cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of global wind power

[1] The goal of this study is to quantify the world's wind power potential for the first time from data. Wind speeds are calculated at 80 m, the hub height of modern, 77-m diameter, 1500 kW turbines. Since relatively few observations are available at 80 m, the Least Square extrapolation technique is utilized and revised here to obtain estimates of wind speeds at 80 m given observed wind speeds at 10 m (widely available) and a network of sounding stations. Tower data from the Kennedy Space Center (Florida) were used to validate the results. Globally, ∼13% of all reporting stations experience annual mean wind speeds ≥ 6.9 m/s at 80 m (i.e., wind power class 3 or greater) and can therefore be considered suitable for low-cost wind power generation. This estimate is believed to be conservative. Of all continents, North America has the largest number of stations in class ≥ 3 (453), and Antarctica has the largest percent (60%). Areas with great potential are found in northern Europe along the North Sea, the southern tip of the South American continent, the island of Tasmania in Australia, the Great Lakes region, and the northeastern and northwestern coasts of North America. The global average 10-m wind speed over the ocean from measurements is 6.64 m/s (class 6); that over land is 3.28 m/s (class 1). The calculated 80-m values are 8.60 m/s (class 6) and 4.54 m/s (class 1) over ocean and land, respectively. Over land, daytime 80-m wind speed averages obtained from soundings (4.96 m/s) are slightly larger than nighttime ones (4.85 m/s); nighttime wind speeds increase, on average, above daytime speeds above 120 m. Assuming that statistics generated from all stations analyzed here are representative of the global distribution of winds, global wind power generated at locations with mean annual wind speeds ≥ 6.9 m/s at 80 m is found to be ∼72 TW (∼54,000 Mtoe) for the year 2000. Even if only ∼20% of this power could be captured, it could satisfy 100% of the world's energy demand for all purposes (6995–10177 Mtoe) and over seven times the world's electricity needs (1.6–1.8 TW). Several practical barriers need to be overcome to fully realize this potential.
Phosphorescence and Structure of a Tetrameric Copper(I)-Amide Cluster.

The colorless copper(I) cluster [CuN(Si(CH3)3)2]4, which contains a square-planar Cu4N4 core, phosphoresces in CH2Cl2 solution (λmax, 512 nm; lifetime, 30 μs) and in the solid state at room temperature. Its electronic absorption spectrum in CH2Cl2 consists of two intense bands at 283 and 246 nm; these transitions, as well as the phosphorescence, are likely to involve population of MOs reflecting substantial Cu···Cu interactions. Solid [CuN(Si(CH3)3)2]4 luminesces with approximately the same spectrum as that of the CH2Cl2 solutions. At 77 K, the solid-state luminescence red-shifts slightly (λmax, 524 nm) and narrows substantially (fwhm, 2400 cm-1; vs 3500 cm-1 at 300 K); the emission lifetime in glassy Et2O solution is 690 μs. X-ray analysis of crystals of [CuN(Si(CH3)3)2]4 at 130 and 296 K shows that, although the previously reported structure solution (in space group I2/m, with the molecules on 2/m sites; Eur. J. Solid State Inorg. Chem. 1992, 29, 573−583) is approximately correct, the lattice is actuall...
Media noise considerations: Determination of particle noise limit from particulate disk coatings

Studies were made of particulate disk coatings to determine experimentally the particle noise limit. For a coating which has relatively good noise performance, the particulate noise limit is the asymptotic noise value obtained at high written frequencies. For a coating which has relatively poor noise performance, a plot can be made of noise vs. effective defect length (as determined by autocorrelation). The particle noise limit can be taken as the extrapolated noise at zero defect length. In this way the quality of the coating can be judged by the amount of "excess" noise. Noise performance of particulate disk coatings is compared with a thin-film disk.
Laparoscopic-Assisted Surgical Procedures

Laparoscopic-assisted procedures allow a balance between the improved patient recoveries often associated with smaller incisions and the need for appropriate visualization of visceral organs/identification of lesions. The organ systems of small animal veterinary patients that are highly amenable to laparoscopic-assisted procedures include the urinary bladder, the gastrointestinal tract, and the reproductive tracts. Laparoscopic-assisted procedures are especially beneficial in the approach to luminal organs, allowing the organ incision to be exteriorized through the body wall, protecting the peritoneal cavity from contamination from luminal contents. Procedure-specific morbidities and patient selection should be considered when choosing between assisted laparoscopic and open approaches.
Population diversity and the portfolio effect in an exploited species

