cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AURORA BOREALIS : STOCHASTIC CELLULAR AUTOMATA SIMULATIONS OF THE EXCITED-STATE DYNAMICS OF OXYGEN ATOMS

ABSTRACT: Emissions from the 1 S and D excited states of atomic oxygen play aprominent role in creating the dramatic light displays aurora borealis seen in the skies.over polar regions of the Northern Hemisphere. A probabilistic asynchronous cellularautomaton model described previously Seybold, Kier, and Cheng, J Phys Chem 1998,w102, 886]891 has been applied to the excited-state dynamics of atomic oxygenx . Themodel simulates the time-dependent variations in ground  3 P .and excited-statepopulations that occur under user-defined probabilistic transition rules for both pulseand steady-state conditions. Although each trial simulation is itself an independent‘‘experiment,’’ deterministic values for the excited-state emission lifetimes and quantumyields emerge as limiting cases for large numbers of cells or large numbers of trials.Stochastic variations in the lifetimes and emission yields can be estimated from repeatedtrials. Q 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 75: 751]756, 1999
Role of the fish Astyanax aeneus (Characidae) as a keystone nutrient recycler in low-nutrient Neotropical streams

Nutrient recycling by animals is a potentially important biogeochemical process in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Stoichiometric traits of individual species may result in some taxa playing disproportionately important roles in the recycling of nutrients relative to their biomass, acting as keystone nutrient recyclers. We examined factors controlling the relative contribution of 12 Neotropical fish species to nutrient recycling in four streams spanning a range of phosphorus (P) levels. In high-P conditions (135 microg/L soluble reactive phosphorus, SRP), most species fed on P-enriched diets and P excretion rates were high across species. In low-P conditions (3 microg/L SRP), aquatic food resources were depleted in P, and species with higher body P content showed low rates of P recycling. However, fishes that were subsidized by terrestrial inputs were decoupled from aquatic P availability and therefore excreted P at disproportionately high rates. One of these species, Astyanax aeneus (Characidae), represented 12% of the total population and 18% of the total biomass of the fish assemblage in our focal low-P study stream but had P excretion rates > 10-fold higher than other abundant fishes. As a result, we estimated that P excretion by A. aeneus accounted for 90% of the P recycled by this fish assemblage and also supplied approximately 90% of the stream P demand in this P-limited ecosystem. Nitrogen excretion rates showed little variation among species, and the contribution of a given species to ecosystem N recycling was largely dependent upon the total biomass of that species. Because of the high variability in P excretion rates among fish species, ecosystem-level P recycling could be particularly sensitive to changes in fish community structure in P-limited systems.
Calcification of the intrarenal branches of the renal arteries

Mild to extensive calcification of the intrarenal branches of the renal arteries seen in 13 patients over a period of 12 months is described. This type of renal vascular calcification appeared to be associated with generalised atherosclerosis in patients of advancing age. The association of diabetes mellitus and intrarenal arterial calcification could not be supported by the cases presented here.
Androgen inhibition of sexual receptivity is modulated by estrogen

Sexual receptivity induced in ovariectomized rats by the long-term administration of estradiol benzoate (EB) can be inhibited by concurrent administration of androgens. Experiment 1 examined the role of time course and dose of androgens in the inhibition of estrogen-induced sexual receptivity. Ovariectomized rats were treated with EB (2.0 microg per rat per day) for 6 days and tested for sexual receptivity (Test Day I). EB treatment continued for 15 days concomitant with daily administration of one of three doses of dihydrotestosterone propionate (DHTP; 7.5, 0.75, 0.075 mg/kg) or 3α-androstanediol (3α-Adiol; 3.75, 1.0, 0.375 mg/kg). Four tests for sexual receptivity were conducted on days 3, 6, 14, and 15 of the androgen/vehicle treatment period (Test Days II-V). On Day 15 (Test Day V), the rats received progesterone (1.0 mg per rat) 4 h before testing. Using the same experimental design, Experiment 2 examined the effect of increasing the dose of estrogen on the androgenic inhibition of sexual receptivity. Ovariectomized rats were treated with one of two doses of EB (2.0 or 10.0 microg per rat per day) concomitant with daily administration of DHTP (7.5 mg/kg) or 3α-Adiol (3.75 mg/kg). In Experiment 1, the highest doses of both DHTP and 3α-Adiol significantly inhibited estrogen-induced sexual receptivity. Data from Experiment 2 indicate that the inhibitory effects of DHTP but not 3α-Adiol can be moderated by an increased dose of EB.
INFLUENCE OF ANTERIOR CORTICAL LESIONS UPON THE CER TO AUDITORY STIMULUS UNDER NON-EXTINCTION'.'

