cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Paper: Solving almost block diagonal systems on parallel computers

Abstract Finite difference methods for nonlinear boundary value problems (BVP's) in ordinary differential equations involve solving systems of linear equations at an inner iteration. In the typical case of separated boundary conditions, these systems are almost block diagonal (ABD). A new ‘tearing’ algorithm for the parallel solution of those ABD's is presented here. It is an extension of one proposed by Dongarra and Johnsson [7] for positive definite or strictly diagonally dominant banded systems and it is similar to one proposed by Wright [15] for banded systems. We compare the cost of the new algorithm with costs of other algorithms which might be applied to ABD's. We simulate the use of the algorithm in solving BVP's. The new algorithm is not designed for a specific computer architecture and it is believed that the analysis is sufficiently general to be indicative of performance for most current parallel architectures.
The Science of Stroke: Mechanisms in Search of Treatments

This review focuses on mechanisms and emerging concepts that drive the science of stroke in a therapeutic direction. Once considered exclusively a disorder of blood vessels, growing evidence has led to the realization that the biological processes underlying stroke are driven by the interaction of neurons, glia, vascular cells, and matrix components, which actively participate in mechanisms of tissue injury and repair. As new targets are identified, new opportunities emerge that build on an appreciation of acute cellular events acting in a broader context of ongoing destructive, protective, and reparative processes. The burden of disease is great, and its magnitude widens as a role for blood vessels and stroke in vascular and nonvascular dementias becomes more clearly established. This review then poses a number of fundamental questions, the answers to which may generate new directions for research and possibly new treatments that could reduce the impact of this enormous economic and societal burden.
Acquisition and manipulation of diagnostic images

''Radiologic'' imaging is being extended in several new ways. Data acquisition for computerized tomography has been speeded up so a cross-sectional image can be made in 2-4 s. Conventional images are being digitized, and these digital images are being manipulated to perform: radiography with reduced patient exposure, radiographic substraction and edge enhancement. Nuclear magnetic resonance is used to form tomographic images. The significance of these advances seems to be that departments that formerly were dedicated to roentgenology are becoming broader and are developing into departments of diagnostic imaging.
The impact of usury ceilings on revolving credit

Abstract In this paper I examine the impact that usury ceilings have on the availability of revolving credit. The results of my empirical study suggest that creditors will react to lower usury ceilings on revolving credit by reducing the availability of revolving credit to higher-risk borrowers.
Absolute pair production cross section measurements in Z = 92 at energies near threshold

Abstract Absolute cross sections for the production of electron-positron pairs by photons on uranium were measured using the internal source method with γ-rays of 1.119 and 2.6145 MeV, and for the mixed γ-rays in the decay of 60Co.
Effects of Ice Albedo and Runoff Feedbacks on the Thermohaline Circulation

Abstract Simple parameterizations of the ice albedo feedback and its implicit effect on the high-latitude river runoff have been added to the coupled atmosphere-ocean box model developed by Nakamura et al. The additional parameterizations introduce four new feedbacks into the model. The first is a stabilizing feedback between high-latitude albedo and the thermohaline circulation through influence on the temperature. In terms of the Newtonian cooling concept, introduction of this feedback is equivalent to allowing changes in the “apparent equilibrium temperature.” The second and the third feedbacks are consequences of the first; the modified temperature profile affects the meridional transports of moisture and heat by atmospheric eddies, which form positive feedbacks with the thermohaline circulation as shown by Nakamura et al. The fourth is a stabilizing feedback between the thermohaline circulation and freshwater flux into the high-latitude ocean due to ice freezing or melting. The experiments show that ...
Purification and characterization of a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Ocimum basilicum

Abstract A new phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) was purified from leaves of Ocimum basilicum L. (chemotype, methyl cinnamate). Separation techniques applied icluded anion exchange chromatography and preparative electroelution from a non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel. A 180-fold purification was obtained. The native enzyme was a homotetramer of Mr 152 000–153 000; the intact subunit Mr was ca 38 000. The enzyme catalysed the conversion of l -phenylalanine -d 8 into trans-cinnamic acid-d7, as determined by GC-mass spectral analysis of silylated reaction products. The purified native enzyme had Km and Vmax values of 329 μM and 11.43 μmol min−1 mg−1 protein, respectively, for l -phenylalanine and was competitively inhibited by 2-aminoindan-2-phosphonic acid, trans-cinnamic acid and trans-methyl cinnamate with Ki values of 19 nM and 57 and 130 μM, respectively. Comparing the Ki values between trans-cinnamic acid and trans-methyl cinnamate for l -phenylalanine indicated that the regulation of PAL is not only related to the mechanism of feedback inhibition in the biosynthesis of trans-methyl cinnamate.
Metabolic profiling of muscle contraction in lean compared with obese rodents.