One of the most pervasive themes in ecology is that biological diversity stabilizes ecosystem processes and the services they provide to society, a concept that has become a common argument for biodiversity conservation. Species-rich communities are thought to produce more temporally stable ecosystem services because of the complementary or independent dynamics among species that perform similar ecosystem functions. Such variance dampening within communities is referred to as a portfolio effect and is analogous to the effects of asset diversity on the stability of financial portfolios. In ecology, these arguments have focused on the effects of species diversity on ecosystem stability but have not considered the importance of biologically relevant diversity within individual species. Current rates of population extirpation are probably at least three orders of magnitude higher than species extinction rates, so there is a pressing need to clarify how population and life history diversity affect the performance of individual species in providing important ecosystem services. Here we use five decades of data from Oncorhynchus nerka (sockeye salmon) in Bristol Bay, Alaska, to provide the first quantification of portfolio effects that derive from population and life history diversity in an important and heavily exploited species. Variability in annual Bristol Bay salmon returns is 2.2 times lower than it would be if the system consisted of a single homogenous population rather than the several hundred discrete populations it currently consists of. Furthermore, if it were a single homogeneous population, such increased variability would lead to ten times more frequent fisheries closures. Portfolio effects are also evident in watershed food webs, where they stabilize and extend predator access to salmon resources. Our results demonstrate the critical importance of maintaining population diversity for stabilizing ecosystem services and securing the economies and livelihoods that depend on them. The reliability of ecosystem services will erode faster than indicated by species loss alone.
Language validation of the air transport minimum data set: time-related terms.

Abstract Introduction: Transport times, such as time of call, are an essential part of the patient record. The purpose of this study was to validate a previously proposed minimum data set of time-related terms. Methods: A stratified sample of 508 nurses, physicians, paramedics, pilots, and communication specialists was selected to participate in the validation survey. Subjects indicated their agreement/disagreement with the proposed terms and their definitions on a scale of 1 (low) to 3 (high). In addition, subjects indicated whether they currently collect the data elements or could do so easily. Finally, subjects said whether they were willing to release aggregate data for benchmarking purposes. Results: One-hundred-eighteen subjects (23.2%) responded to the survey with usable data. Agreement to include the terms (level 3) ranged from 71.2% to 95.8%. Agreement with the proposed definition ranged from 72.9% to 95.8%. Seventy-eight of the respondents were willing to release all the data elements. Conclusion: Fourteen of the 19 terms are recommended for inclusion in a minimum data set for rotor-wing transport. Most persons expressed willingness to release data for benchmarking efforts.
Identification of particle size classes inhibiting protozoan recovery from surface water samples via U.S. Environmental Protection Agency method 1623.

Giardia species recovery by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency method 1623 appears significantly impacted by a wide size range (2 to 30 μm) of particles in water and organic matter. Cryptosporidium species recovery seems negatively correlated only with smaller (2 to 10 μm), presumably inorganic particles. Results suggest constituents and mechanisms interfering with method performance may differ by protozoan type.
Carbon dioxide laser resurfacing

The carbon dioxide laser has become the gold standard for resurfacing because of its predictability, safety, and efficacy. Careful patient selection, well-planned preoperative regimens, attention to technique, and close postoperative care all contribute to better outcomes. These points as well as possible complications and their treatment are reviewed.
Construction of Solar-Wind-Like Magnetic Fields

Fluctuations in the solar wind fields tend to not only have velocities and magnetic fields correlated in the sense consistent with Alfven waves traveling from the Sun, but they also have the magnitude of the magnetic field remarkably constant despite their being broadband. This paper provides, for the first time, a method for constructing fields with nearly constant magnetic field, zero divergence, and with any specified power spectrum for the fluctuations of the components of the field. Every wave vector, k, is associated with two polarizations the relative phases of these can be chosen to minimize the variance of the field magnitude while retaining the\random character of the fields. The method is applied to a case with one spatial coordinate that demonstrates good agreement with observed time series and power spectra of the magnetic field in the solar wind, as well as with the distribution of the angles of rapid changes (discontinuities), thus showing a deep connection between two seemingly unrelated issues. It is suggested that using this construction will lead to more realistic simulations of solar wind turbulence and of the propagation of energetic particles.
Synthesis and Crystal Structure Determination of 3-Phenyl-2-(2-phenylhydrazino)-4H-1-benzothiopyran-4-one

A new type of substituted benzothiopyranone, 3-phenyl-2-(2-phenylhydrazino)-4H-1-benzothiopyran-4-one, has been prepared by the condensation-acid cyclization of polylithiated phenylacetic acid phenylhydrazide with lithiated methyl thiosalicylate. Absorption spectra, especially 13C NMR, provided good indication of its structure, which was conclusively established with X-ray crystal structure analysis. In comparison to the few benzothiopyran X-ray reports documented, the benzothiopyranone ring of the molecule was found to be essentially planar, with the 3-phenyl ring nearly perpendicular to the benzothiopyranone fused-ring system. Crystals of C21H16N2OS are orthorhombic, P212121, a = 10.140(4) A, b = 10.432(4) A, c = 16.228(7) A, Z = 4, V = 1717(1) A3, R 1 = 0.0267 and wR 2 = 0.0725 for reflections with I > 2σ(I). The molecular packing in the crystal is the result of N–H···O hydrogen bonding. X-ray crystal analysis confirmed the structure of 3-phenyl-2-(2-phenylhydrazino)-4H-1-benzothiopyran-4-one prepared by the condensation–cyclization of polylithiated phenylacetic acid phenylhydrazide with lithiated methyl thiosalicylate.
Reconstructing surfaces using anisotropic basis functions

