cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Verification of a hyperthermia model method using MR thermometry

Simulation of hyperthermia induced power and temperature distributions is becoming generally accepted and finding its way into clinical hyperthermia treatments. Such simulations provide a means for understanding the complete three-dimensional temperature distribution. However, the results of the simulation studies should be regarded with caution since modelling errors will result in differences between the actual and simulated temperature distribution. This study uses a diffusion weighted magnetic resonance (MR) based technique to measure hyperthermia induced temperature distributions in a three-dimensional space in a non-perfused phantom. The measured data are used to verify the accuracy of numerical simulations of the same three-dimensional temperature distributions. The simulation algorithm is a finite element based method that first computes the electromagnetic induced power deposition then the temperature distribution. Two non-perfused phantom studies were performed and qualitatively the MR and simulated distributions agreed for steady-state. However, due to the long MR sampling time (approximately 4 min), poor agreement between the simulations and MR measurements were obtained for thermal transients. Good agreement between the simulations and fibreoptic thermometry measurements were obtained. The fiberoptic measurements differed from the simulations by 0.11 +/- 0.59 degrees C and -0.17 +/- 0.29 degrees C (mean +/- standard deviation for the two studies).
Effect on Tissue Volume of Various Methods of Fixation, Dehydration, and Embedding

A new indirect method is described for following volume changes of homogeneous pieces of tissue during fixation, dehydration and embedding, and area changes during sectioning, staining and mounting. Pieces of rabbit kidney cortex were compared after fixation in Destin's, Orth's, Petrunkevitch's cupric-paranitrophenol, Bouin's, SUSA, Zenker-formol, 10% formalin in distilled water, formalin in saline, Burke's pyridine formalin, CaCOy neutralized formalin, MgCO3-neutralized formalin, Bensley's vacuum distilled neutral formalin in distilled water, and Bensley's neutral formalin in saline; during dehydration in ethyl alcohol, dioxan, and tertiary butyl alcohol and clearing in xylol and chloroform; and after infiltration and embedding with parowax, with paraffin-nitrocellulose double embedding technic, with hot nitrocellulose, and with cold nitrocellulose. The H-ion concentration of these fixatives was followed during tissue fixation.Altho all fixatives showed specific merences, SUSA and Bouin's gave the best g...
Partial identification of lysins and agglutinins in lymphomatous mouse tissue.

LYSINS and agglutinins have been extracted from normal mouse tissue, from mammary carcinomas of female C3H mice, and recently from human leukaemic cells1, and from the lymphomatous glands of AKR mice2. The lytic materials have been tentatively termed ‘soap-like’ and ‘lysolecithin-like’, supposedly bound to proteins3,4, but in reality the nature of both the lysins and the proteins is still unknown. This communication is concerned with the last point.
Herpesviruses, inflammatory markers and incident depression in a longitudinal study of Detroit residents.

Summary Background Depression is predicted to become the leading cause of disability worldwide by 2030 and moreover, socioeconomic inequalities in depression persist. Herpesviruses, which are more prevalent among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, subject to stress-induced reactivation and are associated with increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines implicated in the etiology of depression, may serve as novel risk factors for depression onset. Methods Data are from individuals in the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study tested for herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) seropositivity/immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels ( N = 263) as well as interleukin-6 (IL-6) ( N = 245) and C-reactive protein (CRP) ( N = 236) levels and assessed for incident depression via the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Linear and logistic regression models were used to examine associations between pathogen seropositivity/IgG antibody levels, pro-inflammatory markers and incident depression over approximately one-year of follow-up. Results For every one unit increase in CMV IgG antibody level, the odds of incident depression increased by 26% and individuals with IgG antibody levels in the highest quartile had over three times greater odds of incident depression (odds ratio 3.87, 95% confidence interval 1.47, 10.19), compared to those in the lower three quartiles. Neither CMV or HSV-1 seropositivity nor HSV-1 IgG antibody level were associated with IL-6 or CRP levels at Wave 1, nor were IL-6 or CRP levels associated with incident depression at Wave 2. Conclusions Further examination of the biological pathways linking CMV and depression are warranted.
Source Parameters Observable from the Corner Frequency of Earthquake Spectra

The Brune (1970) classic theory's suggestion that the source radius be determined from the corner frequency of earthquake spectra is based on a number of insufficiently constrained assumptions that make the result virtually a guess. Viewing earthquakes as displacement-discontinuity sources radiating ω -2 spectra indicates that the two other parameters can be accurately resolved from the corner frequencies, without reliance on any additional assumptions. These parameters are the source duration (rise time) and the maximum slip velocity on the fault; their determination is rooted in the exact formulas of radiation from dislocation sources. These directly observable parameters can serve as important constraints on dynamic theories of friction and faulting. Manuscript received 22 October 2001
IBM's Deep Blue Chess grandmaster chips

The IBM Deep Blue supercomputer that defeated World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov in 1997 employed 480 custom chess chips. This article describes the design philosophy, general architecture, and performance of the chess chips, which provided most of Deep Blue's computational power.
Clinical aspects of endothelial dysfunction associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection and antiretroviral agents.

