cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extending Coalescent Theory to Autotetraploids

We develop coalescent models for autotetraploid species with tetrasomic inheritance. We show that the ancestral genetic process in a large population without recombination may be approximated using Kingman’s standard coalescent, with a coalescent effective population size 4N. Numerical results suggest that this approximation is accurate for population sizes on the order of hundreds of individuals. Therefore, existing coalescent simulation programs can be adapted to study population history in autotetraploids simply by interpreting the timescale in units of 4N generations. We also consider the possibility of double reduction, a phenomenon unique to polysomic inheritance, and show that its effects on gene genealogies are similar to partial self-fertilization.
Cerulenin-Inhibited Cells of Staphylococcus aureus Resume Growth When Supplemented with Either a Saturated or an Unsaturated Fatty Acid

In the presence of an inhibitory concentration of cerulenin, cells of Staphylococcus aureus can resume growth when supplemented with either a saturated or an unsaturated fatty acid. A requirement for both types of acids for growth could not be demonstrated.
Death, taxes, and trapeziometacarpal arthrosis.

Background Hand surgeons treat trapeziometacarpal arthrosis as if everyone with the disease presents for treatment despite evidence that suggests that trapeziometacarpal arthrosis is a normal part of human aging for which—it seems safe to assume—most people never seek medical attention.
Assertion training: the effectiveness of a comprehensive cognitive--behavioral treatment package with professional nurses.

Abstract The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral treatment package with a professional population of registered nurses using multiple self-report and role-play measures. Twenty-six self-referred registered nurses were randomly assigned to either a Treatment or Control group. The treatment package consisted of five weekly 2-hr sessions of group assertion training using the cognitive-behavioral model of Lange and Jakubowski. The Assertiveness Self-statement Test, the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule, the Adult Self-expression Scale, two Likert scales and role-play were used to evaluate changes over time. The results indicated: (1) the nurses in both groups at Pretreatment were clearly subassertive; (2) by Posttraining the Treatment-group members increased significantly their assertiveness as indicated on the self-report tests; (3) Treatment-group members had successfully maintained their improved assertiveness by the 2-month Follow-up; (4) the role-play ratings paralleled and supported the self-report results, but not at significant levels; (5) there was strong empirical support for the social validity of the treatment package; and (6) there was a high degree of treatment credibility for the cognitive-behavioral Assertion-training group. Overall, the results indicate clear support for the effectiveness of a broad-based cognitive-behavioral treatment package for treating subassertive behavior in a professional population of registered nurses.
Comparative advantage of countries in forest-products trade

Abstract The objectives of this paper were to define, measure and explain differences in the comparative advantage of countries which trade forest products. The theory of Heckscher, Ohlin and Vanek was used, which led to a direct relationship between a country's net trade, its endownment in resources, and its domestic income. From these equations an index of revealed comparative advantage was derived and used to rank countries in the early 1980s for major groups of forest products. This ranking led to country groupings which suggested a definite relationship between the comparative advantage of a country, its endowment in forest and other resources, and domestic demand. This relationship was tested formally with an empirical model based on the Heckscher-Ohlin-Vanek equations. This simple model explained a large part of the variation in the net trade of total forest product, roundwood, sawnwood, panels, pulp, and paper, in the early 1960s and 1980s. In general, there was a strong positive relationship between net trade and the level of domestic demand, reflected by income. For some commodities, especially logs, this relationship had become stronger between the early 1960s and 1980s.
Isolation affects reproductive success in low-density but not high-density populations of two wind-pollinated Thalictrum species

Since pollen usually travels limited distances in wind-pollinated plant species, plants growing at low density may become pollen limited. We examined how local pollen availability and population density affect reproductive success in two wind-pollinated, dioecious species, Thalictrum fendleri and Thalictrum dioicum. Distance to the nearest flowering male, the number of flowering males within 2 m, and flower number on those males served as measures of local pollen availability. Increased distance from pollen donors reduced seed set in the lowest-density population of each species, but seed set in high-density populations was not correlated with local pollen availability. For plants in high- and low-density populations at similar distances from pollen donors, this distance only affected seed set in low-density populations. To ensure that differences in resource availability were not causing spurious correlations between seed set and plant density, we constructed low-density artificial arrays in populations of T. dioicum. In these, seed set decreased rapidly with increases in distance from pollen donors. Despite these effects, the density of males in a population was not correlated with average seed set in T. dioicum, and hand pollination in the T. dioicum populations also failed to increase seed set over natural levels. These results suggest that pollen receipt only limits seed set on isolated plants within low- density populations of T. dioicum and T. fendleri.
Do race and gender influence the use of invasive procedures

OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of race and gender on the use of invasive procedures in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in community hospitals.
Comparison of transcranial Doppler ultrasound and transesophageal contrast echocardiography in the detection of interatrial right-to-left shunts