Point sets obtained from computer vision techniques are often noisy and non-uniform. We present a new method of surface reconstruction that can handle such data sets using anisotropic basis functions. Our reconstruction algorithm draws upon the work in variational implicit surfaces for constructing smooth and seamless 3D surfaces. Implicit functions are often formulated as a sum of weighted basis functions that are radially symmetric. Using radially symmetric basis functions inherently assumes, however that the surface to be reconstructed is, everywhere, locally symmetric. Such an assumption is true only at planar regions, and hence, reconstruction using isotropic basis is insufficient to recover objects that exhibit sharp features. We preserve sharp features using anisotropic basis that allow the surface to vary locally. The reconstructed surface is sharper along edges and at corner points. We determine the direction of anisotropy at a point by performing principal component analysis of the data points in a small neighborhood. The resulting field of principle directions across the surface is smoothed through tensor filtering. We have applied the anisotropic basis functions to reconstruct surfaces from noisy synthetic 3D data and from real range data obtained from space carving.
Gender, Race, Childhood Abuse, and Body Image among Adolescents

The research presented in this article examines the influences of race, gender, and sexual or physical abuse on unhealthy eating and dieting practices among Black and White adolescents. Specifically, the project considers the intersection of race and gender on actual and perceived body size. The impact of past sexual or physical abuse emerges as a significant predictor of unhealthy dieting and eating behaviors for Whites but not for Blacks. Although girls are more likely to have distorted body images and to engage in disordered eating and dieting, these differences are further explained with race and past sexual or physical abuse.
The use of word-reading to estimate "premorbid" ability in cognitive domains other than intelligence.

Diagnostic neuropsychological assessment requires the clinician to estimate a patient's premorbid abilities. Word reading tests, such as the National Adult Reading Test–Revised (NART–R), provide reasonably accurate estimates of premorbid IQ, but their capacity to benchmark other premorbid cognitive abilities remains unclear. In this extension of an earlier report, we administered the NART–R, an abbreviated Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS–R or WAIS–III), and 26 other cognitive measures to 322 reasonably healthy adults. While NART–R performance correlated robustly (rs ≥ .72) with concurrent Verbal and Full Scale IQ, its correlation with all other cognitive measures was significantly lower. Thus, while it is appealing to use word reading as a proxy for premorbid functioning in other cognitive domains, the NART–R has limited utility for this because it does not predict current performance on other cognitive tests as well as it predicts IQ in healthy adults. (JINS, 2005, 11, 784–787.)
Efficient analysis of planar microstrip geometries using a closed-form asymptotic representation of the grounded dielectric slab Green's function

A newly developed closed-form asymptotic representation of the grounded dielectric slab Green's function is used in a moment-method formulation to calculate the propagation constant of an infinite microstrip transmission line and the input impedance of a finite-length, center-fed printed dipole. In these problems, source and field points are laterally rather than vertically separated with respect to the substrate. The conventional Sommerfeld integral and the plane wave spectral integral (PWS) representations of the microstrip Green's function converge very slowly in this case. However, the asymptotic closed-form representation of the Green's function does not have this limitation, and it remains accurate even for very small lateral separation between source and observation points. A modified form of the Sommerfeld integral representation is used only for observation points in the immediate vicinity of the source, while the asymptotic form is used elsewhere. Some numerical results based on this approach are presented and are shown to compare very well with previous results based on the corresponding exact-integral or PWS forms of the Green's function. >
A minimally invasive method of piscine tissue collection and an analysis of long-term field-storage conditions for samples

The acquisition of high-quality DNA for use in phylogenetic and molecular population genetic studies is a primary concern for evolutionary and genetic researchers. Many non-destructive DNA sampling methods have been developed and are used with a variety of taxa in applications ranging from genetic stock assessment to molecular forensics. The authors have developed a field sampling method for obtaining high-quality DNA from sunfish (Lepomis) and other freshwater fish that employs a variation on the buccal swab method and results in the collection of DNA suitable for PCR amplification and polymorphism analysis. Additionally, since the circumstances of storage are always a concern for field biologists, the authors have tested the potential storage conditions of swabbed samples and whether those conditions affect DNA extraction and PCR amplification. It was found that samples stored at room temperature in the dark for over 200 days could still yield DNA suitable for PCR amplification and polymorphism detection. These findings suggest that valuable molecular genetic data may be obtained from tissues that have not been treated or stored under optimal field conditions. Furthermore, it is clear that the lack of adequately low temperatures during transport and long term storage should not be a barrier to anyone wishing to engage in field-based molecular genetic research.
The supreme court and police practices: The unusually busy 2003–2004 term

