cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ocular ischemic syndrome, central retinal artery obstruction, and branch retinal artery obstruction,

Ocular ischemic syndrome is a condition characterized by visual loss described mainly in males 50 years and older secondary to carotid artery stenosis or occlusion. Loss of vision results from chronic ischemic changes to the anterior and posterior segments of the eye. Pain around the eye has been reported in up to 40% of the patients. Also, these patients may report difficulty adjusting to a darker environment after light exposure. Neovascularization of the iris and retina is common. Associated systemic conditions include arterial hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular disease and tobacco use. Digital subtraction angiography can demonstrate carotid artery obstruction in the majority of patients, however less invasive procedures such as contrast enhanced MR angiography in combination with duplex ultrasound correlates with the degree of carotid stenosis. Carotid endarterectomy in addition to management of neovascularization of iris or retina is the treatment of choice, however, the prognosis for visual recovery is still limited. Acute retinal arterial obstruction is a dramatic and usually irreversible painless loss of vision that can involve the central retinal artery or an arterial branch, most commonly secondary to cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease. Other associated conditions include various hematological, infectious and metabolic abnormalities. In central retinal artery occlusion a common finding includes a cherry red spot in the macula. A careful evaluation of all potential sources of emboli is essential in this condition since there is a strong association with fatal outcome due to cardiovascular disease and stroke. Other etiologies such as coagulopathies, collagen vascular diseases and viral infections have been identified in patients with retinal arterial obstructions. Despite aggressive intervention the visual prognosis of central retinal artery occlusion remains poor.
A penalty treatment of equality constraints in generalized geometric programming

A technique is described for solving generalized geometric programs whose constraints include one or more strict equalities. The algorithm solves a sequence of penalized geometric programs; the penalty functions are derived from the arithmetic-geometric inequality as condensed posynomials. Two examples serve to illustrate the idea.
Optimizing the performance of a membrane bio-electrochemical reactor using an anion exchange membrane for wastewater treatment

A membrane bioelectrochemical reactor (MBER) is a system integrating ultrafiltration membranes into microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for energy-efficient wastewater treatment. To improve nitrogen removal, an MBER based on an anion exchange membrane (AEM), the MBER-A, was investigated for treating synthetic solution or actual wastewater during a 200-day operation. The MBER-A significantly improved the removal of total nitrogen to 56.9% with the synthetic solution, compared with 7.6% achieved in the MBER containing a cation exchange membrane (MBER-C). This was mainly due to the removal of nitrate through both nitrate migration across AEM and heterotrophic denitrification in the anode. The final filtrate from MBER-A contains 11.9 mg L−1 nitrate-nitrogen, 6.0 mg L−1 nitrite-nitrogen, and less than 1 mg L−1 ammonia-nitrogen. The MBER-A achieved 91.3 ± 6.4% of COD removal, resulting in a COD concentration of 21.6 ± 17.8 mg L−1 in its membrane filtrate. The transmembrane pressure (TMP) remained below 10 kPa when being operated with synthetic solution. The actual wastewater (primary effluent) led to the decrease in both COD and nitrogen removal, likely due to complex composition of organic compounds and low electricity generation. The MBER-A decreased the COD concentration by 84.5 ± 14.4% and total nitrogen concentration by 48.4 ± 1.9%. The ammonia-nitrogen concentration remained at 0.3 mg L−1 in the final filtrate. The energy consumption by the MBER-A could be significantly decreased through reducing the strength of the anolyte recirculation rate. Those results encourage further investigation and development of the MBER technology for energy efficient removal of organic and nitrogen compounds from wastewater.
Effect of Structural Anisotropy on Anchor Loss Mismatch and Predicted Case Drift in Future Micro-Hemispherical Resonator Gyros

The effect of structural anisotropy leading to anchor loss mismatch in micro-Hemispherical Resonator Gyros (micro-HRGs) is investigated by developing an anchor loss model based on finite element analysis. Worst-case lower bound estimates for the anchor loss component of the quality factor (Q) are found based on the computed frequency difference between a clamped support and a free support interface. The Young's modulus of the finite element model is varied in a 4 th -harmonic pattern in the circumferential direction of the micro-HRG, resulting in splitting of the Q and resonance frequency of the otherwise degenerate gyro wineglass mode pair, allowing prediction of the case drift performance.
Using derivatives to compare cortical waves across preparations

Abstract Visual stimulation evokes waves of depolarization that propagate within and between cytoarchitectually distinct cortical areas in the turtle visual cortex. These waves appear to reflect underlying low-dimensional characteristics that can be captured using Karhunen–Loeve (KL) decomposition. This paper compares structure across in vivo, in vitro and simulated preparations of turtle visual cortex using derivative–response relationships. The derivatives of the projections on the low-order KL modes exhibit distinguishing characteristics based on the stimulus. The derived modes corresponding to these derivatives provide a low-order approximation to the initial response with structure similar to that of a traveling wave.
Avant-gardism as a Mode of Culture Change