Stbmmasy.-The mo:or and autonomic activiry of 72 rats was observed in a grill-box under several combinations of auditory and electric shock stimulation. Post-operative observations carried out under conditions of non-extinction showed sham operations to be as effective as bilateral anterior cortical lesions in producing a change in the motor facet of the CER. In line with earlier reports, high defecation scores produced and maintained by brief electric shock to the feet did not show any apparent alteration in frequency as a result of surgery.
A note on one-shot public mediated talk

Abstract Lehrer and Sorin (1997, Games Econ. Behav. 20, 131–148) use a one-shot public mediated talk model to show that, given any probability distribution on the outcomes of a finite normal-form game, there exists a public mediated talk mechanism that simulates that distribution, provided the probabilities on outcomes are rational numbers. It is shown here that a minor amendment of the very same model allows a much stronger conclusion: any distribution on the outcomes, whether the probabilities are rational numbers or not, can be obtained as the outcome of a one-shot public mediated talk mechanism.
Identification of Resident and Attending Physicians: Do Parents Know Who Is Caring for Their Hospitalized Child?

Objective.—Correct identification of a physician or resident is an essential first step in developing a good relationship between physicians, patients, and their families. However, many parents are unfamiliar with the individuals responsible for their children's care. This study was conducted to determine how often parents/guardians of hospitalized children could identify the residents and attending physicians caring for their children and what factors they considered important in physician identification. Methods.—This was a cross-sectional study with a convenience sample of the parents/guardians of hospitalized pediatric patients admitted to a university teaching hospital over a 2-month period; we used a self-administered, confidential questionnaire. Results.—Subjects were 144 parents/guardians of hospitalized children (100% of subjects asked to participate, 19.3% of all hospitalized children); parents had the following characteristics: mean age, 30 years; 51% Caucasian, 43% African American; 82% female. Physician identification was 76% for attending physicians and 73% for residents. The factors rated as most important to parents were physician introduction (50%–76%), prior relationship (27%–13%), wearing of a white coat (2%–8%), wearing of a name tag (4%–10%), and wearing of a stethoscope (0%–2%). Physician introduction was ranked higher for first hospitalizations. Subsequent hospitalizations increased identification of attending physicians but not residents. Conclusions.—This study indicates that up to a quarter of parents could not identify the physician responsible for their children's care during a hospitalization. Improving physician identification may enhance other aspects of physician-family communication.
Placentation in the American beaver (Castor canadensis)

Implantation in the beaver is superficial and antimesometrial. The embryonic disc occupies one side of the flattened mesometrial hemisphere of the large blastocyst. An endometrial papilla, unique to the beaver, forms on the mesometrial uterine wall just prior to chorioallantoic contact. The reniform placenta then develops around this papilla. Amniogenesis is by folding. A transient choriovitelline placenta develops very early. Yolk sac inversion is late, and the bilaminar omphalopleure is partially retained throughout gestation. The chorion persists until term as two paraplacental membranes. A large permanent allantoic vesicle is present. The labyrinthine placenta has a lobulate architecture. It possesses a hemodichorial barrier, the inner layer being syncytial and the outer cellular. Maternal blood is supplied by two arterial channels which do not penetrate the labyrinth, and is drained by a single, central venous channel. A large basal subplacenta develops by trophoblastic invasion of the endometrial papilla, and becomes quite massive at term. Its function is unknown. Except for this specialized subplacenta, all the fetal membrane characteristics are typical of the primitive sciuromorph group, to which the Castoridae seem to be closely related.
Late Pleistocene glaciolacustrine sedimentation and paleogeography of southeastern Michigan, USA

Abstract The geomorphic, stratigraphic and sedimentological characteristics of glaciolacustrine sediments in the metropolitan Detroit, Michigan area were studied to determine environments of deposition and make paleogeographic reconstructions. Nine lithofacies were identified and paleoenvironments interpreted based on their morphostratigraphic relationships with relict landforms. The sediments studied are found southeast of the Defiance and Birmingham moraines lying beneath a lowland characterized by a low morainal swell (Detroit moraine) and a series of lacustrine terraces that descend progressively in elevation southeastward. The glaciolacustrine sediments were deposited approximately 14.3–12.4 kA BP during the Port Bruce and Port Huron glacial phases of late Wisconsinan time, and are related to proglacial paleolakes Maumee, Arkona, Whittlesey, Warren, Wayne, Grassmere, Lundy and Rouge. The glaciolacustrine section is typically 2–4 m thick and consists of a basal unit of wavy-bedded clayey diamicton overlain by a surficial deposit of stratified and cross-stratified sand and gravel. The basal unit is comprised of subaqueous debris flow deposits that accumulated as subaqueous moraine in paleolake Maumee along the retreating front of the Huron lobe. The surficial deposits of sand and gravel were formed by traction, resulting from lacustrine wave activity and fluvial processes, in lakebed plain, beach ridge and deltaic depositional settings. Much of the lake-margin sand and gravel was derived from clayey diamicton by lacustrine wave action and winnowing, and that associated with paleolakes of the Port Huron phase is largely reworked Port Bruce sediment. Paleogeographic reconstructions show that the Defiance, Birmingham and Detroit moraines, Defiance and Rochester channels, and the Rochester delta, were deposited penecontemporaneously as paleolake Maumee expanded northward across the map area. A unique type of wavy bedform is characteristic of clayey diamicton deposited by subaqueous mass flow in the study area that is useful for differentiating sediment: 1) deposited by mass flow in subaqueous vs. subaerial settings, and 2) deposited by subaqueous mass flow vs. basal till. These bedforms are a useful tool for identifying subglacial meltwater deposits, and facilitate the mapping and correlation of glacial sediments based on till sheets. The map area provides a continental record of ice sheet dynamics along the southern margin of the Laurentide ice sheet during Heinrich event H-1. The record reveals rapid glacial retreat (∼ 0.8 km/yr) contemporaneous with the discharge of a large volume of meltwater. Evidence in the study area for subglacial meltwater is problematic, but indications that periglacial conditions persisted in the map area until ∼ 12.7 kA BP, and extended for 200 km or more south of the ice front suggest that a frozen substrate may have contributed to instability of the LIS.
COLONY-LEVEL IMPACTS OF IMMUNE RESPONSIVENESS IN HONEY BEES, APIS MELLIFERA