Interest in the pathophysiological relevance of intramuscular triacylglycerol (IMTG) accumulation has grown from numerous studies reporting that abnormally high glycerolipid levels in tissues of obese and diabetic subjects correlate negatively with glucose tolerance. Here, we used a hindlimb perfusion model to examine the impact of obesity and elevated IMTG levels on contraction-induced changes in skeletal muscle fuel metabolism. Comprehensive lipid profiling was performed on gastrocnemius muscles harvested from lean and obese Zucker rats immediately and 25 min after 15 min of one-legged electrically stimulated contraction compared with the contralateral control (rested) limbs. Predictably, IMTG content was grossly elevated in control muscles from obese rats compared with their lean counterparts. In muscles of obese (but not lean) rats, contraction resulted in marked hydrolysis of IMTG, which was then restored to near resting levels during 25 min of recovery. Despite dramatic phenotypical differences in contraction-induced IMTG turnover, muscle levels of diacylglycerol (DAG) and long-chain acyl-CoAs (LCACoA) were surprisingly similar between groups. Tissue profiles of acylcarnitine metabolites suggested that the surfeit of IMTG in obese rats fueled higher rates of fat oxidation relative to the lean group. Muscles of the obese rats had reduced lactate levels immediately following contraction and higher glycogen resynthesis during recovery, consistent with a lipid-associated glucose-sparing effect. Together, these findings suggest that contraction-induced mobilization of local lipid reserves in obese muscles promotes β-oxidation, while discouraging glucose utilization. Further studies are necessary to determine whether persistent oxidation of IMTG-derived fatty acids contributes to systemic glucose intolerance in other physiological settings.
Re-examining two tests for bivariate normality

Many goodness of fit tests for bivariate normality are not rigorous procedures because the distributions of the proposed statistics are unknown or too difficult to manipulate. Two familiar examples are the ring test and the line test. In both tests the statistic utilized generally is approximated by a chi-square distribution rather than compared to its known beta distribution. These two procedures are re-examined and re-evaluated in this paper. It is shown that the chi-square approximation can be too conservative and can lead to unnecessary rejection of normality.
Increased levels of neuronal thread protein in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Neuronal thread protein is a recently characterized, approximately 20-kd protein that accumulates in brains with Alzheimer's disease (AD) lesions. This study examined whether concentrations of neuronal thread protein (NTP) were also increased in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of individuals with probable (clinically diagnosed) and definite (histopathologically proved) AD. Using a highly sensitive three-site monoclonal antibody-based immunoradiometric assay, we measured NTP concentrations in CSF from 84 patients with probable AD and mild dementia (duration, 4.05 +/- 0.36 years), 45 with Parkinson's disease and minimal or no dementia (duration, 4.73 +/- 0.78 years), 73 with multiple sclerosis, and 73 nondemented control subjects. NTP concentrations were also measured in postmortem ventricular fluid and temporal lobe neocortex extracts from 31 subjects with histopathologically proved AD and 14 age-matched control subjects. The mean concentration of NTP in the CSF was higher in AD (4.15 +/- 0.25 ng/ml; 95% confidence interval [CI] limits, 3.65-4.65) than in Parkinson's disease (1.96 +/- 0.16 ng/ml; 95% CI, 1.65-2.27), multiple sclerosis (1.6 +/- 0.14 ng/ml; 95% CI limits, 1.33-1.88), or control subjects (1.27 +/- 0.06 ng/ml; 95% CI limits, 1.15-1.40) (p upper 99% CI limit in the control group), compared with 23% of Parkinson's disease patients, 11% of multiple sclerosis patients, and 4% of control subjects. The mean concentrations of NTP in the ventricular fluid and brain tissue from individuals with documented AD and end-stage dementia were threefold higher than the levels detected in the CSF from the remaining patients with probable AD and mild dementia. Moreover, of 9 patients with AD, postmortem brain and CSF manifested 5- to 50-fold higher levels of NTP compared with the CSF samples obtained an average of 6 years earlier. These findings demonstrate that NTP levels are elevated in the CSF of individuals with AD and that NTP levels in the CSF increase strikingly with progression of dementia and neuronal degeneration.
Subtidal Flow Patterns in Western Florida Bay

