cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of tricyclic antidepressants in patients with glaucoma: Assessment and appropriate perecautions

The article reviews the types of glaucoma, surveys risk factors and precautions for glaucoma patients receiving tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), and presents recommendations intended to preclude drug-related glaucoma crises. All persons considered for TCA therapy should receive a simple penlight screening test for shallow anterior chambers. Patients at risk for glaucoma should have their intraocular pressure determined as a baseline for future measurements. All patients should also be advised concerning symptoms of possible onset of acuteangle closure.
Radiative Effects of Cloud Horizontal Inhomogeneity and Vertical Overlap Identified from a Monthlong Cloud-Resolving Model Simulation

Abstract The representation of subgrid horizontal and vertical variability of clouds in radiation schemes remains a major challenge for general circulation models (GCMs) due to the lack of cloud-scale observations and incomplete physical understanding. The development of cloud-resolving models (CRMs) in the last decade provides a unique opportunity to make progress in this area of research. This paper extends the study of Wu and Moncrieff to quantify separately the impacts of cloud horizontal inhomogeneity (optical property) and vertical overlap (geometry) on the domain-averaged shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes at the top of the atmosphere and the surface, and the radiative heating profiles. The diagnostic radiation calculations using the monthlong CRM-simulated tropical cloud optical properties and cloud fraction show that both horizontal inhomogeneity and vertical overlap of clouds are equally important for obtaining accurate radiative fluxes and heating rates. This study illustrates an objective...
Alternative forms for genomic clines

Understanding factors regulating hybrid fitness and gene exchange is a major research challenge for evolutionary biology. Genomic cline analysis has been used to evaluate alternative patterns of introgression, but only two models have been used widely and the approach has generally lacked a hypothesis testing framework for distinguishing effects of selection and drift. I propose two alternative cline models, implement multivariate outlier detection to identify markers associated with hybrid fitness, and simulate hybrid zone dynamics to evaluate the signatures of different modes of selection. Analysis of simulated data shows that previous approaches are prone to false positives (multinomial regression) or relatively insensitive to outlier loci affected by selection (Barton's concordance). The new, theory-based logit-logistic cline model is generally best at detecting loci affecting hybrid fitness. Although some generalizations can be made about different modes of selection, there is no one-to-one correspondence between pattern and process. These new methods will enhance our ability to extract important information about the genetics of reproductive isolation and hybrid fitness. However, much remains to be done to relate statistical patterns to particular evolutionary processes. The methods described here are implemented in a freely available package “HIest” for the R statistical software (CRAN; http://cran.r-project.org/).
Effects of Signal Level and Background Noise on Spectral Representations in the Auditory Nerve of the Domestic Cat

Background noise poses a significant obstacle for auditory perception, especially among individuals with hearing loss. To better understand the physiological basis of this perceptual impediment, the present study evaluated the effects of background noise on the auditory nerve representation of head-related transfer functions (HRTFs). These complex spectral shapes describe the directional filtering effects of the head and torso. When a broadband sound passes through the outer ear en route to the tympanic membrane, the HRTF alters its spectrum in a manner that establishes the perceived location of the sound source. HRTF-shaped noise shares many of the acoustic features of human speech, while communicating biologically relevant localization cues that are generalized across mammalian species. Previous studies have used parametric manipulations of random spectral shapes to elucidate HRTF coding principles at various stages of the cat’s auditory system. This study extended that body of work by examining the effects of sound level and background noise on the quality of spectral coding in the auditory nerve. When fibers were classified by their spontaneous rates, the coding properties of the more numerous low-threshold, high-spontaneous rate fibers were found to degrade at high presentation levels and in low signal-to-noise ratios. Because cats are known to maintain accurate directional hearing under these challenging listening conditions, behavioral performance may be disproportionally based on the enhanced dynamic range of the less common high-threshold, low-spontaneous rate fibers.
Affinity chromatographic isolation of calmodulin from bovine-brain acetone powder☆

Abstract Calmodulin was isolated from a commercially available bovine-brain acetone powder by affinity chromatography with an equivalent yield of about three times that of calmodulin prepared from intact bovine brain. Simplified methods for the preparation of the affinity ligand and its subsequent immobilization for the affinity chromatographic isolation of calmodulin are presented.
Experimentally Evaluating Equilibrium Stress in Uniaxial Tests

Many models use the equilibrium stress, also sometimes known as the back stress, in characterizing the response of both polymeric and non-polymeric materials. We study the characteristics of the equilibrium and show that the tangent modulus and local Poisson’s ratio at equilibrium both are rate independent for common modeling assumptions. This fact is used to propose a method based on uniaxial tension or compression to measure the equilibrium stress, and the associated point’s tangent modulus and local Poisson’s ratio. The method is based on cyclic loading and identification of similar states with vastly different loading rates. The method is used to characterize the equilibrium stress in glassy polycarbonate, and the results are studied in regard to the possible error for such a measurement. The method is faster than most other proposed methods for calculating the equilibrium stress, and provides additional measurements of parameters at equilibrium that are normally not obtained.
Methanogenesis and sulfate reduction in marine sediments: A new model

