cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Producer Gas Composition and NOx Emissions from a Pilot-Scale Biomass Gasification and Combustion System Using Feedstock with Controlled Nitrogen Content

This study is focused on the effects of nitrogen content in biomass feedstock on the producer gas composition and the flue gas NOx emissions from a pilot-scale gasification and combustion system. Biomass gasification has the potential to produce carbon neutral energy by using renewable resources. When the biomass-derived gas is burned, NOx emissions are a critical factor that can limit the use of the system. In this study, tests were conducted in a pilot-scale fluidized-bed gasifier using biomass feedstock with different nitrogen contents varying from 0.14 to 1.75 wt %. The producer gas from the gasifier undergoes a gas cleaning phase before its combustion in a burner. The producer gas and the exhaust flue gas were analyzed. Results show that there is a direct and proportional relationship between nitrogen in biomass, ammonia in the producer gas, and NOx emissions in the flue gas. Additionally, NOx emissions do not vary noticeably with the overall equivalence ratio in the burner but vary significantly wit...
Uterine uptake of progesterone and estradiol in young and aged rabbits.

SummaryEighteen young female rabbits 6-13 mo old, and 28 aged rabbits 49-72 mo old, were randomized into three treatment groups. Group 1 does were ovariectomized and sacrificed 14 days later. Groups 2 and 3 were sacrificed 12 and 24 days post-coitum (pc), respectively. Net progesterone-7-3H and 17β-estradiol-4-14C uptakes were determined for uterine tissue strips incubated at 37° for 0, 2 and 4 hr by correcting for skeletal muscle incubated similarly.Net uterine uptakes of progesterone-7-3H and 17β-estradiol-4-14C were greatest in the ovariectomized does and decreased particularly in the young does with increased time pc. Of most significance was the two- to fourfold greater uptake of both steroid hormones by uteri from young does than old does after 2 and 4 hr of incubation in the ovariectomized group and after 4 hr of incubation in the 12 day pc group. By 24 days pc steroid hormone uptake was low in both groups and not significantly different. The reduced capacity of uterine tissue in aged rabbits to ta...
An improved technique for the neutralization test with adenoviruses in HeLa cell cultures.

The recently discovered adenoviruses,i APC2 or RI,3 associated with upper respiratory and other infections are related because of a common soluble antigen as demonstrated in the complement fixation test. With the neutralization test they have been separated into at least twelve types.4 I n order to learn more about the epidemiology of these viruses, the clinical syndromes associated with specific types, interrelations among types, and the response to vaccines, it is necessary to do neutralization tests.
Improvements in Land-Use Classification for Estimating Daytime Surface Temperatures and Sea-Breeze Flows in Southern California

AbstractUnderstanding the interactions between large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns and changes in land cover and land use (LCLU) due to urbanization is a relevant subject in many coastal climates. Recent studies by Lebassi et al. found that the average maximum air temperatures during the summer in two populated California coastal areas decreased at low-elevation areas open to marine air penetration during the period of 1970–2005. This coastal cooling was attributed to an increase in sea-breeze activity.The aims of this work are to better understand the coastal flow patterns and sea–land thermal gradient by improving the land-cover classification scheme in the region using updated airborne remote sensing data and to assess the suitability of the updated regional atmospheric modeling system for representing maritime flows in this region. This study uses high-resolution airborne data from the NASA Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) mission preparatory flight campaign over Southern C...
Teach Estimation? Of Course!.

Scene 1 : The teachers' lounge the morning after Open House Night. Meg: Why so glum, Tom? Tom : Do you teach estimation? Meg: That doesn't answer my question. Tom: But it's related. Mr. Stanley complained last night that his daughter wasn't learning to estimate. He claims that if you can't estimate in computation, you really don't understand what you're doing. (Pause) Do you teach estimation? Meg: Oh . . . probably not very well. Don't misunderstand me. I know it's im-
Data Elevator: Low-Contention Data Movement in Hierarchical Storage System

Hierarchical storage subsystems that include multiple layers of burst buffers (BB) and disk-based parallel file systems (PFS), are becoming an essential part of HPC systems to address the I/O performance gap. However, the state-of-the-art software for managing these hierarchical storage subsystems, such as Cray DataWarp, requires user involvement in moving data among storage layers. Such manual data movement may experience poor performance because of resource contention on the I/O servers of a layer for serving data movement in the hierarchy as well as regular read/write requests. In this paper, we propose a new system, named Data Elevator, for transparently and efficiently moving data in hierarchical storage. Users specify the final destination for their data, typically a PFS. Data Elevator intercepts the I/O calls, stages data on a fast persistent storage layer (for example, an SSD-based burst buffer), and then asynchronously transfers the data to the final destination in the background. Data Elevator reduces the resource contention on BB servers via offloading the data movement from a fixed number of BB server nodes to compute nodes. The number of the compute nodes is configurable based on the data movement load. Data Elevator also allows optimizations, such as overlapping read and write operations, choosing I/O modes, and aligning buffer boundaries. In our tests with large-scale scientific applications, Data Elevator is as much as 4.2X faster than Cray DataWarp, and 4X faster than directly writing data to PFS.
Peroxisome Function, Biogenesis, and Dynamics in Plants