Social insects have evolved both communal and individual traits that reduce the impacts of their numerous parasites and pathogens. Among the individual traits, innate-immune responses have the potential to reduce both individual mortality and the spread of pathogens among colony members. An understanding of the costs and benefits of such responses can provide a more complete understanding of a primary risk of social life, horizontal disease transmission among colony members. Here we assess the impacts of individual immunity on colony-level disease in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies following exposure to an important bacterial pathogen (Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae, cause of the disease American foulbrood). Colony-level disease rates were negatively correlated with the immune responsiveness of colony members, as assessed by larval transcript levels for the gene encoding the antibacterial peptide abaecin. Concomitantly, colonies whose members mounted a stronger abaecin response showed significantly lower productivity, indicating a colony-level cost to this immune response. The results show considerable variation across colonies in an immune trait important for survival, and point toward a significant trade-off between this trait and colony productivity.
In-situ Polymerization of Maleic Acid and Itaconic Acid on Cotton: MALDI/TOF Mass Spectroscopy and Light-Scattering Study:

Neither maleic acid (MA) nor itaconic acid (ITA) polymerize under conditions normally used for vinyl monomers. The literature reports that treating cotton fabric with a mixture of MA and ITA significantly improves its wrinkle resistance. In our previous research, we used FRIR spectroscopy to study cotton fabric treated with ITA and MA, and found that free radical polymerization of MA and ITA takes place on cotton at elevated temperatures when both potassium persulfate and sodium hypophosphite are present. In this research, we remove the copolymer of MA and ITA from the treated cotton with alkaline hydrolysis, and apply time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectroscopy with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ioniza tion (MALDI) and a multiple angle laser light scattering (MALLS) photometer to determine the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the copolymer. The MALDI/TOF mass spectroscopy and MALLS data confirm that in-situ copolymerization of MA and ITA takes place on the cotton. The molecular weight ...
AGU's 2013 Mass Media Fellow Will Share Science on the Airwaves

Mike Osborne, a Stanford University Ph.D. student of paleoclimatology, was becoming fatigued with the “apocalyptic rhetoric” surrounding climate change.
Novel transform for image description and compression with implementation by neural architectures

A general method for signal representation using nonorthogonal basis functions that are composed of Gaussians are described. The Gaussians can be combined into groups with predetermined configuration that can approximate any desired basis function. The same configuration at different scales forms a set of self-similar wavelets. The general scheme is demonstrated by representing a natural signal employing an arbitrary basis function. The basic methodology is demonstrated by two novel schemes for efficient representation of 1-D and 2- D signals using Gaussian basis functions (BFs). Special methods are required here since the Gaussian functions are nonorthogonal. The first method employs a paradigm of maximum energy reduction interlaced with the A* heuristic search. The second method uses an adaptive lattice system to find the minimum-squared error of the BFs onto the signal, and a lateral-vertical suppression network to select the most efficient representation in terms of data compression.
Colonization behaviour of Collembola under different conditions of dispersalProceedings of the Xth international Colloquium on Apterygota, České Budějovice 2000: Apterygota at the Beginning of the Third Millennium

