cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A roughness correction algorithm for aquarius using MWR

Aquarius/SAC-D is a collaborative earth science satellite mission, between NASA and the Argentine Space Agency, CONAE. The two microwave radiometers on the satellite are the NASA Aquarius (AQ, L-band 1.4 GHz) and the CONAE MicroWave Radiometer (MWR, Ka-band 36.5 GHz V-& H-pol and K-band 23.8 GHz H-pol). The mission science objective is to provide high-resolution global sea surface salinity (SSS) maps every 7-days, which are derived using the AQ combined L-band radiometer/scatterometer. The application of L-band radiometry to measure SSS is a difficult task, and there are many corrections that must be made correctly to obtain accurate SSS data. One of the major error sources is the effect of ocean roughness that “warms” the ocean brightness temperature (Tb) by 0.28 K. In this paper, an alternative sea surface roughness correction algorithm is presented that uses a new semi-empirical Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) to estimate the ocean emissivity. This RTM has been tuned using 1-years of observed AQ and MWR Tb's and corresponding atmospheric and oceanic environmental conditions from numerical weather and oceanographic models. Results of independent comparisons (not used in the RTM tuning process) will be presented between the AQ scatterometer derived ocean roughness correction and the MWR roughness correction algorithm. Also, SSS retrievals using these two independent approaches will be compared to an oceanographic salinity model, known as Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) salinity.
Innovation in Cardiology Fellowship and Early Careers

For many cardiologists-in-training, fellowship can seem to be just another educational stepping stone on the way to becoming the experts we all aspire to be. A primary purpose of this stage in training is, of course, the acquisition of specialized knowledge skills in cardiovascular medicine. Beyond
Toward obtaining a consistent estimate of the elasticity of taxable income using difference-in-differences

Abstract The elasticity of taxable income (ETI) is a central parameter for tax policy debates. This paper shows that mean reversion prevents most estimators employed in the literature from obtaining consistent estimates of the ETI. A new method is proposed that will resolve inconsistency due to mean reversion under testable assumptions regarding the degree of serial correlation in the error term. Using this procedure, I estimate an ETI of 0.858, which is about twice as large as the estimates found in the most frequently cited paper on this subject [13]. The corresponding elasticity of broad income is 0.475.
Solving dynamic double-row layout problem via an improved simulated annealing algorithm

Double-row layout problem (DRLP) is a new problem proposed in 2010. Different from single or multi-row layout problems, DRLP needs to determine not only the sequence of machines on both rows but also the exact location of each machine. Aiming at the dynamic environment of product processing in practice, in this paper we study DRLP under dynamic environment and propose a dynamic double-row layout problem (DDRLP) where the material flows may change over time. A mixed-integer programming model is established for the DDRLP. An improved simulated annealing (ISA) algorithm is proposed to for this problem. To represent a feasible solution, a mixed coding scheme is suggested to express the sequence of facilities and the exact location of each facility. Five operators are devised to make the ISA able to effectively solve this problem. Experiment results show that the proposed algorithm is able to find the optimal solutions for small size problem instances and outperform an exact approach (CPLEX) under limited run time for large size instances.
Differential response of rapidly- and slowly-proliferating hair follicles of mice to fractionated irradiation.

Abstract Single and fractionated dose response curves for hair follicles in two different growth activities were compared to analyze the difference in sparing associated with fractionation. Doses per fraction ranged from 8.0 Gy to 2.5 Gy from a 137 Cs source. The maximum score for epilation, either at 4 weeks (growing follicles) or at 8.5 weeks (resting follicles) from treatment, was evaluated from a 6-point, graded scale of epilation. The dose to produce a given hair response in 50% of animals (HRD 50 ) was calculated using logit analysis. For both growing and resting follicles, the HRD 50 values increased with decrease in fraction size. However, when the dose per fraction was decreased below 4.0 Gy, the increase of isoeffect dose was less for growing follicles but continued at the same rate for resting follicles. This difference in the slope of isoeffect curves was analyzed in terms of α/β ratio in the linear quadratic model. The estimates with 95% confidence intervals were 6.0 Gy (5.2–6.8 Gy) and 3.6 Gy (3.1–4.2 Gy) for growing and resting follicles, respectively, for doses per fraction less than 7 Gy. For resting follicles, the plot of isoeffect inverse total dose versus dose per fraction was nonlinear. There was no correlation between the response within the same animal of early occurring epilation in growing follicles to the late occurring epilation in resting follicles though the site and origin of the tissue was the same and it differed only in turnover kinetics. This suggests that the response of organs is related to random cell killing rather than to animal specific variations in radiosensitivity, at least in an inbred strain of mice.
A Statistical Approach to Modelling Ocean Waves Using Buoy Data

The NOAA Data Buoy Office (NBDO) checks for malfunctions in a Wave Data Analyzer onboard a weather buoy by assuming linear relationships between the wind speed and the spectral wave density values when the data has been culled so as to observe a fully developed sea state. These relationships are improved using data that has not been culled, and by regressing the spectral wave density values not only on the present, but also on past wind speeds. These equations are further refined by including wind direction. Confidence intervals are then computed for the spectral wave density values. These can be used to determine whether the Wave Data Analyzer has malfunctioned.
Tangents and Subtangents Used to Calculate Areas