Recent advances highlight understanding of the diversity of peroxisome contributions to plant biology and the mechanisms through which these essential organelles are generated.
A Survey of Pluto’s Surface Composition

Pluto was discovered less than 100 years ago (in 1930) by Clyde Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ. The founder of the observatory, Percival Lowell, had initiated a systematic search of the sky to find the putative Planet X in 1905 (Tombaugh 1960).
Conjugal Transfer in Anaerobic Bacteria

This chapter will review the biology and genetics of conjugative exchange in selected anaerobic bacteria. Specifically, conjugation in two genera, Bacteroides and Clostridium,will be the central theme. Conjugative systems in these two genera have been discovered and developed over the past 15 years. Although parallel systems are likely to emerge in other anaerobic bacteria, the advanced state of such systems in Bacteroides and Clostridium justifies limiting discussion in these two genera. There are multiple lines of interest driving the study of anaerobic bacteria. First, these organisms include important human and animal pathogens (11). Second, anaerobes, including Bacteroides and Clostridium,make up the bulk of the indigenous microflora of human beings and other mammals (21). This ecological position provides them with the opportunity to initiate infection at remote sites. Equally important, these organisms may contribute to pathology without leaving their normal niche. For example, both the Bacteroides and the clostridia have been implicated in the generation of potentially cocarcinogenic compounds in the human colon (10, 21). Colonic anaerobes also have been implicated in useful physiological process such as the production of nutrients and the degradation of complex dietary carbohydrates (42). Finally, anaerobic bacteria are of considerable interest to the biotechnologist. The metabolic diversity of the clostridia has been exploited in such processes as biodegradation, production of fuels and solvents, and biotransformations (23, 29, 70).
On the Single-Point, Single-Dose Problem

The problem of predicting dosage requirements for individual patients has received considerable attention in recent years. The use of average values of pharmacokinetic parameters for predicting dosage rates or steady-state drug concentrations has obvious limitations due to inter-patient variability. In order to incorporate individual variability into such predictions, the “single-point, single-dose” method was introduced by Slattery et al. [1]. In this method, one measurement of serum drug concentration is made at a sampling time, t s , after a test dose is given. This single measurement is then used in a linear, one compartment model to predict relevant pharmacokinetic variables. Slattery et al. [1], as well as other investigators [2–4], have indicated an optimal sampling time of \( {t_s} = k_0^{ - 1} \) where k 0 is the average population value of the elimination rate constant. These analyses generally utilize a localized linearization argument, which is strictly valid only in the limit as the population variance of the rate constant approaches zero.
Quality of Life, Assisted Prolongation of Life, and End of Life Issues

Savants in the field of health economics have coined some highly meaningful catchphrases over the past couple of decades. One such term is the impact of disease on human health or, more specifically, the global burden of disease on health. It has many nuances and ramifications in a person’s working life and indeed on the community in general. No doubt there are a fair number of clinical conditions that cause significant morbidity and incapacity to those who sufferer from it, resulting in loss of work and thus an economic burden on the people’s family and society. Some diehards may even cite an example of chronic intractable vasomotor rhinitis, which may indeed affect quality of life, with repeated bouts of sneezing, rhinorrhoea, and nasal stuffiness. But that is only a minor example compared to someone suffering with advanced motor neurone disease or painful sciatica.
Comparison of Digital Back-Propagation with Nonlinear Fourier Transform and Split-Step Fourier for Nonlinear Mitigation in Optical Fiber Systems

This study shows that digital back-propagation with nonlinear Fourier transform is significantly less efficient than split-step Fourier to mitigate nonlinear distortions in optical fibers, since the nonlinear spectrum describes the entire nonlinear evolution that is much longer than the propagation distances in the nonlinear regime.
High-dimensional offline origin-destination (OD) demand calibration for stochastic traffic simulators of large-scale road networks

Abstract This paper considers high-dimensional offline calibration problems for large-scale simulation-based network models. We propose a metamodel simulation-based optimization (SO) approach. The proposed method is formulated and validated on a simple synthetic toy network. It is then applied to a high-dimensional case study of a large-scale Singapore network. Compared to two benchmark methods, a derivative-free pattern search method and the SPSA method, the proposed method improves the objective function estimates by two orders of magnitude. Moreover, this improvement is achieved after only 2 simulation runs. Hence, the proposed method is computationally efficient. The main idea of the proposed approach is to embed, within the SO algorithm, information from an analytical (i.e., lower-resolution) yet differentiable and tractable network model. It is this analytical structural information that enables the SO algorithm to become both suitable for high-dimensional problems and computationally efficient. For a network with n links, the analytical network model is implemented as a system of n nonlinear equations. Hence, it scales linearly with the number of links in the network and independently of link attributes (such as link length) and of the dimension of the route choice set.
Centering Equity and Caring in Leadership for Social-Emotional Learning: Toward a Conceptual Framework for Diverse Learners:

School leaders must navigate nonacademic barriers to learning. One type of affective, nonacademic reform is social-emotional learning (SEL), a quickly growing K–12 school initiative. Yet scant empi...
Effects of gluconate on biomass improvement and light stress tolerance of Haematococcus pluvialis in mixotrophic culture

Abstract Mixotrophic culture shows great potential for improving microalgal growth. Currently, the complex roles of organic carbon for biomass enhancement in mixotrophic culture remain a topic of investigation. In this study, the green microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis was cultured for biomass production under mixotrophic conditions using a new organic carbon source, sodium gluconate. Experiments feeding H. pluvialis with sodium gluconate, sodium acetate, and ribose were conducted. The best growth performance was achieved with sodium gluconate exposed to high light intensity. With the addition of 2 g/L gluconate, the maximum cell number achieved 2.43 × 106/mL at 105 ± 3 μmol m−2 s−1 light intensity, a five-fold increase over that of heterotrophic culture and 89.8% increase over ribose-fed mixotrophic culture. The maximum dry cell weight was 2.09 g/L with a specific growth rate of 0.48 d−1, an increase of 77.1% over that with optimal ribose conditions. The cellular motility of microalgae was affected by the culture age and light intensity. At lower light intensity (45 ± 3 μmol m−2 s−1), the highest motile cell number was 7.33 × 105/mL with gluconate. Under mixotrophic conditions, the culture with gluconate kept high numbers of motile cells with the increase of light intensity, 3.17 × 105/mL at 105 ± 3 μmol m−2 s−1. Even high light intensity caused decrease in cellular motility, gluconate-fed microalgae still had active cell activity with more motile cells compared with that fed with ribose. Microalgae with gluconate triggered resistant response against high light intensity under mixotrophic conditions. Moreover, H. pluvialis showed great potential in effective photosynthesis with higher chlorophyll content under high light condition. These results indicate that gluconate is an effective organic carbon source for improving biomass productivity, cell activity, and photosynthesis efficiency for H. pluvialis in mixotrophic culture.
Physical Health, Mental Health, and Nutrition

This chapter begins with a literature review on the negative health outcomes associated with food insecurity and poor dietary habits in the general population. I briefly review the literature on K-12 students before detailing the expanding research on college students. Next, I discuss the research at UNT and detail the physical consequences of food insecurity as described by students. The next section discusses the association of mental health issues with hunger and poor nutrition, starting with the general literature, then among college student, and next among UNT students. Finally, I end the chapter with a discussion about how nutrition fits in with their experiences with food insecurity and their physical and mental health.
Translesion Synthesis by MmLV-, AMV-, and HIV-Reverse Transcriptases Using RNA Templates Containing Inosine, Guanosine, and Their 8-oxo-7,8-Dihydropurine Derivatives.

ABSTRACT Inosine is ubiquitous and essential in many biological processes, including RNA-editing. In addition, oxidative stress on RNA has been a topic of increasing interest due, in part, to its potential role in the development/progression of disease. In this work we probed the ability of three reverse transcriptases to catalyze the synthesis of cDNA in the presence of RNA templates containing inosine (I), 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroinosine (8oxo-I), guanosine (G), or 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoG), and explored the impact that these purine derivatives have as a function of position. To this end, we used 29-mers of RNA (as template) containing the modifications at position-18 and reverse transcribed DNA using 17-mers, 18-mers, or 19-mers (as primers). Generally reactivity of the viral RTs, MMLV / AMV / HIV, towards cDNA synthesis was similar for templates containing G or I, as well as for those with 8-oxoG or 8-oxoI. Notable differences are 1) that templates containing I enabled the incorporation of dT when using 17-mers (for exploring incorporation of dNTPs opposite the site of interest); 2) that the use of 18-mers of DNA (to explore cDNA synthesis past the lesion) led to DNA elongation inhibition in the case when a G:dA wobble pair was present, while the presence of I, 8-oxoI, or 8-oxoG led to full synthesis of the corresponding cDNA, with the latter two displaying a more efficient process; 3) that HIV-RT is more sensitive to modified base pairs in the vicinity of cDNA synthesis; and 4) that the presence of a modification two positions away from transcription initiation has an adverse impact on the overall process. Steady-state kinetics were established to determine substrate specificities towards canonical dNTPs (N = G, C, T, A). Overall we found evidence that RNA templates containing inosine are likely to incorporate dC > dT > > dA, where reactivity in the presence of dA was found to be pH dependent (process abolished at pH 7.3); and that the absence of the C2-exocyclic amine, as displayed with templates containing 8-oxoI, leads to increased selectivity towards incorporation of dA over dC. The data will be useful in assessing the impact that the presence of inosine and/or oxidatively generated lesions have on viral processes and adds to previous reports where I codes exclusively like G.
Behavior, process, and scale: Comments on Shimp (2020), "Molecular (moment-to-moment) and molar (aggregate) analyses of behavior"

