cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A three-dimensional numerical model for water flow and transport of chemically reactive solute through porous media under variably saturated conditions

A three-dimensional numerical model is developed for the simulation of water flow and chemical transport through variably saturated porous media. The nonlinear flow equation is solved using the Galerkin finite element technique with the Picard iteration scheme and a continuous velocity field is obtained by separate application of the Galerkin technique to the flux equation. A two-site adsorption-desorption model with a first-order loss term is used to describe the chemical behavior of the reactive solute. The advective part of the transport equation is solved with one-step backward particle tracking while the dispersive part is solved by the regular Galerkin finite element technique. Preconditioned conjugate-gradient-like method is used for the iterative solution of the systems of linear simultaneous equations to save on computer memory and execution time. The model is applied to a few situations and the numerical results are compared with observed and analytic values. The model is found to work quite well, even near very sharp fronts.
Kinetic Effects in Directional Solidification

Mullins and Sekerka showed for fixed temperature gradient that the planar interface is linearly stable for all pulling speeds V above some critical value, the absolute stability limit. Near this limit, where solidification rates are rapid, the assumption of local equilibrium at the interface may be violated. We incorporate nonequilibrium effects into a linear stability analysis of the planar front by allowing the segregation coefficient and interface temperature to depend on V in a thermodynamically-consistent way. In addition to the steady cellular mode, we find a new branch of long-wavelength time-periodic states. Under certain conditions there exists a stability window separating the steady and oscillatory branches.
The Immature Mouse Is a Suitable Model for Detection of Estrogenicity in the Uterotropic Bioassay

The traditional rodent uterotropic response assay has been incorporated into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's screening and testing program for environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). While much effort continues to focus on determining protocol variables, few studies compare uterotropic responses in rats, a species commonly used in toxicologic testing, with other rodent species. In this study, we compared uterine responses in immature outbred CD-1 mice and Sprague-Dawley rats. After three daily subcutaneous injections with 17beta-estradiol (0.1-500 microg/kg/day), immature mice and rats demonstrated a similar dose-response increase in absolute uterine wet weight and uterine weight:body weight ratio. Further, morphologic and biochemical parameters of estrogenicity, including uterine epithelial cell height and number, gland number, and induction of estrogen-responsive proteins lactoferrin and complement C3, mirror wet weight increases. We conclude that mice are as well suited as rats for the uterotropic bioassay. Because of the advantages of using mice, including lower costs, less space required, and smaller amounts of compound needed for tests, mice should be given appropriate consideration in testing paradigms for EDCs.
Mitigating hot phonons in high power optoelectronic devices based on wide gap semiconductors

This work discusses critical role played by hot phonons in limiting high speed performance of electronic and optical devices based on wide gap nitride semiconductors A simple model is introduced that explains velocity saturation in the wide bandgap semiconductors and, based, on the experimental data, show that hot phonons in nitrides present unique challenge. Various methods of mitigating the effects of hot phonons - ranging from creating conditions for stimulated phonon emission to use of disorder are discussed.
Household income data reports in mail surveys

Abstract An empirical study was conducted to assess the quality of reported household income data in the context of a mail survey, where quality was measured in terms of the difference between actual household income and reported household income. In the study, nonresponse error was found to be greater than response error (distortions in reporting household income), although both were statistically significant. Under- and overreporting of household income were found to be associated with absolute income levels, and several possible reasons for under- and overreporting were hypothesized.
Off-label gabapentin masking ictal triphasic waves: Case analysis of neuropsychiatric and electrographic correlates

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are frequently used off-label for the treatment of psychiatric, pain, and other neurological disorders. Off-label AED use may confound the diagnosis for acute neuropsychiatric changes associated with delirium by fortuitously treating, or partially treating, underlying seizure disorders while masking ictal electrographic patterns on EEGs. Standard video/EEG monitoring includes weaning from AEDs to maximize ictal activity and better determine seizure focus. We report a case of off-label gabapentin use masking ictal electrographic activity, the neuropsychiatric and electrographic consequences of discontinuing gabapentin, and the therapeutic response when gabapentin was re-initiated and titrated to a total daily dose greater than that at time of admission. Weaning from AEDs with concurrent video/EEG monitoring is an important diagnostic tool in these complex cases.
Sexual behavior following introduction of a stallion into a group of mares

Abstract A rested stallion was introduced daily for 30 days into each of three herds of 20 mares. Observations of sexual and mating behavior were made for one hour. The stallion remained with a herd until another stallion was introduced the following day. Other mares were isolated from stallions and were bred by artificial insemination. The diameter or growth rate of the preovulatory follicle for the six days preceding ovulation and the length of the interovulatory interval for mares which did not become pregnant were not affected significantly by the presence of a stallion. The number of breedings per hour of observation (2.4 ±0.2) and the length of the interval from introduction of a stallion into the herd of mares to first breeding (12 ±1 min) were significantly different among stallions, but the length of the interval between breedings (17 ±2 min) was not. The mean number of breedings per stallion per hour was not affected significantly by the number of posturing (estrous) mares. The number of times that the stallion rebred the same mare when more than one mare postured during the observation hour (49%) was greater (P
Senescence-associated lncRNAs: senescence-associated long noncoding RNAs