Abstract A number of studies have shown that methanogens are active in the presence of sulfate under some conditions. This phenomenon is especially exemplified in carbonate sediments of the southern Australian continental margin. Three sites cored during Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 182 in the Great Australian Bight have high concentrations of microbially-generated methane and hydrogen sulfide throughout almost 500 m of sediments. In these cores, the sulfate-reducing and methanogenic zones overlap completely; that is, the usual sulfate-methane transition zone is absent. Amino acid racemization data show that the gassy sediments consist of younger carbonates than the low-gas sites. High concentrations of the reduced gases also occur in two ODP sites on the margin of the Bahamas platform, both of which have similar sedimentary conditions to those of the high-gas sites of Leg 182. Co-generation of these reduced gases results from an unusual combination of conditions, including: (1) a thick Quaternary sequence of iron-poor carbonate sediments, (2) a sub-seafloor brine, and (3) moderate amounts of organic carbon. The probable explanation for the co-generation of hydrogen sulfide and methane in all these sites, as well as in other reported environments, is that methanogens are utilizing non-competitive substrates to produce methane within the sulfate-reducing zone. Taken together, these results form the basis of a new model for sulfate reduction and methanogenesis in marine sediments. The biogeochemical end-members of the model are: (1) minimal sulfate reduction, (2) complete sulfate reduction followed by methanogenesis, and (3) overlapping sulfate reduction and methanogenesis with no transition zone.
Casimir effect in dielectrics: Surface area contribution

In this paper we take a deeper look at the technically elementary but physically robust viewpoint in which the Casimir energy in dielectric media is interpreted as the change in the total zero-point energy of the electromagnetic vacuum summed over all states. Extending results presented in previous papers we approximate the sum over states by an integral over the density of states {ital including finite volume corrections}. For an arbitrarily shaped finite dielectric, the first finite-volume correction to the density of states is shown to be proportional to the surface area of the dielectric interface and is explicitly evaluated as a function of the permeability and permitivity. Since these calculations are founded in an elementary and straightforward way on the underlying physics of the Casimir effect they serve as an important consistency check on field-theoretic calculations. As a concrete example we discuss Schwinger{close_quote}s suggestion that the Casimir effect might be the underlying physical basis behind {ital sonoluminescence}. The recent controversy concerning the relative importance of volume and surface contributions is discussed. For sufficiently large bubbles the volume effect is always dominant. Furthermore we can explicitly calculate the surface area contribution as a function of refractive index. {copyright} {ital 1997} {italmore » The American Physical Society}« less
Targeting of pericytes diminishes neovascularization and lymphangiogenesis in prostate cancer

BACKGROUND The walls of capillaries in prostate cancer are composed of endothelial cells, and pericytes. NG2 is a transmembrane proteoglycan on nascent pericytes with a functional role in neovascularization. METHODS The anti-angiogenic effect of hydron pellets containing NG2 neutralizing antibody was quantified in intracorneal PC-3 and LNCaP xenografts. TRAMP and TRAMP-C1 tumors grafted in NG2 knockout mice represented intrinsic pericyte targeting. TRAMP and TRAMP-C1 grafts were analyzed with confocal microscope for microvascular density (MVD) and lymphatic vascular density (LVD). RESULTS NG2 neutralizing antibody decreased corneal neovascularization in PC3 (P < 0.0001), and LNCaP (P = 0.0079) xenografts. Mean MVD in TRAMP and TRAMP-C1 tumors in NG2 knockout mice were 71% (P = 0.0006) and 63% (P = 0.0011) lower than wild type controls, respectively. Mean LVD in TRAMP and TRAMP-C1 tumors in NG2 knockout mice were 73% (P = 0.0003) and 84% (P < 0.0001) lower than wild type controls, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Targeting of pericyte-NG2 decreases neovascularization and lymphangiogenesis in prostate cancer significantly. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Freeze–thaw damage and chemical change of a portland cement concrete in the presence of diluted deicers

The present study experimentally investigates the effect of different diluted deicers on concrete deterioration. Laboratory simulations of environmental freeze/thaw cycling were first conducted on Portland cement concrete specimens in the presence of various deicers (NaCl, K-formate, NaCl-based deicer, K-acetate-based deicer, Na-acetate/Na-formate blend deicer, CMA deicer, or MgCl2 liquid deicer); and SEM/EDX measurements were then conducted for the concrete samples. Under the experimental conditions in this study, the CMA solid deicer and the MgCl2 liquid deicer were benign to the concrete durability, whereas K-formate and the Na-acetate/Na-formate blend deicer showed moderate amount of weight loss and noticeable deterioration of the concrete. NaCl, the NaCl-based deicer, and the K-acetate-based deicer were the most deleterious to the concrete. In addition to exacerbating physical distresses, each investigated chemical or diluted deicer chemically reacted with some of the cement hydrates and formed new products in the pores and cracks. Such physiochemical changes of the cement paste induced by the deicers pose various levels of risks for the concrete durability.
Inverted left atrial appendage mimicking a left atrial mass during mitral valve repair.