If we study the behavior of organisms, we must understand the ontological status of both "organism" and "behavior." A living organism maintains itself alive by constantly interacting with the environment, taking in energy and discarding waste. Ontologically, an organism is a process. Its interactions with the environment, which constitute its behavior, are processes also, because the parts of any process are themselves processes. Processes serve functions, and the function of a process must be part of its identity. A process, by definition, extends in time. Time is the fundamental and universal measure of behavior. All processes have the property of scale. Activities of an organism have parts that are themselves activities on a smaller time scale. Scale varies continuously, and behavior may be studied on as large or as small a time scale as seems necessary. When researchers refer to the "structure" of behavior, they refer to smaller-scale activities. Attaching a switch to a lever or key is convenient, but one should never confuse operation of a switch with a unit of behavior. Shimp's (2020) "molecular" measures are small-scale measures. The molecular view based on discrete events has outlived its usefulness and should be replaced by a multiscale molar paradigm.
THE COST OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND OUTPUT DECISIONS: CERTAINTY AND UNCERTAINTY

In his classic paper, “A Note on Profit Maximization and Its Implications,” Scitovsky [1943] examines the conditions under which “… the maximizing of profits leads to the maximization of the entrepreneur's satisfaction.” He finds that in order “… that maximum profits should maximize his satisfaction, the entrepreneur must have a special type of psychology …” In particular, “… the entrepreneur's choice between more and less activity — or between more income and more leisure — must be independent of his income.”
Synthesis of Biobased Polyols from Soybean Meal for Application in Rigid Polyurethane Foams

Soybean meal or soymeal is an inexpensive protein–carbohydrate biomass and a coproduct of soybean processing. The composition of soymeal was determined before using it for the polyol synthesis. The...
Validity of the modular assessment of risk for imminent suicide in predicting short-term suicidality.

Objective The Modular Assessment of Risk for Imminent Suicide (MARIS) is a clinical assessment tool, consisting of four modules assessing (1) a pre-suicidal cognitive-affective state (Module 1); (2) patients' attitudes toward suicide (Module 2); (3) clinicians' assessment of suicide risk factors (Module 3); and (4) clinicians' emotional responses to patients (Module 4) that assesses short-term suicide risk. Initial evidence provided evidence for its reliability and concurrent validity. The present study extended these findings by examining the MARIS's predictive validity in relation to suicidal thoughts and behaviors at one-month follow-up. Methods A sample of 1039 psychiatric patients (378 inpatients, 661 outpatients) and their clinicians (N = 144) completed a battery of measures at baseline; 670 patients completed the one-month follow-up assessment. Results MARIS total scores predicted suicidal thoughts and behaviors at one-month follow-up, even after controlling for baseline suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Moreover, both Module 1 and the Distress subscale of Module 4 were uniquely associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors at one-month follow-up, controlling for baseline suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Modules 2 and 3, on the other hand, exhibited poor internal consistency. Conclusion Overall, both patient- and clinician-rated indices are uniquely predictive of suicidal thoughts and behaviors at one-month follow-up, highlighting the need for integrating clinicians' emotional responses into suicide risk assessment. Pending replication and extension of these findings in external samples, a briefer, two-module version of MARIS (MARIS-2) may be such an integrative, psychometrically sound, and clinically useful instrument that can be utilized to assess short-term suicide risk.
Corneal Ulcers with NOD2 Mutations Presenting with Mixed Syndromic Phenotype.

Purpose To report a case of corneal ulcers in a patient with NOD2 mutations unique to but phenotypically resembling well-characterized syndromic phenotypes like Blau syndrome. Observation A 25-year-old female with a medical history of type I diabetes mellitus, Asperger syndrome, and neuropathy presented with bilateral corneal ulcers. Her visual acuity was 20/200 OU. Macular edema was identified OS, and posterior synechiae OS suggested a history of anterior uveitis.Genetic testing confirmed NOD2 mutations, and her tear film was positive for matrix metallopeptidase 9. Recent intravenous immunoglobulin therapy improved her neuropathy, and an aggressive regimen of erythromycin ointment and lubrication has improved her ophthalmic symptoms. Conclusion and importance This case advances our understanding of NOD2's role in regulating inflammatory processes of the eye. In addition to precipitating uveitis, patients with these mutations may also be at increased risk of developing corneal pathology related to their reduced capacity to moderate inflammatory processes.
Demographic Ring Study Reports with GIS Technology

Market analysis that is performed in support of commercial real estate decisions has long included demographic ring study reports. Recent advancements in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techno...
The Chediak-Higashi Syndrome: A Comparative Review