Transesophageal contrast echocardiography is an effective but semiinvasive technique for the detection of interatrial right-to-left shunts. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound is an alternative noninvasive method, but may be limited by false-positive diagnoses due to intrapulmonary shunting. This study examined the accuracy of transcranial Doppler for the detection of shunt lesions. Transcranial Doppler of the right middle cerebral artery was performed simultaneously with transesophageal and transthoracic contrast echocardiography in 32 patients using agitated saline contrast during normal respiration and Valsalva. Transesophageal contrast echocardiography diagnosed an interatrial right-to-left shunt in 13 patients and intrapulmonary shunting in 6 patients. Transcranial Doppler identified all 13 interatrial right-to-left shunts and an intrapulmonary shunt in 3 of 6 patients. Absence of a shunt was confirmed by transcranial Doppler in 12 of 12 patients. Transcranial Doppler had a sensitivity of 100% (13 of 13), specificity of 100% (18 of 18) and accuracy of 100% (31 of 31) for prediction of an interatrial right-to-left shunt by transesophageal contrast echocardiography. In comparison, transthoracic contrast echocardiography had a sensitivity of 54% (7 of 13), specificity of 94% (17 of 18) and accuracy of 77% (24 of 31). Thus, transcranial Doppler is highly accurate for detection of an interatrial right-to-left shunt and not compromised by physiologic intrapulmonary shunts, whereas transthoracic contrast echocardiography lacks sensitivity. Transcranial Doppler may be useful as an alternative to transesophageal study, where the primary indication for transesophageal echocardiography is exclusion of an interatrial right-to-left shunt.
Are individual or consecutive letters the unit affected by repetition blindness

When 2 similar words (e.g., react reach) are briefly sequentially displayed, the 2nd word may be omitted from the report, a phenomenon known as repetition blindness (RB). Previous researchers have suggested that consecutive letters are the unit affected by RB. Six experiments provided new data on orthographic RB. Two letters at the beginning or end of words resulted in RB, as did alternating interior letters (tactile earthly) and 3 letters with different relative positions (arid bird). However, no RB was found with a single final letter (show view). Observed RB may reflect pattern completion because RB for pairs like throat theory was reduced when the nonrepeated letters (eory) were consistent with only a single word. The experiments point to a model of orthographic RB in which both individual letters and letter sequences of length 2 or more play a role.
Fabrication and testing of large area multilayer coated x-ray optics.

We discuss the procedures developed for the production and testing of multilayer x-ray mirrors on large figured optical surfaces. Methods which are generally useful for characterizing the performance of such optics are presented, as well as specific results from the production of a 25-cm diam Ritchey-Chretien telescope for a wavelength of λ = 63.5 A. The latter is a two-mirror system, which places additional stringent requirements upon the accuracy and quality of the coatings.
Wear Evaluation of High Interstitial Stainless Steels

A new series of high nitrogen-carbon manganese stainless steel alloys are studied for their wear resistance. High nitrogen and carbon concentrations were obtained by melting elemental iron-chromium-manganese (several with minor alloy additions of nickel, silicon, and molybdenum) in a nitrogen atmosphere and adding elemental graphite. The improvement in material properties (hardness and strength) with increasing nitrogen and carbon interstitial concentration was consistent with previously reported improvements in similar material properties alloyed with nitrogen only. Wear tests included: scratch, pin-on-disk, sand-rubber-wheel, impeller, and jet erosion. Additions of interstitial nitrogen and carbon as well as interstitial nitrogen and carbide precipitates were found to greatly improve material properties. In general, with increasing nitrogen and carbon concentrations, strength, hardness, and wear resistance increased.
Vicious walks with long-range interactions.

The asymptotic behavior of the survival or reunion probability of vicious walks with short-range interactions is generally well studied. In many realistic processes, however, walks interact with a long-ranged potential that decays in $d$ dimensions with distance $r$ as ${r}^{\ensuremath{-}d\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\sigma}}$. We employ methods of renormalized field theory to study the effect of such long-range interactions. We calculate the exponents describing the decay of the survival probability for all values of parameters $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ and $d$ to first order in the double expansion in $\ensuremath{\epsilon}=2\ensuremath{-}d$ and $\ensuremath{\delta}=2\ensuremath{-}d\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\sigma}$. We show that there are several regions in the $\ensuremath{\sigma}\text{\ensuremath{-}}d$ plane corresponding to different scalings for survival and reunion probabilities. Furthermore, we calculate the leading logarithmic corrections.
Brown-Séquard-plus syndrome because of penetrating trauma in children.