The 2003–2004 term of the Supreme Court was the most important term of the Court for the law enforcement community in the last decade. The Court decided 11 cases dealing with issues concerning actions taken by police officers, the largest number of “police practices” cases decided by the Court in the last nine years. In addition, several of these cases are among the most important of the 49 police practices cases decided during this time period. The Court: 1) upheld the arrest of all the occupants of a car when drugs are found in it; 2) permitted police roadblocks seeking information from the public in certain circumstances; 3) refused to suppress physical evidence obtained from Miranda violations; 4) expanded the availability of warrantless car searches incident to arrest to include arrests of recent occupants of the car; and 5) upheld statutes requiring persons stopped on reasonable suspicion to identify themselves.
Delay optimization of carry-skip adders and block carry-lookahead adders using multidimensional dynamic programming

The worst-case carry propagation delays in carry-skip adders and block carry-lookahead adders depend on how the full adders are grouped structurally together into blocks as well as the number of levels. The authors report on a multidimensional dynamic programming paradigm for configuring these two adders to attain minimum latency. Previous methods are applicable only to very limited delay models that do not guarantee a minimum latency configuration. Under the delay model, critical path delay is calculated not only taking into account the intrinsic gate delays, but also the fanin and fanout contributions. >
Indian Information Technology Workers in the United States: The H-1B Visa, Flexible Production, and the Racialization of Labor

Advances in information technology (IT) have been critical to the USA for maintaining its competitive edge in the global economy, and the role of workers on the H-1B visa has been central in this process since the 1990s. The H-1B visa program, which allows US employers to hire skilled foreign workers on a temporary basis, enabled the recruitment of thousands of IT professionals, the majority of whom has been from India. Based on 40 in-depth interviews with Indian IT workers in the USA, this paper illustrates how the interplay between visa policies and flexible hiring in IT marginalizes this workforce. As a result of their fragile immigration status under H-1B visa terms, these workers are disproportionately employed as contract labor in an exploitative system of subcontracting. As an employment-based visa, the H-1B makes these workers dependent on their visa-sponsoring employers for immigration status and livelihood. The compulsion to remain employed and legal drives H-1B employees to accept severely expl...
Transition from ring to beam arc distributions of water ions near the Space Shuttle Orbiter

The distribution function of water ions produced near the Space Shuttle by charge exchange between ionospheric oxygen ions and outgassed water molecules is studied. The transition from a ring to a beam arc distribution function is described. The number density of water ions is found to increase monotonically with decreasing distance from the Shuttle.
Algebraic manipulation detection codes and their applications for design of secure cryptographic devices

Cryptographic devices are vulnerable to fault injection attacks. All previous countermeasures against fault injection attacks based on error detecting codes assume that the attacker cannot simultaneously control the fault-free outputs of a device-under-attack and error patterns. For advanced attackers who are able to control both of the above two aspects, traditional protections can be easily compromised. In this paper, we propose optimal algebraic manipulation detection (AMD) codes based on the nonlinear encoding functions and the random number generators. The proposed codes can provide a guaranteed high error detecting probability even if the attacker can fully control the fault-free outputs of a device-under-attack as well as the error patterns. As a case study, we present the protection architectures based on AMD codes for multipliers in Galois fields used for the elliptic curve cryptography. The results show that the proposed architecture can provide a very low error masking probability at the cost of a reasonable area overhead. The protected multiplier has no latency penalty when the predictor is pipelined.
Time-resolved x-ray diffraction with polycapillary x-ray optics

Picosecond x-ray diffraction using a quasi-collimating polycapillary optic and a laser plasma based x-ray source is demonstrated, significantly reducing data acquisition time for time-resolved studies.
River Discharge into an Ice-Covered Ocean and Related Sediment Dispersal, Beaufort Sea, Coast of Alaska

Reconnaissance observations were made along the Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska in 1970 during a 4-week period after initiation of river flow into the ice-covered ocean. During the first few days following river breakup, the fast ice was inundated by fresh-water overflow for as far as 10 km from shore. The water drained through widely distributed drain holes (strudel) in the ice creating scour depressions in the sea bottom. Later the rivers flowed directly into growing open-water areas surrounding distributary mouths and thence seaward below the fast ice. The presence of the sea ice during river flood greatly restricts the cross-sectional area available for the seaward flow out to at least the 2-m contour, where the bottom slope suddenly steepens. At the Colville Delta, the 2-m bench extends 5 to 8 km from shore and presumably represents an area of sediment bypassing. It appears that only insignificant amounts of sediment are rafted away from arctic Alaska9s deltas during the final breakup of the sea ice.
CORTICAL SLOW POTENTIAL CHANGES IN MAN RELATED TO INTERSTIMULUS INTERVAL AND TO PRE TRIAL PREDICTION OF INTERSTIMULUS INTERVAL