This case report describes the appearance of a new homogenous mass seen in the leftatrium on intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography after mitral valve repair. This "mass" was the inverted left atrial appendage. Echocardiographers need to recognize normal variants, such as an inverted left atrial appendage, to avoid misdiagnosis.
Commentary: Cautionary Notes on Interpreting History from Additional First-Hand Observers of Poverty, Health and Policy in South Africa

In an interesting and innovative approach to the study of poverty, health and policy, William Pick, Laetitia Rispel and Shan Naidoo have summarized three important commissioned government reports generated during the racially segregated apartheid years in South Africa. They seek thereby to evaluate both the background factors and the social context under which these reports were generated, and to evaluate effects of both on policy. In doing so, the authors usefully review material perhaps too infrequently examined in subsequent decades. However, the degree to which these three commission reports truly serve as landmarks in their effects remains an open question. Having lived through the period under review, we cannot but doubt whether in themselves these commission reports promoted or even reveal the central historical developments and links between poverty, health and policy over the past century in South Africa, as the writers suggest they do. First, consider the two figures accompanying the text. Figure i shows the decline in infant mortality over the period 1929-198 3 among whites only. No comparable national data were available for blacks (indigenous South Africans, by far the majority; South Africans of mixed descent, so-called coloured people; and South Africans of Indian origin). This figure, thereby necessarily limited to
Water relations, nitrogenase activity and root development of three grain legumes in response to soil water deficits

Abstract Because of the importance of dinitrogen (N 2 ) fixation and its relation to leaf photosynthesis and dry-matter accumulation in grain legumes, a field study was conducted in 1984 to compare the relative abilities of three grain legumes to maintain N 2 fixation rates under well-defined soil water deficits imposed in field environments. Measurements of leaf water status, root distribution and nitrogenase activity were determined on peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.), soybean ( Glycine max L. Merr.), and pigeon pea ( Cajanus cajan L.) throughout the growing season. The three crops were grown in a Kendrick fine sand (loamy, siliceous, hyperthermic family of Arenic Paleudults) and subjected to two water management treatments: 1) an irrigated treatment which was well-watered throughout the growing season: and 2) a water-stressed treatment which was subjected to several naturally-occurring water-deficit periods. During periods of mild and moderate water stress, peanut maintained higher leaf water potentials and stomatal conductance than either soybean or pigeon pea. When well-watered, peanut also maintained considerably higher rates of specific nitrogenase activity than either soybean or pigeon pea. However, nitrogenase activity was reduced in all three crops before visible symptoms of water stress (leaf wilting) were apparent. Peanut maintained nitrogenase activity longer after withholding irrigation than either soybean or pigeon pea. Root distribution measured 68 days after emergence suggested that root length density of peanut at soil depths below 30 cm increased in response to the imposed water deficits. Proliferation of roots in those soil layers as a result of water stress was not observed in either soybean or pigeon pea. The maintenance of higher leaf water-status, stomatal conductance and nitrogenase activity by peanut during soil water deficits compared to the other crops was attributed to greater density of roots in the lower depths of the soil profile.
Why Every Department Needs a Strategic Plan

University departments can benefit from a strategic plan based on a business model. Steps include developing a vision and mission, conducting market research, analyzing competition, setting goals, creating a marketing plan, adapting standard business plan templates, getting feedback, and reviewing as you go along. A strategic plan guides the chair in creating a dynamic department recognized by the university, faculty, students, and surrounding community.
Merging and emerging cohorts: Not worth the wait

How best to study the effects of genes and environment on US health? In the first of two commentaries, Walter C. Willett and his co-authors argue that investing in existing studies is the most efficient approach. Long-term health studies of many thousands of individuals are under way in several countries in Europe and Asia, with a view to determining the influence of genes and environment on disease. A similar project has been proposed in the United States, but as this week's two Commentary contributions show, it is a controversial idea.
Converting to a Closed Enteral Feeding System in a Pediatric Hospital

Research supports the use of closed enteral feeding systems, and recently more pediatric formulas have become available in the closed system. Transitioning to a closed feeding system in a pediatric...
On the stability of ultrarelativistic stars

This paper present two new theorems on the theory of the stability of highly relativistic stars. Thefirst theorem states that a highly relativistic, spherical star is stable if and only if its adiabatic index (assumed to be constant in the interior regions) is greater than a certain critical value,Γcrit which depends in a specified way on the high-density equation of state. This critical value is analogous to the Newtonian value\(\Gamma _{{\text{crit}}} = \tfrac{4}{3}\), but because of relativistic effects it is typically somewhat larger than\(\tfrac{4}{3}\). Thesecond theorem shows that at high central densities, the curves of —(binding energy) vs. radius, —EB(R) for certain hot, isentropic sequences of stellar models must exhibit damped clockwise spirals. This spiraling reflects the onset of instability in one radial mode of pulsation after another as the central density increases along the sequence.
Wasserstein metric convergence method for Fokker–Planck equations with point controls