Summary In soil dumps of the opencast mine site Berzdorf near Gorlitz (Eastern Germany), different kinds of colonization behaviour of Collembola have been observed. In immigration test plots, exposed on a nearly vegetation free dump site between May 1997 and September 1998, 17 species of Collembola were proved to have been transported by air. The first immigrant was Bourletiella pistillum. After 4 months, stable populations were established by Mesaphorura florae and Parisotoma notabilis. The open area around the test plots was inhabited by 20 species of epedaphic Collembola. From these, only 6 species were found in the immigration test plots. The fauna was caught in drift-protected and normal pitfall traps. Nearly 80% of the individuals profited from wind drifting. Of these, Bourletiella pistillum and Isotoma viridis were dominant. Lepidocyrtus cyaneus, L. paradoxus, Orchesella cincta and O. villosa were mainly caught in protected pitfall traps. Thus, their main means of dispersal might be through active locomotion. Subterranean immigration to litter-filled minicontainers was tested in two 45-year-old afforested dump sites by successively checking the minicontainers in 6-week intervals from October 1997 to January 1999. Altogether, 26 species of Collembola invaded the minicontainers. Some species found in the humus layer only in recedent frequencies reached considerably higher dominances in the minicontainers 30 weeks after their installation: Folsomia candida even colonized minicontainers closed by gauze of 20-μm mesh size at high densities. Mesaphorura tenuisensillata, Protaphorura meridiata, and Proisotoma minuta occurred preferentially in minicontainers with larger mesh-sizes. Biological and methodical conclusions from the observations are discussed.
Smooth Muscle Myosin in Precursor and Mature Smooth Muscle Cells in Normal Pulmonary Arteries and the Effect of Hypoxia

Exposure to hypoxia increases pulmonary arterial muscularity- in the intra-acinar arteries “new” muscle appears in the normally nonmuscular regions and in the preacinar arteries, medial thickness increases. In the present study by immunofluorescence techniques, the myosin content of the pulmonary arterial walls at two levels of the circulation (intra-acinar and preacinar) were studied in control rats and those exposed to hypobaric hypoxia of 380 torr for 3, 7, 10, or 14 days. In control animals, we show that the precursor smooth muscle cells, pericytes and intermediate cells normally present in the nonmuscular regions of the intra-acinar arteries, contain smooth muscle myosin. With exposure to hypoxia, smooth muscle myosin in the intra-acinar arteries increases to Day 10. both in area of staining and fluorescent intensity. This is in contrast to the preacinar arteries where only the area of myosin increases. Antihuman platelet (non-muscle) myosin shows a little faint staining in both control and hypoxic a...
Climate- and eustasy-driven cyclicity in Pennsylvanian fusulinid assemblages, Donets Basin (Ukraine)

Abstract A model of cyclic recurrence (~ 0.6–1.2 myr) of three fusulinid assemblages in the Middle Pennsylvanian siliciclastic–carbonate succession of the Donets Basin is proposed. Each cycle records progressive turnover of assemblages in shallow marine environments in response to sea-level and regional climate change. A Hemifusulina -assemblage (A), adapted to cooler and reduced salinity seawater records the onset of sea level rise accompanied by humid climatic conditions. Sea level high stand is captured by the Beedeina – Neostaffella – Ozawainella – Taitzehoella (or Beedeina -dominated) assemblage (B), characteristic of relatively deeper-water environments. The B assemblage is successively replaced by the most diverse population of the warm-water Fusulinella -dominated assemblage (C). This assemblage, which occurs in the upper limestones of each fusulinid cycle records the onset of sea level fall accompanied by a shift to drier conditions and likely increased seawater salinity. The proposed model permits robust interbasinal correlation of the Pennsylvanian successions of the Tethyan realm. Fusulinids of the A and C 2 assemblages are the most provincial and therefore the most useful for paleogeographic reconstructions. Specifically, they delineate originally contiguous regions that subsequently were dispersed hundreds to thousands of kilometers, whereas fusulinids of the B assemblage hold the highest potential for global correlation. Extinction at the Moscovian–Kasimovian transition of fusulinid genera of the A and B assemblages, which inhabited predominately cooler and normal salinity (perhaps hyposaline) waters, can be explained by the onset of global warming in the earliest Late Pennsylvanian. Fusulinid assemblages define various types of distribution patterns that differ by tectonic setting of the studied basins suggesting that fusulinid assemblage patterns hold potential for reconstructing the paleogeography and tectonic evolution of Pennsylvanian basins of eastern Laurasia.
Nerve injury-induced depletion of tachykinin immunoreactivity in the somatosensory cortex of adult squirrel monkeys.

Abstract Cortical immunoreactivity for tachykinin neuromodulators was evaluated 5–21 days after median and ulnar nerve transections in adult squirrel monkeys. Contralateral to the deafferentations, immunoreactive cells were reduced by about 20–40% in layer IV of the hand representation compared to the face region in area 3b. Similar deafferentations have been shown to alter the pattern of neuronal activity in the somatosensory cortex. Unresponsive regions are produced that with time become reactivated by receptive fields served by intact nerves. The immunocytochemical results reported here suggest that the presence or patteen of somatosensory input regulates content of tachykinin neuropeptides in intrinsic cortical neurons.
The effect of surfactants on the motility and adhesion of gliding bacteria

Surfactants markedly inhibited swarming and gliding motility but not other movements nor the growth of Cytophaga U67. The swarming of several other gliding bacteria was also diminished. Inhibition of translocation may result from the fact that the surfactants blocked adhesion of these bacteria. In contrast, the gliding of Oscillatoria princeps was unaffected by reduction of surface free energy.
Inorganic pollution in water—the analyst's viewpoint†