Endothelial dysfunction is a critical initial step of atherogenesis that subsequently contributes to the progression and clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis. The use of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease inhibitor (PI) agents has been associated with increased cardiovascular events and worsening of multiple coronary heart disease risk factors including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction may be caused by HIV infection itself as well as treatment-related effects of the antiretroviral agents used to treat HIV. The available evidence suggests that Pls may induce endothelial dysfunction via their effects on both lipid and glucose metabolism. Studies in healthy subjects confirm a role for reduced endothelial nitric oxide production in the endothelial dysfunction associated with the PI indinavir. Further work is needed to determine the relative tendencies of other antiretroviral agents to induce endothelial dysfunction, the physiologic mechanisms involved, and the contribution of the metabolic and body shape changes associated with HIV treatment-related lipodystrophy, and to establish effective interventions for endothelial dysfunction in HIV-infected patients.
The Effect of Pelvic MR Imaging on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Women with Presumed Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids

PURPOSE To determine if magnetic resonance (MR) imaging significantly alters the diagnostic thinking and treatment plans of interventional radiologists during the evaluation of women for uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) for presumed uterine fibroids. MATERIALS AND METHODS At a single institution, interventional radiologists prospectively completed questionnaires ( n = 60) before and after MR imaging was performed in their evaluation of women presenting for potential UFE. The questionnaires asked these physicians the probability (0%–100%) of their most likely diagnosis before MR imaging and after receiving the MR imaging information. They were also asked their anticipated and final treatment plans. Diagnostic confidence gains and the proportion of patients with changed initial diagnoses or anticipated management were calculated. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess gains in diagnostic confidence. RESULTS MR imaging caused a mean gain in diagnostic confidence of 22% ( P CONCLUSIONS MR imaging significantly alters the diagnoses and treatment plans of interventional radiologists evaluating women with presumed symptomatic fibroids. MR imaging should be considered in all patients before UFE.
Equilibrium theory of cylindrical discharges with special application to helicons

Radiofrequency discharges used in industry often have centrally peaked plasma density profiles n(r) although ionization is localized at the edge, even in the presence of a dc magnetic field. This can be explained with a simple cylindrical model in one dimension as long as the short-circuit effect at the endplates causes a Maxwellian electron distribution. Surprisingly, a universal profile can be obtained, which is self-similar for all discharges with uniform electron temperature Te and neutral density nn. When all collisions and ionizations are radially accounted for, the ion drift velocity toward the wall reaches the Bohm velocity at a radius which can be identified with the sheath edge, thus obviating a pre-sheath calculation. For non-uniform Te and nn, the profiles change slightly but are always peaked on axis. For helicon discharges, iteration with the HELIC code for antenna-wave coupling yields profiles consistent with both energy deposition and diffusion profiles. Calculated density is in absolute-v...
The preservation of salt marsh algae by controlled liquid nitrogen freezing.

Abstract Five species of benthic marine algae were preserved by controlled liquid nitrogen freezing and storage over periods extending to 1 year. Only a small percent of the algae survived without cryoprotectant. Nannochloris adamsii was an exception; 67% survived after 12 months of storage. Nitzschia acicularis was the best preserved with 5 glycerol as a cryoprotectant, Dimethylsulfoxide was a better cryoprotectant for N. adamsii and Dunaliella quartolecta . Reducing normal brackish salinity (28‰) of the culture medium to one half (14‰) increased the survival percentages for N. acicularis, Cylindrotheca closterium and Phaeodactylum tricornutum . The morphology and physiology of the species tested were unchanged by long storage time in liquid nitrogen.
Depressive symptoms and cardiovascular reactivity to laboratory behavioral stress.

Although a growing literature associates depressive symptoms with cardiovascular disease (CVD), the mechanisms underlying this association have not been clearly determined. The cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) hypothesis suggests that chronically elevated CVR during psychological distress can confer disease risk via vascular alterations. This investigation is a quantitative review of studies that evaluated the association of depressive symptoms with CVR. Atotal of 60 hypotheses were tested: 21 tests involved systolic blood pressure (SBP), 21 involved diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and 18 involved heart rate (HR). The aggregate effect size for the relation between depressive symptoms and HR reactivity was moderate (d = 0.37); aggregate effect sizes were small for SBP reactivity (d = 0.13) and DBP reactivity (d = 0.17). Effect sizes involving SBP reactivity were homogenous, whereas effect sizes involving DBP and HR reactivity were higher for studies that examined participants with CVD. These findings provide partial support for the associations of depressive symptoms with CVR.
Deriving amplitude equations for weakly-nonlinear oscillators and their generalizations