Noncoding RNAs include small transcripts, such as microRNAs and piwi-interacting RNAs, and a wide range of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Although many lncRNAs have been identified, only a small number of lncRNAs have been characterized functionally. Here, we sought to identify lncRNAs differentially expressed during replicative senescence. We compared lncRNAs expressed in proliferating, early-passage, 'young' human diploid WI-38 fibroblasts [population doubling (PDL) 20] with those expressed in senescent, late-passage, 'old' fibroblasts (PDL 52) by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Numerous transcripts in all lncRNA groups (antisense lncRNAs, pseudogene-encoded lncRNAs, previously described lncRNAs and novel lncRNAs) were validated using reverse transcription (RT) and real-time, quantitative (q)PCR. Among the novel senescence-associated lncRNAs (SAL-RNAs) showing lower abundance in senescent cells, SAL-RNA1 (XLOC_023166) was found to delay senescence, because reducing SAL-RNA1 levels enhanced the appearance of phenotypic traits of senescence, including an enlarged morphology, positive β-galactosidase activity, and heightened p53 levels. Our results reveal that the expression of known and novel lncRNAs changes with senescence and suggests that SAL-RNAs play direct regulatory roles in this important cellular process.
High-resolution methods for measuring the thermal expansion coefficient of aerospace materials

Accurately predicting the coefficient of thermal expansion for many aerospace components is critical to ensure proper functionality on orbit where the temperature gradient across a spacecraft can vary from +300 °F to −450 °F. Under these conditions, the linear approximations generated by theoretical equations no longer hold true, and experimental methods are needed. Although several methods exist for measuring the coefficient of thermal expansion of materials, laser interferometry yields high-resolution results, and the technique is widely accepted in the scientific community.
P5D-5 Principal Component Analysis of Shear Strain Effects

Shear stresses are always present during a applied axial compression, since tissue slippage occurs along both the lateral and elevational directions. The shear stress component along the axial compression axes, adds to the axial compression, while the perpendicular components introduce both lateral and elevational motion and deformation introducing additional noise artifacts into the axial and lateral strain images. We evaluate the impact of the lateral shear stress component within the image plane on the normal strain tensors by varying the shear angle during axial compression. For small axial compressions, shearing strains can significantly reduce strain image quality, quantified using the elastographic signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratio. Shear strain effects also increase the noise level in the strain tensor images for larger axial compressions. On the other hand, principal component analysis can be used to project the strain tensor images into the first and second principal component images that provide reproducible strain images with significantly higher elastographic signal and contrast-to-noise ratios.
Exchange rate volatility and currency substitution

Abstract This paper employs a conventional small open economy portfolio balance macromodel to unveil new implications of currency substitution. Increased substitutability between foreign and domestic currency is found to affect the response of the exchange rate of both asset market and commodity market shocks. In particular, the extent of exchange rate overshooting and undershooting depends on the degree of currency substitution.
A High-Level Single-Sideband Transmitter

Double-sideband suppressed-carrier signals can be generated with relatively high efficiency at high power levels in grid-modulated balanced modulators so biased that very little plate current flows in the absence of audio input. When tubes having a constant-current characteristic are used, and the necessary quadrature phase shift between pairs of audio- and radio-frequency excitation voltages exists, two high-power balanced modulators of this type may be connected to a common output circuit to produce suppressed-carrier single-sideband signals. The peak efficiency of the combination for sinusoidal modulation is π/4 times or 78 per cent that obtainable when the same tubes are used as linear amplifiers. Operating adjustments are shown to be straightforward. The simplicity and power economy of this circuit make it attractive for those applications where moderately low distortion and reasonably good rejection of the undesired sideband are satisfactory.
Human Trichohyalin Gene Is Clustered with the Genes for Other Epidermal Structural Proteins and Calcium-Binding Proteins at Chromosomal Locus 1q21

Trichohyalin is a major differentiation product of hard keratinizing tissues such as the inner root sheath and medullary cells of the hair follicle and the filiform papillae of the tongue, as well as terminally differentiating epidermal cells. It consists largely of quasi-repeating peptide repeats and functions primarily as an intermediate filament-associated protein in these tissues. By mapping with human-rodent somatic cell hybrids and fluorescent in situ hybridization, we demonstrate that its gene maps to chromosomal region 1q21. Interestingly, genes encoding several other structural proteins expressed during terminal differentiation in the epidermis map to this region, as do also several members of the S-100 class of small calcium-binding proteins.
Thyroxine and propylthiouracil effects in vivo on alpha and beta adrenergic receptors in rat heart