Two experiments were performed to explore further the relationship between the cortical slow potential change known as the “contingent negative variation” (CNV) and the concept of “expectancy.” In Experiment I, 24 male Ss were presented click pairs, with inter-click intervals of 800, 1600 and 4800 msec (2 blocks of 10 trials each, counterbalanced between Ss for order), and instructed to press a key after the second click. Interval by order by trials analysis of variance showed interval to be the only significant factor: CNVs were lower and RTs longer as interval increased. In Experiment II, 8 female Ss given 60 pairs of clicks, 30 each with separations of 1200 and 2400 msec, were instructed to respond as in Experiment I, and were asked to make a pretrial prediction of the interval they would next receive. Analysis of variance of RTs showed that Ss responded slower when the interval was other than that predicted. Prediction by reception by subjects analysis of variance of CNV amplitude at the 1200 msec point gave a significant F only for prediction, mean amplitude for short being higher than for long. A similar design applied to CNV amplitudes at both the 1200 and 2400 msec points when Ss received the long interval yielded a significant measurement point by interval predicted interaction; at the 1200 msec point, short predictions were followed by higher CNVs than were long predictions; at 2400 msec, the opposite was found. These data combine with those already in the literature to indicate that the relationship between “expectancy” and the CNV is far from simple, and that cognitive and motivational factors play a significant role in determining CNV amplitude.
Transmyocardial laser revascularization with excimer laser: clinical results at 1 year

Abstract Background . Transmyocardial laser revascularization, a new strategy for the treatment of diffuse ischemic heart disease, uses laser technology for the theoretical purpose of forming transmyocardial channels in the heart to increase perfusion to ischemic zones. This report summarizes our initial clinical experience with the procedure. Methods . Excimer transmyocardial laser revascularization was performed in a reversibly ischemic region of the heart in 15 patients. Ischemia and myocardial viability were evaluated by assessment of symptoms and of results of radionuclide single photon emission computed tomography imaging, exercise tolerance testing, and 24-hour Holter monitoring. Results . No adverse events occurred as a result of the laser revascularization, although 1 patient with preoperative ventricular arrhythmias died 48 hours postoperatively as a result of refractory ventricular tachycardia. Angina class decreased significantly from base line values in patients who had undergone the procedure (mean Canadian Cardiovascular Association angina class, 3.5 ± 0.5 at base line, 1.6 ± 0.6 at 1 month, 1.5 ± 0.8 at 3 months, 1.9 ± 0.9 at 6 months, 1.8 ± 0.8 at 12 months; p p p >0.05); those increases were not large enough to be statistically significant, however. Conclusions . Our data are consistent with the concept that excimer transmyocardial laser revascularization in individuals with significant ischemic heart disease appears to be well tolerated, can be performed safely, and may lead to a reduction in ischemic symptomatology.
Molecular biomarkers added to image-enhanced endoscopic imaging: Will they further improve diagnostic accuracy?

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a premalignant condition for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) which has dismal prognosis. The risk of progression from BE to EAC increases with dysplasia grade. The purpose of surveillance exams in BE is to detect dysplasia at an early stage and intervene before development of EAC. However, the current surveillance practices have not been effective in reducing EAC incidence. Major limitations of this strategy include challenges in identifying dysplasia during endoscopic surveillance, which leads to sampling error and subjectivity in the histological diagnosis of dysplasia due to interobserver variation amongst pathologists. Advanced imaging techniques may allow targeted biopsy of suspicious foci with incremental yield in dysplasia detection and reduce sampling error. Molecular biomarker panels have the potential to objectively assess progression risk without the subjectivity associated with histology. Combining molecular markers with advanced imaging appears to be a promising strategy to further improve risk stratification and reduce EAC incidence and mortality. Few studies have investigated this strategy so far and the results are promising. Further research on different permutations between the available biomarkers and imaging techniques will help us determine the best possible combination that detects dysplasia with high sensitivity and specificity. Further research is needed to establish the combined strategy's cost effectiveness and feasibility.
The Prenatal Pediatric Visit Revisited

The potential value of prenatal interviews with pediatricians was explored through interviews with 20 low-income women in their last trimester of pregnancy. Major areas of attention in cluded prenatal concerns, psychosocial assessment, and anticipatory guidance. Important issues of relevance to pediatric care emerged, including gaps of parental knowledge, lack of financial and emotional support, and anxieties about the infant. Prenatal pediatric visits also served to encourage the involvement of fathers in pediatric care and to establish an ongoing professional relationship with the pediatrician. In health care settings where comprehensive, coordinated care is often lacking—such as teaching hospitals or county clinics—pediatric providers must take the initiative if families are to be reached prenatally.
Object Dependent Thoughts, Perspectival Thoughts, and Psychological Generalization

Evaluation de la conception des pensees dependantes de l'objets, definie par l'A., et de la conception des pensees independantes de l'objet, definie par E. Corazza, face au probleme des generalisations psychologiques et face au probleme des pensees vides qui interviennent dans l'explication contextuelle du comportement intentionnel en situation vraie. L'A. montre que la notion de pensee perspectivale introduite par Carazza n'apporte rien de nouveau au debat et continue a defendre la pertinence de la notion de pensee dependante de l'objet
Neurogenesis of patterns of automatic ventilatory activity.