Results by physicists on renormalization group techniques have recently sparked interest in the singular perturbations community of applied mathematicians. The survey paper, [Phys. Rev. E 54(1) (1996) 376-394], by Chen et al. demonstrated that many problems which applied mathematicians solve using disparate methods can be solved using a single approach. Analysis of that renormalization group method by Mudavanhu and O'Malley [Stud. Appl. Math. 107(1) (2001) 63-79; SIAM J. Appl. Math. 63(2) (2002) 373-397], among others, indicates that the technique can be streamlined. This paper carries that analysis several steps further to present an amplitude equation technique which is both well adapted for use with a computer algebra system and easy to relate to the classical methods of averaging and multiple scales.
Impaired generation of spontaneous and mitogen-reactive anti-tetanus toxoid antibody-producing B cells following repetitive in vivo booster immunization

Abstract Booster immunization of humans with tetanus toxoid generates a subpopulation of B lymphocytes in the blood which spontaneously synthesize IgG anti-tetanus antibody (anti-Tet). After repeat immunization 14 days later, subsequent lymphoblastoid cell responses were markedly decreased (21 to 37% of initial responses). This occurred whether the second immunization was given in the ipsilateral or contralateral arm. A third immunization at Day 28 failed to induce any lymphoblastoid cell response although serum anti-Tet antibody levels were equivalent to those at the time of the second immunization. The diminished IgG anti-Tet response seen after repeated immunization was correlated with a decreased precursor frequency of B cells producing IgG-anti-Tet. The inhibitory effect of repeated immunization was not simply a dose-related phenomenon as it was not mimicked by three tetanus boosters given at one time. Furthermore, it was antigen specific as IgG anti-diphtheria lymphoblastoid B cells could be induced while anti-tetanus cells were not. After three repetitive immunizations with tetanus toxoid, pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-inducible IgG anti-Tet responses were also inhibited. The mechanism for this was the loss of PWM-reactive B-cell activity and not the induction of excessive T suppression. This effect was also shown to be antigen specific as PWM-induced IgG anti-diphtheria responses were preserved. Thus repetitive immunization fails to continue to induce antigen-specific lymphoblastoid B cells and to inhibit the appearance of antigen-specific PWM-reactive cells. These events may be important in the observation that repeated immunization fails to continually increase antibody levels.
Genome Plasticity a Key Factor in the Success of Polyploid Wheat Under Domestication

Wheat was domesticated about 10,000 years ago and has since spread worldwide to become one of the major crops. Its adaptability to diverse environments and end uses is surprising given the diversity bottlenecks expected from recent domestication and polyploid speciation events. Wheat compensates for these bottlenecks by capturing part of the genetic diversity of its progenitors and by generating new diversity at a relatively fast pace. Frequent gene deletions and disruptions generated by a fast replacement rate of repetitive sequences are buffered by the polyploid nature of wheat, resulting in subtle dosage effects on which selection can operate.
Distinguishing primary and secondary disorders in studies of alcohol dependence and depression.

This paper is concerned with the relationship between alcohol dependence and depression, and more specifically with the issue of which criteria should be used in distinguishing primary and secondary disorders. The data presented indicate that borderline or subclinical depression frequently precedes the onset of alcohol dependence. This finding is discussed in terms of previous studies, which show that depression is generally secondary to alcohol dependence. Such studies have focused almost exclusively on severe forms of depressive disorder, and, it is argued, used inappropriate criteria to designate the onset of alcohol dependence (e.g. withdrawal phenomena and alcohol-related problems). In contrast to previous studies, the present paper indicates that subclinical episodes of depression should be assessed by clinicians as possible predisposing factors in the development of alcohol dependence. In addition, it is argued that research designed to establish whether alcohol dependence is a primary or secondary disorder when it occurs in the presence of an accompanying psychiatric disorder should measure onset in terms of changes in behaviour such as giving-up existing interests in order to spend time drinking and consuming more alcohol than former companions.
Some Structural and Electrical Properties of Lithium Silicate Glasses

Dielectric measurements, analyzed in terms of the Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars theories of inhomogeneous dielectrics, have been used to investigate the phase-separation characteristics of various lithium silicate glasses. Such measurements are shown to provide evidence of the continuous or discontinuous nature of separated phases and to allow estimates of their shape factors and concentrations. The results indicate that dielectric measurements are particularly useful in following phase-separation processes in glasses from the initial to the final stages.
Effect of antisera to β and γ goldfish brain proteins on the retention of a newly acquired behavior

Abstract The metabolism of 3 brain cytoplasmic proteins (α, β, and γ) increases markedly when goldfish acquire a new pattern of behavior 13 . Antisera specific to β and β + γ proteins were prepared 14 and injected into the fourth ventricle of the brains of trained animals at 8 and 24 h after the initiation of training. When tested 3 days later, such goldfish ( N= 98 ) could not recall the training; whereas trained goldfish ( N= 97 ) receiving non-immunized rabbit serum had complete recall of the behavior. Also no amnesia was obtained in control experiments in which trained goldfish were injected with an antiserum to a neural surface membrane protein NS-6. The fact that antisera to β + γ had no toxic effects was demonstrated by injecting them prior to training; no effects on the rate of acquisition and recall of the behavior was found. The antisera to β + γ were effective in inhibiting recall of the training when they were injected any time between 3 h up to 48 h after training; no effect was obtained at 72 h post training. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that β and γ might have some functional role in the plasticity of the CNS.
Feshbach-resonance-mediated annihilation in positron interactions with large molecules