Abstract Dihydroalprenolol and dihydroergocryptine were used to measure β and α adrenergic receptors respectively in heart ventricles from control, thyroxine (T 4 )-treated and propylthiouracil (PTU)-treated rats. Ventricles from T 4 -treated rats show an increase in the number of β receptors and a decrease in the number of α receptors. The β to α receptor ratio increases six fold. No change in binding affinity of the β receptor is observed but a decrease occurs in the affinity of the α receptor in ventricles from T 4 -treated hearts. Ventricles from PTU-treated hearts show a small decrease in the number of β receptors but a large decrease in the number of α receptors. The binding affinity for both the α and β receptor is increased in the PTU-treated rats. The total number of α plus β receptors is increased in the T 4 -treated rats and decreased in the PTU-treated rats.
Problem of universality in phase transitions on hierarchical lattices.

Fundamental problems associated with universality in phase transitions on hierarchical lattices are examined. It is shown that the critical properties actually depend on more details of the lattice than are usually acknowledged. The claim that the fractal dimension and the connectivity serve as criteria for universality is called into question. There is a lack of conclusive evidence, theoretical or experimental, to establish the validity of universality on hierarchical lattices. It therefore seems that universality is but an extrapolated hypothesis that can hope to hold only in a very restricted or approximate sense. It is more likely that the principle of universality is violated.
Quantum information: an integrated light circuit.

There's a long wish list for a workable quantum computer: a viable system must be fast, compact and stable. The first integrated optical quantum logic circuits are a step in the right direction.
Brightness enhancement of a multi-mode ribbon fiber using transmitting Bragg gratings

Increasing the dimensions of a waveguide provides the simplest means of reducing detrimental nonlinear effects, but such systems are inherently multi-mode, reducing the brightness of the system. Furthermore, using rectangular dimensions allows for improved heat extraction, as well as uniform temperature profile within the core. We propose a method of using the angular acceptance of a transmitting Bragg grating (TBG) to filter the fundamental mode of a fiber laser resonator, and as a means to increase the brightness of multi-mode fiber laser. Numerical modeling is used to calculate the diffraction losses needed to suppress the higher order modes in a laser system with saturable gain. The model is tested by constructing an external cavity resonator using an ytterbium doped ribbon fiber with core dimensions of 107.8μm by 8.3μm as the active medium. We show that the TBG increases the beam quality of the system from M 2 = 11.3 to M 2 = 1.45, while reducing the slope efficiency from 76% to 53%, overall increasing the brightness by 5.1 times.
Triassic trace fossils from lacustrine shoreline deposits of the Passaic formation, douglassville, pennsylvania

Lake‐margin deposits of the Late Triassic Passaic Formation, Douglassville, Pennsylvania, have yielded a moderate variety of trace fossils. The greatest diversity and abundance of trace fossils occurs on the sole of a thin gray claystone overlain and underlain by gray siltstones. Specimens of Cochlichnus anguineus, Helminthoidichnites tenuis, Helminthopsis hieroglyphica, Treptichnus pollardi, and paired trails reflect simple, unspecialized, horizontal grazing as well as feeding traces under very shallow water lacustrine conditions. The lack of commonly associated Scoyenia burrows in these deposits may possibly be related to the degree of maturation of the organic debris available. The traces, as well as a lack of meniscate burrows, compare favorably to the Mermia ichnofacies, except Passaic deposits exhibit evidence of subaerial exposure. This unit most likely records a lacustrine expansion whereby grazing trails were emplaced under fully subaqueous conditions. Subsequent shallowing and desiccation, follo...
Neural Network Augmented Kalman Filtering in the Presence of Unknown System Inputs

Presented at the AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference and Exhibit 21 - 24 August 2006, Keystone, Colorado.
Diet of the Banded Drum in North Carolina

Abstract I examined the diet of banded drum Larimus fasciatus collected off North Carolina during September 1973–September 1976. Of the 42 food items ingested, the mysid shrimp Neomysis americana dominated the diet for all fish size-groups (19–182 mm standard length) across years and seasons. A sergestid shrimp Acetes arnericanus, calanoid copepods, fish remains, and chaetognaths were also important foods. Some diet changes occurred with increasing fish size; the smallest prey, calanoid copepods, were eaten more by smaller fish and were replaced in the diet of larger fish by the larger A. americanus. Data on stomach fullness indicated that banded drums fed maximally in summer and autumn. Copepods were eaten more during winter, N. americana in spring and summer, A. americanus in summer and autumn, and chaetognaths in autumn. Fish were eaten least during summer and about equally in other seasons. Banded drum appeared to be an opportunistic, perhaps nocturnal (or low light intensity), plankton feeder.
Quantifying multi-scale habitat use of woody biomass by southern toads