Abstract Recent observations using moored current meters, shipboard ADCP transects, salinity mapping and drifters have been used to study the residual circulation including wind drift in western Florida Bay. Rapid, nearly synoptic surveys of salinity over a large area was an effective tracer-mapping technique, when salinity gradients were sufficiently strong, and provided qualitative information on Lagrangian water motion for the entire study area. The salinity maps indicated a general south-eastward advection, which was only subordinate to tidal mixing in a narrow zone adjacent to the Florida Keys. Drifter data collected simultaneously, allowed quantitative estimates to be added to the transport pattern suggested by salinity maps. The selectively deployed drifters yielded estimates of total drift velocities. In addition, moored current meters and shipboard current profiling were used to determine the distribution of flow across the mouth of the bay facing the Gulf of Mexico and the transport through Long Key Channel, a major connection between the bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Analysis showed that from 64 to over 92% of the drifter trajectory variances could be explained by the combination of a local wind drift, expressed in terms of a wind drift factor multiplied by the surface shear velocity, and an ambient current. For a 1 m high drifter deployed at the surface of the water column, the wind drift factor was found to be approximately 0·125m, making the drift speed roughly equal to 0·45% of wind speed. The mean drifter speeds were linearly proportional to mean transport estimates derived from the current meter observations in Long Key Channel, enhancing confidence in both data sets. The total south-eastward directed residual current varied between 100 and 5000 m day −1 and was weaker in summer than in winter, when southward winds associated with periodic passage of cold fronts boost the residual flow. The estimated contribution from local wind drift varied between 500 m day −1 in summer to 1000 m day −1 in winter. The remaining contribution to the observed Lagrangian residual circulation in western Florida Bay is caused by other forcing, including tidal rectification, remote wind forcing and large-scale current systems (the Gulf Stream and Florida Current systems).
Unique Opportunities for Psychology in Mental Health Care for Older Adults

Older adults are the fastest growing subpopulation in the United States, and it is likely that the demand for well-trained clinical geropsychologists will expand. This trend has important implications for research and graduate training. One promising area of research concerns the most effective ways of dealing with long-term illness in partners of older adults. With regard to training, we point out that the connection between neuropsychology and geropsychology needs further emphasis. Increasing the number of geropsychology programs is clearly desirable, and further funding to support and increase the number of such programs should be of high priority. Two recent developments are also highlighted. The first involves a federal court case that addresses the relationship between physical and mental illness, an issue particularly important to mental health parity concerning insurance reimbursements. The second issue concerns prescription privileges for psychologists in view of the recently passed law in New Mexico permitting psychologists to prescribe medicine. This article discusses the implications of these developments.
Equations for estimating aboveground biomass of cadaghi ( Corymbia torelliana ) trees in farm windbreaks

Agroforestry systems have received global attention lately as a strategy for carbon mitigation but still are one of the least studied systems. This study was conducted in south Florida to develop biomass equations for windbreak grown cadaghi (Corymbia torelliana) trees and to estimate biomass in various aged windbreaks. Trees were selected for destructive sampling based on diameter at breast height (DBH) distribution from five windbreaks. Crown biomass was estimated using randomized branch sampling (RBS) and trunk biomass by taking disks every 1.5 m along the stem. Separate nonlinear equations were developed for crown, trunk and whole tree biomass estimation using DBH and height as predictors. Results indicated that DBH alone was sufficient to predict aboveground biomass, but including height in the models gave better results. Average oven-dry whole tree biomass ranged between 6 and 935 kg for 2- and 20-year-old windbreaks. Oven-dry whole tree biomass per100 m windbreak length in the same windbreaks ranged between 166 and 26,605 kg. Because fast-growing cadaghi is efficient and can produce significantly more biomass in a short period versus other windbreak species, landowners can expect higher returns from biomass or carbon trade over a shorter period, where available, to offset the cost of land occupied by the windbreaks.
Estimating glomerular filtration rate: is it good enough? And is it time to move on?

Purpose of review The aim is to examine a dominant narrative in nephrology over the past decade: that measured glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the gold standard measure of kidney function; accurate assessment of GFR is critical and paramount; and further efforts to refine GFR estimation should continue. Recent findings Studies that have simultaneously compared measured GFR and estimated GFR (using endogenous filtration markers such as creatinine, or newer ones such as cystatin C or β-trace protein) against some external metric of kidney function have failed to show that measured GFR is consistently superior, which is what one would expect if measured GFR were truly the 'gold standard.' Summary Compared with estimated GFR, measured GFR does not consistently predict renal-related outcomes better. Clinical decision-making almost never requires precise and accurate knowledge of a patient's static GFR value. Efforts at perfecting cross-sectional estimates of GFR may have reached a point of diminishing returns.
Double fingernails on the small fingers

This report describes the unusual presence of dorsal skin and a fingernail on the palmar surface of both small fingers, with a normal nail on the dorsal surface. This child has a normal karyotype. There has been one previous report in the literature of a similar anomaly associated with a chromosome 6 abnormality.
Modulation of the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor (GH-IGF) axis by pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and environmental xenobiotics: an emerging role for xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes and the transcription factors regulating their expression. A review.