Normal respiration, termed eupnea, is characterized by periodic filling and emptying of the lungs. Eupnea can occur ‘automatically’ without conscious effort. Such automatic ventilation is controlled by the brainstem respiratory centers of pons and medulla. Following removal of the pons, eupnea is replaced by gasping, marked by brief but maximal inspiratory efforts. The mechanisms by which the respiratory rhythms are generated have been examined intensively. Evidence is discussed that ventilatory activity can be generated in multiple regions of pons and medulla. Eupnea and gasping represent fundamentally different ventilatory patterns. Only for gasping has a critical region for neurogenesis been identified, in the rostral medulla. Gasping may be generated by the discharge of ‘pacemaker’ neurons. In eupnea, this pacemaker activity is suppressed and incorporated into the pontile and medullary neuronal circuit responsible for the neurogenesis of eupnea. Evidence for ventilatory neurogenesis which has been obtained from a number of in vitro preparations is discussed. A much-used preparation is that of a ‘superfused’ brainstem of the neonatal rat. However, activities of this preparation differ greatly from those of eupnea, as recorded in vitro or in arterially perfused in vitro preparations. Activities of this ‘superfused’ preparation are identical with gasping and, hence, results must be reinterpreted accordingly. The possibility is presented that mechanisms responsible for generating respiratory rhythms may differ from those responsible for shaping respiratory-modulated discharge patterns of cranial and spinal nerves. The importance of pontile mechanisms in the neurogenesis and control of eupnea is reemphasized.
Structural biology of tumor necrosis factor demonstrated for undergraduates instruction by computer simulation

This work presents a three-dimensional (3D) modeling exercise for undergraduate students in chemistry and health sciences disciplines, focusing on a protein-group linked to immune system regulation. Specifically, the exercise involves molecular modeling and structural analysis of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) proteins, both wild type and mutant. The structure of the tumor necrosis factor type 1 receptor (TNF-R1) is also briefly explored. TNF and TNF-R1 play major roles in maintaining human immune-system homeostasis. Upon binding with TNFR-1, the TNF can activate the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), eventually resulting in apoptosis or cell death. These essential features of the clinically relevant TNF family is explored within the frame work of a readily adaptable tutorial. © 2015 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44:246-255, 2016.
Solvent effects in the liquid phase hydrodeoxygenation of methyl propionate over a Pd(1 1 1) catalyst model

Abstract Solvation effects of liquid water and 1,4-dioxane have been studied from first principles for the hydrodeoxygenation of methyl propionate over a Pd(1 1 1) catalyst surface model. Microkinetic reaction models have been developed for various reaction environments to study the effects of solvents on the reaction mechanism. Our models predict that in all reaction environments, decarbonylation pathways are favored over decarboxylation pathways. However, in the presence of liquid water the decarboxylation mechanism is facilitated due to solvent stabilization of the dehydrogenated derivatives of propionate. Overall, the activity of Pd(1 1 1) is one order of magnitude lower in water than in 1,4-dioxane where we predict the activity to be very similar to the vapor phase. The decrease in Pd(1 1 1) activity due to liquid water can be traced back to the Pd surface being more crowded and propanoyl–methoxy type dissociations becoming more difficult. Propanoyl–methoxy type dissociations also become more rate controlling in liquid water than the dehydrogenation steps that are most rate controlling in 1,4-dioxane and in the vapor phase.
Solvent Effects on the Diels-Alder Reaction of Methyl Vinyl Ketone and Cyclopentadiene from Computer Simulations

Free energy of solvation profiles for the Diels-Alder reaction of cyclopentadiene and methyl vinyl ketone have been obtained in liquid propane, methanol, and water at 25 °C. Four transition states were located for the gas-phase reaction from ab initio calculations with the 3–21G and 6–31G(d) basis sets. Calculations at the MP3/6–31G(d)//6–31G(d) level confirmed that the endo-cis transition state is lowest in energy. The gas-phase minimum energy reaction path was followed in periodic cells containing 260-500 solvent molecules in Monte Carlo simulations, which yielded the changes in free energies of solvation. Essentially no solvent effect was found in propane; however, hydration is computed to lower the free energy of activation by 4.2 ± 0.4 kcal/mol, similar to experimental observations. Intermediate effects are computed and observed for methanol. The rate accceleration in water is traced to both a hydrophobic effect and enhanced hydrogen bonding to the carbonyl group in the transition state.
Moment Tensor Inversion of Induced Seismicity Under Different Station Configurations in Oil/Gas Fields