Abstract Woody biomass extraction for use as a feedstock for renewable energy may remove woody debris that provides suitable micro-climates for amphibians. We examined habitat use of the southern toad (Anaxyrus terrestris) as an indicator of relationships between amphibians and woody biomass in pine plantations of the southeastern United States using a controlled enclosure experiment and a field-based radio-telemetry study. In the enclosure experiment, we recorded toad selection among four 16-m2 treatments that varied in area of ground surface covered by coarse woody debris (CWD) and spatial allocation of CWD. Treatments were: (1) ≈100% of the ground area covered by CWD in one large pile (volume of CWD = 1.10 m3, 100CWD); (2) ≈50% of the ground area covered with CWD in one large pile (volume of CWD = 0.60 m3, 50PILE); (3) ≈50% of the ground area covered with CWD dispersed throughout the treatment (volume of CWD = 0.25 m3, 50DISP); and (4) no CWD (0CWD). In the radio-telemetry study, we identified southern toad daytime refuge locations and compared habitat characteristics to paired random locations. From May to August 2013, toads (n = 47) did not use enclosure treatments randomly during nocturnal hours (P
A novel method for internal feature reconstruction based on infrared thickness measurement

This paper presents a novel method to reconstruct the internal structures of a mechanical part based on 2D thickness measurement from an Infrared (IR) measurement system. Conventionally, the internal structures are measured by X-Ray imaging techniques but those methods suffer from large measurement errors (higher than 0.125 mm). Using an innovative fixture, this new method first registers the 2D thickness measurement data with a 3D CAD model or a 3D point cloud representing the external feature of the measured part, and then reconstructs the internal features based on the thickness information from IR system. Experimental results shows this new method provides significantly high accuracy compared with X-Ray imaging techniques.
Tutorial CIMSVP-T advanced image processing

In this tutorial we discuss a number of basic concepts such as time and frequency domain image processing as well as advanced topics such as wavelets and image reconstruction. We also hope to demonstrate a few image processing applications.
Disruption of Angiogenesis by PEX, a Noncatalytic Metalloproteinase Fragment with Integrin Binding Activity

Angiogenesis depends on both cell adhesion and proteolytic mechanisms. In fact, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and integrin alphavbeta3 are functionally associated on the surface of angiogenic blood vessels. A fragment of MMP-2, which comprises the C-terminal hemopexin-like domain, termed PEX, prevents this enzyme binding to alphavbeta3 and blocks cell surface collagenolytic activity. PEX blocks MMP-2 activity on the chick chorioallantoic membrane where it disrupts angiogenesis and tumor growth. Importantly, a naturally occurring form of PEX can be detected in vivo in conjunction with alphavbeta3 expression in tumors and during developmental retinal neovascularization. Levels of PEX in these vascularized tissues suggest that it interacts with endothelial cell alphavbeta3 where it serves as a natural inhibitor of MMP-2 activity, thereby regulating the invasive behavior of new blood vessels.
A new data mining tool for analyzing coumarin-based prodrugs

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on using fuzzy neural data mining techniques to analyze nonlinear relations among chemical factors.Through standardizing and rescaling the raw data, we processed the data into fuzzy neural network not only to learnchemical knowledge from large amounts of experimental data, but also predict future chemical parameters for furtherexperimental verification. The results show that the most relative chemical factor can be obtained by analyzing theexperimental errors using fuzzy rules.Keywords: neural network, data mining, fuzzy logic, chem-informatics, bioinformatics, drug discovery 1. INTRODUCTION In recent years there has been the large and energetic upswing in research efforts aimed a synthesizing fuzzy logicwith computational neural networks in the emerging field of soft computing in Al [ 1 ][2]. The enormous success orcommercial applications (primarily by Japanese companies), which are dependent on a large extent on soft computingtechnologies, has led to a serge of interest in these techniques for applications throughout the US textile industry.The combination of fuzzy logic with computational neural networks has a sound technical basis, because these twoapproaches generally attack the design of "intelligent" systems from quite different angles [3]. Neural networks areessentially low level, computational algorithms that offer good performance in dealing with large quantities of data oftenrequired in pattern recognition and control [4]. Fuzzy logic, introduced in 1965 is a means for representing, manipulationand utilizing data and information that possess non-statistical uncertainty. Thus, fuzzy methods often deal with issuessuch as reasoning on a higher level than do neural networks [5].
Crystallization of deuterated ribonuclease.