Alfred Kroeber is considered a culturologist because in his major works (1917, 1957, 1969) he argued for a purely cultural level of change. He was so convinced of the primacy of culture that, when Edward Sapir (1917) challenged him to generalize the notion of the superorganic to other areas, he turned to the fine arts, where it was widely assumed that individuals, not culture patterns, had the greatest shaping effect. While Kroeber acknowledged the importance of superior individuals or geniuses as the agents of culture, he saw them as actors who would simply realize the inherent problems and puzzles of existing cultural traditions. In Configurations of Culture Growth, he argued that the fine arts were domains largely free from societal influence and pragmatic contingencies where culture patterns unfolded according to their own internal dynamic. Structural-functionalists have not followed up on Kroeber' s theory of change because it minimizes the idea of reciprocal relationships in society and because it conjures up the almost metaphysical notion of the superorganic. Nonetheless, his ideas have influenced some major style theorists. Notable among these is Leonard B. Meyer (1967) who shares with culturologists a strong interest in the idea of style patterns and their internal workings. Meyer retains the pattern idea because it helps to explain the persistence of long-term trends in intellectual thought and artistic styles through time. He also concurs with Kroeber's point that, on numerous occasions, extra-stylistic forces, even political revolutions, do not impinge upon the development of a major pattern (Meyer 1967:109). Once its premises have been established, a style will change in its own way. Meyer's most important departure from Kroeber's internal dynamic theory is his rejection of the idea that there is a single mode of artistic change that holds for all times. Rather, he speculates that change can take many guises and that directed change is probably specific to particular cultural periods, such as during the early moder period in Europe (Meyer 1967:99-101, 115). Apparently, this hypothesis, which is central in his book, occurred to him as he pondered why no dominant style had emerged in 20th-century music (Meyer 1967:v-vi). In his revision of the internal dynamic theory, he achieves what Gatewood (1987) terms a reasonable solution to the debate between exogenous and endogenous theories of culture and artistic change.
Redundant mechanisms for stable cell locomotion revealed by minimal models.

Crawling of eukaryotic cells on flat surfaces is underlain by the protrusion of the actin network, the contractile activity of myosin II motors, and graded adhesion to the substrate regulated by complex biochemical networks. Some crawling cells, such as fish keratocytes, maintain a roughly constant shape and velocity. Here we use moving-boundary simulations to explore four different minimal mechanisms for cell locomotion: 1), a biophysical model for myosin contraction-driven motility; 2), a G-actin transport-limited motility model; 3), a simple model for Rac/Rho-regulated motility; and 4), a model that assumes that microtubule-based transport of vesicles to the leading edge limits the rate of protrusion. We show that all of these models, alone or in combination, are sufficient to produce half-moon steady shapes and movements that are characteristic of keratocytes, suggesting that these mechanisms may serve redundant and complementary roles in driving cell motility. Moving-boundary simulations demonstrate local and global stability of the motile cell shapes and make testable predictions regarding the dependence of shape and speed on mechanical and biochemical parameters. The models shed light on the roles of membrane-mediated area conservation and the coupling of mechanical and biochemical mechanisms in stabilizing motile cells.
Kindergartners' reasoning in simple problems

Abstract Three experiments assessed kindergartners' performance on simple conceptlike problems in which the correct solution could be selected from a specified set of possible solutions by using the information provided by a single positive or negative stimulus. For both positive and negative instances, performance was accurate when all stimulus attributes were logically informative, but performance was impaired when stimuli included an additional, logically uninformative, attribute. This impairment could not be attributed simply to increased information processing load. Children seemed to realize that uninformative attributes provided no basis for choosing among possible solutions, but did not seem to understand how to interpret this fact in order to make appropriate inferences. It was suggested that children's inferential deficit may result from a failure to understand how the relationships that exist between two sets of information are coordinated with the relationships that exist among the parts of each set. Implications were discussed for kindergartners' performance on more complex concept problems.
Regional composition of PM2.5 aerosols measured at urban, rural and “background” sites in the Tennessee valley

Abstract Aerosol composition data, simultaneously collected from collocated samplers at an urban, a rural and a background site in the Tennessee Valley, have been compared for all seasons in 2001. Consistent with previous data, organic aerosols and sulfates are the two largest contributors to fine mass throughout the year at all three sites. Levels of major constituents were not significantly different at the rural and background sites during any season, but levels of organic and elemental carbon were higher at the urban site during fall and winter periods. Seasonal trends at all sites showed maxima in summer for sulfate and significant nitrate levels only in winter, but no significant seasonal trend was observed for organic aerosol mass at any site. Year-to-year variability in aerosol composition at the background site is small compared to day-to-day variability within seasons. The appropriate factor for converting organic carbon to organic mass (conventionally *1.4), used in calculating aerosol chemical composition, may vary with season—larger in warm seasons, smaller in cool seasons.
Contactless measurements of Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in the magnetically ordered state of CeAgSb2 and SmAgSb2 single crystals

Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations were measured in single crystals of highly metallic antiferromagnetic $\mathrm{Sm}\mathrm{Ag}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}$ and ferromagnetic $\mathrm{Ce}\mathrm{Ag}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}$ using a tunnel diode resonator. Resistivity oscillations as a function of applied magnetic field were observed via measurements of skin depth variation. The effective resolution of $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\simeq}20\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{p}\ensuremath{\Omega}$ allows a detailed study of the SdH spectra as a function of temperature. The effects of the Sm long-range magnetic ordering as well as its electronic structure ($4f$ electrons) on the Fermi surface topology is discussed.
The toxicity of tumor necrosis factor-α upon cholinergic neurons within the nucleus basalis and the role of norepinephrine in the regulation of inflammation: implications for alzheimer's disease

Abstract Inflammation and reduced forebrain norepinephrine are features of Alzheimer's disease that may interact to contribute to the degeneration of specific neural systems. We reproduced these conditions within the basal forebrain cholinergic system, a region that is vulnerable to degeneration in Alzheimer's disease. Tumor necrosis factor-α was infused into the basal forebrain of young mice pretreated with a norepinephrine neuronal toxin, N -(2-chloroethyl)- N -ethyl-2 bromobenzylamine (DSP4), with the expectation that the loss of noradrenergic input would enhance the loss of cholinergic neurons. The results indicate that chronic infusion of tumor necrosis factor-α alone significantly decreased cortical choline acetyltransferase activity and increased the number of activated microglia and astrocytes within the basal forebrain. The loss of forebrain norepinephrine following systemic treatment with DSP4 did not alter the level of cortical choline acetyltransferase activity or activate microglia but significantly activated astrocytes within the basal forebrain. Infusion of tumor necrosis factor-α into DSP4-pretreated mice also reduced cortical choline acetyltransferase activity on the side of the infusion; however, the decline was not significantly greater than that produced by the infusion of tumor necrosis factor-α alone. The neurodegeneration seen may be indirect since a double-immunofluorescence investigation did not find evidence for the co-existence of tumor necrosis factor-α type I receptors on choline acetyltransferase-positive cells in the basal forebrain. The results suggest that noradrenergic cell loss in Alzheimer's disease does not augment the consequences of the chronic neuroinflammation and does not enhance neurodegeneration of forebrain cholinergic neurons.
Head-Cocking and Visual Exploration in Marmosets (Saguinus Fuscicollis)

S. fuscicollis, like most primates that lack ocular dominance columns in the visual striate cortex, often cocks its head from side to side as it orients toward an external stimulus. The present paper attempts to describe this response more accurately and to examine its immediate causes, its ontogenesis and its probable functions. A variety of observations and special tests were conducted, using a total of 26 subjects. Head-cocking occurs equally often in the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, with no obvious sequential regularities here. The angle of head rotation is ordinarily between 30 and 90 degrees but can be as much as 180 degrees. Head-cocks are nearly always associated with visual fixation of a stimulus object and are usually accompanied by characteristic bodily postures. The response is evoked principally by novel visual stimuli rather than familiar ones or odors or sounds. It habituates quite rapidly with continued or repeated exposure to a given object, following the same general trend as approach reactions except that its peak frequencies occur sooner. It most often precedes physical contact with the object and is made from within a short distance of the object. The percentage of head-cocks that are made while the animal orients in the direction of the novel object (rather than in any other direction) also declines steadily across time. The response is characteristic principally of very young animals. It is first seen at about nine days of age; its peak frequencies are estimated to occur between 20 and 40 days of age (at which the time they may easily exceed 100 per hour); and most responses are made while the infant is riding dorsally on another animal, rather than clinging to its ventrum or locomoting independently. After five weeks of age the frequency of head-cocking declines according to a straight-line log-log function; older adults might make less than one head-cock per hour. All evidence suggests that for this species the functions of head-cocking are principally if not solely visual. The more precise nature of the visual information that might be picked up, and the probable physiological and phyletic variables that underlie head-cocking, are discussed.
Transition Metal Complexes of Chromium, Molybdenum, Tungsten, and Manganese Containing η1(S)-2,5-Dimethylthiophene, Benzothiophene, and Dibenzothiophene Ligands