The Chediak-Higashi syndrome (C-HS) is a rare autosomal recessive disease first described in man by Beguez-Cesar in 1943. The most prominent features of the disease are partial oculocutaneous albinism, the presence of abnormal, large membrane bound organelles in various cell types, and increased susceptibility to infection. More recently, this syndrome has been reported to occur in mink, cattle, and mice. The general characteristics and clinical aspects of the disease in these animals and man have been reviewed recently and will not be considered here (Padgett, 1968a) (Fig. 1).
Pediatrics and Poverty

Pediatrics is the branch of medicine whose primary concern is the protection of our nation9s children. The guiding principle is to set a course of action that will facilitate their growth and development. However, despite our best efforts the wellbeing of our pediatric population is at risk. We are witnessing the reemergence of poverty among children and its consequences on life9s basic necessities. This transformation is creating a large and growing number of children who are hungry, homeless, and uninsured. The data and information that follow are a composite of material generated by federal and state policymakers. It is information not typically accessed by the medical community.
Mammal life-history evolution with size-dependent mortality

Question: What is the effect of within-species size dependence of mortality on the betweenspecies allometries for maturation and adult life span? Mathematical methods: Optimization of net-reproductive rate, R0, with respect to adult mass, mα. Key assumptions: Instantaneous mortality at age x, size mx, is proportional to mx −h , and this assumption is added to the Charnov (2001) mammal life-history model. Results: h in the range of zero to 0.20 has a very small (≈ 10–15%) effect on the heights of the allometries.
Enumeration of fully correlated signals by modified rank sequences

A method for determining the number of sources impinging on a uniform linear array, which is applicable even in the extreme case of fully correlated sources, is presented. This technique uses modified rank sequences, a modification of the construction implicit in the matrix decomposition methods of A. Di (1985). The authors prove that if a particular rank sequence stabilizes to a value strictly less than the common row size of the defining block matrices, then this value equals the number of sources provided that the number has not exceeded a Bressler-Macovski (1986) type bound. Using the above characterization of stability, they formulate an algorithm that either determines the number of sources or indicates that the resolution capability of the algorithm has been exceeded. Rank determinations are based on an additive perturbation model. A threshold that approximates the largest singular value of the error matrix is determined and used to separate the large and small singular values of the matrices that induce the rank sequence. >
Robust Controller Design for a Nonlinear CSTR

A design methodology is presented for the analysis and synthesis of robust linear controllers for a nonlinear continuous stirred tank reactor. Regions are defined in the phase plane in which the maintenance of robust stability and the achievement of robust performance levels are guaranteed. The results are based upon new extensions of the structured singular value theory to a class of nonlinear and time-varying systems.
Periplasmic structure in Saccharomyces rouxii (Boutroux), an osmophil.

Abstract Electron micrographs of ultrathin sections of S. rouxii displayed electrondense, membrane-circumscribed structures between the protoplasmic membrane and the cell wall. These periplasmic bodies were numerous in cells from a 3-day culture and absent or rare in older cells. Periplasmic bodies were fewer and smaller (flattened) in specimens grown in a medium fortified with 10% sucrose; they were not detected in cells grown in 20% sucrose. A brief treatment with ethyl acetate caused the periplasmic bodies of young cells to become electron light. Periplasmic bodies were most prevalent in the regions of the bud scars and were often accommodated within large invaginations in the protoplasmic membrane. In general, conditions which favor the prevalence and electron density of periplasmic bodies are those which also mask the activity of β-fructofuranosidase in this species.
Smooth switching controllers for reliable induction motor drive operation after sensor failures

This paper presents a switching control method that can be actuated by a supervisory controller, with emphasis on smooth transitions between various open and closed loop controllers in real time. Through conversion of commands into non-periodic voltage values in the synchronous qd0 reference frame, hand-off transient reduction is achieved by controlling the rate of change of stator voltage commands during changeover. Through this method, smooth switched supervisory control can be achieved without synchronization or phase coordination between different commands from different controllers. Controllers are selected based on available sensor feedback. A system containing three controllers is simulated and tested with simulated sensor loss. Results of the proposed smooth switching controller compared to abrupt switching between control commands are compared. The proposed scheme is shown to reduce current and torque transients and maintain smooth operation of the drive. Given that multiple controllers and the switching logic are computationally intensive from an embedded system perspective, the proposed method is verified to operate in a processor-in-the-loop (PIL) environment on a Texas Instruments C2000 microcontroller.
Magnetic properties of filamentary superconductors

The upper critical field Hc2 for coupled filamentary superconductors is analyzed within the context of a Ginzburg-Landau theory similar to the Lawrence-Doniach theory for layered superconductors. Regardless of the field angle, the filaments decouple at a temperature T*, below which Hc2 is infinite. Unusual anomalies are predicted to occur in the Hc2, ∥(T) curve, corresponding to a commensurate fitting of the vortices into the filament lattice. Near Tc, the lower critical field Hc1 is found to obey a simple anisotropic mass law.
Toward a nonlinear ensemble filter for high‐dimensional systems