The growth hormone–insulin-like growth factor (GH–IGF) axis has gained considerable focus over recent years. One cause of this increased interest is due to a correlation of age-related decline in plasma GH/IGF levels with age-related degenerative processes, and it has led to the prescribing of GH replacement therapy by some practitioners. On the other hand, however, research has also focused on the pro-carcinogenic effects of high GH–IGF levels, providing strong impetus for finding regimes that reduce its activity. Whereas the effects of GH/IGF activity on the action of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme systems is reasonably well appreciated, the effects of xenobiotic exposure on the GH–IGF axis has not received substantial review. Relevant xenobiotics are derived from pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and environmental exposure, and many of the mechanisms involved are highly complex in nature, not easily predictable from existing in vitro tests and do not always predict well from in vivo animal models. After a ...
Analysis and modeling of gas exchange processes in Scaevola aemula

Scaevola aemula is a popular ornamental crop cultivated as a bedding plant or for hanging baskets. We characterized gas exchange properties of S. aemula ‘New Wonder’ in response to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), carbon dioxide concentration, and leaf temperature. Net CO2 assimilation rate (A) was responsive to CO2, exhibiting a saturation when intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) was greater than 600 mmol mol � 1 . Net CO2 assimilation rate and dark respiration rate (Rd) were 23.1 and 2.3 mmol m � 2 s � 1 , respectively, at 25 8C and PAR = 1500 mmol m � 2 s � 1 . Net CO2 assimilation rates were similar at leaf temperatures between 20 and 30 8C but significantly reduced at 15 8C. These gas exchange results were used to test the extendibility of a coupled gas exchange model previously developed for cut-roses. Utilizing the gas exchange data measured at 25 8C leaf temperature, several model parameters were independently determined for S. aemula. Model predictions were then compared with observations at different leaf temperatures. The model predicted the rates of net CO2 assimilation and transpiration of S. aemula reasonably well. Without additional calibration, the model was capable of predicting the temperature dependence of net CO2 assimilation and transpiration rates. Applying the model to predict the effects of supplemental lighting and CO2 enrichment on canopy photosynthesis and transpiration rates, we show that this model could be a useful tool for examining environmental control options for S. aemula production in the greenhouse. # 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A Comparative Study of Some Regression Models to Estimate the Global Solar Radiation on a Horizontal Surface from Sunshine Duration and Meteorological Parameters for Ghardaïa Site, Algeria

A comparison between some regression correlations for predicting the global solar radiation received on a horizontal plane has been processed. Seven models for estimating the global solar radiation from sunshine duration and two meteorological parameters (air temperature and relative humidity) are presented. The root mean square error (RMSE), mean bias error (MBE), correlation coefficient (CC), and percentage error () have been also computed to test the accuracy of the proposed models. Comparisons between the measured and the calculated values have been made. The results obtained show that the linear and quadratic models are the most suitable for estimating the global solar radiation from sunshine duration, and for the models based on meteorological parameters, Abdalla and Ojosu's models give the best performance with a CC of 0.898 and 0.892, respectively.
Pure red cell aplasia caused by Parvovirus B19 infection in solid organ transplant recipients: a case report and review of literature.

Human Parvovirus B19 (PV B19) is one of the several recently described ‘emerging viruses’ and has been identified as the etiological agent of ‘fifth disease’ in childhood. Human PV B19, which is the etiological agent of transient erythroblastopenia in hemolytic anemia, is also a recognized rare cause of red cell aplasia in immunocompromised patients, including transplant recipients. To date, 26 cases of PV B19-induced red cell aplasia have been reported in solid organ transplant recipients. Twelve patients had cyclosporine-based immunosuppression and 14 had tacrolimus-based immunosuppression. Sixteen of these patients required treatment with commercial intravenous immunoglobulin alone, 1 required treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and plasmapheresis, 4 required intravenous immunoglobulin and erythropoietin, 1 required treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and conversion of tacrolimus to cyclosporine, 1 had improvement in hematocrit with erythropoietin alone and in 3 patients the disease was self-limiting. Herein, we report a case of pure red cell aplasia caused by acute PV B19 infection in a renal transplant recipient in whom the immunosuppressive regimen included prednisone, mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus and the red cell aplasia resolved with discontinuation of mycophenolate mofetil.
The Role of Antisocial, Affective, and Childhood Behavioral Characteristics in Alcoholics' Neuropsychological Performance

Chronic alcoholics demonstrate cognitive deficits when compared with nonalcoholics. These deficits are typically attributed to the direct effects of ethanol and its metabolites on the central nervous system (CNS). There are other factors, however, that differentiate alcoholics from controls, such as personality or behavioral characteristics. These factors may affect neuropsychological performance and thus alter the interpretation of alcoholic cognitive deficits as resulting solely from alcohol's toxic effects. To investigate this question, male and female alcoholics and peer nonalcoholic controls were compared on personality, behavioral, and cognitive measures. Alcoholics had greater numbers of antisocial behaviors, childhood behavioral disorder symptoms (CBD), and affective symptomatology, and had poorer neuropsychological performance than controls. The three personality and behavioral factors were positively intercorrelated with each other, and were negatively related to cognitive performance. The CBD factor proved to be the most consistent predictor of neuropsychological performance for both alcoholics and controls, and males and females. While the behavioral factors differentiated alcoholics from controls and predicted performance, significant differences between the groups in cognitive performance still remained when these factors were taken into account.
AMC: verifying user interface properties for vehicular applications