Brown-Sequard syndrome is an uncommon condition involving incomplete spinal cord injury, with ipsilateral motor and proprioception loss, contralateral pain, and decreased temperature. Brown-Sequard-plus syndrome is associated with additional neurologic findings involving the eyes, bowel, or bladder. We describe an adolescent with Brown-Sequard-plus syndrome attributable to a stab injury. Our patient's clinical features of spinal and neurogenic shock overlapped at presentation. He was managed with high-dose steroids, along with intense physiotherapy and rehabilitation, resulting in good neurologic recovery. Appropriate medical (and surgical, when indicated) management usually results in good to complete recovery of neurologic function, depending on the level and grade of injury. With the increasing incidence of gunshot wounds and stab injuries in children, pediatricians, including pediatric neurologists and emergency physicians, are more likely to encounter these types of spinal cord injuries in children.
A dynamic model for printed circuit crossover interconnects

Crossover printed conductors may be used as multilevel chip-to-chip interconnects for high-frequency high-speed circuits, in VLSI applications, microwave directional couplers, etc. A theoretical model for crossover interconnects is presented in this article. The model accounts for dispersion effects and radiation loss and it may be used for the design of maximum or minimum power transfer between interconnects.
Ontology-Based Semantic Approach for Communication in Engineering Design Evaluation

The primary objective of this paper is to conceptualize and develop an approach using semantics to integrate engineering applications for design evaluations. Our approach, coined OADE (Ontology-based Adaptive Design Evaluation), will have as components representation tools, ontology builders, ontology projecting tools, custom tools, and communication tools. In the proposed integration framework, ontologies in different domains will be built and integrated with the domain-specific applications. Semantics will be represented in domain-specific ontology and translated using ontology projection. The process of ontology projection calculates the similarities between concepts related to diverse viewpoints and then translates them. A design decision can thus be described using the common concepts across the diverse entities.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Parallel Quorum Sensing Systems Converge to Regulate Virulence in Vibrio cholerae

The marine bacterium Vibrio harveyi possesses two quorum sensing systems (System 1 and System 2) that regulate bioluminescence. Although the Vibrio cholerae genome sequence reveals that a V. harveyi-like System 2 exists, it does not predict the existence of a V. harveyi-like System 1 or any obvious quorum sensing-controlled target genes. In this report we identify and characterize the genes encoding an additional V. cholerae autoinducer synthase and its cognate sensor. Analysis of double mutants indicates that a third as yet unidentified sensory circuit exists in V. cholerae. This quorum sensing apparatus is unusually complex, as it is composed of at least three parallel signaling channels. We show that in V. cholerae these communication systems converge to control virulence.
Competing in the US Wine Market: Australian Imports and Tasting Scores

American wineries have taken marketing steps toward attracting consumers. They employ tasting scores to augment and solidify market share. According to Oster (1999) and Porter (1985), competitive advantage comes from either cost advantages or product differentiation. American wineries use tasting scores they receive from experts as the basis for product differentiation and raising prices. To achieve competitive advantage, the product must be seen as important and an improvement in the market, while simultaneously lacking imitation. This article looks at how tasting scores given by wine experts may affect American firms' competitive advantage, barring entry by importing rivals, such as Australian firms. If these tasting scores provide product importance and improvements, while delivering a product that lacks imitation, competitive advantage may result. If importers to the US realise this, these firms can undermine American advantages, increase competition, and gain market share through their own competitive advantages.
Low‐lying singlet excited states of isocyanogen

Recent photofragment fluorescence excitation (PHOFEX) spectroscopy experiments have observed the A1A″ singlet excited state of isocyanogen (CNCN) for the first time. The observed spectrum is not completely assigned and significant questions remain about the excited states of this system. To provide insight into the energetically accessible excited states of CNCN, optimized geometries, harmonic vibrational frequencies, and excitation energies for the first three singlet excited states are determined using equation-of-motion coupled-cluster theory with singles and doubles (EOM-CCSD) and correlation-consistent basis sets. Additionally, excited state coupled-cluster methods which approximate the contributions from triples (CC3) are utilized to estimate the effect of higher-order correlation on the energy of each excited state. For the A1A″ state, our best estimate for T0 is about 42,200 cm−1, in agreement with the experimentally estimated upper limit for the zero-point level of 42,523 cm−1. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
Macroporous polymeric sorbents with high selectivity for separation of phenols

A polymeric sorbent with high selectivity and capacity for phenols in aqueous stream was synthesized based on 5-amino-2-methoxyphenol functionalized poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate), P(GMA-TRIM)-AMP. In addition to sorption, the materials were studied using solid-stated NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), elemental analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Well-defined internal micrometer-sized spheres of P(GMA-TRIM)-AMP have stable macropore inner structures surrounded by a thin outer shell. The sorbent has functional groups that are similar in chemical structure to 4-propyl-2-methoxyphenol, PMP, and show high selectivity in removal of PMP from glucose- and xylose-containing monosaccharides solutions in bioethanol production without the loss of the saccharides. The sorbent could also be used to separate phenol and 4-chlorophenol from waste water that contained concentrations of phenols in the ppm range. The sorbent is easily regenerated, has good durability and reusability. It was regenerated and reused at least 10 times without loss in sorption behavior.
2007 Special Issue: Indirect biological measures of consciousness from field studies of brains as dynamical systems