Ultraviolet photolysis of hexanes solutions containing the complexes M(CO){sub 6} (M = Cr, Mo, W) or CpMn(CO){sub 3}(Cp = {eta}{sup 5}{minus}C{sub 5}H{sub 5}) and excess thiophene (T*)(T* = 2,5-dimethylthiophene (2,5-Me{sub 2}T), benzothiophene (BT), or dibenzothiophene (DBT)) produces the {eta}{sup 1}(S)=T* complexes (CO){sub 5}M({eta}{sup 1}(S)-T*) 1--8 or Cp(CO){sub 2}Mn({eta}{sup 1}(S)-T*) 9--11, respectively. However, when T* = DBT and M = Mo, a mixture of two products results, which includes (CO){sub 5}Mo({eta}{sup 1}(S)-DBT), 4a, and the {pi}-complex (CO){sub 3}Mo({eta}{sup 6}-DBT), 4b, as detected by {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopy. Only the complexes (CO){sub 5}W({eta}{sup 1}(S)-DBT) (1), (CO){sub 5}Cr({eta}{sup 1}(S)-DBT) (5), and Cp(CO){sub 2}Mn({eta}{sup 1}(S)-DBT) (9) were sufficiently stable (several days) to be isolated and characterized by elemental analyses. Rates of DBT ligand displacement by co (1 atm) at room temperature decreased in the order 5 > 1 > 9. Single-crystal, X-ray structural determinations are reported for 1, 5, and 9. The tilt angle ({phi}) of the DBT ligand in these and related complexes is discussed in terms of {pi}-back-bonding to the DBT ligand.
THEORETICAL STUDIES OF DIAMAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF THE HYDROGEN MOLECULE ION. I. APPROXIMATE VARIATION--PERTURBATION CALCULATION.

A variation-perturbation method, analogous to a technique devised by Das and Bersohn for the study of the hydrogen molecule, is developed for calculation of the diamagnetic susceptibility χ and magnetic shielding σ and is applied to a study of the hydrogen molecule ion. Two approximations are investigated–in a first approximation, χ = −0.37814α2a and σ = 1.112 × 10−5 c.g.s. units and in a second approximation, χ = −0.37569α2a and σ = 1.128 × 10−5 c.g.s. units.
Gene selective mRNA cleavage inhibits the development of Plasmodium falciparum

Unique peptide-morpholino oligomer (PMO) conjugates have been designed to bind and promote the cleavage of specific mRNA as a tool to inhibit gene function and parasite growth. The new conjugates were validated using the P. falciparum gyrase mRNA as a target (PfGyrA). Assays in vitro demonstrated a selective degradation of the PfGyrA mRNA directed by the external guide sequences, which are morpholino oligomers in the conjugates. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that labeled conjugates are delivered into Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes during all intraerythrocytic stages of parasite development. Consistent with the expression of PfGyrA in all stages of parasite development, proliferation assays showed that these conjugates have potent antimalarial activity, blocking early development, maturation, and replication of the parasite. The conjugates were equally effective against drug sensitive and resistant P. falciparum strains. The potency, selectivity, and predicted safety of PMO conjugates make this approach attractive for the development of a unique class of target-specific antimalarials and for large-scale functional analysis of the malarial genome.
Reversible restoration of the birefringence of cold-treated, isolated mitotic apparatus of surf clam eggs with chick brain tubulin.

Mitotic aparatuses have been isolated which can incorporate heterologous tubulin and can assemble this tubulin into birefringent fibres similar to those of mitotic apparatuses of living cells.
Bactericidal and Opsonic Activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Sera from Patients with Disseminated Gonococcal Infection

Bactericidal and opsonic activities in convalescent-phase sera from patients with disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI) were analyzed with use of the patients' infecting strains and other strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Serum from a patients with C8 deficiency was opsonic for her first DGI isolate grown on solid medium or in chick embryos; with added complement the serum was bactericidal (at a dilution of 1:320). Her serum was not bactericidal for nine other isolates from patients with DGI. Only one of the other patients with DGI had detectable serum bactericidal activity (dilution, 1:2,5) against her own isolate; this patient's serum was also active against one other DGI isolate. Opsonization was detectable only in sera that were potentially bactericidal and could be distinguished from bactericidal activity only with C8-deficient serum. The isolates from patients with DGI were of an auxotype different from that of most other gonococci, and most of the isolates tested were not killed by sera from patients with uncomplicated gonorrhea, even though these wera killed other gonococci. Thus, isolates from patients with DGI appeared to be significantly different from other gonococcal isolates.
A Least Squares Method for Spectral Analysis of Space-Time Series

Abstract Common methods in spectral analyses of satellite data are the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) type of approaches, which generally require regular sampling and uniform spacing. These conditions sometimes cannot be met in the satellite applications, for example, such as one made by the High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI) on board the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). To be able to handle irregular sampling cases, a least squares fitting method is established here for a space-time Fourier analysis and has been applied to the HRDI sampling as well as other regular sampling cases. This method can resolve space-time spectra as robustly and accurately as DFT-type methods for the regular cases. In the same fashion, given an appropriate sampling pattern, it can also handle the irregular cases in which there exist large data gaps, frequent mode changes, and varying weight samples. Various sampling schemes and the associated aliasing spectra are examined. A better sampling plan than those curre...
Spontaneously modulated spin textures in a dipolar spinor Bose-Einstein condensate