Thus, the subtangent determines f(x) up to a constant factor. Therefore it is not surprising that information about f(x) can be extracted from a knowledge of s(x). For example, if b is a nonzero constant, then s(x) = b if and only if f(x) = f(O)ex/b; and s(x) = bx if and only if f(x) = f(l)xl/b. In particular, the parabola f(x) = x2 has subtangent s(x) = x/2, and the hyperbola f(x) = 1/x has subtangent s(x) = -x. In fact, if r A 0 the function f(x) = xr can be defined as that function with f(l) = 1 whose subtangent is s(x) = x/r. In [1] we used subtangents as an aid to draw tangent lines. Here we use them to calculate areas in a natural and intuitive geometric fashion rather than analytically.
The structure of ubiquinones isolated from developing embryos of Manduca sexta

Abstract Like many other lepidoptera, Manduca sexta synthesizes juvenile hormones (JH) that differ from classic isoprenoids by having one or more ethyl, instead of methyl, branches attached to the hydrocarbon chain. This difference originates from the utilization of homomevalonate in the place of mevalonate for synthesis of the different forms of JH. No other ethyl-branched homoisoprenoid has been found in lepidopteran insects. We reported earlier that only methyl-branched dolichols were detected in M. sexta larvae. We have now isolated ubiquinones from the embryos of M. sexta and then analyzed them by chemical ionization mass spectrometry. No ubiquinone homologue with an ethyl-branched side chain was detected. The predominant homologue found is ubiquinone Q-9 entirely with methyl-branches, with only a trace amount of ubiquinone Q-10. These results suggest that JH are synthesized by specialized enzymatic mechanisms in the corpora allata, while other major isoprenoids are synthesized by the more common enzymes present in eukaryotic systems.
A new high rate code scheme with highly parallel and low complexity decoding algorithm

A new high rate code scheme is proposed in this paper. It consists of serial concatenated recursive systematic ordinary (nonpunctured) convolutional codes with only 8 states in the trellis of the corresponding reciprocal dual codes. With a low complexity and highly parallel decoding algorithm, over additive white Gaussian noise channels, the proposed codes can achieve good bit error rate (BER) performance comparable to that of turbo codes and low density parity check (LDPC) codes. At code rate R=16/17, the overall decoding complexity of the proposed code scheme is almost half that of the LDPC codes.
Solvent-sample interactions in thermospray mass spectrometry of antineoplastic nitrogen mustards.

Conditions are reported for the optimization of thermospray mass spectrometric analysis of antineoplastic nitrogen mustard alkylating agents. In aqueous ammonium acetate mobile phase, multiple sequential solvolytic reactions occur with these highly labile compounds, and protonated molecular ions of the reaction products are observed. However, when high proportions of acetonitrile or other organic modifier are added to the mobile phase, solvolytic reactions are much reduced and abundant protonated molecular ions are detected. One exception to these observations is phosphoramide mustard, which solvolyses under all conditions attempted. A lower limit for detection of melphalan using direct injection and summing the ion current between m/z 120 and 870 is about 150 ng. Successful thermospray liquid chromatographyl/mass spectrometry of these compounds should be possible using high percentages of methanol in the mobile phase or increasing the organic contant by post-column solvent modification.
Medicare coverage of ICDs

The results of the Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial show that there are likely to be expanded clinical indications for the use of an implantable cardioverter–defibrillator. Drs. Mark McClellan and Sean Tunis state that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is poised to expand its ICD coverage substantially.
Do Nonprofit Organizations Have Room for Advocacy in Their Structure? An Exploratory Study

Advocacy as a practice strategy has been part of social work since its inception. However, our knowledge of the advocacy structure within organizations is limited. Guided by institutional theory, the purpose of this study was to explore factors that impact the structure of advocacy within human service nonprofits. Frequency of advocacy participation was also explored. Results showed that formalization and knowledge of the lobbying law increase the odds of an organization having an advocacy structure. Frequency of advocacy participation, however, was low even among those organizations that reported having an advocacy structure. Implications for research, practice, and education are discussed.
The effect of patient position and MAST inflation on carotid sinus diameter

A comparison of several maneuvers that are believed to increase vagal tone was made by measuring the carotid sinus with an ultrasound device. For 20 healthy volunteers the mean carotid sinus diameter was 5.7 mm supine, 6.1 mm in the Trendelenberg position, 6.5 mm after supine medical antishock trousers (MAST) inflation, 7.0 mm after MAST inflation in the Trendelenberg position, and 7.3 mm during a headstand. Each mean value was significantly different (P
LES benchmark study of high cycle temperature fluctuations caused by thermal striping in a mixing tee

Thermal striping is identified as one of the causes of thermal fatigue failure in nuclear power plants. Numerical studies of thermal striping require three-dimensional, unsteady turbulent modeling that resolves both large and small-scale turbulent motions. Benchmark studies were carried out using the LES turbulence model solved by the commercial CFD code FLUENT. Two types of mixing tee configurations were modeled to evaluate the performance of the CFD code. The simulation results presented in normalized average temperature and normalized fluctuating temperatures are in good agreement with measurements.
Prognostic significance of CDKN2A (p16) promoter methylation and loss of expression in 902 colorectal cancers: cohort study and literature review

A cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor CDKN2A (p16/Ink4a) is a tumor suppressor and upregulated in cellular senescence. CDKN2A promoter methylation and gene silencing are associated with the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) in colon cancer. However, prognostic significance of CDKN2A methylation or loss of CDKN2A (p16) expression independent of CIMP status remains uncertain. Using a database of 902 colorectal cancers in 2 independent cohort studies (the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study), we quantified CDKN2A promoter methylation and detected hypermethylation in 269 tumors (30%). By immunohistochemistry, we detected loss of CDKN2A (p16) expression in 25% (200/804) of tumors. We analyzed for LINE-1 hypomethylation and hypermethylation at 7 CIMP-specific CpG islands (CACNA1G, CRABP1, IGF2, MLH1, NEUROG1, RUNX3 and SOCS1); microsatellite instability (MSI); KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA mutations; and expression of TP53 (p53), CTNNB1 (β-catenin), CDKN1A (p21), CDKN1B (p27), CCND1 (cyclin D1), FASN (fatty acid synthase) and PTGS2 (cyclooxygenase-2). CDKN2A promoter methylation and loss of CDKN2A (p16) were associated with shorter overall survival in univariate Cox regression analysis [hazard ratio (HR): 1.36, 95% CI: 1.10-1.66, p = 0.0036 for CDKN2A methylation; HR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.03-1.63, p = 0.026 for CDKN2A (p16) loss] but not in multivariate analysis that adjusted for clinical and tumor variables, including CIMP, MSI and LINE-1 methylation. Neither CDKN2A promoter methylation nor loss of CDKN2A (p16) was associated with colorectal cancer-specific mortality in uni- or multivariate analysis. Despite its well-established role in carcinogenesis, CDKN2A (p16) promoter methylation or loss of expression in colorectal cancer is not independently associated with patient prognosis.
Vibration-rotation interactions in infrared active overtone levels of spherical top molecules; 2ν3 and 2ν4 of CH4, 2ν3 of CD4☆

Abstract The theory of the vibration-rotation lines of the first overtones of the infrared active fundamentals of tetrahedral molecules has been re-examined. Theory predicts an overtone spectrum consisting of five P, Q, and R branches of roughly comparable intensities provided that the vibrational angular momentum quantum number l is approximately a good quantum number for the complete vibration-rotation Hamiltonian. In this case the separation of the E and F 2 vibrational substates of the l = 2 vibrational state must be small compared with the splittings which arise from the 2 Bζ ( P·1 ) term. The band 2 ν 4 of CH 4 is shown to be consistent with this approximation. If however the separation between the E and F 2 vibrational substates is very large theory predicts an overtone spectrum consisting of single strong P, Q, and R branches with P and R branch spacings of approximately 2 B (1 + ζ ). These P, Q, and R lines are associated with the F 2 vibrational substate, and have relative intensities much larger than the lines of the E vibrational substate. The bands 2 ν 3 of both CH 4 and CD 4 are shown to be accounted for by this limit. The detailed calculations exploit the spherical tensor formalism. In the first case a conventional angular momentum coupled representation, an extension of Hecht's work on the fundamental ν 3 , is used in the calculations. In the second case a new representation is introduced which formally has many of the mathematical properties of the conventional representation for an l = 1 vibrational state. The tetrahedral splittings in the vibration-rotation levels of 2 ν 3 of CD 4 are appreciable, and are accounted for very well by the following constants which give the splittings throughout the spectrum: D t = 1.1 × 10 −6 cm −1 , F 3 t = −1.4 × 10 −4 cm −1 , γ 3t = 1 5 (Z 3s + Z 3t ) = 1.16 × 10 −2 cm −1 . The following linear combinations of effective rotational constants are obtained from the spectrum: From the P and R branches, B + B 0 + 2( Bζ 3 ) = 6.00 ± 0.02 cm −1 , B - B 0 = −0.050 ± 0.004 cm −1 . From the Q branch, B - B 0 = −0.062 ± 0.002 cm −1 . In 2 ν 3 of CH 4 the tetrahedral splittings are quite small, making a quantitative fit more difficult. However, the best fit is obtained with D t = 4.5 × 10 −6 cm −1 , F 3 t = −1.25 × 10 −4 cm −1 , and γ 3 t = −5.0 × 10 −4 cm −1 . Also, from the P and R branches, B + B 0 + 2( Bζ 3 ) = 10.76 ± 0.02 cm −1 , B - B 0 = −0.063 ± 0.004 cm −1 ; from the Q branch, B - B 0 = −0.058 ± 0.002 cm −1 . The spectrum of 2 ν 4 of CH 4 is extremely complex as a result of the tetrahedral splittings and the overlapping of the five P, Q, and R branches. It is not possible to make definite assignments for the observed lines at this time.
The role of choice in vigilance performance