Consciousness fully supervenes when the 1.5 kgm mass of protoplasm in the head directs the body into material and social environments and engages in reciprocity. While consciousness is not susceptible to direct measurement, a limited form exercised in animals and pre-lingual children can be measured indirectly with biological assays of arousal, intention and attention. In this essay consciousness is viewed as operating simultaneously in a field at all levels ranging from subatomic to social. The relations and transpositions between levels require sophisticated mathematical treatments that are largely still to be devised. In anticipation of those developments the available experimental data are reviewed concerning the state variables in several levels that collectively constitute the substrate of biological consciousness. The basic metaphors are described that represent the neural machinery of transposition in consciousness. The processes are sketched by which spatiotemporal neural activity patterns emerge as fields that may represent the contents of consciousness. The results of dynamical analysis are discussed in terms serving to distinguish between the neural point processes dictated by the neuron doctrine vs. continuously variable neural fields generated by neural masses in cortex.
The Female Athlete Triad No Pain, No Gain?

menses; 2) a length of time equivalent to a total of at least 3 cycle lengths in the oligomenorrheic female; or 3) by 18 months after menarche. Oligomenorrhea refers to menstrual cycles that occur in intervals longer than every 35 days. Although maternal genetic factors are the strongest correlate of age of menarche, leanness is the second best predictor of the age of menarche in athletes.2 The average age of menarche in normal females is 12.9 years, but may be as high as 15 years for female athletes such as gymnasts (15.6 years) and figure skaters (15.0 years). Some dancers have not menstruated until their early 20s.2 Researchers initially focused on low body mass or body fat to explain this variability in menarche and secondary amenorrhea in athletes. Early studies reported that an overall body fat percentage of less than 22% would result in automatic cessa-
The Use of Trial-Based Functional Analysis in Public School Classrooms for Two Students with Developmental Disabilities.

Analogue functional analyses are a well-researched means of determining behavioral function in research and clinical contexts. However, conducting analogue functional analyses in school settings ca...
Boundary layers in planes of symmetry. II - Calculations for laminar and turbulent flows

Comprehensive calculations of laminar and turbulent boundary layers in a plane of symmetry are made to explore the influence of mean-flow convergence and divergence. Comparisons are made with the experimental results presented in Part I, and with some previous data, to assess the gross effects of convergence and divergence on boundary-layer development and to evaluate the performance of a conventional turbulence model in the presence of the associated extra rates of strain.
Cancer preceding giant cell arteritis: A case-control study

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a form of large vessel vasculitis that preferentially involves branches of the external carotid artery. It is the most common vasculitis in individuals over the age of 50 years (1). The estimated annual incidence of GCA in population-based studies of Olmsted County, MN is 18.8 cases per 100,000 persons 50 years of age or older (1). Mean age at diagnosis of GCA in this cohort was 74.8 years (2). Since GCA is almost never seen in individuals below the age of 50 years, immunosenescence may play a role in disease pathogenesis (3). Immunosenescence may also increase the risk of cancer, which like GCA occurs predominantly, although not exclusively, in the elderly (4-6). Based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data, the median age at diagnosis of cancer was 67 years for the years 1999-2003 (7). It is estimated that starting at 65 years of age, approximately 43% of men and 30% of women will develop cancer (7). Previous studies have suggested an association between cancer and GCA. In a retrospective series, 7.4% of 271 consecutive patients with GCA also had a concurrent malignancy within the first year of GCA diagnosis (8). Other studies suggest that the risk of cancer in patients with GCA is similar to that of the general population (9). Patients with other vasculitides, such as ANCA-associated vasculitis (specifically Wegener’s Granulomatosis) have been found to have an increased risk of malignancy (10) (11-13). Studies assessing the prevalence of malignancy in GCA are limited. In this population-based case-control study, we investigated risk of cancer preceding the diagnosis of GCA. The study of such associations could further our understanding of GCA and common environmental or genetic factors that may predispose the same individual to two different diseases.
Triggered-lightning properties inferred from measured currents and very close electric fields

Triggered-lightning properties, including dart-leader charge density, return-stroke propagation speed, dart-leader electric potential, dart-leader propagation speed, and dart-leader current, inferred from return-stroke current and very close electric field measurements, are presented. Although most of the estimates are based on relatively crude models, they are all generally in good agreement with independent measurements and/or theoretical considerations found in the literature. The results are likely to be applicable to subsequent strokes in natural lightning.
Estimation and Sample Design in Prevalence Surveys of Dementia