Helical spin textures in a 87Rb F=1 spinor Bose-Einstein condensate are found to decay spontaneously toward a spatially modulated structure of spin domains. The formation of this modulated phase is ascribed to magnetic dipolar interactions that energetically favor the short-wavelength domains over the long-wavelength spin helix. The reduction of dipolar interactions by a sequence of rf pulses results in a suppression of the modulated phase, thereby confirming the role of dipolar interactions in this process. This study demonstrates the significance of magnetic dipole interactions in degenerate 87Rb F=1 spinor gases.
Therapy of venous thromboembolism in patients with brain metastases

Background. Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are common in patients with brain metastases. Few data exist to help guide the clinician's choice between the two therapeutic options of anticoagulation and inferior vena cava filter placement. Methods. The authors reviewed their institutions' experience with the treatment of venous thromboembolism in 51 adult patients with known brain metastases since 1980. Results. Ten patients were initially treated with Greenfield filters; four (40%) had recurrent nonfatal thromboembolic events (two PE and two DVT), and three required anticoagulation. Thirty-nine patients were treated initially with anticoagulation; none of these patients later received filters. Two patients with DVT were untreated and both died of PE. Among 42 patients who received anticoagulation, the duration of anticoagulation ranged from 5 to 563 days (mean, 100 days). Two patients who received anticoagulation experienced devastating central nervous system hemorrhage in the setting of supratherapeutic anticoagulation by conventional laboratory criteria. A third patient experienced a minor deterioration, possibly attributable to hemorrhage, for a 7% (3 of 42) incidence of serious central nervous system complications. Three asymptomatic patients developed hyperdensity within metastases on routine follow-up noncontrast computed tomography scan, suggesting possible intratumoral hemorrhage. Three patients taking warfarin had recurrent DVT with prothrombin time between 15.1 and 17.7. Systemic bleeding complications were generally minor and occurred in only eight patients (19%). Conclusion. Anticoagulation is more effective than Greenfield filters and acceptably safe when maintained in the therapeutic range in most patients with brain metastases and venous thromboembolism.
Association between iris color and iris melanocytic lesions.

In a case-control study of 212 white patients with primary melanocytic tumors of the iris and two control groups, contingency tables were used to evaluate the distribution of iris color. We found a strong association between light iris color (blue, gray, or green) and the presence of iris melanocytic lesions (P 2 ).
The predictive value of multi-targeted fluorescent in-situ hybridization in patients with history of bladder cancer.

Abstract Objectives UroVysion™ (Abbott Molecular Inc., Des Plaines, IL) is a multi-target fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) assay that detects aneuploidy of chromosomes 3, 7, and 17, and loss of the 9p21 locus in exfoliated cells in urine. In this study, we evaluated if UroVysion can predict tumor recurrence in patients with negative cystoscopy and urinary cytology at the time of (FISH) assay. Methods The study population included patients with history of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer treated by transurethral resection. Follow-up included cystoscopy, barbotage, urinary cytology, and UroVysion testing. Patients were followed for at least 6 months after their initial UroVysion testing. Results A total of 64 patients (37 males) were enrolled into the study. Mean patient age was 62 years (S.D. 13.2 years). Initial highest tumor stage was Ta in 42 patients (65.6%), T1 in 21 patients (33%), and isolated Tis in a single patient. Abnormal UroVysion results were observed in 40 patients (62.5%). After a median follow-up of 13.5 months, 21 patients (33%) developed tumor recurrence (Ta in 13 patients, T1 in 5, and Tis in 3). Recurrent tumors developed in 45% of the patients with abnormal UroVysion test compared with 12.5% of the patients with normal assay (P = 0.01). An abnormal UroVysion result preceded the diagnosis of tumor recurrence in 18/21 cases (86%), including all high-grade recurrences. Conclusions This data suggest that UroVysion may be a useful tool for predicting tumor recurrence. Cystoscopy may be spared and surveillance intervals widened in patients with history of low grade tumors and a normal UroVysion test.
Learning Communities' Impact on Student Success in Developmental English

Recent efforts to improve developmental education have included references to learning communities as examples of effective practices in basic skills education. The study “Basic skills as a foundation for student success in California community colleges” (2007) cited research from Tinto that suggested that learning communities and collaborative learning activities were effective in improving academic performance and persistence of developmental students. The improvement is because “students encounter learning as a shared experience rather than isolated experience,” and that learning communities “emphasizing collaborative learning have a positive impact on student attitudes toward learning” (Tinto, 1997b, cited in “Basic skills as a foundation for student success in California community colleges,” 2007, p. 58). The problem under investigation in this study was whether learning communities were effective in improving student success in community college developmental English courses, and whether there were ...
A kinetic analysis of the gauche‐trans isomerization in semicrystalline poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Mesures cinetiques par spectroscopie IR avec transformee de Fourier afin de clarifier le mecanisme de l'isomerisation gauche-trans et les relations temps-temperature-transformation dans le PET
A simple rigid body algorithm for structural dynamics programs