Vehicular environments require continuous awareness of the road ahead. It is critical that mobile applications used in such environments (e.g., GPS route planners and location-based search) do not distract drivers from the primary task of operating the vehicle. Fortunately, a large body of research on vehicular interfaces provides best practices that mobile application developers can follow. However, when we studied the most popular vehicular applications in the Android marketplace, no application followed these guidelines. In fact, vehicular applications were not substantially better at meeting best practice guidelines than non-vehicular applications.To remedy this problem, we have developed a tool called AMC that uses model checking to automatically explore the graphical user interface (GUI) of Android applications and detect violations of vehicular design guidelines. AMC is designed to give developers early feedback on their application GUI and reduce the amount of time required by a human expert to assess an application's suitability for vehicular usage. We have evaluated AMC by comparing the violations that it reports with those reported by an industry expert for 12 applications. AMC generated a definitive assessment for 85% of the guidelines checked; for these cases, it had no false positives and a false negative rate of under 2%. For the remaining 15% of cases, AMC reduced the number of application screens that required manual verification by 95%.
Arsenic in South Asia Groundwater

Within the deltas of South Asia, widespread consumption of groundwater containing dangerous levels of arsenic adversely impacts tens of millions of people in Bangladesh, West Bengal, India, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. This massive health crisis is the product of a confluence of processes initiated by the erosion of arsenic-bearing minerals in the Himalaya, transport of sediments containing arsenic-bearing iron oxides down the Brahmaputra–Ganges, Mekong, Irrawaddy and Red river systems, and deposition as deltaic sediments. Upon burial, dissolution of these arsenic-bearing iron-oxide minerals is triggered by reaction with organic carbon, releasing arsenic to the aquifer and producing aqueous concentrations that can exceed 1000 μg/L, 100 times the World Health Organization drinking water standard. These waters are the primary drinking water source for the majority of the people living in these low-lying regions of Asia. Although groundwater contamination has likely persisted for millennia on the Asian deltas, consumption of these waters became widespread in the 1970s as groundwater was tapped to avoid water-borne diseases in surface water bodies. Groundwater pumping for irrigation and other land use changes, including widespread rice cultivation, are now impacting the distribution of arsenic in (presently) unpredictable ways. Further, irrigation with arsenic-rich waters is decreasing rice yields and providing an additional pathway of human exposure. In general, deeper groundwater contains low levels of arsenic. Efforts must continue to focus on protecting this resource for human consumption.
Neurotrophin signaling among neurons and glia during formation of tripartite synapses

Synapse formation in the CNS is a complex process that involves the dynamic interplay of numerous signals exchanged between pre- and postsynaptic neurons as well as perisynaptic glia. Members of the neurotrophin family, which are widely expressed in the developing and mature CNS and are well-known for their roles in promoting neuronal survival and differentiation, have emerged as key synaptic modulators. However, the mechanisms by which neurotrophins modulate synapse formation and function are poorly understood. Here, we summarize our work on the role of neurotrophins in synaptogenesis in the CNS, in particular the role of these signaling molecules and their receptors, the Trks, in the development of excitatory and inhibitory hippocampal synapses. We discuss our results that demonstrate that postsynaptic TrkB signaling plays an important role in modulating the formation and maintenance of NMDA and GABAA receptor clusters at central synapses, and suggest that neurotrophin signaling coordinately modulates these receptors as part of mechanism that promotes the balance between excitation and inhibition in developing circuits. We also discuss our results that demonstrate that astrocytes promote the formation of GABAergic synapses in vitro by differentially regulating the development of inhibitory presynaptic terminals and postsynaptic GABAA receptor clusters, and suggest that glial modulation of inhibitory synaptogenesis is mediated by neurotrophin-dependent and -independent signaling. Together, these findings extend our understanding of how neuron–glia communication modulates synapse formation, maintenance and function, and set the stage for defining the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which neurotrophins and other cell–cell signals direct synaptogenesis in the developing brain.
Micropillar sequence designs for fundamental inertial flow transformations

The ability to control the shape of a flow in a passive microfluidic device enables potential applications in chemical reaction control, particle separation, and complex material fabrication. Recent work has demonstrated the concept of sculpting fluid streams in a microchannel using a set of pillars or other structures that individually deform a flow in a predictable pre-computed manner. These individual pillars are then placed in a defined sequence within the channel to yield the composition of the individual flow deformations – and ultimately complex user-defined flow shapes. In this way, an elegant mathematical operation can yield the final flow shape for a sequence without an experiment or additional numerical simulation. Although these approaches allow for programming complex flow shapes without understanding the detailed fluid mechanics, the design of an arbitrary flow shape of interest remains difficult, requiring significant design iteration. The development of intuitive basic operations (i.e. higher-level functions that consist of combinations of obstacles) that act on the flow field to create a basis for more complex transformations would be useful in systematically achieving a desired flow shape. Here, we show eight transformations that could serve as a partial basis for more complex transformations. We initially used in-house, freely available custom software (uFlow), which allowed us to arrive at these transformations that include making a fluid stream concave and convex, tilting, stretching, splitting, adding a vertex, shifting, and encapsulating another flow stream. The pillar sequences corresponding to these transformations were subsequently fabricated and optically analyzed using confocal imaging – yielding close agreement with uFlow-predicted shapes. We performed topological analysis on each transformation, characterizing potential sequences leading to these outputs and trends associated with changing diameter and placement of the pillars. We classify operations into four sets of sequence-building concatenations: stacking, recursion, mirroring, and shaping. The developed basis should help in the design of microfluidic systems that have a phenomenal variety of applications, such as optofluidic lensing, enhanced heat transfer, or new polymer fiber design.
Key structural and defect chemical aspects of Cd–In–Sn–O transparent conducting oxides