Abstract Monge–Kantorovich mass transfer theory is employed to obtain an existence and uniqueness result for solutions to Fokker–Planck Equations with time dependent point control. Existence for an approximate problem is established together with a convergence analysis in the Wasserstein distance through equivalence with weak- ⋆ convergence.
Circadian and ultradian rhythms of peripheral growth hormone concentrations in lactating dairy cows

To investigate possible circadian and ultradian periodicities for plasma growth hormone in lactating dairy cows, integrated 15-min blood samples taken sequentially over 48 hr from six cows were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. The cows were housed in an environmental chamber at 19 +/- 0.5 degree C, 50% relative humidity, and 16 hr of light and 8 hr of darkness (lights on at 0700 hr); fed daily at 0900 hr; and milked at 0800 and 2000 hr. Peripheral concentrations of growth hormone for all six cows exhibited sinusoidal circadian rhythms with average minima of 4.1 ng/ml at 1820 hr and maxima of 5.3 ng/ml at 0630 hr. Estimated periods of ultradian rhythms for individual cows by spectral analysis, peak identification, and fitting cosine functions using least squares were 71 to 83 min for all cows. No direct relationship between ultradian peaks and milking or feeding was apparent. In conclusion, a circadian rhythm and an ultradian rhythm with a period around 80 min are probably intrinsic to mechanisms regulating peripheral growth hormone concentrations in the lactating dairy cow.
Automatic detection and classification of Alzheimer's Disease from MRI scans using principal component analysis and artificial neural networks

Early detection of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is important so that preventative measures can be taken. Current techniques for detecting AD rely on cognitive impairment testing which unfortunately does not yield accurate diagnoses until the patient has progressed beyond a moderate AD. In this project, we develop a new approach based on mathematical and image processing techniques for better classification of AD. The most popular current technique analyzes MRI scans using properties of diffeomorphism which generates a mapping from one MRI to another. Since MRIs are very high dimensional vector spaces, the existing technique reduces it to three dimensions and then clusters the images according to presence or lack of AD. However, reducing a high dimensional vector space to three dimensions compromises the information in the data and thus results in some loss of accuracy. We propose to reduce the high dimensional MRI image vector space to 150 dimensions using Principal Component Analysis. In order to categorize the reduced dimensions from PCA for progression of AD, we employ a multiclass neural network. The neural network is trained initially on 230 diagnosed MRIs obtained from OASIS MRI database. We then test our trained neural network on the entire set of 457 MRIs provided by OASIS dataset to confirm the accuracy of diagnosis by our system. Our results produce nearly 90% accuracy in AD diagnosis and classification.
Introduced fishes in marine systems and inland seas

Abstract The number of introduced marine and estuarine fishes is small compared to that of freshwater introductions. Nevertheless, the number now exceeds 120 species and the list is growing. Many have been intentional introductions to enhance fisheries, but the majority are the unintentional result of canal construction and ballast-water transport. While ballast-water transport of fishes and other organisms is a 20th century phenomenon that deserves immediate attention, inadvertent introductions related to shipping have been occurring for centuries. They have obscured the biogeography of many fish and invertebrate species, and have profoundly affected the community structure of many coastal ecosystems. Most intentional introductions either did not establish populations, did not achieve their objectives, or had deleterious effects if the species became established. In several cases, introduced species have contributed to the extinction of native fishes, particularly endemic species.
Abridgment of magnetic leakage and fringing flux calculations

The object of this paper is the development of an empirical method of determining leakage and fringing fluxes in an electromagnetic system. Certain assumptions are made; namely, (a) the reluctance of the iron parts of the magnetic circuit are negligible as compared with that of the air-gaps; (b) the leakage and fringing components of the flux follow paths of convenient geometric shape. Formulas are derived for leakage and fringing fluxes as percentage of the main flux which crosses the gap from the pole face, for two cases, (1) a pole core of circular section and (2) one of rectangular section. Calculations of these fluxes, in percentage of the main flux, are given over a convenient range of gap lengths, coil lengths and distance of coil from pole face. It is seen that both leakage and fringing depend to a considerable extent on all these factors. Calculations are made to determine the flux density at various points along the core length and these show a wide variation in density in accordance with the dimensions of the magnetic circuit. An experimental check was made of certain of the calculated results, and the agreement obtained was as close as could be expected, the derivation being within the limits of error of observation. The paper is not a complete discussion of the subject but it is hoped to develop it still further in a subsequent paper.
A New 17F(p, γ)18Ne Reaction Rate and Its Implications for Nova Nucleosynthesis