[1] Many geophysical problems are characterized by high-dimensional, nonlinear systems and pose difficult challenges for real-time data assimilation (updating) and forecasting. The present work builds on the ensemble Kalman filter (EnsKF), with the goal of producing ensemble filtering techniques applicable to non-Gaussian densities and high-dimensional systems. Three filtering algorithms, based on representing the prior density as a Gaussian mixture, are presented. The first, referred to as a mixture ensemble Kalman filter (XEnsF), models local covariance structures adaptively using nearest neighbors. The XEnsF is effective in a three-dimensional system, but the required ensemble grows rapidly with the dimension and, even in a 40-dimensional system, we find the XEnsF to be unstable and inferior to the EnsKF for all computationally feasible ensemble sizes. A second algorithm, the local-local ensemble filter (LLEnsF), combines localizations in physical as well as phase space, allowing the update step in high-dimensional systems to be decomposed into a sequence of lower-dimensional updates tractable by the XEnsF. Given the same prior forecasts in a 40-dimensional system, the LLEnsF update produces more accurate state estimates than the EnsKF if the forecast distributions are sufficiently non-Gaussian. Cycling the LLEnsF for long times, however, produces results inferior to the EnsKF because the LLEnsF ignores spatial continuity or smoothness between local state estimates. To address this weakness of the LLEnsF, we consider ways of enforcing spatial smoothness by conditioning the local updates on the prior estimates outside the localization in physical space. These considerations yield a third algorithm, which is a hybrid of the LLEnsF and the EnsKF. The hybrid uses information from the EnsKF to ensure spatial continuity of local updates and outperforms the EnsKF by 5.7% in RMS error in the 40-dimensional system.
The INFINITY Project: digital signal processing and digital music in high school engineering education

The importance of mathematics and science education in modern technological society cannot be understated. This keynote paper outlines the structure and goals of The INFINITY Project, a joint effort between educators, administrators, and industry leaders to establish an engineering curriculum at the high school level. The curriculum motivates students to learn about the fundamental concepts and principles of mathematics, science, and engineering through the study of multimedia and information technology. Digital music and audio synthesis are used at the onset of this curriculum to teach students about signals, systems, and modeling. Several examples from this portion of the curriculum are described, including a real-time interactive waveform synthesizer, a real-time guitar synthesizer based on physical modeling, a real-time sinusoidal MIDI player, and an extremely low-cost loudspeaker that each student designs, builds, and tests.
Changes in Medication Management After a Diagnosis of Cancer Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Diabetes.

The authors found that a cancer diagnosis among patients with diabetes reduced adherence to evidence-based medications, particularly if patients' life expectancy was short.
Global sensitivity of radar wave propagation power to environmental variables for a parabolic equation numerical simulation in maritime regions

Numerous environmental factors impact radio wave propagation in the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) through effects such as scattering and refraction. Furthermore, environmental parameters can interact with each other to either compound or reduce the impact of each individual parameter. Thus, in order to properly assess the sensitivity of radar wave propagation power to environmental variables a global sensitivity approach is needed. In this study, we examine the global sensitivity of propagation power to a number of environmental variables using a parabolic equation (PE) numerical simulation for maritime regions. The sensitivity analysis is performed using the Extended Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test, which is a global variance-based method that can account for multi-degree interaction effects. The method is ideal for complex nonlinear models and permits computation of both leading order and total order sensitivity for each parameter. The study examines 16 environmental parameters, 8 sea state and 8 atmospheric, that are used to generate inputs for the Variable Terrain Radiowave Parabolic Equation (VTRPE) numerical simulation. This model uses a split-step rotated Green's function parabolic wave equation solution to the scalar wave equation for transverse field components derived from Maxwell's equations. The simulation accounts for effects of refraction (including ducting) as well as variable boundary conditions on water surfaces, such as wind seas, swell, and variable dielectric properties. Vertical profiles of atmospheric refractivity, which are assumed homogenous in range for this study, are generated using a simplified refractivity model that depends on the 8 atmospheric parameters and can generate linear refractivity profiles as well as evaporation, surface, and elevated ducts, including any combination of these ducts. Sea state parameters can be grouped into 3 general categories: surface dielectric properties, directionality, and surface roughness. Atmospheric parameters can be grouped into 4 general categories: evaporation layer, mixed layer, inversion layer, and upper layer parameters. We examine results in the context of these parameter groupings.
GM or non-GM?