The equilibrium phase diagram (1175 8C in air), solubility ranges and room temperature physical properties (electrical, optical) were established for the various n-type transparent conductors in the CdO–In O –SnO system. Extended solubility ranges were 23 2 found to exist at constant CdySn ratio for the bixbyite, spinel and orthorhombicperovskite phases. This is attributed to the isovalent and nearly size-matched nature of the co-substitution. Still larger solubility ranges were found for metastably-processed thin films. Co-doped bixyite and spinel phases were found to be inherently off-stoichiometric with respect to cation composition, leading to self-doped n-type character, in bulk and films. A correlation was found between optimized conductivity in the various phases and the density of octahedral Cd, In andyor Sn species in their crystal structures. � 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
The sunk-cost effect and optimal two-part pricing

This paper examines how the sunk-cost effect on consumers’ purchasing behavior may reset the optimal two-part pricing. It shows that the sunk-cost effect of a membership fee provides the firm an incentive to raise the unit price and/or to increase the market coverage by charging a lower membership fee.
Genetic immunodeficiencies: both the lumpers and the splitters can claim victory

Over the last few years, molecular approaches to analysis of genetic immunodeficiencies have made it clear that different mutations of the same gene may result in very different clinical presentations. On the other hand, a single clinical syndrome is sometimes due to mutations in a variety of independent genes. In the future, appropriate treatment, particularly gene therapy, will depend on a precise genetic diagnosis.
Plant‐made pharmaceuticals: from ‘Edible Vaccines’ to Ebola therapeutics

As I sat writing this ‘personal reflections’ manuscript in the spring of 2015, I was seeing press reports related to the use of tobacco to make an Ebola therapeutic called ZMapp. For several months newspaper articles, radio shows and hour‐long TV documentaries have given the public unprecedented exposure to the fact that ‘plant‐made pharmaceuticals’ (PMP) can be life‐saving drugs. I have been asked by many nonspecialists – why tobacco? How can this work? After spending over twenty years doing research in this field and many, many hours in public policy meetings promoting PMPs as an important tool of public health, I do not tire of hearing the same questions. Although there is an increasing pipeline of new protein drugs that will come from plants for both human and animal health, the general public has little knowledge of these specialized tools and therefore limited support for the field. ZMapp has given us free advertising on an international scale that I could never have anticipated.
Reduced myocardial perfusion in atrial fibrillation: when the egg comes before the chicken

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia requiring clinical intervention, and yet critical gaps persist in our understanding of AF mechanisms as well as the implications of this condition for afflicted individuals. AF appears to be associated with a significantly worse prognosis, yet it has remained problematic whether the shortened life expectancy is due to the AF or due to the condition causing the AF. The most recent guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology list 13 categories of conditions associated with an increased risk for AF, one of which is the familiar but uninformative ‘idiopathic’.1 Many of the maladies associated with an increased risk of AF, i.e. hypertension or hyperthyroidism, are systemic disorders with serious negative prognostic implications independent of AF. It has therefore been difficult to determine how much of the morbidity (beyond that associated with stroke) experienced by AF patients is due to their AF per se , and how much is due to the underlying conditions driving their AF. Clinicians may well regard this as an unsolvable or nonsensical issue akin to worrying whether the chicken preceded the egg, or vice versa. The need to understand which element is cause and which effect, though, has become more acute … *Corresponding author. Tel: + 1 301 295 3826; fax: + 1 301 295 3557. E-mail address: mhaigney{at}usuhs.edu
Limited view CT reconstruction via constrained metric labeling

This paper proposes an new optimization framework for tomographic reconstruction of 3D volumes when only a limited number of projection views are available. The problem has several important clinical applications spanning coronary angiographic imaging, breast tomosynthesis and dental imaging. We first show that the limited view reconstruction problem can be formulated as a "constrained" version of the metric labeling problem. This lays the groundwork for a linear programming framework that brings together metric labeling classification and classical algebraic tomographic reconstruction (ART) in a unified model. If the imaged volume is known to be comprised of a finite set of attenuation coefficients, given a regular limited view reconstruction as an input, we can view it as a "denoising" task - where voxels must be reassigned subject to maximally maintaining consistency with the input reconstruction and the objective of ART simultaneously. The approach can reliably reconstruct volumes with several multiple contrast objects as well as the simpler binary contrast case which can be solved near-optimally in practice. We present evaluations on cone bean computed tomography, it can also be readily extended to other tomographic modalities as a viable approach for limited-view tomographic reconstruction.
MODELING PATCH OCCUPANCY BY FOREST RODENTS: INCORPORATING DETECTABILITY AND SPATIAL AUTOCORRELATION WITH HIERARCHICALLY STRUCTURED DATA