Proton capture by 17F plays an important role in the synthesis of nuclei in nova explosions. A revised rate for this reaction, based on a measurement of the 1H(17F, p)17F excitation function using a radioactive 17F beam at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility, is used to calculate the nucleosynthesis in nova outbursts on the surfaces of 1.25 and 1.35 M☉ ONeMg white dwarfs and a 1.00 M☉ CO white dwarf. We find that the new 17F (p, γ)18Ne reaction rate changes the abundances of some nuclides (e.g., 17O) synthesized in the hottest zones of an explosion on a 1.35 M☉ white dwarf by more than a factor of 104 compared to calculations using some previous estimates for this reaction rate, and by more than a factor of 3 when the entire exploding envelope is considered. In a 1.25 M☉ white dwarf nova explosion, this new rate changes the abundances of some nuclides synthesized in the hottest zones by more than a factor of 600, and by more than a factor of 2 when the entire exploding envelope is considered. Calculations for the 1.00 M☉ white dwarf nova show that this new rate changes the abundance of 18Ne by 21% but has negligible effect on all other nuclides. Comparison of model predictions with observations is also discussed.
Monte Carlo studies of universal critical amplitudes for the three-dimensional Ising model: Correlation length and renormalized coupling

We report Monte Carlo studies of the finite-size second-moment correlation length and renormalized coupling at criticality for the three-dimensional Ising model on body-centered-cubic lattices. The related finite-size scaling amplitudes are estimated and compared with the simple-cubic lattice results of recent extensive simulations. The amplitudes agreed within statistical uncertainty and are consistent with finite-size-scaling arguments for universality.
Self-assembled “Supra-molecular” Structures via Hydrogen Bonding and Aromatic/Aliphatic Microphase Separation on Different Length Scales in Symmetric-Tapered Bisamides

Self-assembled “supra-molecular” liquid-crystalline phases were investigated in one of a series of symmetrically tapered bisamides based on an amide core of 1,2-bis[3,4,5-tris(alkan-1-yloxy)benzamido]benzene and three alkyl tails on each side of the core. One of this series of bisamides having 14 carbon atoms in each tail (abbreviated as C14PhBA) served as an example in this study. Differential scanning calorimetry thermal diagrams showed two main phase transition processes in C14PhBA. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction results revealed that the high-temperature phase transition is between the isotropic melt (I) and a 2D low-ordered oblique columnar phase (I ↔ ΦOB). The low-temperature phase transition was attributed to the transition between a highly ordered, oblique columnar (ΦOK) phase and the ΦOB phase. Supra-molecular columns were directly visualized using transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The formation of these supra-molecular structures is critically dependent upon the constru...
Microbial transformations and 13C-NMR analysis of colchicine.

Several microorganisms were screened for their ability to biotransform colchicine, and two were selected for preparative scale fermentations. Streptomyces spectabilis and Streptomyces griseus both produced O2-demethylcolchicine and O3-demethylcolchicine but in different amounts. The 13C-NMR assignments of colchicine, O10-de-methylcolchicine, and trimethylcolchicinic acid are reported and were used to help identify the structures of the metabolites.
A naive uncertainty model for measuring operational risks faced by financial institutions

When insufficient data are available for measuring operational risk faced by a financial institute, most of the models depending on the probability theory are failure. Differing from that we use a probability distribution to depict random uncertainty, in this paper we use a number to represent the naive uncertainty in a phase serving for operational risk identification. The simplest form of the naive uncertainty model for measuring operational risk with multiple phases is the weighted mean with the uncertainties. It is also valid when we have a rough judgment for the uncertainties with intervals or fuzzy values. In this paper, we give a calculation case in lending operational risk to demonstrate the model validity.
Drop Out and "Disconnected" Young Adults: Examining the Impact of Neighborhood and School Contexts

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) this study compares if and how neighborhood effects on the likelihood to drop out and be “disconnected” from school and work in young adulthood change when schools are taken into account. As widely documented, I find that neighborhood socioeconomic status is associated with dropping out, but this effect is mediated by schools with high numbers of Latino or Black students. I find neighborhood socioeconomic status is not associated with being disconnected, yet, attending schools with high numbers of Black students is. This research draws attention for the need to account for neighborhood and school effects simultaneously to better understand contextual effects and to more carefully conceptualize how neighborhood and schools work together to produce these outcomes disproportionately impacting racial and ethnic minorities.
Entropy estimation using the principle of maximum entropy

In this paper, we present a novel entropy estimator for a given set of samples drawn from an unknown probability density function (PDF). Counter to other entropy estimators, the estimator presented here is parametric. The proposed estimator uses the maximum entropy principle to offer anm-term approximation to the underlying distribution and does not rely on local density estimation. The accuracy of the proposed algorithm is analyzed and it is shown that the estimation error is equation. In addition to the analytic results, a numerical evaluation of the estimator on synthetic data as well as on experimental sensor network data is provided. We demonstrate a significant improvement in accuracy relative to other methods.
A stability result for abstract evolution problems