Population prevalence rates of dementia using stratified sampling have previously been estimated using two methods: standard weighted estimates and a logistic model-based approach. An earlier study described this application of the model-based approach and reported a small computer simulation comparing the performance of this estimator to the standard weighted estimator. In this article we use large-scale computer simulations based on data from the recently completed Kame survey of prevalent dementia in the Japanese-American residents of King County, Washington, to describe the performance of these estimators. We found that the standard weighted estimator was unbiased. This estimator performed well for a sample design with proportional allocation, but performed poorly for a sample design that included large strata that were lightly sampled. The logistic model-based estimator performed consistently well for all sample designs considered in terms of the extent of variability in estimation, although some modest bias was observed.
Renal salt wasting and chronic dehydration in claudin-7-deficient mice

Claudin-7, a member of the claudin family, is highly expressed in distal nephrons of kidneys and has been reported to be involved in the regulation of paracellular Cl− permeability in cell cultures...
Reconstructive surgery for lower pole ureteropelvic junction obstruction associated with incomplete ureteral duplication

Abstract Introduction The lower moiety of duplex kidney can be associated with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO). Surgical correction can be challenging in cases of incomplete duplication where the junction of the lower and upper pole ureters is proximal. We review our experience with this unusual entity with an emphasis on surgical techniques employed in reconstruction. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the charts of eight patients with lower pole UPJO who underwent surgery in 2002–2008. The surgical approach, specifically the utilization of the non-obstructed upper pole ureter, used in the reconstruction was noted. Results Four of eight patients were symptomatic at presentation with either infection or pain. UPJO was at least in part secondary to lower pole crossing vessels in four patients and was treated with dismembered pyeloplasty. Lower pole to upper pole pyeloureterostomy was necessary in four patients due to short ureteral length between the UPJ and junction of lower and upper pole ureters. No complications or obstruction of either moiety developed during 1 year of follow up. Conclusions Lower pole UPJO in incomplete renal duplication mandates individualized surgical treatment dependent upon anatomy encountered. We have found that pyeloureterostomy is a safe alternative to drainage of the obstructed lower pole.
B-Fetch: Branch Prediction Directed Prefetching for In-Order Processors

Computer architecture is beset by two opposing trends. Technology scaling and deep pipelining have led to high memory access latencies; meanwhile, power and energy considerations have revived interest in traditional in-order processors. In-order processors, unlike their superscalar counterparts, do not allow execution to continue around data cache misses. In-order processors, therefore, suffer a greater performance penalty in the light of the current high memory access latencies. Memory prefetching is an established technique to reduce the incidence of cache misses and improve performance. In this paper, we introduce B-Fetch, a new technique for data prefetching which combines branch prediction based lookahead deep path speculation with effective address speculation, to efficiently improve performance in in-order processors. Our results show that B-Fetch improves performance 38.8% on SPEC CPU2006 benchmarks, beating a current, state-of-the-art prefetcher design at ~1/3 the hardware overhead.
Effect of ovariectomy on the hypothalamic content of immunoreactive gonadotropin-releasing hormone in the female mouse as revealed by quantitative immunocytochemistry and radioimmunoassay.

Our radioimmunoassay data reveal that ovariectomy for either one or two months resulted in a significant decrease in the GnRH content of the mouse basal hypothalamus, while in mice ovariectomized for two weeks the GnRH levels did not differ significantly from controls. Parallel immunocytochemical analyses gave similar results. Tissue sections from specific regions of the median eminence in intact and ovariectomized mice were immunolabeled for GnRH with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase procedure of Sternberger. Differences in area and average unit density of the reaction product were measured with a Quantiment 720 image analyzer. At two weeks after ovariectomy, a majority of matched sections from intact and ovariectomized animals, taken in each sampled region of the median eminence, showed no visually apparent difference in GnRH immunoreactivity. Quantitative image analysis of these preparations revealed no statistically significant difference in either the area of neural tissue covered by deposit or the average unit density of this material in any given region. In contrast, in mice ovariectomized for either one or two months, immunolabeled GnRH was decreased throughout the cephalo-caudal extent of the median eminence. In each region, a reduction in reaction deposit was observed over most of the area in which GnRH is localized, especially in the medial aspects of this distribution. Image analysis of these preparations revealed a significant reduction of both specimen area immunolabeled for GnRH and the average unit density of reaction product in each region of the median eminence. While the decrease in density was uniform throughout the median eminence, the greatest reduction in area covered by deposit occurred in the infundibular region. The demonstration of a decrease in basal hypothalamic GnRH in the chronically ovariectomized mouse suggests that GnRH neurosecretion is increased in response to the absence of the ovaries and supports the premise that tonic secretion of this neurohormone, in the mouse, may be subject to regulation by the gonads. At two weeks after ovariectomy, it is possible that changes in GnRH secretion occur without a concomitant alteration in hypothalamic hormone content. In addition, the quantitative immunocytochemical data suggest that GnRH neurons responsive to ovariectomy terminate throughout the rostro-caudal extent of the mouse median eminence, especially in the medial sites of localization. A proportionally greater number of these endings appear to be present within the infundibular region of the median eminence, relative to the other regions sampled.
Modified Architecture for the Sub-Keys Model