WE have prepared deuterated bovine pancreatic ribonuclease (Armour, lot 381–059) by the procedures of Hermans and Scheraga1. Both RNaseH20 (all but 20 exchangeable H's exchanged) and RNase all-deuterated crystallized from 55 per cent (v/v) aqueous 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol (deuterated solvent) in form II2. The intensities of the X-ray reflexions along the principal axes were identical within experimental precision to those of non-deuterated crystals out to 2θ = 60° (1.5 A. resolution); at higher angles RNase gives poor reflexions. The lattice constants were identical to those of undeuterated crystals within the normal variation (± 0.05 A. and ± 0.03°). The small differences between deuterium bonds and hydrogen bonds do not change the structure of RNase within the limits observable by X-ray diffraction. Detectable changes might be produced in the case of a crystallizable protein with a transition temperature near room temperature instead of the high transition temperature (61° C.) of RNase2.
Zouave Stories: Gender, Catholic Spirituality, and French Responses to the Roman Question*

In 1860, Joseph-Louis Guerin, a seminarian in the French city of Nantes, promised his mother that he would bring her a rosary blessed by Pope Pius IX. At first, she thought he was referring to the distant future, after his ordination. But he told her gently that he would be leaving for Rome immediately, and as she wept, he departed to join the pontifical Zouaves, the international volunteer force of devout Catholics dedicated to preserving the temporal sovereignty of the Holy See against the forces of the Italian Risorgimento. Guerin was wounded at the battle of Castelfidardo later that year, and he died on All Saints’ Day, “in ecstasy,” smiling, and with his eyes wide open and insensitive to light. In death his face “preserved the angelic form it had had in life.” Guerin’s story continues in a more unusual vein after his death. In March 1861, a young, desperately ill Italian girl, paralyzed, blind, and epileptic, saw a man in a peculiar uniform—baggy Arab-style trousers and a short jacket decorated with red braid—who instructed her to continue praying. The next night he appeared again and told her that her prayers had been answered: she immediately stood up, opened her eyes and saw an image of the Virgin on the wall. On her way from confession the next day, she recognized her visitor’s distinctive uniform when she passed a contingent of Zouaves in the street, and, shown a photograph of the dead Guerin, she recognized him as her visitor.1 The story of Guerin’s miracle circulated in Zouave commemorative literature, and for many his presumed sanctity came to represent the martyrdom of all Zouaves. Guerin’s story is evidence of a particular strain of French Catholic devotion to Pius IX and of Catholic mobilization in the face of the threat to papal sovereignty. It is a strange narrative, however, that disrupts many of our assumptions about how French men and women experienced emotion, faith, and the supernatural. This essay explores the stories told about Joseph Guerin and other Zouaves, with particular attention to what they tell us about gender and Catholic spirituality. Guerin and his fellow Zouaves were hardly typical of
Design of a semi-synthetic (polymyxin-B•NHS-LC-biotin)4lavidin tetramer and evaluation of its ability to inhibit lipopolysaccharide induced TNFα synthesis

A method is described for the semi-synthetic production of (polymyxin-B•NHS-LC-biotin) 4lavidin tetramer. In phase I of semi-synthesis procedures, polymyxin-B was reacted with NHS-LC-biotin reagent resulting in the generation of the reactive intermediate, polymyxin-B•NHS-LC-biotin.In phase II of the conjugation procedure, the polymyxin-B•NHS-LC-biotin complex was combined with purified avidin producing the tetramer complex, (polymyxin-B•NHS-LC-biotin) 4lavidin. A 'long-chain' biotinylation reagent, NHS-LC-biotin minimized steric hinderance phenomenon thereby maximizing the binding of multiple lipopolysaccharide molecules.Binding avidity of (polymyxin-B•NHS-LC-biotin) 4lavidin for lipopolysaccharide was established with the application of fluorescein isothiocyanate Escherichia coli (055:B5) lipopolysaccharide conjugate (FITC-LPS). Applying a tissue culture based biological assay, (polymyxin-B•NHS-LC-biotin) 4lavidin was capable of inhibiting Salmonella minnesota (RS) lipopolysaccharide induced synthesis of...
Simpler problems for elastic plates

Abstract Using rather general nonlinear theory, we indicate what are some of the more tractable problems for elastic plates.
Agreement of Medicare claims and tumor registry data for assessment of cancer-related treatment.

Background.Although health claims data are increasingly used in evaluating variations in patterns of cancer care and outcomes, little is known about the comparability of these data with tumor registry information.Objectives.To evaluate the agreement between Medicare claims and tumor registry data in
Relativistic Collision Model for Particle Simulation

Summary form only given. For many applications, such as wakefield accelerators and high power microwave tubes, interaction of high energy charged particles with background neutral gas constituents is a key part of the physics. The goal of this work is to extend non-relativistic Monte Carlo collision dynamics to the relativistic regime for computational particle models. In the non-relativistic Monte Carlo package, implemented in XPDP, the probability for collisions in a fixed time step is calculated using random numbers, and the null collision method is applied to reduce the computation load, as an additional operation within the usual PIC charged particle scheme. Based on the non-relativistic collision package, we have developed the relativistic Monte Carlo collision package, introducing the Wentzel model for the cross-section of relativistic elastic collisions and applying relativistic two-body kinematics using four vectors. This model is also compared to a recent relativistic model for several energy regimes. Simulations of a relativistic electron beam are compared with experimental measurements to validate the model
A Stembridge-Stanton style elementary proof of the Habsieger-Kadell q -Morris identity