Abstract Widespread conversion of deciduous forests to agriculture in the midwestern United States has resulted in landscapes whose remaining native habitats are highly fragmented, with well-documented consequences for wildlife community structure. We analyzed trap data for 5 forest rodent species from 525 sites in 35 study landscapes throughout the upper Wabash River basin, which is dominated by agricultural use and drains >20% of Indiana. We used a recently developed likelihood approach and multi-model inference to obtain unbiased estimates of occurrence probabilities for a species when detection rates are <1, and we used hierarchical generalized linear modeling to evaluate random effects associated with nested data structure. Inclusion of a spatial autocovariate term had important effects on model selection results for 4 of 5 species and improved fit of models. Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus), although previously described as sensitive to fragmentation, were nearly ubiquitous in our study region an...
Re-Inserting into the Frame: The Photographic Practices and Archives of Immigrant Settler Communities in Colonial Mozambique

Between 1940 and 1975, as the colonial Portuguese state encouraged private business investment and settler immigration, the number of immigrant-owned commercial photography studios in Mozambique grew from four to 35. Clients visited studios owned by Chinese, Indian, and Portuguese settlers, where they developed films, sat for portraits, and purchased the latest camera equipment. The colonial bureaucracy also relied on these same studios to take and print images for the government-run press. This paper uses a range of documentary and oral sources, including the photographs printed by different studios, newspaper advertisements and articles on their services, and interviews with photographers that worked in these studios, in order to reconstruct the activities and exchanges, or what I call “encounters with the camera,” that these studios facilitated. By recreating this lost narrative through what the visual sometimes displays that the oral has either forgotten or concealed opens an analytical space for evaluating the politicized processes associated with the history of photography in Mozambique that presently governs the writing of histories of colonialism and liberation.
The Posthumous Life of the Postal Rule: Requiem and Revival of Adams v Lindsell

This article authoritatively resolves the mystery of the mailbox rule. Using historical sources from several jurisdictions the author argues that the origin of the postal rule derives from early cases of breach of promise to marry. The offeree was favored and protected because the offeree was a woman. When the roots of the doctrine were lost, the principle that the fiction expressed was also forgotten. The future of assumptions relating to the time of formation of agreement are then reviewed.
Correction for Partial Volume Effects in Emission Tomography

Despite 25 years of continual improvement of the physical characteristics of positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) instruments, including crystal technology, improved electronics, and faster computers, PET and SPECT are still plagued with relatively low spatial resolution compared to anatomy-oriented imaging devices such as magnetic resonance (MR) imaging or x-ray computed tomography (CT). Further, in order to accurately explore cell metabolism, reproducibility and sensitivity of the data analysis procedures must at least match the subtle changes occurring in metabolism that one tries to investigate. While it is of primary importance to compensate for physical effects such as interaction of photons with matter resulting in their attenuation (see Chapter 6) and scattering (see Chapter 7), geometry-dependent interactions between the imaging system and the distribution of radioactivity in the fieldof-view must also be accounted for. This includes correction methods used to account for collimator response in SPECT (see Chapter 5). Despite all the efforts aimed at improving the quality and meaningfulness of emission tomography (ET), there remains the need to correct for limited resolution (or partial volume) effects if one wants to obtain absolute image quantification. Partial volume effects (PVE’s) have been shown to result in large bias in the estimate of regional radioactivity concentration, both in experimental phantom and simulation studies. Partial volume is usually addressed in the context of ‘‘small’’ regions, i.e., with dimensions smaller than around 2-4 times the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the scanner’s pointspread function (PSF ). It is rather hard indeed to find for example a single
Idea clarification

If one's ideas register clearly with listeners, the primary goal of speaking has been realized. Guided by selected principles of learning, a speaker can plan the content of his message so that listeners can more completely understand the intended meaning. In this discussion, the providing of idea clarification is correlated with the promoting of learning for listeners. Ten principles of learning are characterized. Random effort by the speaker can be replaced by purposeful, advance design in the speaker's presentation in order to establish clarity for ideas.
Right Ventricular Longitudinal Strain Is Depressed in a Bovine Model of Pulmonary Hypertension.