Consider an abstract evolution problem in a Hilbert space H (1) where A(t) is a linear, closed, densely defined operator in H with domain independent of t ≥ 0 and G(t,u) is a nonlinear operator such that ‖G(t,u)‖a(t) ‖u‖p, p = const > 1, ‖f(t)‖ ≤ b(t). We allow the spectrum of A(t) to be in the right half-plane Re(λ) 0, but assume that limt ∞λ0(t) = 0. Under suitable assumptions on a(t) and b(t), the boundedness of ‖u(t)‖ as t ∞ is proved. If f(t) = 0, the Lyapunov stability of the zero solution to problem (1) with u0 = 0 is established. For f ≠ 0, sufficient conditions for the Lyapunov stability are given. The novel point in our study of the stability of the solutions to abstract evolution equations is the possibility for the linear operator A(t) to have spectrum in the half-plane Re(λ) 0 and limt ∞λ0(t) = 0 at a suitable rate. The new technique, proposed in the paper, is based on an application of a novel nonlinear differential inequality. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Silicon carbide MEMS oscilator

An oscillator employing a polycrystalline 3C silicon carbide (3C-SiC) folded-beam microelectromechanical resonator as a frequency-setting component with silicon discrete electronics has been designed and demonstrated. The rocking resonant mode of the resonator is chosen due to its lower motional resistance than that of the lateral resonant mode and small frequency separation between the two modes. Further analysis reveals that an increased power handling capability can be obtained by the rocking mode without an excessive mechanical motion, which is attractive for enhancing resonator durability. The resonator achieves a quality factor of 10300 at 30.2 kHz of the rocking mode resonance under 1 mTorr pressure. The oscillator outputs a sinusoidal waveform at 30.2 kHz with an output power of −17 dBm under a 10V DC bias and achieves a phase noise of −78 dBc/Hz at 12 Hz offset frequency from the carrier, limited by the resonator power handling capability and noise floor from the interface electronics. The oscillation frequency exhibits a 16 ppm stability observed over a period of 100 hours including all environment effects.
Sculptured thin film Šolc filters for optical sensing of gas concentration

The viability of sculptured thin film (STF) implementations of Solc fan and folded filters for optical detection and determination of gas concentration is established. A nanoscopic–to–continuum model is devised for predicting the electromagnetic (optical) response of a STF Solc filter whose void regions are filled with a chemically non–reacting gas. Ultra–narrow band–pass features in the transmission spectrum are shown to shift with the gas concentration.
Does Stage II Colorectal Cancer Need to Be Redefined

Detection of guanylyl cyclase C mRNA in lymph nodes of resected stage II colorectal cancer is highly correlated with the risk of tumor recurrence. If validated, these results could have significant implications for the selection of patients for adjuvant therapy in this disease.
Minimizing Location Uncertainty in Deployment of Access Points

In recent years, wireless sensor networks have been applied to several applications of data gathering and target localization across large geographical areas. In this paper, based on a representative sensor network system for lost hiker localization in wilderness areas, we study the problem of sensor/access-point deployment in constrained environments with the goal of minimizing localization uncertainty. We first present theoretical analysis of the problems for different problem attributes. Then we propose an efficient two-phase algorithm to find the access point placement with four different heuristics. In addition, we present experimental results to compare the performance of different heuristics and one heuristic namely divide-merge is shown to outperform all others and achieves solutions very close to the optimal
Results of surgery: long-term effects on hyperlipidemia

To define frequency of lipid abnormalities and to monitor improvement or correction of those abnormalities postoperatively, 66 patients with chronic morbid obesity had total cholesterol, high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglyceride determinations preoperatively and at staged intervals up to 5-7 y after Roux-Y gastric bypass. Preoperative abnormal HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were frequent. Major improvements occurred in these lipid concentrations by 6 mo postoperatively, and some further improvements occurred with additional weight loss at 1 y. At 5-7 y, among 33 patients, raised concentrations of HDL cholesterol were upheld in women (P less than 0.01); reductions in triglycerides were maintained in men (P less than 0.025); and reduced total cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol, which was achieved by 6 mo, was sustained in both men and women (P less than 0.01). In comparing lipid profiles of gastric surgery through 5 y with recent data from the surgical arm of the Program on Surgical Control of the Hyperlipidemias (POSCH), postulates are made of anticipated reduction in morbid, and even fatal, cardiac events in the operated morbidly obese population.
The Heterogeneity of DNA Unwinding by RecBCD Molecules Reflects Individual Conformations Stabilized by Ligand Binding: A Manifestation of the Ergodic Hypothesis