Measurements of positron-on-molecule annihilation have established that positrons attach to a variety of molecules via vibrational Feshbach resonances VFRs. These resonances, in turn, result in greatly enhanced positron annihilation rates beyond those expected in simple collisions. A recent paper J. A. Young and C. M. Surko, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 133201 2007 described experimental studies and analysis of positron annihilation in large molecules. Presented here is a more complete description of those results as well as data and analysis. Positron-molecule binding energy data are presented for twenty-five molecules, including the relatively deeply bound species 1-chlorohexane, benzene, and naphthelene. When a relatively weak dependence of resonant annihilation rate on incident positron energy and binding energy is removed, the resulting rates for hydrocarbons are shown to obey a universal scaling as a function of the number of vibrational degrees of freedom. Previously measured annihilation rates for alkanes using thermal positrons at 300 K are shown to be in quantitative agreement with measurements at higher energies. Results are presented for partially fluorinated hydrocarbons, providing evidence that the unusual suppression of resonant annihilation observed in these molecules occurs via a vibrational deexcitation process. The role of molecular temperature and inelastic escape channels in VFR-mediated positron annihilation in molecules is discussed. The implications of these results for theories of the annihilation process are also discussed.
Synthesis and Structural Study of Titanium Bis(sulfonamido) Bis(amide) Complexes

Reaction of the titanium tetraamide Ti(NMe2)4 with various bis(sulfonamide) ligands resulted in the clean formation of the bis(sulfonamido)Ti(NMe2)2 complexes and N,N-dimethylamine. We have characterized the resulting racemic and resolved bis(sulfonamido)Ti(NMe2)2 complexes by X-ray crystallography to explore differences in the bonding and geometry of the ligand in these complexes. From the crystal structures, the ligand is found to bind through the sulfonyl oxygens as well as the sulfonamido nitrogens. The Ti−N distances of the sulfonamido groups range from 2.048(3) to 2.103(2) A, while the Ti−N distances of the amides are significantly shorter, between 1.858(3) and 1.896(3) A. The structures indicate that the bonding of the ligand to the metal can be either η3 or η4, with the Ti−O sulfonyl distances ranging from 2.167(2) to 2.447(4) A. We have synthesized bis(sulfonamido)Ti(NMe2)2 complexes with bis(sulfonamide) ligands of varying sizes and found that the bulk of the ortho substituent of the aryl groups...
U.S. pharmacy policy: a public health perspective on safety and cost.

A public health perspective based on social justice and a population health point of view emphasizes pharmacy policy innovations regarding safety and costs. Such policies that effectively reduce costs include controlling profits, establishing profit targets, extending prescription providers, revising prescription classification schemes, emphasizing generic medications, and establishing formularies. Public education and universal programs may reduce costs, but co-pays and “cost-sharing” do not. Switching medications to over-the-counter (OTC) status, pill splitting, and importing medication from abroad are poor substitutes for authentic public health pharmacy policy. Where policy changes yield savings, public health insists that these savings should be used to increase access and improve population health. In the future, pharmacy policies may emphasize public health accountability more than individual liberty because of potential cost savings to society. Fear of litigation, as an informal mechanism of focus...
Cell-cell interaction in the drosophila retina: The bride of sevenless gene is required in photoreceptor cell R8 for R7 cell development

Abstract Genetic mosaic studies indicate that environmental cues play a critical role in photoreceptor cell (R-cell) development in the Drosophila compound eye. Recent analysis of the sevenless gene suggests that its product, a cell surface protein containing a putative intracellular domain homologous to tyrosine kinases, is a receptor for a signal specifying an R7-specific pathway of cellular development. We report the identification of a second genetic locus, bride of sevenless ( boss ) required for the development of R7. Genetic mosaic analysis demonstrates that boss expression is required in the R8 cell for a neighboring cell to become R7. However, the development of R1–R6 and R8 is boss -independent. These data indicate a central role for R8 in directing ommatidial assembly and are consistent with boss encoding the ligand recognized by the sevenless receptor.
Progress in ZnO materials and devices

ZnO is a wide-band-gap semiconductor material that is now being developed for many applications, including ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes, UV photodetectors, transparent thin-film transistors, and gas sensors. It can be grown as boules, as thin films, or as nanostructures of many types and shapes. However, as with any useful semiconductor material, its electrical and optical properties are controlled by impurities and defects. Here, we consider various important donor-type impurities, such as H, Al, Ga, and In, and acceptor-type impurities, such as N, P, As, and Sb. We also examine the effects of a few common point defects, including Zn interstitials, Zn vacancies, O vacancies, and complexes of each. The main experimental techniques of interest here include temperature-dependent Hall-effect and low-temperature photoluminescence measurements, because they alone can provide donor and acceptor concentrations and donor energies. The important topic of p-type ZnO is also considered in some detail.
Implications of lymphatic drainage to unusual sentinel lymph node sites in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma

BACKGROUND Sentinel lymphadenectomy reliably identifies the first site(s) of regional lymphatic drainage and, therefore, the most likely lymph nodes to contain occult metastasis in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma. Although in most patients lymphatic drainage from the primary melanoma first reaches a standard lymph node basin, a sentinel lymph node (SLN) may be identified in an unusual location. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and significance of unusual sentinel lymph node drainage patterns in a large cohort of patients with primary melanoma. METHODS The records of 1145 consecutive primary melanoma patients who underwent SLN biopsy were reviewed. Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy was performed in all patients with truncal melanoma and in many patients with distal extremity lesions. Unusual lymph node sites were defined as epitrochlear, popliteal, or ectopic/interval (in-transit or any other nonstandard lymph node-bearing area). RESULTS At least one SLN was harvested in 1117 patients (98%). SLN biopsy of an unusual lymph node site was attempted in 59 patients (5%). Successful intraoperative localization and biopsy was performed in 54 (92%) of 59 patients for a total of 56 unusual sites. Of these, 7 (13%) were popliteal, 8 (14%) were epitrochlear, and 41 (73%) were ectopic/interval. Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy was performed in 41 of these 54 patients and correctly identified unusual SLN locations in 12 (29%); the majority of unusual SLNs were identified only with the assistance of the intraoperative gamma probe. In four patients (7%), the unusual lymph node site was the only site from which SLNs were harvested. In the remaining 50 patients (93%), biopsies were performed on SLNs from both unusual sites and from a standard lymph node basin. Among the 54 patients who underwent a SLN biopsy of an unusual nodal site, 7 (13%) had lymph node metastases in that location. In four of the seven patients, the only positive SLN was from the unusual site. CONCLUSIONS Sentinel lymphatic drainage patterns include lymph node-bearing areas that may be outside established standard lymph node basins and may represent the only site of regional lymph node metastases. Although preoperative lymphoscintigraphy may assist in the identification of unusual SLN drainage patterns, intraoperative use of the gamma probe is recommended to identify accurately and completely all sites of regional lymph node drainage. Cancer 2002;95:354–60. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10664
Pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, and safety of prasugrel and clopidogrel

Thienopyridines are platelet adenosine diphosphate receptor antagonists used in the treatment and prevention of thrombotic events in patients with acute coronary syndrome. The pharmacokinetic profile of the thienopyridine clopidogrel has resulted in highly variable pharmacokinetics and efficacy responses. The purpose of this review is to provide a brief overview of the pharmacokinetics of prasugrel and clopidogrel and discuss factors that would influence the metabolism of those drugs. Clinical studies have shown that the coadministration of prasugrel with other drugs is less likely to result in clinically relevant pharmacokinetic drug interactions compared with clopidogrel. The lack of effect of variant genotypes on the efficacy of prasugrel suggests that more patients will receive adequate platelet inhibition after administration of prasugrel. The efficient generation of the active metabolite of prasugrel results in greater and more rapid inhibition of P2Y(12) receptor-mediated platelet aggregation.
A MODEL FOR ANALYSIS OF WORK SAMPLING STATISTICS

Abstract Statistics used in work sampling studies are normally evaluated only in terms of their capability to predict activity during the period of the study. In order to evaluate predictive ability beyond the period of the study it is necessary to have a model for the process. One possible model, the alternating Poisson process, is borrowed from renewal theory and explored for utility in systematic work sampling applications. A spacing rule is presented for use in design of sampling studies; the rule takes into account the mean length of time taken by the activity as well as the proportion of time it occupies. A method is given of modifying the rule in the presence of a cost constraint.
Resolving Location Conflict with Standardized Space-Cost Curves

Location analysis is concerned with the siting of facilities according to various cost criteria. Accessibility-based cost criteria typically generate different optimal solutions (least-cost location configurations) and location conflict arises. This paper outlines a new way to resolve such conflict–for single facilities sited in one-dimensional space. Piecewise-linear space-cost curves for two well known criteria, efficiency and equality, are first transformed into standardized (Z-score) curves. A family of hybrid space-cost curves is then generated, where each member of the family reflects different fractional weights, w and 1-w, being placed on efficiency and equality. Decision-makers or users can assign these weights directly to the two criteria, thereby determining the most appropriate hybrid space-cost curve used in resolving location conflict. This hybrid curve provides standardized, two-criteria cost information for all possible facility locations.
A Game Theoretic Based Scheme for Multidisciplinary Optimization with Uncertainty