Background Pulmonary hypertension and resulting right ventricular (RV) dysfunction are associated with significant perioperative morbidity and mortality. Although echocardiography permits real-time, noninvasive assessment of RV function, objective and comparative measures are underdeveloped, and appropriate animal models to study their utility are lacking. Longitudinal strain analysis is a novel echocardiographic method to quantify RV performance. Herein, we hypothesized that peak RV longitudinal strain would worsen in a bovine model of pulmonary hypertension compared with control animals. Methods Newborn Holstein calves were randomly chosen for induction of pulmonary hypertension versus control conditions. Pulmonary hypertension was induced by exposing animals to 14 days of hypoxia (equivalent to 4570 m above sea level or 430 mm Hg barometric pressure). Control animals were kept at ambient pressure/normoxia. At the end of the intervention, transthoracic echocardiography was performed in awake calves. Longitudinal wall strain was analyzed from modified apical 4-chamber views focused on the RV. Comparisons between measurements in hypoxic versus nonhypoxic conditions were performed using Student t test for independent samples and unequal variances. Results After 14 days at normoxic versus hypoxic conditions, 15 calves were examined with echocardiography. Pulmonary hypertension was confirmed by right heart catheterization and associated with reduced RV systolic function. Mean systolic strain measurements were compared in normoxia-exposed animals (n = 8) and hypoxia-exposed animals (n = 7). Peak global systolic longitudinal RV strain after hypoxia worsened compared to normoxia (-10.5% vs -16.1%, P = 0.0031). Peak RV free wall strain also worsened after hypoxia compared to normoxia (-9.6% vs -17.3%, P = 0.0031). Findings from strain analysis were confirmed by measurement of tricuspid annular peak systolic excursion. Conclusions Peak longitudinal RV strain detected worsened RV function in animals with hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension compared with control animals. This relationship was demonstrated in the transthoracic echocardiographic 4-chamber view independently for the RV free wall and for the combination of the free and septal walls. This innovative model of bovine pulmonary hypertension may prove useful to compare different monitoring technologies for the assessment of early events of RV dysfunction. Further studies linking novel RV imaging applications with mechanistic and therapeutic approaches are needed.
Rattlesnake Predation on Desert Rodents: Microhabitat and Species-Specific Effects on Risk

Risk of rattlesnake predation was assessed in laboratory experiments for two bipedal and two quadrupedal species of desert rodents. Rodents were left overnight with Great Basin rattlesnakes ( Crotalus viridis lutosus ) in experimental arenas that had either 37% sagebrushcanopy cover or no cover. Predation rates did not differ significantly between arena types for any one rodent species or for all four species grouped. The lack of a shrub-cover effect on risk suggests that rattlesnake predation cannot account for microhabitat associations found in desert rodents. Risk did not differ between bipedal and quadrupedal species, but differed significantly among individual species. Dipodomys merriami and Peromyscus maniculatus seldom were caught by rattlesnakes, but Microdipodops megacephalus and Perognathus parvus often were caught. Such species differences in risk may affect foraging behavior and distribution patterns of some species of desert rodents.
Predicting Future Learning Better Using Quantitative Analysis of Moment-by-Moment Learning.

In recent years, student modeling has been extended from predicting future student performance on the skills being learned in a tutor to predicting a student’s preparation for future learning (PFL). These methods have predicted PFL from a combination of features of students’ behaviors related to meta-cognition. However, these models have achieved only moderately better performance at predicting PFL than traditional methods for latent knowledge estimation, such as Bayesian Knowledge Tracing. We propose an alternate paradigm for predicting PFL, using quantitative aspects of the moment-by-moment learning graph. This graph represents individual students’ learning over time and is developed using a knowledge-estimation model which infers the degree of learning that occurs at specific moments rather than the student's knowledge state at those moments. As such, we analyze learning trajectories in a fine-grained fashion. This new paradigm achieves substantially better student-level crossvalidated prediction of student’s PFL than previous approaches. Particularly, we find that learning which is spread out over time, with multiple instances of significant improvement occurring with substantial gaps between them, is associated with more robust learning than either very steady learning or learning characterized by a single “eureka” moment or a single period of rapid improvement.
Survival of Salmonella during Drying of Fresh Ginger Root (Zingiber officinale) and Storage of Ground Ginger

The survival of Salmonella on fresh ginger root (Zingiber officinale) during drying was examined using both a laboratory oven at 51 and 60°C with two different fan settings and a small commercially available food dehydrator. The survival of Salmonella in ground ginger stored at 25 and 37°C at 33% (low) and 97% (high) relative humidity (RH) was also examined. To inoculate ginger, a four-serovar cocktail of Salmonella was collected by harvesting agar lawn cells. For drying experiments, ginger slices (1 ± 0.5 mm thickness) were surface inoculated at a starting level of approximately 9 log CFU/g. Higher temperature (60°C) coupled with a slow fan speed (nonstringent condition) to promote a slower reduction in the water activity (aw) of the ginger resulted in a 3- to 4-log reduction in Salmonella populations in the first 4 to 6 h with an additional 2- to 3-log reduction by 24 h. Higher temperature with a higher fan speed (stringent condition) resulted in significantly less destruction of Salmonella throughout t...