The analysis of low velocity impacts is necessary for designing everything from safe automobiles to safe shipping casks for nuclear material. Although great strides have been made in reducing the cost of impact analysis, the cost must be reduced even more before impact analysis becomes a routine design tool. One approach replaces the mesh outside of the impact zone with a rigid body.
Optimizing the Current Distribution in a Buried Linear Antenna

A solution is obtained to the problem of finding the current distribution in a buried linear antenna which minimizes the dissipated power while maintaining the required radiated field. An example shows that such distribution saves about 30 percent on power dissipation compared to an antenna of the same total length having simple bared-end grounding terminations. A practical method using current transformers is proposed for controlling the current distribution. A grounding system using this method has the property that it does not short out adjacent active antenna cables when it is in standby mode.
Decreased Susceptibility to Fatty Acid–Induced Peripheral Tissue Insulin Resistance in Women

Elevation of plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels has been shown in various studies to induce peripheral tissue insulin resistance and impair the suppression of endogenous glucose production (EGP). These studies have been conducted predominantly in men. We compared the effects of elevated plasma NEFA levels on basal and insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism in 8 normal women (age 42 +/- 8 years [mean +/- SD], BMI 25 +/- 3 kg/m(2)) and 10 normal men (35 +/- 6 years, 24 +/- 3 kg/m(2)). Each subject underwent two 5-h 80 mU. m(-2). min(-1) hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps with measurement of glucose kinetics (intravenous [3-(3)H]glucose) and substrate oxidation. Plasma NEFA levels were elevated in one study for 3 h before and during the clamp ( approximately 1 mmol/l in both groups) by infusion of 20% Intralipid (60 ml/h) and heparin (900 U/h). In the control studies, the men and women had similar insulin-stimulated glucose disposal rates (R(d)) and substrate oxidation rates. In the men, elevated NEFA levels decreased insulin-stimulated glucose R(d) during the final 40 min of the clamp by 23% (P < 0.001). By contrast, no significant change in glucose R(d) was found in the women (control 10.4 +/- 1.1, lipid study 9.9 +/- 1.3 mg. kg(-1). min(-1)). Glucose R(d) was also unchanged in six women studied at a lower insulin dose (40 mU. m(-2). min(-1)). During the last 40 min of the high-insulin dose clamps with elevated NEFA, glucose oxidation was decreased by 33% in the men (P < 0.001) and by 23% in the women (P < 0.02). Nonoxidative glucose R(d) at this time was decreased by 15% in the men (P = 0.02) but was not significantly affected in women. Basal EGP was unaffected by elevation of plasma NEFA levels in both groups. Suppression of EGP during the glucose clamps, however, was impaired. At the insulin infusion rate used, the magnitude of this defect was comparable in men and women. In summary, our findings suggest that although the effects on EGP appear comparable, the inhibitory effects of NEFA on peripheral tissue insulin sensitivity are observed in men but cannot be demonstrated in women.
Feedback control of quantum state reduction

Feedback control of quantum mechanical systems must take into account the probabilistic nature of quantum measurement. We formulate quantum feedback control as a problem of stochastic nonlinear control by considering separately a quantum filtering problem and a state feedback control problem for the filter. We explore the use of stochastic Lyapunov techniques for the design of feedback controllers for quantum spin systems and demonstrate the possibility of stabilizing one outcome of a quantum measurement with unit probability.
The Effectiveness of Catholic Primary Schooling.

Although extensive research has compared Catholic and public high schools, little is known about Catholic primary schools. Using unique data for two cohorts of primary school students, I find that Catholic schooling does not have a significant effect on mathematics and reading test scores. These findings do not change when school level test scores from the first-grade cohort are used to account for selection bias in the fourth-grade cohort. In fourth grade, Catholic schooling is associated with marginally fewer student absences than is public schooling.
Reconstructive ultrasound elasticity imaging for renal pathology detection

The real-time capability of ultrasound is it's major advantage for reconstructive elasticity imaging. In addition to providing important immediate feedback during patient examination, real-time data capture provides an excellent means for retrospective data processing. With retrospective processing, normal axial strain images can be optimized for highest SNR, the accuracy of lateral displacement estimates can be improved, and finally, non-linear elastic properties of tissue can be evaluated resulting in contrast enhancement of elasticity imaging. Retrospective processing requires no new data capture and adds new important features to reconstructive ultrasound elasticity imaging.
The Role of Oxidative Enzymes in the Metabolism and Toxicity of Pesticides