Abstract Inorganic pollution comprises both major and minor constituents, although only 12 chemical elements may be considered major components. Twenty‐eight elements constitute a group of common minor elements and an additional 13 elements comprise a group of less common minor constituents. Reliable quantitative data are required on the occurrence of these substances in a wide variety of water types, usually at extremely low concentrations. The analysis of standard reference water samples provides information on the overall reliability of water‐quality data. Although most major constituents may be determined with acceptable reliability, determinations of certain minor constituents lack comparable precision; for example, determinations of boron, nickel, and chromium. Few precision data are available on the determination of the less common trace elements. Several comparatively new analytical techniques, such as flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry, voltammetry, and emission spectroscopy with plasm...
Brain gangliosides: Functional ligands for myelin stability and the control of nerve regeneration

Abstract Gangliosides, sialylated glycosphingolipids which are the predominant glycans on vertebrate nerve cell surfaces, are emerging as components of membrane rafts, where they can mediate important physiological functions. Myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG), a minor constituent of myelin, is a sialic acid binding lectin with two established physiological functions: it is involved in myelin-axon stability and cytoarchitecture, and controls nerve regeneration. MAG is found selectively on the myelin membranes directly apposed to the axon surface, where it has been proposed to mediate myelin-axon interactions. Although the nerve cell surface ligands for MAG remain to be established, evidence supports a functional role for sialylated glycoconjugates. Here we review recent studies that reflect on the role of gangliosides, sialylated glycosphingolipids, as functional MAG ligands. MAG binds to gangliosides with the terminal sequence ‘NeuAcα3Gal β3GalNAc’ which is found on the major nerve gangliosides GD1a and GT1b. Gangliosides lacking that terminus (e.g., GM1 or GD1b), or having any biochemical modification of the terminal NeuAc residue fail to support MAG binding. Genetically engineered mice lacking the GalNAc transferase required for biosynthesis of the ‘NeuAcα3Gal β3GalNAc’ terminus have grossly impaired myelination and progressive neurodegeneration. Notably the MAG level in these animals is dysregulated. Furthermore, removal of NeuAc residues from nerve cells reverses MAG-mediated inhibition of neuritogenesis, and neurons from mice lacking the ‘NeuAcα3Gal β3GalNAc’ terminus have an attenuated response to MAG. Cross-linking nerve cell surface gangliosides can mimic MAG-mediated inhibition of nerve regeneration. Taken together these observations implicate gangliosides as functional MAG ligands.
Carbon dioxide and past Antarctic temperature linked

Antarctic ice core records indicate a strong connection between a rapid rise in temperature and a rapid increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) that occurred during the last ice age. Ahn et al. analyzed the carbon dioxide content of air preserved in Antarctic ice cores covering a time period about 37 to 47 thousand years ago, during which Antarctica went through two warming events in the midst of an ice age. The authors show that approximately half of the CO2 increase that occurred during that period happened very quickly, over less than 200 years. Furthermore, this rapid rise in CO2 occurred nearly simultaneously with a rapid rise in Antarctic temperature. Improved knowledge of the past connection between CO2 and climate can help inform understanding of the feedback relationship between CO2 and climate today. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2012GL053018, 2012)
Effect of inter-stimulus interval on speed discrimination

Effect of inter stimulus interval was assessed for a speed discrimination task using a pair of simultaneously presented drifting gratings. Adaptation effects influence the speed discrimination for stimulus presentation without ISI. The effects were stronger for high spatail frequencies moving at lower speeds.
Dimer formation in phthalocyanine-doped sol-gel materials

A number of different organic molecules have been used as optical probes of the sol-gel process. There is relatively little information, however, as to whether these molecules remain well isolated within the sol-gel structure or if they tend to form dimers or higher aggregates within the network. This issue is particularly important for doped sol-gel optical materials as dimer formation can exert a significant influence on the optical properties of dyes. The present paper uses the optical absorption characteristics of copper phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (CuPcts) to determine how the state of the dye is affected by the chemical changes during the sol-gel process. The absorption spectra of CuPcts indicate that the dye molecules are dimerized in acid-catalyzed silica xerogels prepared from TMOS. The dimerization is largely controlled by the chemical environment inside the pores. By using appropriate reference solutions, we are able to identify the factors which cause dimerization and the stages of the sol-gel-xerogel transformation when the dimers form. These factors include the quantity of solvent remaining in the pores, the alcohol/water content of the solvent and its acidity. It is shown that by modifying the sol-gel processing conditions and the solvent chemistry within the pores, it is possible to reduce significantly dimer formation in silica xerogels.
Application of a Quadratic Boundary Element Method to Ship Hydrodynamic Problems