A game theoretic based scheme is considered in this study for multidisciplinary design optimization under uncertain conditions. The methodology developed is illustrated by considering the example of an internal combustion (IC) engine. Various game protocols are used to model the optimization process and the results obtained are compared with each other. A genetic algorithm (GA) is used as an optimization and constraining tool. Convergence, constraint handling and processing time are considered to evaluate the efficacy of the methodology developed.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
New series for the cosine lemniscate function and the polynomialization of the lemniscate integral

We discuss the numerical computation of the cosine lemniscate function and its inverse, the lemniscate integral. These were previously studied by Bernoulli, Euler, Gauss, Abel, Jacobi and Ramanujan. We review general elliptic formulas for this special case and provide some novelties. We show that a Fourier series by Ramanujan converges twice as fast as the standard elliptic cosine Fourier series specialized to this case. The so-called imbricate series, however, converges geometrically fast over the entire complex plane. We derive two new expansions. The rational-plus-Fourier series converges much faster than Ramanujan's: for real z: each term is asymptotically 12,400 times smaller than its immediate predecessor: coslem(z)=4B{q(1-q)cos(Bz)/[(1+q)^2-4qcos^2(Bz)]+@?"n"="1^~q^n^-^1^/^2{1/(1+q^2^n^-^1)-1}cos((2n-1)Bz)} where q=exp(-@p) is the elliptic nome, K~1.85... is the complete elliptic integral of the first kind for a modulus m=1/2 and B=@p/(K2). The rational imbricate series is uniformly valid over the complex plane, but converges twice as fast as the sech-imbricate series: coslem(z)=4Bq(1-q)@?"j"="-"~^~q(1-q)cos(Bz)/{(1+q)^2-4qcos^2(B[z-jPi])} where P=(4/2)K is the period in both the real and imaginary directions. We devise a new approximation for the lemniscate integral for real argument as the arccosine of a Chebyshev series and show that 17 terms yield about 15 digits of accuracy. For complex argument, we show that the lemniscate integral can be found to near machine precision (assumed as sixteen decimal digits) by computing the roots of a polynomial of degree thirteen. Alternatively, Newton's iteration converges in three iterations with an initialization, accurate to four decimal places, that is the chosen root of a cubic equation.
Decrease of respiration by glucose (crabtree effect) in Rous sarcoma of chorioallantoic membrane.

SummaryQo2 values of Rous sarcoma virus-induced chorioallantoic tumors show a depression in oxygen uptake when glucose at 0.1% final concentration is added as substrate. Respiration of normal chorioallantoic membrane was not depressed by addition of glucose. The reaction of the medium with glucose dropped from pH 7.4 to 6.8 with normal tissue and to 6.6 with tumor tissue during 4 hours. Pyruvate as substrate gave increased oxygen uptake with both tumor tissue and normal tissue. These data demonstrate in a virus-induced tumor a metabolic alteration associated with glucose metabolism comparable to that observed in tumors not demonstrated to be of viral etiology.
Review of Predictive Statistical Mechanics—A Nonequilibrium Ensemble Formalism by Roberto Luzzi, A. R. Vasconcellos, and J. Galvao Ramos

Predictive Statistical Mechanics ~PSM! was coined by Edwin T. Jaynes ~1922–1998! who was an international leader in fundamentals of theoretical physics. The book is very timely to researchers in hydraulic engineering and possibly to researchers in other areas of civil engineering. These civil engineering researchers may not be familiar with the approach used by PSM despite the fact that it was established over half a century ago and reported to have had successful applications in many scientific fields. These fields include information theory, physics, astronomy, and even in economics and regional and urban planning. To potential readers in hydraulic engineering, the most informative part of the book, also the easiest to understand, would be the material presented in the Preface, Prolegomena, Introduction, and Final Remarks ~Chapter 8!. These four separate sections of the book give an in-depth description of the philosophical and mathematical foundations of PSM. To bring up some of the key points, PSM is based on the Bayesian approach in probability theory that is what Philip W. Anderson, winner of the 1977 Nobel Prize in Physics, and other scientists consider ‘‘the most appropriate probability theory in sciences.’’ The key question that arises in applying the approach is ‘‘How shall we use probability theory to help us do plausible reasoning in situations where, because of incomplete information we cannot use deductive reasoning?’’ This means that the main task in using the approach is to derive the probability distribution based on the incomplete information available without making unwarranted hypotheses or assumptions. Jaynes proposed to derive the most probable or the least biased probability distribution by applying the variational principle of maximizing the Shannon’s information entropy ~Shannon 1948! subject to constraints imposed by the available information. To give a little background about ‘‘entropy,’’ Jaynes ~1982! said By far the most abused word in science is ‘‘entropy.’’ Confusion over the different meanings of this word, already serious 35 years ago, reached disaster proportions with the 1948 advent of Shannon’s information theory, which not only appropriated the same word for a new set of meanings; but even worse, proved to be highly relevant to statistical mechanics. ‘‘Information entropy’’ was coined by Claude E. Shannon ~1916–2001!, the father of information theory, on advice from Johannes von Neumann. Some, in addition to Jaynes, seemed to feel that this was unfortunate since it has much broader meaning and potential applications than the thermodynamic entropy. While the thermodynamic entropy is limited to closed systems in equilibrium, the concept of information entropy is not. To avoid the confusion, it would have been better to preserve the term ‘‘en-
Selective amygdalohippocampectomy via the transsylvian approach