Abstract Stembridge's recent short, elegant, and elementary proof of the equal parameter case of the Zeilberger-Bressoud q -Dyson theorem is adapted to give a short and elementary proof of the q -Morris identity, recently proved analytically by Habsieger and Kadell.
Spot test for detection of prostaglandin E and F compounds

A very simple, easy, inexpensive and quick spot test has been developed for the detection of prostaglandin E and F compounds on a micro scale using silica gel impregnated glass fiber paper.
Some Easily Found Minimum Variance Unbiased Estimators

Abstract Several methods are available for finding minimum variance unbiased estimators for functions of distribution parameters. This paper concentrates on two which are rarely used but simple when applicable. The first, previously discussed by Davis (1951) and Tate (1959), yields estimators by differentiation when the range of nonzero probability for a continuous random variable depends on an unknown parameter. The second, which has wider applicability, permits estimators for some rather complicated functions to be found by using some well-known results from distribution theory. A number of examples are presented, many of which are suitable for classroom exercises.
Persistence of category A select agents in the environment.

The intentional use of biological agents as weapons could result in deaths in numbers comparable to those expected from the use of nuclear weapons. It is one of the most significant terrorism threats ([16][1], [82][2]) and has the potential to catalyze a general breakdown of society through a loss
Long-term seed storage and viability of Zostera marina

Successful establishment of seedlings in populations of Zostera marina (eelgrass), especially for restoration efforts using stored seeds, depends in part on viability and germination of seeds. Seeds of Z. marina were collected from plants and stored in seawater at 5 ◦C for up to several years. Seed viability, assessed with the viability stain, tetrazolium chloride, decreased steadily over a four-year period. There was a strong correlation between age and viability; viability of fresh seeds was approximately 77% whereas for four-year old seeds was 32%. However, only 51 of 975 of fresh seeds that germinated (∼5%) developed leaves. The physical structure of the seed was evaluated to understand the effects of aging. It was determined that as seeds age there is an increase in the number of fractures on the seed coat. These data combined with the recent awareness that global seagrass populations are declining present valuable information to help maintain viable seed repositories which may contribute to the conservation and restoration of these wild plants. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Multimodality therapy for the curative treatment of cancer of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction

This review examines the role of combined-modality therapy in the treatment of locally advanced esophageal cancer. While surgery remains a cornerstone of treatment, recent studies have demonstrated that pre- or perioperative chemotherapy is associated with improved survival. Primary chemoradiotherapy is the accepted standard of care for medically inoperable patients. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy continues to be investigated and is associated with several advantages over neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone, including an improvement in the pathologic complete response rate and resectability; patients who achieve a pathologic complete response also appear to have improved survival. Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy may be considered for patients who undergo primary resection of lower esophageal/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Future directions include the investigation of novel chemotherapy regimens, the addition of targeted therapies and the use of PET to provide an early assessment of response.
Fibrocytes: emerging effector cells in chronic inflammation

Fibrocytes are mesenchymal cells that arise from monocyte precursors. They are present in injured organs and have both the inflammatory features of macrophages and the tissue remodelling properties of fibroblasts. Chronic inflammatory stimuli mediate the differentiation, trafficking and accumulation of these cells in fibrosing conditions associated with autoimmunity, cardiovascular disease and asthma. This Opinion article discusses the immunological mediators controlling fibrocyte differentiation and recruitment, describes the association of fibrocytes with chronic inflammatory diseases and compares the potential roles of fibrocytes in these disorders with those of macrophages and fibroblasts. It is hoped that this information prompts new opportunities for the study of these unique cells.
Review of Methods and Tools Applied in Technology Assessment Literature

Technology assessment is an emerging field of management study for the past four decades. An increasing number of researches have been carried out over the years that contributes to the development of TA literature. There have been some journal articles summarizing the history and growth of the field during its evolution. However there has been no effort made to present an overview of the methodologies and tools that have been used in the TA research literature. This paper is the first attempt to fill that need. A thorough review of the TA articles published in leading journals in the MOT field is conducted to identify the methodologies or research tools in the studies. The paper starts with a brief overview of the development of the TA field over its history. This section provides the readers with knowledge of the movements in the field. A classification of the approaches, methods and tools that are available for TA studies is then introduced. The main content of the paper presents the works done in TA literature that involve certain research methodologies. A separate section is devoted to the status of TA relating developing countries follows, which highlights the interest of the author of his future research direction. It is hoped that the review will reveal opportunities for his research in devising a new TA model that is dedicated to the developing world. In general the paper's main objective is to provide an overview of available TA methodologies that can be applied or further developed by other researchers.
Normal first stage of preterm labor.