This study tested the hypothesis that affording subjects the illusion of choice with respect to the experimental condition in which they were to participate would lead to increased commitment and hence persistence in a vigilance task. Half of the subjects were offered the opportunity to select a “hard” or “easy” version of the task prior to the start of the vigil. The remaining subjects were not given that opportunity. Actually, assignment to the difficult (low signal salience) and easy (high signal salience) conditions was determined at random. In agreement with the hypothesis in question, the detection scores of the choice subjects remained more stable over the course of a 40-min vigil than did those of the controls. The results highlight the importance of intrinsic motivation in vigilance performance.
Carbon molecular sieve gas separation membranes-II. Regeneration following organic exposure

Abstract Carbon molecular sieving (CMS) membranes have been found to have exceptional gas separation properties with high-purity feeds. The basic nature of the carbon itself, however, makes these membranes vulnerable to compounds typically found in industrial process streams. Because of their organophilic nature, CMS materials are excellent adsorbents for organics, and this results in significant problems in membrane applications. The studies detailed in this paper show that CMS membranes are vulnerable to adverse effects from exposure to organic contaminants. Membrane performance losses were severe, and occurred with feed stream concentrations of organics as low as 0.1 ppm. The pattern was consistent and observed for a number of different organic compounds. For various reasons, regeneration techniques used for carbon adsorbents were not suitable for the CMS membranes. However, a very promising regeneration process has been identified that uses pure propylene at unit or near-unit activity as a cleaning agent. This property appears to be unique to propylene, and may have significant implications for a number of application areas.
How often does it rain over the global oceans? The perspective from CloudSat

[1] The frequency of precipitation occurrence over the global oceans from 2006–2007 as calculated from CloudSat radar data is compared to ship-based (ICOADS) and island-based (GSOD) data. It is shown that the spatial pattern of the precipitation frequency from CloudSat is consistent with previous climatological studies. The comparison to ship-based data reveal that CloudSat results are consistent with ship observations well into the high latitudes and appear to capture the seasonal cycle of precipitation well. A comparison to island data also shows good qualitative agreement, although the spatial scale mismatch complicates the efficacy of such comparisons. Nevertheless, CloudSat is shown to be a viable platform for obtaining quality satellite-based precipitation frequency measurements.
Janusz Korczak: Legacy of a Practitioner-Researcher

For more than 30 years, Janusz Korczak (1878-1942) devoted his life to educating orphaned Jewish children, and he stayed with them to the end as they all perished in the Treblinka concentration cam...
Digital Signal Processing Techniques for Positioning of Off-Axis Solar Concentrators

This paper will discuss the results of using digital signal processing (DSP) techniques to determine the location of the focal point of an off-axis solar concentrator projected onto a visually complex thruster absorber and secondary concentrator. Once the location of the focal spot is located, position control information is generated to move the concentrator to a location that maximizes power transfer. A program that simulates an off-axis solar concentrator is used to generate binary “image” files to analyze for positioning information. The analysis progresses from Discrete Fourier analysis on the two-dimensional images, through spectrograms, to introduce wavelets and wavelet analysis to conceptually verify the use of DSP techniques to determine position information.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Repeated Assessment of Exploration and Novelty Seeking in the Human Behavioral Pattern Monitor in Bipolar Disorder Patients and Healthy Individuals

BACKGROUND: Exploration and novelty seeking are cross-species adaptive behaviors that are dysregulated in bipolar disorder (BD) and are critical features of the illness. While these behaviors have been extensively quantified in animals, multivariate human paradigms of exploration are lacking. The human Behavioral Pattern Monitor (hBPM), a human version of the animal open field, identified a signature pattern of hyper-exploration in manic BD patients, but whether exploratory behavior changes with treatment is unknown. The objective of this study was to assess the sensitivity of the hBPM to changes in manic symptoms, a necessary step towards elucidating the neurobiology underlying BD. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Twelve acutely hospitalized manic BD subjects and 21 healthy volunteers were tested in the hBPM over three sessions; all subjects were retested one week after their first session and two weeks after their second session. Motor activity, spatial and entropic (degree of unpredictability) patterns of exploration, and interactions with novel objects were quantified. Manic BD patients demonstrated greater motor activity, extensive and more unpredictable patterns of exploration, and more object interactions than healthy volunteers during all three sessions. Exploration and novelty-seeking slightly decreased in manic BD subjects over the three sessions as their symptoms responded to treatment, but never to the level of healthy volunteers. Among healthy volunteers, exploration did not significantly decrease over time, and hBPM measures were highly correlated between sessions. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Manic BD patients showed a modest reduction in symptoms yet still demonstrated hyper-exploration and novelty seeking in the hBPM, suggesting that these illness features may be enduring characteristics of BD. Furthermore, behavior in the hBPM is not subject to marked habituation effects. The hBPM can be reliably used in a repeated-measures design to characterize exploration and novelty seeking and, in parallel with animal studies, can contribute to developing treatments that target neuropsychiatric disease. Language: en
Observing Forest Change to Enhance Border Sustainability in Chihuahua, Mexico