Single-molecule studies can overcome the complications of asynchrony and ensemble-averaging in bulk-phase measurements, provide mechanistic insights into molecular properties and activities, and reveal interesting variations between individual molecules. The application of these techniques to the RecBCD helicase of Escherichia coli has put to rest some long-standing debates and given some mechanistic insights about its functions. Importantly, previous single-molecule analysis showed that the DNA unwinding rates of individual enzyme molecules vary significantly. However, the origin of this heterogeneity was unknown. Here we investigated the question by defining the components of the distribution, and the behavior of individual molecules in the distribution. The distribution of DNA unwinding rates is not unimodal: one third of the molecules unwound DNA significantly slower than the majority of the population. Although any individual RecBCD molecule unwound DNA at a constant rate, we discovered that transiently pausing a single enzyme-DNA complex, by depleting Mg2+-ATP, changed the rates of some enzyme molecules. The proportion of molecules that changed rate increased exponentially with the duration of the pausing, with a half-time of 4 sec, suggesting a conformational change. We suggest that substrate binding locks the enzyme in one of a broad range of conformations that affect the rate-limiting translocation behavior of RecBCD, resulting the molecule-to-molecule variation in the helicase activity.
PERIODIC SOLUTIONS OF SECOND-ORDER NONAUTONOMOUS DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS

We study the existence of periodic solutions for second-order nonautonomous dynamical systems. We give four sets of hypotheses which guarantee the existence of solutions. We were able to weaken the hypotheses considerably from those used previously for such systems. We employ a new saddle point theorem using linking methods.
Site localization and characterization of pain during radiofrequency ablation of the pulmonary veins.

BACKGROUND Characteristics of radiofrequency (RF) lesions producing pain with an 8-mm catheter during pulmonary vein (PV) ablation have not been prospectively studied. METHODS We studied 46 (30 men, age 56 +/- 10 years) patients with AF who underwent RF ablation of PVs. PV isolation was achieved by using an 8F, 8-mm Biosense ablation catheter (Biosense Webster, Diamond Bar, CA, USA) guided by intracardiac echocardiography (ICE). An electroanatomic map was used to document the location of all RF lesions and the time; PV location and maximum temperature of every lesion were recorded. Location of the esophagus was determined by magnetic resonance imaging prior to the procedure and by both ICE and barium swallows during procedure. RESULT A total of 1,448 (33 +/- 12) RF lesions were delivered to 180 veins. Thirty-nine patients (85%) had at least one lesion associated with pain (mean: 8 +/- 5 lesions) during ablation. The RF generator setting during lesions resulting in pain sensation was 48.6 +/- 7.0 Watts and 51.5 +/- 2.9 degrees C. Maximum temperature attained at the time of pain sensation was 45.7 +/- 4.2 degrees C. By logistic regression analysis the left superior PV (OR 1.54, CI 1.06-2.24, LS vs RI, P < 0.05) and left inferior PV (OR 2.74, CI 1.79-4.19, LI vs RI, P < 0.001) location were both positively correlated with the production of pain. The location of lesions associated with pain was not near the esophagus during any of the pain-producing lesions. CONCLUSION Pain sensation is relatively common during RF ablation of PVs. There was no correlation between pain and the location of esophagus. Pain was more common during RF ablation of left inferior and left superior PVs.
The Changing Face of Surveillance for Health Care—Associated Infections

Surveillance of health care-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance is an important aspect of prevention. In 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had 3 national health care surveillance systems. During 2004-2005, these will be combined into a single Internet-based system, the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). The NHSN will feature a number of enhancements, and ultimately, all US hospitals and other health care facilities will be encouraged to participate. Health care surveillance using standard methods has been very useful and is cited as a model for prevention. However, alternative approaches may improve health care surveillance by reducing complexity, decreasing the burden of data collection, and improving accuracy. These alternative approaches include adopting simpler methods and more-objective definitions, using sampling and estimation, substituting information in computer databases for manually collected data, and increasing surveillance for process measures with known prevention efficacy. Maintaining successful features of standard systems, adopting alternate surveillance approaches, and exploiting new technologies, such as the Internet, will make health care surveillance an even better tool for prevention.
Events and subjective well-being: Only recent events matter.

The effect of life events on subjective well-being (SWB) was explored in a 2-year longitudinal study of 115 participants. It was found that only life events during the previous 3 months influenced life satisfaction and positive and negative affect. Although recent life events influenced SWB even when personality at Time 1 was controlled, distal life events did not correlate with SWB. SWB and life events both showed a substantial degree of temporal stability. It was also found that good and bad life events tend to covary, both between individuals and across periods of the lives of individuals. Also, when events of the opposite valence were controlled, events correlated more strongly with SWB. The counterintuitive finding that good and bad events co-occur suggests an exciting avenue for explorations of the structure of life events.
Differential Measurement of Fast Energy Discharge Capacitor, Inductance, and Resistance

A differential method to measure, simply and accurately, the equivalent series inductance (ESL) and the equivalent series resistance (ESR) of energy discharge capacitors is described and compared with other available methods. The differential method measures the ESL over a wide range of inductance, including extremely low inductance values, without elaborate equipment or intricate data interpretation. The differential method also determines the ESR of fast energy capacitors at frequencies approaching the capacitor self-resonant frequency.
Pulsed Power Hydrodynamics: Atlas Results and Future Perspectives