Induced seismicity occurs both in conventional oil/gas fields due to production and water injection and in unconventional oil/gas fields due to hydraulic fracturing. Source mechanisms of these induced earthquakes are of great importance for understanding their causes and the physics of the seismic processes in reservoirs. Previous research on the analysis of induced seismic events assumed a double-couple (DC) source mechanism. However, recent studies have shown a non-negligible percentage of a nondouble-couple (non-DC) component of source moment tensor in hydraulic fracturing events (Rutledge et al. 2003, Silený et al., 2009; Warpinski and Du, 2010; Song and Toksoz, 2011). In this study, we determined the full moment tensor of a large number of earthquakes from an oil/gas field. The seismicity of the field and source mechanisms of events using DC assumption have been studied extensively (Sarkar, 2008; Li et al., 2011, 2012). Song and Toksoz (2011) developed a full waveform based complete moment tensor inversion method to investigate induced events. In this study, we inverted and compared the source mechanisms of induced events with and without DC constraints. We investigated the accuracy of moment tensors on number of stations, azimuthal distribution, and signal to noise ratio. We conducted tests with synthetic data to validate the method before the application to the real data. Our results show that the double-couple component of the MT is determined most accurately. The accuracy of isotropic and CLVD components depend on data quality and station coverage.
Virtual Simulation of Blast, Behind-Armor Blunt Trauma, and Projectile Penetration Leading to Injury of Life-Critical Organs in the Human Torso

Light body armor development for the warfighter is based on trial-and-error testing of prototype designs against ballistic projectiles. Torso armor testing against blast is virtually nonexistent but necessary to ensure adequate mitigation against injury to the heart and lungs. In this paper, we discuss the development of a high-fidelity human torso model and the associated modeling & simulation (M&S) capabilities. Using this torso model, we demonstrate the advantage of virtual simulation in the investigation of wound injury as it relates to the warfighter experience. Here, we present the results of virtual simulations of blast loading and ballistic projectile impact to the torso with and without notional protective armor. Our intent here is to demonstrate the advantages of applying a modeling and simulation approach to the investigation of wound injury and relative merit assessments of protective body armor.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Structure of the Female Reproductive System and Maturation of Oöcytes in Smicronyx fulvus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The ovary of Smicronyx fulvus LeConte comprises two telotrophic ovarioles. Each ovary opens into a pedicel followed by a short lateral oviduct, a long convoluted median oviduct, vagina, bursa copulatrix, and spermatheca. Females feeding on sunflower pollen for 4 d had oocytes in the tropharium, and oocytes had moved into the lateral oviducts of females fed on pollen for 5 d. Females denied access to sunflower pollen and feeding on bract tissue of sunflower buds resorbed basal oocytes within 4 d. Rapid maturation of oocytes may be related to the relatively short (5-10 d) anthesis substages in which achenes are suitable for oviposition. Spermatozoa were present in the spermatheca regardless of diet.
Forty Years On The Border: Hong Kong/China

Today’s talk is, in part, a preview of the jointly authored book that Rubie Watson and I are writing on colonialism, tentatively entitled The Last Colony: Everyday Life in British Hong Kong, 1898-1997.
Surface System Design of Cement Bond Log (CBL) Combination Logging Tool

A new surface system for a CBL combination logging tool used in acoustic variable density log is designed to replace original logging system of AT+ data. Hardware of the surface sytem is consisted of a circuit of signal pre-processing, circuit of time sequence, circuit of signal separation and distribution, interface circuit and depth processing circuit. Its software is developed by using Delphi and assembly language mixed programming based on Win9x. Field application of the surface system is effective.
Strength of Validation for Surrogate End Points Used in the US Food and Drug Administration's Approval of Oncology Drugs

Abstract Objective To determine the strength of the surrogate-survival correlation for cancer drug approvals based on a surrogate. Participants and Methods We performed a retrospective study of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) database, with focused searches of MEDLINE and Google Scholar. Among cancer drugs approved based on a surrogate end point, we examined previous publications assessing the strength of the surrogate-survival correlation. Specifically, we identified the percentage of surrogate approvals lacking any formal analysis of the strength of the surrogate-survival correlation, and when conducted, the strength of such correlations. Results Between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2014, the FDA approved marketing applications for 55 indications based on a surrogate, of which 25 were accelerated approvals and 30 were traditional approvals. We could not find any formal analyses of the strength of the surrogate-survival correlation in 14 out of 25 accelerated approvals (56%) and 11 out of 30 traditional approvals (37%). For accelerated approvals, just 4 approvals (16%) were made where a level 1 analysis (the most robust way to validate a surrogate) had been performed, with all 4 studies reporting low correlation (r≤0.7). For traditional approvals, a level 1 analysis had been performed for 15 approvals (50%): 8 (53%) reported low correlation (r≤0.7), 4 (27%) medium correlation (r>0.7 to r Conclusions The use of surrogate end points for drug approval often lacks formal empirical verification of the strength of the surrogate-survival association.
Influence of the Wax Lake Delta sediment diversion on aboveground plant productivity and carbon storage in deltaic island and mainland coastal marshes

