of parameters, which greatly enhances the ability to accurately extract parameter values. This model was implemented into the parameter extraction program and some extraction results are presented. The parameter space has several local minima within which a gradient descent method may be trapped. Simulated annealing techniques can be applied to find near-optimal solutions of problems containing multiple local minima in their solution spaces. Experimental results showing the optimization of drain current error using simulation annealing techniques are presented.
Nitrogenase: Standing at the Crossroads

Nitrogenase catalyzes the ATP-dependent reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia, which is central to the process of biological nitrogen fixation. Recent progress towards establishing the mechanism of action of this complex metalloenzyme reflects the contributions of a combination of structural, biochemical, spectroscopic, synthetic and theoretical approaches to a challenging problem with implications for a range of biochemical and chemical systems.
Models of localized energy coupling

It is proven that any model of localized protonmotive energy coupling that relies upon properties of a homogeneous surface phase must, when operated in the steady state, lead to bulk phase electrochemical potentials for protons that are as large as those required by the delocalized chemiosmotic theory. To obtain models consistent with experiments supporting localized energy coupling requires some kind of surface heterogeneity for the proton conducting pathways. Two general classes of heterogeneous surface models are mentioned. One class involves phase-separated lipid domains. The second class involves hydrogen-bonded chains in proteins that traverse the membrane laterally.
The Network Kinematic Waves Model: A Simplified Approach to Network Traffic

Flow of traffic on freeways and limited access highways can be represented as a series of kinemetic waves. Solutions to these systems of equations become problematic under congested traffic flow conditions, and under complicated (real-world) networks. A simplified theory of kinematics waves (KWaves) was previously proposed. Simplifying elements includes translation of the problem to moving coordinate system, adoption of triangular speed-density relationships, and adoption of restrictive constraints at the on- and off-ramps. However, these simplifying assumptions preclude application of this technique to most practical situations. By directly addressing the limitations of the original theory, this article proposes a simplified Kwaves model for network traffic (N-KWaves). Several key constraints of the original theory are relaxed. For example, the original merge model, which gives full priority to on-ramp traffic, is relaxed and replaced with a capacity-based weighted queuing (CBWFQ) merge model. The origin...
Lumbar spine interbody fusion with use of synthetic implants

Fusion across a degenerative lumbar disc space has been accomplished by a variety of methods. The traditional approach has been posterior, with or without instrumentation. Recently, interbody fusion has been augmented with bone dowels and synthetic implants that distract the disc space, thereby decompressing the neural foramen and immobilizing the degenerative motion segment. This article reviews the history of interbody fusion and focuses on anterior and posterior interbody fusion using the BAK (Spine-Techn, Inc, Minneapolis, MN) cage. The technique used at our institution for laparoscopic implantation at L4–5 and L5-S1 is described.
ScaAnalyzer: a tool to identify memory scalability bottlenecks in parallel programs

It is difficult to scale parallel programs in a system that employs a large number of cores. To identify scalability bottlenecks, existing tools principally pinpoint poor thread synchronization strategies or unnecessary data communication. Memory subsystem is one of the key contributors to poor parallel scaling in multicore machines. State-of-the-art tools, however, either lack sophisticated capabilities or are completely ignorant in pinpointing scalability bottlenecks arising from the memory subsystem. To address this issue, we develop a tool---ScaAnalyzer---to pinpoint scaling losses due to poor memory access behaviors of parallel programs. ScaAnalyzer collects, attributes, and analyzes memory-related metrics during program execution while incurring very low overhead. ScaAnalyzer provides high-level, detailed guidance to programmers for scalability optimization. We demonstrate the utility of ScaAnalyzer with case studies of three parallel programs. For each benchmark, ScaAnalyzer identifies scalability bottlenecks caused by poor memory access behaviors and provides optimization guidance that yields significant improvement in scalability.
Continuities in Poland's Permanent Transition By Harald Wydra. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000. 257p. $65.00.

In studying and analyzing the postcommunist “transition” countries, it is becoming ever more apparent that what calls for explanation is not only change, as expressed in the trajectory of liberal capitalist reforms, but also continuity. Even in the face of profound institutional transformation, mentalities and behaviors associated with the past are not readily giving way to new modalities of thought and action. Accordingly, one way of approaching the problem of explaining the variability of regime outcomes in the former Soviet bloc is to focus on the particular institutional and discursive forms that the interplay of change and continuity has produced in each country. In his work on Poland, Harald Wydra encourages us to analyze this interplay from a particular point of view—one that is rooted in the lived experiences of the populations involved, as opposed to how countries measure up with respect to progress toward liberal capitalist outcomes. Consequently, he argues that even as discontinuity and change have characterized the “first reality” of post-1989 institution-building, important continuities mark the “second reality of images, myths and mentalities” (p. 26). In turn, this “second reality” provides “fundamental reference points in post-1989 Poland and Eastern Europe” (p. 25) that infuse the new institutional realities with unique, culturally determined, content and meaning.
Magnetotail origins of auroral Alfvénic power