Summary form only given. Pulsed power hydrodynamics (PPH) is a new application of low-impedance, pulsed power technology enabling the study of advanced hydrodynamics, instabilities, turbulence, and material properties in a highly precise, controllable environment at the extremes of pressure and material velocity. The Atlas facility, designed and built by Los Alamos, is the world's first, laboratory pulsed power system designed specifically to explore this family of pulsed power applications. Constructed in the year 2000 and commissioned in August 2001, Atlas is a 24-MJ high-performance capacitor bank delivering currents up to 30-Megamperes with a rise time of 5 to 6-musec. The high-precision, cylindrically imploding liner is the technique most frequently used to convert electromagnetic energy into the hydrodynamic (kinetic) energy needed to drive strong shock, quasi-isentropic, or large volume adiabatic compression experiments. The first Atlas liner implosion experiments along with 16 applications experiments were conducted in Los Alamos between September 2001 and September 2002. Beginning in October 2002 Atlas was disassembled, moved to the Nevada Test Site, and recommissioned in July 2005. The Atlas experimental program at the NTS comprised 10 application experiments beginning in July 2005 and ending in May 2006. .This paper will summarize the results of the first Atlas experiments at the Nevada Test Site. Longer term applications of Atlas may include continuation of the experimental series already begun, and closely related efforts such as the exploration of material strength at high strain rate. However, work on more basic problems including the study of material interfaces subjected to multi-megagauss magnetic fields, the properties and behavior of strongly coupled plasmas; the equation of state of materials at pressures approaching 10 Mbar, and magnetized target fusion concepts can also be considered. While Atlas continues to be the only laboratory facility specifically designed to pursue pulsed power hydrodynamics concepts, other platforms including the AF Shiva Star system, explosive pulsed power systems and newer, smaller scale systems that provide the advantages of pulsed power drive can offer new capability for PPH experiments. For example, PPH experiments that employ advanced diagnostics such as proton- radiography and other advanced accelerator techniques can be considered if smaller scale drivers can be developed; and experiments requiring very large energies or involving special environments can be considered using explosive pulsed power systems. Options for extending the scope of PPH experiments beyond Atlas are being explored.
Could Crop Height Affect the Wind Resource at Agriculturally Productive Wind Farm Sites

The collocation of cropland and wind turbines in the US Midwest region introduces complex meteorological interactions that could influence both agriculture and wind-power production. Crop management practices may affect the wind resource through alterations of land-surface properties. We use the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model to estimate the impact of crop height variations on the wind resource in the presence of a large turbine array. A hypothetical wind farm consisting of 121 1.8-MW turbines is represented using the WRF model wind-farm parametrization. We represent the impact of selecting soybeans rather than maize by altering the aerodynamic roughness length in a region approximately 65 times larger than that occupied by the turbine array. Roughness lengths of 0.1 and 0.25 m represent the mature soy crop and a mature maize crop, respectively. In all but the most stable atmospheric conditions, statistically significant hub-height wind-speed increases and rotor-layer wind-shear reductions result from switching from maize to soybeans. Based on simulations for the entire month of August 2013, wind-farm energy output increases by 14 %, which would yield a significant monetary gain. Further investigation is required to determine the optimal size, shape, and crop height of the roughness modification to maximize the economic benefit and minimize the cost of such crop-management practices. These considerations must be balanced by other influences on crop choice such as soil requirements and commodity prices.
Diaqua-bis(5-fluoro-2-hydroxy-benzoato-κO)zinc(II).

The title compound, [Zn(C7H4FO3)2(H2O)2], is a monomeric ZnII complex. The ZnII atom, which lies on a twofold rotation axis, is situated in a distorted tetra­hedral environment composed of two monodentate carboxlyate O atoms and two water O atoms. O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link these units, forming sheets that are stacked along the c axis.
Generating SEG Wiki articles to improve student geoscience content and literacy

From instructional tools to devices used in the laboratory or in the field to facilitate student interactivity and data collection, the use of technology in the higher-education geoscience classroom is not new. However, as the 2014 Summit on the Future of Undergraduate Geoscience Education stated in its summary report, the geoscience community has not fully embraced existing and emerging technologies to engage students that already are connected with digital information and tools. It is not that technology is viewed as an ineffective tool for teaching and learning, but that the pedagogic challenges lie in technology adoption and raising awareness of the educational impacts with individual faculty, as well as within departments. One opportunity to broaden student experience with technology is through a classroom assignment designed to utilize several technologies as tools to improve student geoscience content as well as overall science and information literacies. Challenging students to author a new “geology 101” article for the SEG Wiki addresses these components. In addition, an SEG Wiki article-authoring assignment serves as an opportunity for students to perform digital outreach by providing a reliable resource that can be used by geoscience professionals, K–16 teachers and students, and the general public. Through contributing to the SEG Wiki, students also satisfy a university’s mission of service learning and engaged scholarship.