This paper describes the implementation and application of a Quadratic Boundary Element Method (QBEM) to the 3-D, time domain potential flow solution of ship-wave hydrodynamic interaction problems. In QBEM, the geometry, singularity, and solution distributions on each panel are represented by bi-quadratic parametric functions defined by nine nodal values. QBEM has been shown to provide many theoretical advantages in accuracy and convergence versus the more conventional Constant Panel Method (CPM), but its application to real ship flow problems presents many challenges. This paper describes the implementation of QBEM into an existing time-domain ship motion and wave load prediction code, the Large Amplitude Motions Program (LAMP), and identifies and addresses some important numerical issues related to QBEM, such as mismatched grid points between neighboring panels, surface normal calculation on degenerate QBEM panels, the stability of the free surface and the solution and treatment of QBEM panels for body-nonlinear calculations. A number of practical cases are provided to compare QBEM with CPM and to validate QBEM against analytical solutions and experiments. The advantages of using QBEM for ship hydrodynamic problems and associated/unresolved numerical issues are also discussed.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Cost-effectiveness of growth factors during hepatitis C anti-viral therapy

Summary Background Although the current standard of care for controlling anaemia and neutropenia during anti-viral therapy for hepatitis C is to use dose reduction of ribavirin and pegylated interferon, respectively, erythropoietin and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor are now being advocated as alternatives to dose reduction. Aim To determine the cost-effectiveness of erythropoietin and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor as an alternative to anti-viral dose reduction during antihepatitis C therapy. Methods Decision analysis was used to assess cost-effectiveness by estimating the cost of using a growth factor per quality-adjusted life-year gained. Results Under baseline assumptions, the cost per quality-adjusted life-year of using growth factors ranged from $16 247 for genotype 1 with neutropenia to $145 468 for genotype 2/3 patients with anaemia. These findings are sensitive to the relationship between dose reduction and sustained virological response. Conclusions Based upon our findings and the varying strength of the evidence for a relationship between dose reduction and sustained virological response: granulocyte colony-stimulating factor may be cost-effective for genotype 1 patients; erythropoietin is probably not cost-effective for genotype 2/3 patients; no conclusion can be reached regarding the cost-effectiveness of erythropoietin for genotype 1 patients or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for genotype 2/3 patients. Randomized trials are needed to firmly establish the relationship between dose reduction and sustained virological response.
Equalization of modal dispersion in multimode fiber using spatial light modulators

Intersymbol interference (ISI) due to modal dispersion is the dominant limitation to the bit rate-distance product in multimode fiber-optic communication systems. If the light launched into the fiber excites only the desired principal modes, modal dispersion can be eliminated. We can achieve this by using spatial light modulators (SLMs) to perform adaptive spatial filtering on the electric fields of the light. In this paper, we develop an optimization framework for setting the SLMs to obtain an upper bound on the achievable performance and develop heuristics that nearly reach this upper bound Using this framework, we show that both a sophisticated semidefinite programming-based algorithm and a simple adaptive algorithm achieve performance close to the upper bound. Performance and system complexity tradeoff curves are constructed, showing that a 20/spl times/20 array of SLM pixels with binary phase control performs within 15% of more complex implementations. Finally, we extend the framework and present preliminary results showing the promise of further increases in the capabilities of multimode fiber by using the fiber as a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission medium.
Conducting AFM studies of metal surface contact resistance for NEMS switches

Surface contact resistances of 12 electronic metals on tungsten used as structural metal were studied. Ultra Sharp conductive Si AFM tip was used to measure current versus voltage (I–V) characteristics as well as for imaging the change in the metal surface morphology after subsequent I-Vs. The structural metal was DC sputtered and the electronic metals for improving the contact resistance were deposited by lift-off technique. The change in the contact resistance and surface morphology due to anodic oxidation and/or alloying and other effects were studied using the AFM imaging as well as studying the I-Vs. This is the first study showing the evolution of surface morphology and electrical properties as a function of switching cycles.
The Effects of Binge Drinking and Socio-Economic Status on Sober Driving Behavior

Objective: Drinking and driving is a primary cause of traffic fatalities and it has been suggested that binge drinkers comprise a major portion of those drivers involved in drinking and driving accidents. Although several experimental studies have investigated the driving behavior of binge drinkers (particularly college students and/or young adults) under the influence of alcohol, few studies have focused on a comparison of sober driving behavior of the general population between binge and non-binge drinkers with a consideration of drivers’ income levels. In addition, these studies have not taken other potentially influential factors into account such as socio economic status. Methods: A driving simulator study was conducted with a 2 × 2 factorial design (binge vs. non-binge drinker; low vs. high income). Sixty-two participants who were not under the influence of alcohol or drugs were asked to operate a driving simulator following traffic rules. Multiple aspects of participants’ driving behaviors were mea...
Mechanisms Associated with Dose-Dependent Inhibition of Rat Mammary Carcinogenesis by Dry Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.) containing diet exerts an inhibitory effect on mammary carcinogenesis in a well-characterized rodent model for breast cancer. Twenty-one-d-old female Sprague Dawley rats were given an intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea and 7 d after carcinogen injection wererandomizedto1of5groupsfedamodificationoftheAIN-93Gdietformulationcontaining0,7.5,15,30,or60%(wt:wt) small red dry bean incorporated as cooked, freeze-dried, and milled powder. All experimental diets had the same macronutrient content based on proximate analysis. Compared with the control group, dry bean consumption resulted in dose-dependent reductions in mammary cancer incidence (P ¼ 0.046), cancer multiplicity (P ¼ 0.001), and tumor burden (P ¼ 0.01). Dry bean consumption was associated with dose-dependent reductions in plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1, C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6 in food-deprived rats. Analysis of mammary adenocarcinomas indicated that a dominant mechanism accounting for reduced tumor burden was the induction of apoptosis. B cell lymphoma 2 and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein levels decreased and BCL-2‐associated X protein increased with increasing dry bean consumption, findings consistent with the induction of apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway. These data demonstrate that a legume without noteworthy content of isoflavones inhibits the development of mammary carcinogenesis and are consistent with a recent report from the Nurses Health Study that bean or lentil intake is associated with a lower risk for breast cancer. J. Nutr. 138: 2091‐2097, 2008.
Native American Grandmothers: Cultural Tradition and Contemporary Necessity