The US–Mexico border is a place of great social and economic contrasts. Environmental systems straddle the border without regard for social or economic differences, and degradation is rarely confined to a single side of the border. Of major concern to the border region is the quantity and quality of water resources in the Rio Grande and its tributaries. The forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Chihuahua State are the source of much of this water and are an ideal place to study the impact of distant border influences, and this article examines remote sensing applications of Chihuahua's forest resources. Efforts to map Mexico's land-cover are reviewed, and specific examples relating to Chihuahua are provided. Forest fire analysis at the national level is discussed, and opportunities for applying remotely sensed data and analysis to Chihuahua are identified. These include (i) long-term monitoring of Chihuahua's forests; (ii) the estimation of biophysical forest parameters; and (iii) assessment of pre-fire, active fire, and post-fire forest characteristics and burn severity. Remote sensing of Chihuahua's forests will facilitate studies of downstream water quantity and quality and point to management practices that will create a sustainable border environment.
Spectrophotometric determination of lithium in blood serum with thoron

Lithium is determined in blood serum by reaction with thoron [1-(o-arsenophenylazo)-2-naphthol-3, 6-disulphonic acid, sodium salt] in an alkaline acetone medium. A bathochromic shift in the thoron spectrum results and the change in absorbance at 480 nm is measured against the reagent as reference. Proteins are removed with trichloroacetic acid, and the effect of serum electrolyte is compensated for by adding a synthetic serum electrolyte to the reagent blank. Results of analysis of serum samples from manic depressive patients by this method agree with atomic-absorption spectroscopy results with an average error of -1.1% for forty samples, with a correlation coefficient of 0.987.
Psychopharmacologic Agents and Electroconvulsive Therapy during Pregnancy and the Puerperium

The treatment of pregnant and lactating women with psychopharmacologic agents requires skilled decision making on the part of the psychiatric consultant. The physician must consider the benefits of pharmacotherapy compared to the risks it involves not only for the mother but also for the developing fetus. In assigning weights to the factors that enter the risk/benefit equation, the physician must be aware of data from the literature regarding medication administration during pregnancy. The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of currently available data with respect to pharmacologic treatment during pregnancy and lactation for the major classes of medications used in psychiatric practice: antipsychotics, antidepressants, lithium, and antianxiety agents. Information on the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) during pregnancy will also be reviewed.
Polyamine depletion inhibits irradiation-induced apoptosis in intestinal epithelia

Our group has previously shown that polyamine depletion delays apoptosis in rat intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) cells (Ray RM, Viar MJ, Yuan Q, and Johnson LR, Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 278: C480–C48...
Comparison of low back fusion techniques: transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) or posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) approaches.

The authors review and compare posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) with transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). A review of the literature is performed wherein the history, indications for surgery, surgical procedures with their respective biomechanical advantages, potential complications, and grafting substances are presented. Along with the technical advancements and improvements in grafting substances, the indications and use of PLIF and TLIF have increased. The rate of arthrodesis has been shown to increase given placement of bone graft along the weight-bearing axis. The fusion rate across the disc space is further enhanced with the placement of posterior pedicle screw–rod constructs and the application of an osteoinductive material. The chief advantages of the TLIF procedure compared with the PLIF procedure included a decrease in potential neurological injury, improvement in lordotic alignment given graft placement within the anterior column, and preservation of posterior column integrity through minimizing lamina, facet, and pars dissection.
Dynamics of percolation phenomena in colloidal printing inks

The conductivity of colloidal inks composed of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), 2-(4-tert-Butylphenyl)-5-(4-biphenylyl)- 1,3,4-oxadiazole (tPBD) or polystyrene-tPBD copolymerized colloids (PS-PBD) and carbon black (CB) were investigated to establish their percolation characteristics. The PS-PBD colloid supported inks (PEG/PS-PBD/CB) exhibited reduced percolation thresholds and enhanced conductivities above that of the individually carbon filled (PEG/CB) and small molecule blend (PEG/tPBD/CB) inks. Based on the DC conductivity analysis, the percolation threshold of the PEG/PS-PBD/CB composites was 3.6 vol%. The electrical resistivity of the PEG/PS-PBD/CB ink is lower than that of PEG/PBD/CB ink with the same CB content in the percolation region by 8 orders of magnitude. The percolation reduction was attributed to the heterogeneous dispersion of conductive filler aggregates "bridged" by PSPBD colloids. The aggregated dispersion of PS-PBD colloids in the ink matrix was characterized by photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) which produced a red-shift at high concentrations, signaling the required proximity of PS-PBD colloids to form energy transfer complexes.
Palpable cardiac impulse predicts adequate acoustic windows.