I was most disappointed by the Science & Society article in your September issue [1xAssessing the environmental impacts of transgenic plants. Jank, B. and Gaugitsch, H. Trends Biotechnol. 2001; 19: 371–372Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (10)See all References][1]. By focusing only on the European Union's (EU) oversight of transgenic plants, (that is, those modified by recombinant DNA techniques and containing heterologous DNA), the authors ignored the scientific consensus about the continuum, and essential equivalence with respect to risk considerations, between conventional and recombinant DNA-mediated genetic modification.By omitting any reference to the EU's flawed choice of scope for its regulatory scheme, which is limited to recombinant organisms, the authors perform a disservice, not unlike discussing the mechanical aspects of what is alleged to be a perpetual-motion machine, while ignoring the thermodynamic considerations.As Nature editorialized in 1992 [2xUS Biotechnology Policy. Editorial. Nature. 1992; 356: 1–2PubMedSee all References][2], ‘The same physical and biological laws govern the response of organisms modified by modern molecular and cellular methods and those produced by classical methods,’ and therefore, ‘no conceptual distinction exists between genetic modification of plants and microorganisms by classical methods or by molecular techniques that modify DNA and transfer genes.’ And consider that by that time, the consensus about old versus new biotechnology already had gone even further, ‘in favour’ of recombinant DNA. An authoritative 1989 analysis of the new biotechnology by the United States National Research Council had observed that, ‘With classical techniques of gene transfer, a variable number of genes can be transferred, the number depending on the mechanism of transfer; but predicting the precise number or the traits that have been transferred is difficult, and we cannot always predict the phenotype that will result. With organisms modified by molecular methods, we are in a better, if not perfect, position to predict the phenotype.’ [3xSee all References][3]This view should be regarded in scientific circles, and elsewhere, as a given, in future discourse.
Stomatal patterning in Tradescantia: an evaluation of the cell lineage theory.

Abstract The cell lineage theory, which explains stomatal patterning in monocot leaves as a consequence of orderly divisions, was studied in Tradescantia . Data were collected to test the theory at three levels of organization: the individual stoma; stomata distributed in one dimension, in linear fashion along cell files; and stomata apportioned in two dimensions, across the length and breadth of the leaf. In an attempt to watch the patterning process through regeneration, stomata in all visible stages of development were laser ablated. The results showed that the formation of stomatal initials was highly regular, and measurements of stomatal frequency and spacing showed that pattern was determined near the basal meristem when the stomatal initials arose. Following the origin of initials, the pattern was not readjusted by division of epidermal cells. Stomatal initials were not committed when first present and a small percentage of them arrested. The arrested cells, unlike stomata, were consistently positioned in cell files midway between a developed pair of stomata. At the one-dimensional level of pattern, stomata in longitudinal files were separated by a variable number of epidermal cells and the frequency of these separations was not random. The sequential spacing of stomata also was not random, and stomata separated by single epidermal cells were grouped into more short and long series than expected by chance. The stomatal pattern across the width of the leaf resulted from cell files free of stomata which alternated with cell files containing stomata, but not with a recurring periodicity. Files lacking stomata were found only over longitudinal vascular bundles. Laser ablations of developing stomata did not disrupt the pattern in nearby cells or result in stomatal regeneration. We conclude that the cell lineage theory explains pattern as an individual stomatal initial arises from its immediate precursor and satisfactorily accounts for the minimum spacing of stomata in a cell file, i.e., stoma-epidermal cell-stoma. However, the theory does not explain the collective stomatal pattern along the cell files, at the one-dimensional level of patterning. Nor does the theory account for the two-dimensional distribution of stomata in which regions devoid of stomata alternate with regions enriched with stomata, but not in a highly regular nor haphazard manner. We suggest that the grouping of epidermal cells and stomata separated by single epidermal cells in cell files may result from cell lineages at a specific position in the cell cycle as they traverse the zone where stomatal initials form. Sister cells at the appropriate position in the cell cycle form stomatal initials while lineages at other positions in the cell cycle yield epidermal cells.
Literalism and the Applicability of Arithmetic

AbstractPhilosophers have recently expressed interest in accounting for the usefulness of mathematics to science. However, it is certainly not a new concern. Putnam and Quine have each worked out a...
LABORATORY SIMULATION OF IMPACT LOADING ON LAMINATED GLASS FOR ICE HOCKEY ARENAS

Laminated tempered glass sheets were tested under impact loading to simulate conditions in ice hockey arenas, where pucks hit the glass shields at high velocities. Thirty-six tests have been conducted on 1220x460mm sheets of glass, 9.5, 12.7 and 15.9 mm thick, using falling weights attached to an actual puck. Twenty-four of the specimens were laminated on one side using 0.36 mm thick polyester transparent laminates. The weights and drop heights were increased gradually until failure occurred. The kinetic energy, equivalent puck field velocities, equivalent static failure loads and stresses have been estimated. The estimated field velocities of the pucks at failure were all higher than the maximum recorded in the game. The study showed that lamination has significantly changed failure mode of glass from a catastrophic failure, where fragments shatter, potentially causing serious injuries, to one which is still brittle yet substantially safer as fractured glass remains fully intact. No rupture or delamination of the laminates was observed.
Lack of Correlation between Organic Acid Concentrations and Predominant Electron-Accepting Processes in a Contaminated Aquifer