This article offers insight into the situation of Native American grandmothers who are caregivers to younger generations. Nationally, tribal grandmothers rear grandchildren at percentages higher than any other ethnic minority group. Even though older Native American women have experienced challenges to their traditional roles as leaders, dispensers of wisdom, and spiritual guides, there exists a contemporary necessity to take the role of family head. Oklahoma provides a case example because of its large Native American population and high proportion of grandparent child rearing. This high rate can be traced to historical oppression and contemporary realities such as incarceration of middle-generation mothers. Oklahoma has the highest national rate of female incarceration and, as a result, a majority of their children live with grandparents. These multigenerational families, with a Native American grandmother at their head, are testimony to the strengths of the women and also highlight the need for support...
A robust competitive clustering algorithm with applications in computer vision

This paper addresses three major issues associated with conventional partitional clustering, namely, sensitivity to initialization, difficulty in determining the number of clusters, and sensitivity to noise and outliers. The proposed robust competitive agglomeration (RCA) algorithm starts with a large number of clusters to reduce the sensitivity to initialization, and determines the actual number of clusters by a process of competitive agglomeration. Noise immunity is achieved by incorporating concepts from robust statistics into the algorithm. RCA assigns two different sets of weights for each data point: the first set of constrained weights represents degrees of sharing, and is used to create a competitive environment and to generate a fuzzy partition of the data set. The second set corresponds to robust weights, and is used to obtain robust estimates of the cluster prototypes. By choosing an appropriate distance measure in the objective function, RCA can be used to find an unknown number of clusters of various shapes in noisy data sets, as well as to fit an unknown number of parametric models simultaneously. Several examples, such as clustering/mixture decomposition, line/plane fitting, segmentation of range images, and estimation of motion parameters of multiple objects, are shown.
Twist Propagation in Dinucleosome Arrays

We present a Monte Carlo simulation study of the distribution and propagation of twist from one DNA linker to another for a two-nucleosome array subjected to externally applied twist. A mesoscopic model of the array that incorporates nucleosome geometry along with the bending and twisting mechanics of the linkers is employed and external twist is applied in stepwise increments to mimic quasistatic twisting of chromatin fibers. Simulation results reveal that the magnitude and sign of the imposed and induced twist on contiguous linkers depend strongly on their relative orientation. Remarkably, the relative direction of the induced and applied twist can become inverted for a subset of linker orientations—a phenomenon we refer to as “twist inversion”. We characterize the twist inversion, as a function of relative linker orientation, in a phase diagram and explain its key features using a simple model based on the geometry of the nucleosome/linker complex. In addition to twist inversion, our simulations reveal “nucleosome flipping”, whereby nucleosomes may undergo sudden flipping in response to applied twist, causing a rapid bending of the linker and a significant change in the overall twist and writhe of the array. Our findings shed light on the underlying mechanisms by which torsional stresses impact chromatin organization.
Effects of object characteristics on female grasp patterns.

OBJECTIVE This study determined which object characteristics had an effect on grasp when adult women took a drink from a cup. METHOD Thirty women aged 20 to 45 years (M = 27.6 years) were randomly assigned to a sequence for each of three experiments. The first experiment tested the grasp pattern used for cups of same height and weight but with different-sized handles. The second experiment tested the grasp pattern for cups of varied height but with same-sized handles and same weight. The third experiment tested the grasp pattern for cups of varied weight but with same-sized handles and same height. The grasp patterns were recorded by a videocamera placed across from the subjects. RESULTS The number of fingers placed through the handle was found to be significantly greater for the cup with a larger handle than for the cups with the smaller handles when cup size and weight were held constant, chi(2)(2) = 49.8, p < .001. No significant difference was found in the number of supporting fingers for varying cup heights or weights. CONCLUSION The results support other research that has stated that handle size accounted for the change in grasp pattern. Because motor performance is affected by the object characteristics as well as personal abilities, adaptation of characteristics, such as handle size, for persons with limited hand use may provide an environment that evokes more optimal performance.
The Intermingling of Business and Family Finances in Family-Owned Businesses