[1] The generation of Alfvenic Poynting flux in the central plasma sheet and its polar distribution at low altitude are studied using three dimensional global simulations of the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere interaction. A 24-hour event simulation (4–5 Feb 2004) driven by solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field data reproduces the global morphology of Alfvenic Poynting flux measured by the Polar satellite, including its dawn-dusk asymmetry. Controlled simulations show that the dawn-dusk asymmetry is regulated by the spatial variation in ionospheric conductance. The asymmetry disappears when the conductance is taken to be spatially uniform. The simulated Alfvenic Poynting flux is generated in the magnetotail by time-variable, fast flows emerging from nightside reconnection. The simulated fast flows are more intense in the premidnight sector as observed; this asymmetry also disappears when the ionospheric conductance is spatially uniform. Analysis of the wave propagation in the plasma sheet source region, near xGSM ≈ −15 RE, shows that as the fast flow brakes, a portion of its kinetic energy is transformed into the electromagnetic energy of intermediate and fast magnetohydrodynamic waves. The wave power is dominantly compressional in the source region and becomes increasingly Alfvenic as it propagates along magnetic field lines toward the ionosphere.
Robust adaptive digital watermark for still images using hybrid modulation

A digital watermark is a short sequence of information containing an owner identity or copyright information embedded in a way that is difficult to erase. We present a new oblivious digital watermarking technique for copyright protection of still images. The technique embeds the watermark in a subset of low to mid frequency coefficients. A key is used to randomly select a group of coefficients from that subset for watermark embedding. The original phases of the selected coefficients are removed and the new phases are set in accordance with the embedded watermark. Since the coefficients are selected at random, the powers of the low magnitude coefficients are increased to enhance their immunity against image attacks. To cope with small geometric attacks, a replica of the watermark is embedded by dividing the image into sub-blocks and taking the DCT of these blocks. The watermark is embedded in the DC component of some of these blocks selected in an adaptive way using quantization techniques. A major advantage of this technique is its complete suppression of the noise due to the host image. The robustness of the technique to a number of standard image processing attacks is demonstrated using the criteria of the latest Stirmark benchmark test.
Stop Avoiding Challenging Situations in Group Counseling

Abstract Challenging situations that arise in group counseling are a positive source of thempeutic energy–potentially rich moments that are commonly avoided. Presented are multifaceted ways to observe, understand, and approach challenging situations. Six well-established perspectives from which to view and assess challenges are summarized: (a) member selection, (b) systems theory, (c) group dynamics, (d) individual members functioning in group, (el themes implicit within specific members' issues, and (f) leader introspection. These six perspectives are described as ways for group leaders to conceptualize and approach rather than avoid challenging situations in groups.
Evidence for the transition zone origin of some [Mg,Fe]O inclusions in diamonds

Abstract Inclusions of [Mg,Fe]O (fPc, ferropericlase, magnesiowustite) were found in natural diamonds from several localities worldwide. fPc is typically absent from upper-mantle assemblages, but expected to be common in the lower mantle in assemblages with [Mg,Fe]SiO3 perovskite. This led to proposals that the inclusions originated in the Earth’s lower mantle. Reported here are the results from new experiments producing fPc-bearing assemblages at 20–24 GPa and 1800–2000°C, and the observations are explained with an analysis of the relevant phase relations. These results suggest that some fPc inclusions could have originated at the base of the transition zone, if the mantle temperatures were higher than 1800°C. In this case, a reaction of garnet with fPc could cause a seismic discontinuity near 660 km.
Passive microwave precipitation measurements for EOS

It is currently planned to mount a Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) on the manned Space Station (MSS) to obtain quantitative global precipitation data. Passive SSM/I instruments could also be included on other satellites, and function in the 19.35 GHz, V/H polarization, 22.35 GHz, V polarization, 37.0, V/H polarization, and 85.5 GHz, V/H polarization modes. Two polar orbiting satellites and the unit on the MSS would be needed to establish a database sufficient for studying monthly, daily and diurnal precipitation variations that are accurate for local regions. Realization of an effective system depends on the development of algorithms for discriminating between rainfall, snow, light rain and ocean background radiation patterns.
Applying Centrality of Event to Persistent Pain: A Preliminary View

Abstract Living with persistent pain is a complex experience. Based on clinical observations, persistent pain is often described as a stressful life event that has significantly altered how patients view themselves and the world around them. The Centrality of Event Scale (CES) assesses how much a stressful life event serves as a turning point in the individual's life, forms a reference point for personal identity, and affects the attribution of meaning to other life experiences. In this study, 47 patients with persistent pain were asked to complete the CES using "the experience of persistent pain" as the designated stressful life event. Data analyses revealed patients scoring high on the CES (ie, those who viewed persistent pain as a central life event) were significantly more likely to experience higher levels of pain intensity ( r = .35, P = .02), life interference due to pain ( r = .50, P = .002), and psychological distress ( r = .46, P = .001). Additional analyses revealed that the CES was a significant predictor of life interference due to pain and psychological distress even after controlling for the effects of age, sex, education, and pain intensity. Perspective The experience of persistent pain can serve as a major turning point in patients' lives, affect patients' interpretations of other life events, and become a key component of patients' identities. The results of this study indicate that centrality of event, a relatively new construct, could improve our understanding of persistent pain.