In this study, we sought to determine the usefulness of palpating an apical cardiac impulse on physical examination in predicting adequate echocardiographic images for stress echocardiography. A variety of stress tests using either echocardiographic imaging or nuclear imaging are available to referring physicians. Deciding which test is best for a given patient is often dificult. In the case of stress echocardiography, the most significant limitation is poor image quality i n a small portion of patients. We enrolled 136 consecutive outpatients referred for echocardiography. The presence or absence of a palpable cardiac apex on physical examination was recorded by two independent and blinded examiners. Data, including age, sex, weight, prior chest surgery, and smoking, were also collected. Echocardiographic imaging of the left ventricle was scored according to the number of adequately visualized wall segments in a standard 16-segment model. One hundred eleven patients (82%) had adequate visualization of at least 14 of 16 wall segments. Ninety-eight patients (72%) had a palpable cardiac impulse, of whom 90 (92%) also had adequate acoustic image quality versus only 21 (55%) of the 38patients in whom an apex was not palpable (P < 0.0001). Other variables that were measured were not significantly related to image quality, with the exception of weight; patients with adequate images weighed a mean of 75 kg versus 91 kg i n those with inadequate images (P < 0.0006). However, multivariate analysis showed a palpable apex to be the only independent predictor after controlling for other variables. A physical examination assessment for a palpable apical impulse is useful to predict adequate echocardiographic image quality for stress echocardiography. When used in conjunction with other parameters, this may lead to more appropriate referral to augmented stress testing. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPm, Volume 17, January 2000)
Maxillary growth and maturation during infancy and early childhood.

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe maxillary growth and maturation during infancy and early childhood. Materials and Methods: Serial cephalograms (N = 210) of 30 subjects (15 females and 15 males) from the Bolton-Brush Growth Study were analyzed. Each subject had a series of six consecutive cephalograms taken between birth and 5 years of age, as well as one adult cephalogram. Twelve maxillary measurements (eight linear and four angular) and seven landmarks were used to characterize maxillary growth. Maturation of the linear measures was described as a percentage of adult status. Results: Maxillary and anterior cranial base size increased in both sexes between 0.4 and 5 years of age. The linear anteroposterior (AP) measures (S-SE, SE-N, ANS-PNS) increased almost as much as the vertical measures (S-PNS, SE-PNS, N-A, N-ANS) over the first 5 years. After 5 years of age there was significantly more vertical than AP growth. The size and shape changes that occurred were greatest between 0.4 and 1 years; yearly ve...
Effective Diffusivity and Spalling Models for Slagging Coal Gasifiers

Spalling reduces the lifetime of hot-face refractory linings in slagging coal gasifiers, and has an important impact on the economics of coal gasification. Spalling is caused by ingress of the molten slag into the porous refractory, followed by reaction with the refractory to produce either volumetric expansion (compressive stresses) or volumetric shrinkage (tensile stresses). In this paper, ingress of the molten slag into the porous refractory is described by an effective diffusivity that treats simultaneous capillary and diffusive mechanisms in terms of the average pore radius and the slag viscosity. This effective diffusivity can be applied in spalling models to estimate spall thicknesses that are useful for determining whether the spall originated from tensile or compressive mechanisms.
Dynamik und Verbreitung des Matthäus-Effekts

Der Beitrag verfolgt die Rezeptionsgeschichte des von Robert K. Merton gepragten „Matthaus-Effekts“, der als Begriff und Konzept im Laufe der Zeit immer haufiger zitiert wurde und zunehmend an Einfluss gewann. Zunachst wird die von Merton pratendierte Bedeutung des Begriffes erlautert und im Anschluss daran seine Verbreitung in einer Vielzahl von Forschungsfeldern wie Psychologie, offentliche Gesundheit, Kriminologie und Erziehung sowie dem offentlichen Diskurs nachgezeichnet. Eine Auszahlung der Verbreitung des Begriffes zeigt zwei Effekte: Erstens wird erkenntlich, dass er im Zuge seiner zunehmenden Verbreitung wiederholt mit neuen Bedeutungen versehen und daruber hinaus ganz unterschiedlich verwendet worden ist. Zweitens zeigt sich, dass er sich im Laufe der Zeit von seinem Erfinder loste und neben seinem ursprunglichen Verstandnis und seiner Bindung an Merton auch eine eigenstandige Existenz fuhrt. Dieser Prozess, der auch fur Begriffe und Konzepte anderer Soziologen nachgewiesen wird, erfullt das, was Merton als „obliteration by incorporation“ bezeichnet hat, ein Prozess, in dem die ursprungliche Bedeutung eines Begriffes durchaus verloren gehen kann.
Geochemical factors controlling radium activity in a sandstone aquifer.

Geochemical processes behind the occurrence of radium activities in excess of the U.S. EPA’s drinking water limit of 5 pCi/L combined radium were investigated in a regional sandstone aquifer located in southeastern Wisconsin. Geochemical speciation modeling (PHREEQC 2.7) combined with a detailed understanding of the regional flow system provided by recent flow modeling efforts was used to determine that radium coprecipitation into barite controls radium activity in the unconfined portion of the aquifer. As the aquifer transitions from unconfined to confined conditions, radium levels rise and the water becomes more sulfate rich yet the aquifer remains at saturation with barite throughout. Calculations based on published distribution coefficients and the observed Ra:Ba atomic ratios indicate that barite contains ~12 lg/kg coprecipitated radium. Confined portions of the aquifer have high concentrations of sulfate, and barium concentrations become too low to be an effective control on radium activity. Additional, as yet undefined, controls on radium are operative in the downgradient, confined portion of the aquifer.
Fascioliasis Due to Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica Infection: An Update on This ‘Neglected’ Neglected Tropical Disease