Surgery is an established treatment for temporal lobe epilepsy refractory to medication. Several surgical approaches have been used to treat this condition including temporal lobectomy, transcortical selective amygdalohippocampectomy, subtemporal amygdalohippocampectomy, and transsylvian amygdalohippocampectomy. In this article the author reviews the transsylvian amygdalohyppocampectomy and pertinent anatomy. He also discusses the procedure's results with regard to seizure control, neuropsychological outcome, and visual field preservation.
Thickness-dependent magnetic properties of Ni81Fe19, Co90Fe10 and Ni65Fe15Co20 thin films

We present results of magnetization and magnetic anisotropy measurements in thin magnetic films of the alloys Ni81Fe19; Co90Fe10 and Ni65Fe15Co20 that are commonly used in magnetoelectronic devices. The films were sandwiched between layers of Ta. At room temperature the critical thickness for all the films to become ferromagnetic is in the range 11–13 ( A. In Co90Fe10 the coercivity and the anisotropy field both depend strongly on layer thickness.
Measurement of cell forces using a microfabricated polymer cantilever sensor

Abstract A polymer MEMS sensor was developed for measuring the mechanical forces generated by single adherent cells. Mechanical forces are known to play a role in cell regulation, and measuring these forces is an important step in understanding cellular mechanotransduction. The sensor consisted of four polystyrene microcantilever beams with cell adhesion pads at the end of each beam. Finite element analysis was used to guide the design of a compound cantilever to allow measurement of forces in any direction in the plane of the sensor. The device was used to measure the forces generated by WS1 human skin fibroblasts under a microscope. Single cells were placed on the sensor using a custom micromanipulator. Forces were calculated by optically measuring the deflection of each probe during cell attachment and spreading. Measurements were performed on normal WS1 fibroblast cells and those treated with cytochalasin D to disrupt the actin cytoskeleton. Cytochalasin D treated cells showed a significant decrease in force, with time information about the rate of force change obtained from the sensor. This device can be used to evaluate the mechanical response of cells to a variety of chemical, mechanical, and other environmental stimuli.
Atom-atom inelastic collisions and three-body atomic recombination in weakly ionized argon plasmas

A stationary collisional-radiative model including both inelastic electron-atom and atom-atom collisions is used to examine nonequilibrium weakly ionized argon plasmas with atomic densities 10 to the 16th to 10 to the 20th/cu cm, temperatures below 6000 K, and with different degrees of radiation trapping. It is shown that three-body atomic recombination becomes important at high particle densities. Comparison is made between the present approach and Thomson's theory for atomic recombination.
Cardiac effects of a hypotensive veratrum derivative in dogs premedicated with digitalis or quinidine.

SummaryVeriloid, a reproducible hypotensive derivative of Veratrum viride, was administered in dosage of 1 mcg/kg/minute for 10 minutes to unanesthetized dogs. Similarly the veratrum derivative was administered to unanesthetized dogs premedicated with toxic dosages of digitalis preparations and to others premedicated with toxic dosages of quinidine hydrochloride. The degree of cardiac slowing from the veratrum derivative was found to be a function of pre-existing cardiac rate. No such relation was found for the bradycardia produced by digitalis. Dogs which received digitalis and veratrum showed profound bradycardia. This action appeared to be mediated by increased vagal tone since the slowing was abolished by atropine. Rhythm disturbances due to digitalis were exaggerated by veratrum. A rise in Q-T/R-R ratio above that to be expected by changing cardiac rate was associated with the administration of quinidine hydrochloride. In normal animals and in those which received digitalis, Veriloid or both, the rat...
Forensic analysis of tempered sheet glass by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE)

Abstract The elemental concentrations of five trace elements in tempered sheet glass fragments were determined using particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) spectrometry. The trace element concentrations for calcium, iron, manganese, strontium, and titanium are compared to those obtained by inductively-coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) following complete digestion by hydrofluoric acid. For these five elements, the absolute concentrations obtained by both methods are shown to agree well over a wide range of concentrations. The limits of detection for trace elements are typically lower for the ICP-AES method. However, we show that the concentrations of these five elements can be accurately measured by the PIXE method. Since PIXE is an entirely non-destructive method, there exists a niche for this technique to be used as a complement to the more sensitive ICP-AES technique in the forensic analysis of sheet glass.
Analysis of Heavy Truck Accident Data—Exposure Based Approach