This study uses data from a national survey of 673 business-owning households to assess factors associated with intermingling business and family finances. Logit analysis indicates that the use of family resources in the business is more likely in sole proprietorships; when the business owes money to financial institutions; and when the business owner is older, more experienced, and without children in the household. Family use of business resources is more likely if the business is incorporated, is located in a rural area or small town, and borrows money.
Gating mechanism of a cloned potassium channel expressed in frog oocytes and mammalian cells

We have cloned a cDNA coding for a delayed rectifier K+ channel from rat brain (RCK1) and rat muscle (RMK1) and expressed it in Xenopus oocytes and in a myoblast cell line (Sol-8). Stably transfected Sol-8 cells exhibited large outward K+ currents, which were indistinguishable from the K+ currents induced in Xenopus oocytes by injection of mRNA transcribed in vitro. RCK1 encodes a K+ channel with a unitary conductance of approximately 14 pS. The steep voltage dependence of channel opening resides in transitions between closed states, whereas the direct transitions into and out of the open state are very rapid and not markedly voltage-dependent. Channel inactivation is very slow, voltage-independent, and occurs from the open state only. We present a simple model that incorporates our findings and is consistent with the presumed structural symmetry of a functional K+ channel.
Classroom artifacts: Tools to assess the use of active, innovative, and engaging pedagogies among engineering faculty

This paper examines artifacts of the classroom as a method of assessing whether or not engineering faculty are using best-practice teaching methods in class. Past research has achieved success in using artifacts to give similar results as direct observation. Artifacts assessment alone or in combination with surveys would be more accurate and less biased than surveys alone. Success of past portfolio assessment and the rise of college e-portfolio use among faculty make it highly likely that e-portfolios could provide the artifact information necessary for large scale assessment. Additionally, e-portfolios could enhance learning and teaching thereby increasing the willingness of faculty and students to participate nationally.
Neutrino mass from triplet and doublet scalars at the TeV scale

If the minimal standard model of particle interactions is extended to include a scalar triplet with lepton number $L=-2$ and a scalar doublet with $L=-1$, neutrino masses $m_\nu \sim \mu_{12}^4 v^2/M^5 \sim 10^{-2}$ eV is possible, where $v \sim 10^2$ GeV is the electroweak symmetry breaking scale, $M \sim 1$ TeV is the typical mass of the new scalars, and $\mu_{12} \sim 1$ GeV is a soft lepton-number-violating parameter.
Combined algorithmic and hardware acceleration for ultra-fast backprojection

We describe the first implementation and performance of a fast O(N2logN) hierarchical backprojection (FHBP) algorithm on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) platform. The resulting prototype tomographic backprojection system for 2D fan-beam geometry combines speedup through algorithmic improvements provided by the FHBP algorithm, with speedup of a specialized hardware platform. For data parameters typical in diagnostic CT, and using an off-the-shelf FPGA evaluation board, we report normalized reconstruction speeds of 160 frames a second, and relative speedup of 25x compared to conventional backprojection on the same hardware. These results demonstrate that the reduction in operation counts demonstrated previously for the FHBP algorithm can be translated to a comparable actual run time improvement in a massively parallel hardware implementation, while preserving stringent diagnostic image quality. The dramatic speedup and throughput achieved indicate the feasibility of systems based on this technology, which achieve real-time 3D reconstruction for state-of-the art diagnostic CT scanners at low power, small footprint, high-reliability, and affordable cost.
Single-coil arterial spin-tagging for estimating cerebral blood flow as viewed from the capillary: relative contributions of intra- and extravascular signal.

The single-capillary model was applied to the exchange microvessels for water in the cerebral parenchyma and used to calculate blood-to-brain flux of water; the theory of the steady-state arterial spin-tagging (AST) technique for estimating cerebral blood flow (CBF) was revised to incorporate the presence of both extravascular (tissue) and capillary signal. A crucial element of the single-coil AST experiment is that magnetization transfer (MT) shortens the effective T1 of the extravascular water, making it one-quarter that of the T1 of capillary blood. Furthermore, the mean capillary transit time is on the order of the T1 of the extravascular water. The single-coil AST experiment is distinguished from other methods which use water as an indicator for measurement of CBF in that the (flow-dependent) populations of inverted protons in the intra- and extravascular compartments can be nearly equal for normal physiological conditions. The following questions are considered: Is single-coil AST contrast linear in resting CBF? Is contrast in the single-coil AST technique likely to be linear under changes in CBF in normal tissue? Is the contrast likely to be linear in such common pathologies as stroke and cerebral tumor? We demonstrate that, if the population of inverted protons in the microvessels is included in the experiment, the voxel population of inverted protons will be approximately linear with flow across a broad range of flow values. We predict that the single-coil AST experiment will systematically overestimate resting CBF for flows in the normal range, that changes in CBF in normal tissue will produce an approximately linear response in AST measurement, and, finally, we predict the operating characteristics of the measurement in common cerebral pathologies.