Long-term (1992-1995) monitoring data from a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer were used to examine the hypothesis that concentrations of low molecular weight (LMW) aliphatic organic acids reflect terminal electron-accepting processes. During the period of study, concentrations of dissolved hydrogen (H 2 ) indicated that methanogenic, sulfate-reducing, and iron(III)-reducing conditions predominated at the site. However, there was no correlation between LMW organic acid concentrations and concentrations of dissolved H 2 . These results indicate that organic acid concentrations are not a reliable indicator of local redox conditions at this site.
High-gain GaAs photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS): device lifetime, high-current testing, optical pulse generators

This paper presents results from three areas of GaAs PCSS research and development: device lifetime, high current switching, and PCSS-driven laser diode arrays (LDA). We have performed device lifetime tests on both lateral and vertical switches as a function of current amplitude, pulse width, and charging time. At present, our longest-lived switch reached 4 X 106 pulses. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show damage near the contacts even after only 5 pulses. We are presently searching for the threshold at which no damage is evident after a single shot. In high current tests, we have reached 5.2 kA at 4.2 kV. This was achieved using twenty fiber-optic coupled lasers to distribute current filaments over a 5 mm wide PCSS. Current waveforms and images of the current filaments as a function of current amplitude will be presented. The lasers used to trigger the high current PCSS were driven with a miniature PCSS. Low inductance, high speed GaAs PCSS are very effective as short pulse laser diode array drivers. Some types of arrays gain switch, producing a compressed optical pulse which is only 57 ps wide. Results from tests with a variety of laser diode arrays will be presented.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Thermal acclimation in the fresh water planarians, Dugesia tigrina and D. dorotocephala

The planarians Dugesia tigrina and D. dorotocephala show well developed resistance adaptation responses following transfer from 5 to 25 °C or the reverse. Their rates of thermal acclimation are typical of most organisms, but the magnitudes of their responses are impressively large. Thermal acclimation in these two species is generally similar, although somewhat more rapid and perhaps more extensive in D. tigrina. Forward and reverse acclimation rates are similar and there is evidence of overshoot and undershoot time course patterns respectively. Our heat resistance data, although based on a different methodology (the CTM method, using loss of equilibrium as the end point criterion) agree well with published values for these triclads. The temperature tolerance and thermal acclimation responses of D. tigrina and D. dorotocephala correlate well with their apparent eurythermy and their widespread distributions.
C-kit expression in the salivary gland neoplasms adenoid cystic carcinoma, polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma, and monomorphic adenoma.

Abstract Objective. Differentiating between adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACCs), polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinomas (PLGAs), and the monomorphic adenomas (including canalicular adenomas, trabecular adenomas, and basal cell adenomas) can present a diagnostic challenge, especially when examining tissue obtained from small incisional or fragmented biopsies. Recent studies have revealed that overexpression of the tyrosine kinase receptor protein c-kit occurs in a narrow subset of malignant neoplasms, including gastrointestinal stromal tumors, myeloid leukemias, seminomas, and ACCs. C-kit reportedly is not expressed in PLGAs. We compared the expression of the c-kit antigen in the malignant salivary gland neoplasms ACC and PLGA with its expression in salivary gland monomorphic adenoma (including canalicular adenoma and basal cell adenoma). Study design. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of 49 salivary gland neoplasms (17 monomorphic adenomas, 17 PLGAs, and 15 ACCs) accessioned between 1989 and 2002 were retrieved from the files of the Department of Pathology, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, and were stained with an anti-c-kit polyclonal antibody. Results. C-kit reactivity was uniformly positive in the cytoplasm of luminal neoplastic cells in ACCs (15/15, 100%). Positive reactivity was also identified in the majority of PLGAs (16/17, 94%), with at least 25% of the tumor cells being positive. Similar reactivity was seen in monomorphic adenomas (16/17, 94%). Conclusions. In contrast to previous reports, we find that c-kit expression was not restricted to ACC but was expressed in all 3 tumor types evaluated (ACC, PLGA, and monomorphic adenoma). Therefore, c-kit does not appear to be a useful marker for distinguishing between either ACC and PLGA in equivocal cases, or in benign and malignant salivary gland neoplasms. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2003;95:586-93)
Identifying the Target Lesions for 245 Laser Angioplasty Cases and a Review of the Literature

Objective: To provide a detailed report of our experience with laser atherectomy in a large patient population with an extensive follow-up period.Method:A retrospective chart review was conducted on 222 patients who underwent laser atherectomy.Results:Overall primary patency rates at 1 and 3 years were 48% and 37%, primary-assisted rates were 53% and 40%, and secondary patency rates were 69% and 51%, respectively. Limb salvage rates were 91% and 83%. The 1- and 3-year primary patency rates were significantly different between the native (51% and 39%) and the in-stent group (20% and 20%; P = .027). There were no differences in primary-assisted patency (P = .11), secondary patency (P = .094), and limb salvage rates (P= .83) between the 2 groups.Conclusions:Although the primary patency of laser angioplasty was higher in native vessels versus the in-stent stenosis, there were no differences in the primary-assisted patency, secondary patency, or limb salvage rates between the 2 groups.