The measure used in most accident studies is as follows: Accident Rate = number of accidents divided by the vehicle miles travel. However, methodological problems would arise if the same measure is used in comparing accident data for different vehicle categroies, e.g. heavy trucks versus light trucks. This article addresses this issue, and presents a procedure for analyzing accident data involving trucks of varying sizes. The procedure developed was used to analyze truck and passenger car accidents in Michigan. It can also be used to assess the relative role of any two or three vehicular groups. The procedure is a modified version of an exposure-based method used by the principal author in an earlier study. It is used to conduct analyses of accident data involving heavy trucks. The procedure appears to be suitalble for analyzing heavy truck accident data and for the most part, lends itself to the use of data commonly available from state transportation agencies in the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Bureau of Census.
Primordial Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

While primary prevention is about treating risk factors to prevent cardiovascular disease, primordial prevention refers to avoiding the development of risk factors in the first place. Because atherosclerosis starts in youth and is related to dyslipidemia, to smoking, and to higher blood pressure, glucose levels, and body mass index, the implication is that primordial prevention must start early in life.1 Additional support for early prevention arises from recent data on ideal cardiovascular health. Using similar definitions of ideal cardiovascular health, comprising 3 health factors and 4 health behaviors, both the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study and the Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project for Children (STRIP) showed that the number of ideal metrics is lower in late versus early adolescence.2,3 In cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, this apparent pattern of declining prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health with age continues from adolescence through adulthood.4,5 Article see p 605 When and how to intervene to maintain the ideal cardiovascular health factors with which almost all babies are born are vexing but critical questions. Over the past 2 decades, a literature has emerged suggesting that starting interventions very early—as early as infancy and perhaps before—may be an especially effective approach to prevent chronic disease over the life course.6,7 The first 1000 days from conception to preschool ages are a period of maximal developmental plasticity. Prevention interventions during this period may thus set individuals on the best possible trajectories of lifelong cardiovascular health, …
Down to gentility: Women in Tanzania

It is hypothesized that in traditional African (and more specifically Tanzanian) society the roles of men and women were different but less unequal than the norm adopted by the colonial authorities and their heirs, the rulers of independent Tanzania. Women had an extremely important economic role as the food producers and in some cases held high political office. European administrators, educators, and missionaries introduced the Victorian English ideal of “gentility” for women at the same time that the introduction of cash crops greatly increased the demands on African women's labor. Thus, the differences between the sexes were exacerbated. It is also suggested that at the village level perceptions about correct sex roles have not changed greatly, and there is a willingness to accept women in authority; whereas the gentility model is important at the level of the ruling elite.
Anaerobic Benzene Oxidation in the Fe(III) Reduction Zone of Petroleum-Contaminated Aquifers

The potential for anaerobic benzene oxidation in the Fe(III)-reduction zone of petroleum-contaminated aquifers was evaluated. Sediments were incubated under strict anaerobic conditions without any amendments in order to simulate in situ conditions. [14C]Benzene was not oxidized to 14CO2 at most sites examined, which is consistent with previous studies that have found that benzene tends to persist in unamended, anaerobic aquifer materials and/or long periods of time are required in order to adapt the microbial population for benzene degradation. However, at one site located in Bemidji, MN, [14C]benzene was oxidized to 14CO2 in unamended sediments without an apparent lag, suggesting that benzene was anaerobically degraded in situ. Benzene was not significantly oxidized in sediments from nearby Fe(III)-reducing sites nor in sediments collected from an uncontaminated background site in the same aquifer. Culturing and 16S rRNA-based molecular studies of the Bemidji aquifer demonstrated that while all sites con...
Genuine versus Simulated Responses on the Impact of Event Scale

summa^.--Construct validity established for the Impact of Event Scale does not include evidence that the scale can distinguish genuine responses from simulated ones, an important requirement for cognitively "transparent" measures subject to systematic distortion by demand characteristics of the test situation. Comparison scores from 35 srudents coping with recent parental death and 30 randomly selected students instructed to respond UJ though they recently had a parent die indicated that, as predicted for this measure, simulated responses involved uniformly high endorsement of all items, while genuine responses were lower in magnitude and varied more from item to item. The scale appears to be adequately sensitive to differences between genuine and simulated responses. Research on life events and description of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in DSM-111 (American Psychiatric Association, 1980) have stimulated interest in the nature and intensity of acute responses to stressful Life events. Horowitz and colleagues (Horowitz, Wilner, & Alvarez, 1979; Zilberg, Weiss, & Horowitz, 1982) developed a 15-item "Impact of Event Scale" tapping two key psychological responses to an acute stressor, intrusive cognitions and affects, and avoidance and denial. Respondents rate the frequency with which, in coping with a given event, they experience each of 15 specific reactions, from "not at all" to "often" (scaled 0-5). Initial reports included evidence of the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the Intrusion and Avoidance subscales. In addition, evidence of the measure's "sensitivity" (i.e., ability of the subscales to distinguish between different populations of relevance) consisted of significant differences in reported intrusion and avoidance between ( 1) clients in psychotherapy who were coping with a heterogeneous collection of life events and medical students experiencing dissection of their first cadaver (Horowitz, et al., 1979), and (2) two groups coping with the death of a parent, one of them entering individual psychotherapy and the other not'in psychotherapy ( Zilberg, et ad., 1982 ) .