A secure implementation for subkey database encryption is presented. Both Vertical and Horizontal access to the control encrypted date are defined and described. Communication protocols between user and system are also provided.
Emerging viral infections.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review highlights research and development in the field of emerging viral causes of encephalitis over the past year. RECENT FINDINGS: There is new evidence for the presence of henipaviruses in African bats. There have also been promising advances in vaccine and neutralizing antibody research against Hendra and Nipah viruses. West Nile virus continues to cause large outbreaks in the United States, and long-term sequelae of the virus are increasingly appreciated. There is exciting new research regarding the variable susceptibility of different brain regions to neurotropic virus infection. Another cluster of solid organ transplant recipients developed encephalitis from organ donor-acquired lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. The global epidemiology of Japanese encephalitis virus has been further clarified. Evidence continues to accumulate for the central nervous system involvement of dengue virus, and the recent deadly outbreak of enterovirus 71 in Cambodian children is discussed. SUMMARY: In response to complex ecological and societal dynamics, the worldwide epidemiology of viral encephalitis continues to evolve in surprising ways. The articles highlighted here include new research on virus epidemiology and spread, new outbreaks as well as progress in the development of vaccines and therapeutics.
Electromechanical response of 1–3 piezoelectric composites: An analytical model

Abstract An analytical model that captures the complete electromechanical response of a 1–3 piezoelectric composite system where both the matrix and fiber phases are, in general, elastically anisotropic and piezoelectrically active is developed. Upon identifying 36 classes of 1–3 composites based on the nature of the isotropy and the piezoelectric properties of the constituents, a detailed methodology for determining all the 45 independent material constants of a general 1–3 composite is presented. By comparing the predictions of the analytical model with that of a finite element model for a range of composite materials, it is demonstrated that the composite material properties in the longitudinal direction (i.e., C33, κ33 and e33) are well predicted by the analytical model. However, as a consequence of the approximation introduced in the model formulation (where the fiber composite is modeled as a layered composite) the analytical model could significantly underpredict the composite material properties in the transverse direction (especially the dielectric properties, κ11 and κ22) for some (“matrix-dominant”) composite material systems.
Software health management

Software health management is defined as a technology that applies the principles and techniques of system health management to software systems. It is motivated by the apparent gap between the importance and complexity of software in today’s cyber-physical systems and the rare, but undoubtedly present occurrence of software malfunctions in those systems. While engineers strive to create dependable systems unforeseen environmental conditions or faults in the hardware can trigger latent defects in the software with potentially negative consequences. The goal of software health management is to maintain system function and performance, even when software fails in unexpected ways. System health management is a well-established discipline in aerospace systems: many air and space vehicles today have quite elaborate health management systems on board. Software fault tolerance techniques are also well-known and practiced since the days when computers were first used in critical applications. Software health management combines these directions: it borrows techniques like anomaly detection, fault diagnostics and mitigation from the first and techniques like triple modular redundancy and checkpoints and restarts from the second to manage the ‘health’ of the software system to maintain functionality and performance. Like in system health management, the goal of software health management is to prevent a software fault from becoming a system failure.
Analysis of primary creep of S2 fresh-water and saline ice

A simple multiaxial constitutive model for primary creep of S2 fresh-water and saline ice is proposed. This model is applied to available primary creep data for fresh-water, sea, and laboratory-grown saline ice. Results of these comparisons are used to examine microscopic and macroscopic aspects of creep of S2 ice. Also the proposed model provides dimensionless representations that can be useful for design of creep tests and presentation of creep data.
Large deflection and postbuckling behavior of Timoshenko beam-columns with semi-rigid connections including shear and axial effects

Abstract The nonlinear large deflection-small strain analysis and postbuckling behavior of Timoshenko beam–columns of symmetrical cross section with semi-rigid connections subjected to conservative and non-conservative end loads (forces and moments) including the combined effects of shear, axial and bending deformations, axial load eccentricities, lateral bracing and out-of-plumbness are developed in a simplified manner. A new set of stability functions based on the “modified shear equation” that includes the effects of shear deformations and the shear component of the applied axial forces is derived. Also, an expression for the axial displacement δ b caused by the “bowing” of the beam–column subjected to end forces and moments with generalized end conditions is derived in a classic manner. The proposed method and corresponding nonlinear equations, although approximate, can be used in the tension and compression stability and nonlinear large deflection-small strain elastic analyses of Timoshenko beam–columns with rigid, semi-rigid, and simple connections. Analytical studies indicate that shear deformations increase the longitudinal and transverse deflections and reduce the buckling axial load capacities of beam–columns. The effects of shear deformations must be considered in the analysis of beam–columns with relatively low effective shear areas (like in short laced columns, columns with batten plates and with open webs) or low shear stiffness (like elastomeric bearings and short columns made of laminated composites with low shear modulus G when compared to their elastic modulus E making the shear stiffness G A s of the same order of magnitude as E I / h 2 ). The shear effects are also of great importance in the tension and compression stability and dynamic behavior of laminated elastomeric bearings used for seismic isolation of buildings. Four comprehensive examples are included that show the effectiveness of the proposed method and equations.
Hyperimmune bovine colostrum specific for recombinant Cryptosporidium parvum antigen confers partial protection against cryptosporidiosis in immunosuppressed adult mice