Objective To compare first-stage labor patterns in women in preterm labor to those in labor at term. Study Design We performed a retrospective cohort study of consecutive women admitted from 2004 to 2008 with viable (≥24 weeks) vertex singleton gestations who reached the second stage of labor. Labor curves for preterm and term labor were created using a repeated-measures analysis with polynomial modeling. Interval-censored regression was used to estimate and compare median time of progression of labor. Multivariable analyses were performed to adjust for smoking, obesity (body mass index ≥30), induction, and nulliparity. The adjusted model was stratified by parity and induction of labor. Results Of 5,612 consecutive births, 224 were preterm ( Conclusion Women in preterm labor progress more rapidly through the first stage of labor than women at term.
Toward a Systems Biology Framework for Understanding Aging and Health Span

It is argued that aging research is at a stage where it could benefit greatly from a more intense engagement with the perspectives emphasized by systems biology and complexity science. A more integrated, systematic approach is needed if we are ever to have a fully developed, fundamental understanding of aging, longevity, and their relationship to health. A broader, deeper, more quantitative, and predictive conceptual framework can lead to theoretical approaches and realistic models that can be quantitatively confronted with data and, perhaps more importantly, stimulate novel questions and novel experiments. Integral to this is the search for underlying causal multilevel mechanisms and principles that can be quantified and developed into a serious predictive theoretical framework, providing a point of departure for framing a more integrated research agenda.
In vivo measurements of ultrasonic backscatter from blood

Ultrasonic backscatter from whole blood has been studied extensively in vitro. It has found to be related to hematocrit, plasma protein, and flow disturbance. To validate these in vitro results, in vivo backscatter measurements have been made on whole blood flowing in the abdominal aorta and the inferior vena cava using a 10 MHz intravascular transducer in pigs. The probe was inserted into vessels of interest via a peripheral vein or artery. Backscattering coefficient (BSC) of blood was measured using a newly developed approach in which backscattered power acquired from a 6% porcine red cell suspension was used as a reference to extract the BSC from a dense scattering medium. Results from three pigs showed that BSC of blood in the vein and artery is respectively 3.7-10/sup -5/ and 1.2/spl times/10/sup -5/ (cm-sr)/sup -1/ at 10 MHz and 34% hematocrit which are slightly larger than BSC from the porcine red cell suspension of the same hematocrit and frequency at 6.5/spl times/10/sup -6/ (cm-sr)/sup -1/. One important reason for the higher backscatter in veins is that red cell aggregation is more pronounced in veins where blood flow is less pulsatile and slower than that in arteries. Moreover, previous in vitro measurements also showed that disturbed flow may increase ultrasonic backscatter of blood. This observation was confirmed by the current in vivo measurements in which stenosis were created by ligating the artery. Backscatter of blood measured downstream of the stenosis as a function of distance from the stenosis indicates that the closer the site where the measurement was made to the stenosis, the higher the backscatter, presumably resulted from the higher degree of flow disturbance.
The Effect of the Three-Dimensional Geometry of Cargo on the Detection of Radioactive Sources in Cargo Containers

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed computer models to simulate the screening of vehicles and cargo with radiation portal monitors for the presence of illegitimate radioactive material. In addition, selected measurements have been conducted to validate the models. An important consideration in the modeling of realistic scenarios is the influence of the three-dimensional geometry of the cargo on the measured signature. This is particularly important for scenarios where the source and detector move with respect to each other. Two cases of the influence of the three-dimensional geometry of the cargo on the measured radiation signature are analyzed. In the first, measurements show that spectral data collected from moving sources so as to maximize the gross-counting signal-to-noise ratio has minimal spectral distortion, so that the spectral data can be summed over this time interval. In the second, modeling demonstrates that the ability to detect radioactive sources at all locations in a container full of cargo scales approximately linearly with the vertical height of the detector, suggesting that detectors should be approximately the same height as the container they scan.
Hands-free documentation

In this paper, we introduce an analysis of the requirements and design choices for hands-free documentation. Hands-busy tasks such as cooking or car repair may require substantial interruption of the task: moving the pan off the burner and wiping hands, or crawling out from underneath the car. We review the need for hands-free documentation and explore the role of task in the use of documentation. Our central analysis examines the roles and characteristics of input and output modalities of hands-free documentation. In particular, we review the use of speech as an input modality, and then visual means and speech as possible output modalities. Finally, we discuss the implications of our analysis for the design of hands-free documentation and suggest future work. The design implications include issues of navigating through the documentation, determining the user's task and task-step, establishing mutual understanding of the state of the task, and determining when to start conveying information to the user.
Homozygous deletion of CDKN2A and codeletion of the methylthioadenosine phosphorylase gene in the majority of pleural mesotheliomas.