Xenobiotics, including pesticides (Hodgson & Levi, 1992, Levi & Hodgson, 1991), are metabolized by many enzymes including: cytochrome P450s (P450); flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMO); prostaglandin synthetase; molybdenum hydroxylases; alcohol dehydrogenase; aldehyde dehydrogenase; esterases; and a variety of transferases, particularly the glutathione transferases. Of these P450 appears to be the most important, followed by the FMO. It should also be remembered that pesticides may serve not only as substrates for these enzymes but, particularly in the case of P450, may serve also as inhibitors and/or inducers. The toxicological implications of these multiple roles are important and are illustrated by our studies of methylenedioxyphenyl (MDP) compounds, of the herbicide synergist tridiphane and the herbicide, dichlobenil, of metabolism in target tissues and portals of entry, and of insect resistance to insecticides.
Rates of sulfide oxidation in cotton, carrot, and tobacco cultured plant cells measured with a model aromatic alkyl-sulfide☆

Abstract p -Chlorophenylmethylsulfide (PCPMS) was enzymatically sulfoxidized to p -chlorophenylmethylsulfoxide (PCPMSO) in aerobic cotton, carrot, and tobacco cell suspension cultures. Neither boiled nor freeze-killed cell cultures were competent to sulfoxidize PCPMS to PCPMSO. The sulfone, p -chlorophenylmethylsulfone (PCPMSO 2 ), was not produced in any of the three species. The rates of PCPMS sulfoxidation, were cotton > carrot > tobacco. The apparent K m for carrot cells was 88 μ M PCPMS (14 μg/ml), while the apparent V max was 7 nmol PCPMSO/mg whole cell protein/hr. These rates of sulfide oxidation are higher than previously reported in intact plants.
Functional domains of human aromatase cytochrome P450 characterized by linear alignment and site-directed mutagenesis.

The relationship of function to structure of aromatase cytochrome P450 (P450arom; the product of the CYP19 gene) has been examined by means of sequence alignment and site-directed mutagenesis. Comparison has been made between the sequence of P450arom and the two soluble bacterial cytochrome P450 isoforms, whose three-dimensional structure has been determined (P450BM3 and P450cam). From this comparison, it appears that although there is a similarity of overall structure in cytochromes P450, there is enough significant difference in the regions involved in substrate recognition and substrate binding that residues believed to be involved, even in the known structures, must be tested. With this in mind, we have generated a detailed alignment of P450arom, including the definition of putative alpha-helices and beta-sheets based on comparison of the alignments of P450BM3 and P450cam, generated from their three-dimensional structure, and have made mutations in regions we believe to be involved in substrate recogn...
Polarized light scattering spectroscopy of epithelial structures

Summary form only given. Measuring cellular structures is an important problem in biomedical sciences. The ability to extract quantitative information in living cells without destroying them could be used, for example, to determine the cellular structure of tissue culture preparations or to noninvasively monitor morphological and physiological changes in patients. At present, there are only a limited number of techniques, such as flow citometry or electron microscopy, capable of probing intracellular structures, and applying them to living cells in situ is difficult. We are presenting a new method of probing the environment inside of living cells, which is based on polarized light scattering spectroscopy. Our technique employs a wavelength-dependent component of light Mie-scattered from epithelial cell nuclei to measure the size distribution of these nuclei and their refractive index.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea and Polysomnography as Predictors of Poor Quality of Life in Overweight Children and Adolescents

Objective The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between quality of life (QOL) and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as well as objectively measured severity of OSA using polysomnography (PSG) in a cohort of overweight and at risk for overweight children and adolescents. Methods One hundred and fifty-one overweight subjects [90 males, average ages of 12.52, mean body mass index (BMI) Z-score of 2.27) and their parent/guardian completed surveys assessing QOL and symptoms of OSA syndrome. The subjects also underwent overnight PSG. Results Overweight patients reported poor QOL. Polysomnographic variables did not correlate with QOL. However, symptoms of OSA as reported on the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire significantly correlated with QOL from both the parent and the subject. Conclusions Overweight youth with symptoms of OSA have a lower QOL both by their report and parental report. Interestingly, objective measures of OSA did not correlate with QOL.
Non-Traditional Targets of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: The Roots of Hormone Signaling'

SYNOPSIS. The topic of endocrine disruption and the broad range of physiological effects caused by endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can only be meaningfully framed within an ecological and evolutionary context. Environmental pollutants and EDCs operate by disrupting the ‘‘chemical communication’’ that coordinates signaling within an organism. Here we discuss how EDCs are also able to disrupt the chemical communication between plants and soil bacteria necessary for initiating nitrogen-fixing symbiosis. We also examine, through examples of pollutant-related impacts on a wide range of invertebrates, the need for identifying emerging targets of EDCs. We suggest broadening the defined field of endocrine disruption to encompass the effects of synthetic chemicals that interfere with signaling and communication, not only within an organism, but also between organisms and linking ecosystems. The ecological consequences of failing to recognize novel targets of chemical pollutants and EDCs may be a net loss of biological diversity and a further imbalance of the global nitrogen cycle.
The Onset of Convection in the Madden–Julian Oscillation