Fascioliasis, an infection due to the food- and water-borne trematodes Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica, is among the most neglected of the neglected tropical diseases. Among the estimated 91.1 million humans at risk for infection worldwide, as many as 17 million may be infected. Certain areas of the world bear the burden of the highest prevalence of infection. There, school-age children are the most likely to be infected. In the United States, rare cases have been reported among immigrants from endemic areas, returned travelers to endemic regions, and individuals residing in Hawaii, California, and Florida. Indigenous cases have almost always been associated with consumption of watercress. Diagnosis is made serologically most often, although stool examination for the eggs is fruitful if obtained when the adult worm is laying eggs. With an appropriate index of suspicion, laboratory and imaging studies often confirm the suspected diagnosis. Triclabendazole is the treatment of choice.
Attention in children: A neuropsychologically based model for assessment

Attention is considered the foundation of most cognitive and neuropsychological functions. In child development literature, research on attention develops from two major sources—studies of children with attention deficits and studies of attentional development in normal children. These two lines of research, in addition to the adult literature, have produced diverse theories, concepts, and measures of the construct of attention. The developmental neuropsychological literature has made few attempts to study the relationship of developing brain systems to the development of various components of attention. This review attempts a synthesis of those components typically called selective, divided, and sustained attention in an attempt to integrate them within a developmental neuropsychological perspective. It describes a neuropsychologically‐based model for the assessment of the attentional system that can be used to guide the assessment and study of attention in children.
Urine Crystals in a 1-Year-Old Male

### Patient: A 1-year-old Latino male. ### Chief Complaint: Vomiting and fever of 39.8°C for 24 hours, pain with urination. ### History of Present Illness: The patient presented to the emergency department with his mother, who reported that he had a fever along with vomiting and trouble urinating for the past 24 hours. The mother denied that the patient had shown signs of ear pain, eye irritation, nasal discharge, congestion, or sore throat. She also did not report a cough, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, bloody stools, skin rash, or decreased urine output. The patient has had no known contact with any sick individuals. At presentation, the patient is not on any medications and has no known drug allergies. ### Past Medical History: Product of term vaginal delivery. No birth complications. Immunization status is up-to-date. ### Social History: The patient and his mother moved to North Carolina from Mississippi in 2008 and do not have a primary pediatrician. His mother is his primary care giver, and he attends daycare. ### Family History: No known family history of kidney stones, abnormal endocrine disorders, or hypercalcemia. ### Principal Laboratory Findings: Table 1 ### Vital Signs: Heart rate, 118 bpm; respiratory rate, 22 per minute. ### General: Active, alert, in no acute distress. ### Height: 50th percentile. ### Weight: 70th percentile. ### Eyes: No lid lag, proptosis, periorbital swelling, or photophobia. ### Neck: Supple, no masses. ### Lungs: No respiratory distress; clear to auscultation bilaterally. ### Heart: Regular rate and rhythm without murmurs. ### Extremities: Unremarkable. ### Skin: No rash, warm, dry. ### Additional Testing: A urine organic acid profile showed increased lactic, 3-OH butyric, acetoacetic, ethylmalonic, and dicarboxylic acids. The patient was discharged prior to additional urine testing. 1. What are the patient’s most striking clinical and laboratory findings? 2. What is the differential diagnosis for a patient with these findings? 3. What is this patient’s most likely diagnosis? 4. What is the molecular pathogenesis of this disease? 5. How is this condition typically managed? 1. The most striking clinical findings included fever (>39°C), vomiting, and painful urination. The most striking laboratory findings included the presence of …
Optimizing Hot Tapping Using the Fuzzy Logic Modeling Approach

Strong demands for energy compels the oil and gas industries to increase productivity. Since transportation of oil and gas products through pipelines is the most efficient way to deliver these products, there is an ever increasing network of pipelines from the production fields to the processing plants. Construction and operating costs, however, limit the proliferation of pipelines. Hot tapping is an economical technology that the oil and gas industries use to minimize oil and gas pipeline segments by connecting a new facility to the nearest operating unit processing the same product. Technologically speaking, hot tapping is challenging especially during field installation. Welding a branch pipe/pipeline to an in-service pipeline has two major concerns: burn through and heat-affected zone (HAZ) cracking. Thin pipe wall thickness and the use of welding electrodes with high hydrogen contents can promote burn through and HAZ cracking. Improper hot-tapping procedures applied on a live pipeline may lead to disasters that can be life threatening to the welding operators. Parameter optimization is essential to ensure successful hot tapping. In this paper, fuzzy logic modeling was used to optimize the hot-tapping procedure, i.e. to minimize burn through and HAZ cracking, for processes that use shielded metal arc (SMA) welding. A total of 324 rules were built to consider multiple welding parameters, pipeline and operating characteristics such as heat input, electrode type, pipe inside surface temperature, wall thickness, hardness, and fluid flow to study the effects of these parameters on the weldment. These parameters were the fuzzy logic model inputs for successful hot-tapping conditions. For each pair of parameters, the output of the model is a processing surface on which successful hot tapping can be conducted. A graphical user inference (GUI) easily retrieves the different sets of parameters and their respective safe hot-tapping surfaces on which burn through and HAZ cracking can be avoided. As conclusion, the present study demonstrates that fuzzy logic modeling can be used to provide guidelines for in-service pipeline hot tapping. Careful modeling can result in safe welding space for hot tapping and allow for the specification of standard welding procedures within the safe welding zone. The guidelines and range of safe welding parameters from fuzzy logic modeling can reduce the size of the experimental matrix required during field weld testing for the determination of the final parameters.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Exact Pareto-optimal coordination of two translating polygonal robots on an acyclic roadmap