Preparturient cows were immunized three times over a six-week period with recombinant plasmid DNA encoding the Cryptosporidium parvum CP15/60 antigen by injecting the DNA in the mammary gland. Serum was collected at each immunization and first colostrum was collected after parturition; all were assayed for Cryptosporidium-specific antibodies (Ab). A serological response to C. parvum sporozoite and oocyst antigen was detected in cows immunized with pCP15/60 plasmid DNA. Colostrum from these cows, unlike colostrum from normal controls, contained Ab specific for C. parvum sporozoites and oocysts as indicated by immunofluorescence Ab (IFA) staining. Colostrum was also tested for conferring passive immunity against C. parvum infection by oral administration to immunosuppressed adult inbred mice. Immune colostrum and control colostrum were administered to separate groups of dexamethasone (DEX)-treated adult C57BL/6NCr mice beginning 12 h before and at 12 h intervals for 3 days after oral C. parvum oocyst infection. Cryptosporidium development was assayed in ilea of immune- and control-colostrum-treated mice 96 h postinfection by semiquantitative PCR. Mice receiving immune colostrum showed partial protection (about 50% reduction) against intestinal C. parvum development compared to mice receiving control colostrum. This protection was evident at a challenge dose of 10(3) C. parvum oocysts per mouse; no differences were noted in parasite development between groups receiving immune or control colostrum and infected with 10(4) oocysts. This study showed that serum and colostrum Ab response to C. parvum can be elicited in preparturient cows by direct injection of recombinant pCP15/60 plasmid DNA and that passive protection against cryptosporidiosis can be obtained by treating immunosuppressed mice with immune colostrum before and after C. parvum infection.
Three-dimensional volume analysis of vasculature in engineered tissues

Three-dimensional textural and volumetric image analysis holds great potential in understanding the image data produced by multi-photon microscopy. In this paper, an algorithm that quantitatively analyzes the texture and the morphology of vasculature in engineered tissues is proposed. The investigated 3D artificial tissues consist of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) embedded in collagen exposed to two regimes of ultrasound standing wave fields under different pressure conditions. Textural features were evaluated using the normalized Gray-Scale Cooccurrence Matrix (GLCM) combined with Gray-Level Run Length Matrix (GLRLM) analysis. To minimize error resulting from any possible volume rotation and to provide a comprehensive textural analysis, an averaged version of nine GLCM and GLRLM orientations is used. To evaluate volumetric features, an automatic threshold using the gray level mean value is utilized. Results show that our analysis is able to differentiate among the exposed samples, due to morphological changes induced by the standing wave fields. Furthermore, we demonstrate that providing more textural parameters than what is currently being reported in the literature, enhances the quantitative understanding of the heterogeneity of artificial tissues.
Use of the periodic acid schiff stain to grade retarded fetal renal development in mice

Abstract In an earlier study, maternal mice were given by gavage 60–120 mg/kg 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) on days 6—14 of pregnancy and sacrificed on day 17. The Gomori stain revealed diminished alkaline phosphatase in the renal proximal tubules of fetuses exposed to 2,4,5-T during gestation indicating retarded renal functional and, probably, morphological development. Spare sections of the fetal kidneys from the earlier study were stained by the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) procedure. This revealed, in exposed fetuses, a reduction of renal tubules with PAS-positive material in the brush borders comparable in incidence and distribution to those with alkaline phosphatase in the earlier study. These findings indicate that PAS can replace the Gomori stain as a screening procedure when retarded fetal renal development by a toxic agent is suspected. Unlike alkaline phosphatase, the PAS procedure is effective even after prolonged fixation in Bouin's solution which is commonly used in fetal studies.
Diagnosis through imaging: generation, detection, and classification

Abstract Principles of diagnostic imaging are presented using a model that has sustantive segments and transforming steps. These are shown to form three conversion stages: generation, detection, and classification. Common attributes of diagnosis through imaging are elucidated and components are delineated as entities that can be dealt with separately or assessed as part of the whole process.
Making small spaces feel large: infinite walking in virtual reality