Abstract An observational study of the onset of convection in the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) was performed. Composites of radiosonde data from the Comprehensive Aerological Reference Data Set were constructed for an ensemble of tropical stations located in the Indian Ocean, Maritime Continent, and western Pacific Ocean. The composites suggest that for the off-equatorial stations used in this study, the MJO period may be set by the buildup and discharge of the low-level moist static energy. This result supports the discharge–recharge hypothesis of Blade and Hartmann. MJO events appear to begin when the off-equatorial atmosphere has been destabilized through a combination of low-level moist static energy buildup and concurrent drying of the middle troposphere by subsidence in the wake of the previous cycle of MJO convection. The low-level moist static energy buildup is controlled by a corresponding increase in low-level moisture. The increase in low-level moisture is not caused by the 1000-mb convergen...
A Microfluidic Mixer to Activate Sperm Cells of Aquatic Species for Standardization of Computer-Assisted Motion Analysis

The objective of this paper is to develop a microfluidic device to: 1) activate a small volume of aquatic species sperm by rapid mixing with diluent, and 2) position sperm in a viewing chamber for motility evaluation using computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA). Analysis of aquatic species sperm is becoming more important as the use of fish as biomedical models expands. Because it is more efficient to maintain frozen stocks of genetic material rather than thousands of research lines of adult fish, there has been increased study on cryopreservation for model fish. The analysis of fish gametes is challenging due to small sample size, short motility duration, and inconsistent activation (motility induction). For many aquatic species, sperm motility is initiated through the manual alteration of the medium osmolality, typically accomplished through manual dilution and mixing by hand. Manual methods limit control over the activation process and therefore viability analysis. The short lifespan of these cells makes CASA challenging due to the limitations in capturing and processing data rapidly enough to monitor the peak motility, as CASA systems were designed for mammalian sperm which have a longer motility duration.© 2011 ASME
Networking Transmission Mode of Protective Relayings Statistical Analysis and Operation Management System on the Basis of Dispatching Operation Management System

According to the requirement of State Grid Corp. and provincial power network companies in multilevel management of protective relaying information, a network transmission mode is proposed, in which the channel for protective relayings information is based on interconnected operation management system (OMS), i.e., the system software and database are distributed at client-sides and the data transformation is implemented by interconnected OMS, thus the networking of information management process of protective relayings is solved. The unified normative data format and the design method for partitionally managed distributed database, specified in Evaluation of Automatic Devices of Relay Protection and Safety Procedures, which is drafted by State Grid Corp. and numbered as DL/T623-2008, are utilized in the statistics and analysis of protective relayings based on the proposed mode to ensure the data consistency in different levels, and the E-language file format is used in the data transmission to improve the information security.
Behavioral dynamics of a collision avoidance task: how asymmetry stabilizes performance

The current project examined how changes to task constraints impacted the behavioral dynamics of an interpersonal collision avoidance task previously examined and modeled by Richardson and colleagues (2015). Overall, the results demonstrate that decreasing the cost associated with colliding influences the stability and symmetry of the movement dynamics observed between co-actors in a manner consistent with those predicted by the Richardson et al. (2015), collision avoidance model. The current study therefore provides evidence that the behavioral dynamics that shape interpersonal or joint-action behavior are not only defined by the physical and informational properties of a task, but also by the strength and importance of the shared task goal.
Skin response to mechanical stress: adaptation rather than breakdown--a review of the literature.

The abnormal loading of skin and other surface tissues unaccustomed to bearing large mechanical forces occurs under many circumstances of chronic disease or disability. A result of abnormal loading is breakdown of the body wall tissues. An effective rehabilitation program avoids the pathological processes that result in skin trauma and breakdown and encourages load-tolerance and adaptation, changes in the body wall so that the tissues do not enter an irreversible degenerative pathological process. In the past, prevention has been the principal approach to the challenge of maintaining healthy skin and avoiding breakdown ; therefore, relatively little is described in the rehabilitation literature about skin adaptation. However, adaptation has been investigated in other fields, particularly biomechanics and comparative anatomy. The purpose of this paper is to assemble the research to date to present the current understanding of skin response to mechanical stress, specifically addressing load cases applicable to rehabilitation. Factors important to tissue response are considered and their effects on adaptation and breakdown are discussed.
Discussion of the driving aspects for the design and layout of the Europa project radiation vault

This paper discusses the challenges faced in packaging of radiation-sensitive electronics for the Europa project. In order to minimize shielding mass, an efficient layout of electronics within the vault is necessary to keep shielding area to a minimum while providing protection from the severe radiation environment surrounding Jupiter. Tight placement of internal electronics can, however, result in integration difficulties due to access problems for mounting hardware, routing constraints for harness management and vault wall penetrations, as well as thermal requirements for the enclosed electronics. Each of these aspects play into the configurations and integration requirements of the baseline Europa project vault. In order to study the potential geometries for the vault, conceptual physical models have been constructed, as well as multiple CAD based geometries in order to study potential layout configurations. These configurations have leveraged prior mission experience from the Curiosity rover as well as the JUNO radiation vault.