We present an algorithm that computes the complete set of Pareto-optimal coordination strategies for two translating polygonal robots in the plane. A collision-free acyclic roadmap of piecewise-linear paths is given on which the two robots move. The robots have a maximum speed and are capable of instantly switching between any two arbitrary speeds. Each robot would like to minimize its travel time independently. The Pareto-optimal solutions are the ones for which there exist no solutions that are better for both robots. The algorithm computes exact solutions in time O(mn/sup 2/ log n), in which m is the number of paths in the roadmap, n is the number of coordination space vertices. An implementation is presented.
Feedback Design of Closed Contour Servomechanisms

Two-dimensional (x, y) profile or curve tracers are considered in terms of position errors and peripheral velocity errors as the servomechanism follows a closed contour without introducing external forcing functions. The servo system is implemented using standard position controls with nonlinear cross-axis feedback terms, which are generated analytic functions of the pattern. Each axis essentially serves as a feedback path for the other axis in this system. Linearization enables one to design the system dynamics and test the controls. A machine tool using the nonlinear feedback system was constructed and tested. Performance was excellent, and an example of the results is presented.
β-Amyloid peptide-induced death of PC 12 cells and cerebellar granule cell neurons is inhibited by long-term lithium treatment

Abstract Treatment of rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC 12) cells with β-amyloid peptide-(1–42) for 24 h induced a concentration-dependent decrease in cellular redox activity in the dose range of 1 to 20 μM. These effects were markedly attenuated by pretreatment with 2 mM LiCl for 7 days, whereas 1-day pretreatment was ineffective. Measurements of live and dead cells by double-staining with fluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide, respectively revealed that protracted lithium pretreatment attenuated PC 12 cell death induced by β-amyloid-(1–42) and cerebellar granule cell death induced by β-amyloid-(25–35). Preceding PC 12 cell death, β-amyloid peptide elicited a slight decrease in protein levels of Bcl-2. Conversely, 7-day pretreatment with lithium resulted in an approximate doubling of Bcl-2 protein levels in cells treated with or without β-amyloid peptide-(1–42). Lithium-induced Bcl-2 upregulation was temporally associated with the cytoprotective effects of this drug. Thus, lithium protection against β-amyloid peptide neurotoxicity might involve Bcl-2 overexpression, and lithium treatment for Alzheimer's disease should be reexamined.
Inmate Self-Injurious Behaviors Distinguishing Characteristics Within a Retrospective Study

The current study examines demographic, health functioning, and criminogenic correlates of self-injurious behaviors. Incident reports for all 28 South Carolina correctional facilities were collected during a 30-month period, evidencing 189 inmates who self-injure contrasted with 22,794 inmates who do not. Self-injury was significantly associated with the disproportionate utilization of health resources, specifically through major mental health treatment and institutional restriction. Characteristics of incarcerated self-injurers revealed discernible maladjustment to the correctional milieu, with each selfinjury incident being associated with a 37% increase in the number of disciplinary incidents. Moreover, the earlier incarceration period represented a period of greater risk. Each additional year in prison was associated with a 25% increase in self-injurious events, which then declined with further years of imprisonment. These unique characteristics are discussed, and salient policy implications are recommended.
Movement and feeding ecology of recently emerged steelhead in Lake Ontario tributaries

Summary Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) ascend several Lake Ontario tributaries to spawn and juveniles are often the most abundant salmonid where spawning is successful. Movement and diet of recently emerged subyearling steelhead were examined in three New York tributaries of Lake Ontario. Downstream movement occurred mainly at night and consisted of significantly smaller fry that were feeding at lower levels than resident fry. Fry fed at the highest rate during the day and chironomids and baetids were the main components of their diet. The diet composition of steelhead fry was closely associated with the composition of the benthos in Trout Brook but more similar to the composition of the drift in the other streams. Daily ration was similar among streams, ranging from 10.2 to 14.3%. These findings are consistent with previous findings on the ecology of steelhead fry, as well as fry of other salmonid species.
Modeling of Interdigital Capacitive Strain Gauges Fabricated Using Direct Write Technology

In this work, an analytical model is developed for an interdigital capacitive strain gauge fabricated using direct-write thermal spray and/or ultrafast laser micromachining direct write technologies. The model is adapted from the electrical engineering literature for inter- digitated capacitors and expanded to include the effects of strain, i.e., dimensional change, on the gauge. Model results are compared to several interdigital capacitive strain gauges with reasonable agreement between the measured and predicted values of nominal capaci- tance and gauge factor. The model represents a powerful tool for the design and optimiza- tion of direct-write capacitive strain gauges on engineering components.