Over the past few years, virtual reality has experienced a resurgence. Fueled by a proliferation of consumer-level head-mounted display and motion tracking devices, an unprecedented quantity of immersive experiences and content are available for both desktop and mobile platforms. However, natural locomotion in immersive virtual environments remains a significant challenge. Many of the VR applications available to date require seated use or limit body movement within a small area, instead relying a gamepad or mouse/keyboard for movement within the virtual world. Lacking support for natural walking, these virtual reality experiences do not fully replicate the physical and perceptual cues from the real world, and often fall short in maintaining the illusion that the user has been transported to another place.We present a virtual reality demonstration that supports infinite walking within a confined physical space. This is achieved using redirected walking, a class of techniques that introduce subtle discrepancies between physical and virtual motions [Razzaque et al. 2001]. When employed properly, redirected walking can be stunningly effective. Previous research has made users believe that they walked in a straight line when they actually traveled in a wide circle, or that they walked between waypoints in a long virtual hallway when in fact they went back and forth between the same two points in the real world. While perceptually compelling, redirected walking is challenging to employ effectively in an unconstrained scenario because users' movements may often be unpredictable. Therefore, our recent research has focused on dynamic planning and optimization of redirected walking techniques, enabling the system to intelligently apply redirection as users explore virtual environments of arbitrary size and shape [Azmandian et al. 2014b] [Azmandian et al. 2014a].In this Emerging Technologies exhibit, attendees will explore a large-scale, outdoor immersive virtual environment in a head-mounted display (see Figure 1). The demonstration will support natural walking within a physical area of at least 6x6m, using a wide-area motion tracking system provided by PhaseSpace Inc. The virtual reality scenario will instruct users to scout the environment while stopping to take panoramic photos at various locations in the virtual world. As users explore the environment, our automated planning algorithm will dynamically apply redirection to optimally steer them away from the physical boundaries of the exhibit, thus enabling the experience of limitless walking in a potentially infinite virtual world (see Figure 2).
Tertiary volcanic history of the Sierra del Gallego area, Chihuahua, Mexico

Mapping of ∼3,400 km2 in the Sierra del Gallego area, 110 km north of Ciudad Chihuahua, Mexico, has revealed about 1,000 m of volcanic rocks unconformably overlying Lower Cretaceous limestone of the Chihuahua Tectonic Belt. The regional structure is dominated by Basin and Range faults that trend north-northwest and cut all volcanic units. Whole-rock and feldspar K-Ar age determinations, combined with whole-rock chemical analyses, show that subalkalic volcanism took place 45 to 29 m.y. ago, except for a conspicuous hiatus between 36 and 29.5 m.y. Between 45 and 39 m.y. ago, the area was covered by thin widespread blankets of rhyolitic ash-flow tuff derived from distant sources. These ash flows appear to correlate with units associated with a major uranium deposit about 50 km to the south, in the Sierra Pena Blanca. At Sierra del Gallego, these ash flows were followed by a 300-m thickness of extensive andesitic lava flows formed by magma mixing, and about 38 m.y. ago by a rhyolitic lava flow unit approximately 150 m thick. Around 36 m.y. ago, numerous local rhyolite flows and domes were emplaced. Approximately 29 m.y. ago, a renewed surge of volcanic activity produced a widespread 125-m thick group of basalt flows accompanied by a thin rhyolitic ash flow. Volcanism at Sierra del Gallego is broadly contemporaneous with and is gradational in composition between voluminous calc-alkalic activity in the Sierra Madre Occidental to the west and alkalic volcanism to the east in Trans-Pecos Texas. Tertiary rhyolitic volcanism throughout this region was controlled by tectonic patterns that preceded the profound episode of crustal extension so obvious in the present regional topography.
Hole magnetoplasmons in semiconductor heterostructures

La dispersion du magnetoplasmon de trou des heterostructures GaAs/Al x Ga 1−x As est calculee par l'approximation de Hartree-Fock dependante du temps. Les positions des resonances de cyclotron sont nettement deplacees par les interactions trou-trou. La dispersion du magnetoplasmon de trou augmente de facon monotone avec le vecteur d'onde
Molecular Dynamics to Understand the Mechanical Behavior of Cement Paste

The tensile strength of cement paste is one of the most important mechanical properties that influence shrinkage cracks in cementitious materials. Cement pastes that exhibit low tensile strength tend to exhibit greater shrinkage crack potential and reduced durability. Increasing the tensile strength in cement paste can minimize the shrinkage cracking potential. It is believed that the strength and cohesion of cement paste are controlled by the formation of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel. To enhance macroscopic mechanical properties (tensile strength), it is necessary to understand the structure and behavior of C-S-H gel at the atomic level. Previously, molecular statics was used to determine minimal potential energy and the mechanical properties of crystalline C-S-H structures. From this study, a plausible atomic structure of C-S-H gel is proposed. This research effort builds on the aforementioned work by using molecular dynamics to derive tensile and compressive strengths of C-S-H structures from u...