Purpose: Homozygous deletions at chromosome region 9p21 targeting the CDKN2A gene have been reported as a common cytogenetic abnormality in mesothelioma. MTAP , a gene ∼100-kb telomeric to CDKN2A , encodes methylthioadenosine phosphorylase, an enzyme essential in the salvage of cellular adenine and methionine, and its codeletion with CDKN2A has been reported in other tumors. The aim of this study was to define the prevalence of homozygous deletion of CDKN2A alone or in combination with MTAP in a large series of pleural mesothelioma. Experimental Design: We used a fluorescent in situ hybridization assay for CDKN2A and MTAP on interphase nuclei in imprints of frozen tissue from 95 cases of pleural mesothelioma. Histologically, the cases were classified as epithelial (71), biphasic (19) and sarcomatous (5). In each experiment, a 9p21 locus specific probe and a chromosome 9 centromeric probe were used and fluorescent in situ hybridization signals for both probes were simultaneously recorded in at least 100 nuclei. Cases were considered homozygously deleted if both 9p21 signals were lost in at least 20% of nuclei. Results: Overall, 70 cases (74%) had homozygous deletion of CDKN2A. MTAP was codeleted in 64 of these cases (91%). No case with MTAP deletion without CDKN2A deletion was identified. Homozygous loss of CDKN2A was seen in 49 of 71 epithelial (70%), 16 of 19 biphasic (89%), and 5 of 5 sarcomatous (100%) mesotheliomas. Conclusions: Homozygous deletion of CDKN2A is seen in the majority of pleural mesotheliomas, and MTAP is codeleted in most of these cases. Previous cell line studies have shown that loss of MTAP renders cells dependent on de novo synthesis of purine derivatives. Thus, the particularly high prevalence of MTAP codeletion in mesothelioma makes it an ideal candidate for trials of targeted therapy using inhibitors of de novo AMP synthesis ( e.g. , l-alanosine).
Anatomic surgical management of chronic low back pain.

Objective To review spine surgery management strategies for patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) that has failed to respond to all nonsurgical treatment options. Materials and Methods Literature review was conducted for spine surgery in the treatment of CLBP without compressive anatomical disease. The main diagnosis identified was degenerated disc disease, and surgical options targeted for the treatment of CLBP were reviewed. Results The history of current spine intervention for CLBP was reviewed, including various surgical options. Surgical treatment options for patients with CLBP include lumbar fusion, lumbar disc arthroplasty, and dynamic stabilization. Lumbar fusion remains the most frequent spine surgery performed for CLBP, but questions still exist regarding its efficacy in comparison with conservative care or interventional pain management. Lumbar disc arthroplasty and dynamic stabilization can both be considered only for select patients with CLBP, and their uses are currently limited. Conclusion Despite the number of spine surgeries that have been performed for CLBP, the surgical outcome still remains questionable. Until a precise identification of the cause of CLBP in any given patient can be precisely determined, surgical solutions will continue to be less than optimal.
Hybrid and Parallel Domain-Decomposition Methods Development to Enable Monte Carlo for Reactor Analyses *

** This paper describes code and methods development at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory focused on enabling high-fidelity, large-scale reactor analyses with Monte Carlo (MC). Current state-of-the-art tools and methods used to perform “real” commercial reactor analyses have several undesirable features, the most significant of which is the non-rigorous spatial decomposition scheme. Monte Carlo methods, which allow detailed and accurate modeling of the full geometry and are considered the “gold standard” for radiation transport solutions, are playing an ever-increasing role in correcting and/or verifying the deterministic, multi-level spatial decomposition methodology in current practice. However, the prohibitive computational requirements associated with obtaining fully converged, system-wide solutions restrict the role of MC to benchmarking deterministic results at a limited number of state-points for a limited number of relevant quantities. The goal of this research is to change this paradigm by enabling direct use of MC for full-core reactor analyses. The most significant of the many technical challenges that must be overcome are the slow, non-uniform convergence of system-wide MC estimates and the memory requirements associated with detailed solutions throughout a reactor (problems involving hundreds of millions of different material and tally regions due to fuel irradiation, temperature distributions, and the needs associated with multi-physics code coupling). To address these challenges, our research has focused on the development and implementation of (1) a novel hybrid deterministic/MC method for determining high-precision fluxes throughout the problem space in k-eigenvalue problems and (2) an efficient MC domain-decomposition (DD) algorithm that partitions the problem phase space onto multiple processors for massively parallel systems, with statistical uncertainty estimation. The hybrid method development is based on an extension of the FW-CADIS method, which attempts to achieve uniform statistical uncertainty throughout a designated problem space. The MC DD development is being implemented in conjunction with the Denovo deterministic radiation transport package to have direct access to the 3-D, massively parallel discrete-ordinates solver (to support the hybrid method) and the associated parallel routines and structure. This paper describes the hybrid method, its implementation, and initial testing results for a realistic 2-D quarter core pressurized-water reactor model and also describes the MC DD algorithm and its implementation.
A toolbox for power system dynamics and control engineering education and research

The design concept and use of the power system toolbox (PST), a Matlab-based power system dynamics simulation and control design package, are discussed. The motivation for developing the package was to provide a flexible environment for teaching power system simulation techniques and control design concepts to advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and for graduate students to perform research and development on power systems. The authors discuss the capabilities of PST and the software development philosophy. Sample applications are given. Some potential educational usage is suggested. The future enhancement to the package is outlined. >