Abstract Coastal Louisiana is experiencing a significant loss of coastal wetland area due to increasing sea level rise, subsidence, sediment starvation and marsh collapse. The construction of large scale Mississippi River sediment diversions is currently being planned in an effort to help combat coastal wetlands losses at a rate of >50 km −2 y −1 . The Wax Lake Delta (WLD) is currently being used as a model for evaluating potential land gain from large scale diversions of Mississippi River water and sediment. In this study, we determine the impact of the WLD diversion on plant production at newly formed islands within the delta and adjacent, mainland freshwater marshes. Plant aboveground productivity, sediment nutrient status and short term accretion were measured at three locations on a transect at each of three fresh water marsh sites along Hog Bayou and at six newly formed emerging island sites in the delta. Spring flooding has resulted in a greater increase in plant production and consequently, greater carbon sequestration potential in adjacent mainland marshes compared to the newly formed island sites, which contain less total carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in the sediment. While sediment diversions are predicted to create land, as seen in island formation in the WLD, the greatest benefit of river sediment diversions from a carbon credit perspective might be to the adjacent freshwater mainland marshes for several reasons. Both greater plant production and sediment C accumulation are two important factors for marsh stability, while perhaps even more critical, is the prevention of the loss of stored sediment C in the marsh profile. This stored C would be lost without the introduction of freshwater, nutrients and sediment through river sediment diversion efforts.
Validity and Responsiveness of a 10‐Item Patient‐Reported Measure of Physical Function in a Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinic Population

Objective We assessed implementation of the 10-item Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical function form (PF-10a) in routine practice in a racially and ethnically diverse population with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Objectives were to determine feasibility of implementing PF-10a in the electronic health record (EHR) and PF-10a validity and longitudinal responsiveness. Methods Clinical and demographic data were abstracted from EHRs for all RA patients seen at a university-based rheumatology clinic between February 2013 and February 2015. We evaluated floor and ceiling (edge) effects and construct validity of PF-10a in a subgroup of patients with Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) scores (n = 189). We used linear mixed-effects models to assess responsiveness of PF-10a to longitudinal changes in the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) for patients in the entire clinical cohort, with both scores recorded on at least 2 encounters (n = 326). Results Half of the patients were nonwhite, and 15% were non-English speakers. Over a 2-year period, PF10a was successfully implemented; 97% of patients and 89% of encounters had at least 1 measurement performed. PF-10a had fewer ceiling (defined as best) effects than the HAQ (8% versus 22%), and convergent validity was high (r = −0.85). PF-10a was sensitive to expected differences (older versus younger patients, more versus less active disease). Longitudinal changes in PF-10a were highly associated with changes in the CDAI score (P < 0.0001). Conclusion PF-10a was feasible to implement in a diverse RA population. It strongly correlates with the HAQ but has fewer ceiling effects and is responsive to changes in RA disease activity, suggesting its validity for use in routine clinical practice.
An American Procession

In 1983, Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich reissued Alfred Kazin’s first book, On Native Grounds, in a fortieth anniversary edition, an event that went virtually unnoticed save at Hilton Kramer’s The New Criterion, where the knives were being sharpened in the wake of Kazin’s observations, in The New York Review of Books (“Saving My Soul at the Plaza”) in March, on the Committee for the Free World’s conference on “our country and our culture” at the Plaza. Kazin’s strictures on that conference — on the callowness of its prevailing attitudes and its shrillness of tone — earned him a rebuke by The New Criterion: a reconsideration of On Native Grounds by Kenneth Lynn, who took it to task for its errors of fact (the Manhattan-bound Kazin had thought, as a young man, that there were mountains in Hemingway’s northern Michigan) and for its unbridled leftism. Written in the dog days of the depression, On Native Grounds was, it seems, unaccountably sour on the prospects for American society and irresponsibly “radical” in its scorn for American business.
Application of Genomics to the Study of Human Growth Disorders

Modern genomic approaches have helped elucidate the genetic basis of many diseases. Here, we use growth disorders as a paradigmatic example of how modern genomics can transform our understanding of biology and disease. Disorders of growth—either short stature or overgrowth—are frequently associated with genetic mutations. However, as the large majority of patients with growth disorders lack a molecular diagnosis, genetic studies have the potential to transform our ability to understand, diagnose, and ultimately treat these disorders. In this chapter, we discuss how modern genomic methods such as next generation sequencing have led to the discovery of novel genes and helped expand the phenotypic spectrum associated with known genes. Additionally, we discuss the translation of these technologies into the clinic as diagnostic tools for patients with growth disorders. We also discuss the application of SNP genotyping to find genetic variants and genes associated with human stature in the general population and how these studies have generated insights into the biology of human growth. Throughout, we highlight some of the challenges with these technologies in the application to the understanding of human disease and biology.