cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spectral Analysis of Vibrational Harmonic Motion by use of a Continuous-Wave CO2 Doppler Lidar

Vibrational motion of a harmonic oscillator was investigated with a focused continuous-wave (cw) CO2 Doppler lidar at 9.1-microm wavelength. A continuum of frequencies along with many discrete, equally spaced, resonant frequency modes was observed. The frequency modes are similar in structure to the oscillatory longitudinal modes of a laser cavity and arise because of interference of the natural resonant frequency of the oscillator with specific frequencies within the continuum. Each consecutive resonant frequency mode occurred for a movement of the oscillator much less than the wavelength of incident lidar radiation. For vigorous vibration of the oscillator, the observed spectra may be indicating nonlinear motion.
Stark spectroscopy of an excited-state proton-transfer molecule: comparison of experimental and computational results for o-hydroxyacetophenone

Abstract Stark effect (electroabsorption) spectroscopy was used to determine the changes in dipole moment and polarizability that result from excitation of o -hydroxyacetophenone (OHAP) to its first excited state. A polyethylene matrix is used to minimize the possibility of hydrogen-bonding impurities that are known to alter the properties of molecules that undergo excited-state proton transfer (ESIPT). The results are compared to ab initio and AM1 calculations.
Reply to Dr. Mandelbrot's post scriptum

Dr. Mandelbrot has proposed a new set of objections to my 1955 models of the Yule distribution. Like his earlier objections, these are invalid.
Lincoln, Mandela, and Qualities of Reconciliation-oriented Leadership

Analyses of policymaking on national reconciliation tend to highlight situational factors, whereas studies of how national leaders' personal characteristics may have influenced such policies are rare. Using biographical data, this article compares Lincoln's reconciliation-oriented leadership in the Civil War and Mandela's in the South African conflict, and considers how their personalities affected their promotion of intergroup reconciliation. From the cases, it induces qualities of reconciliation-oriented leaders that may merit further comparative analysis. It finds commonalities in the two leaders' capacities for emotional self-control, empathy and cognitive complexity, optimism about others' potential for change, and in their intellectual and professional training that are related to their propensities toward reconciliation.
The relation between age and androgen deprivation therapy use among men in the Medicare population receiving radiation therapy for prostate cancer

Objectives Neoadjuvant and concurrent androgen deprivation therapy (ncADT) is recommended for men with high-risk prostate cancer, but not low-risk cancer or short life expectancy. It is unclear whether the use of ncADT among older men in the community setting is aligned with the potential for clinical benefit.
COMBINED INHIBITION OF ESTROGEN-DEPENDENT HUMAN BREAST CARCINOMA BY SOY AND TEA BIOACTIVE COMPONENTS IN MICE

Breast cancer is significantly less prevalent among Asian women, whose diets contain high intake of soy products and tea. The objective of our present study was to identify the combined effects of dietary soy phytochemicals and tea components on breast tumor progression in a clinically relevant in vivo model of MCF-7 androgen-dependent human breast tumor in female SCID mice. MCF-7 tumor growth, tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis, microvessel density, and expressions of tumor estrogen receptors were compared in mice treated with genistin-rich soy isoflavones (GSI), soy phytochemical concentrate (SPC), black tea (BT), green tea (GT), SPC/BT combination and SPC/GT combination. GSI and SPC led to dose-dependent inhibition of MCF-7 tumor growth via inhibition of cancer cell proliferation in vivo. GT showed more potent anti-breast tumor activity than BT. GT infusion at 1.5 g tealeaf/100 mL water produced significant (p < 0.05) reductions of 56% in final tumor weight. GT plus SPC at 0.1% of the diet further reduced final tumor weight by 72% (p < 0.005). Analysis of serum and tumor biomarkers showed that the combined effects of SPC and GT inhibited tumor angiogenesis, and reduced estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha and serum levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I. Our study suggests that dietary SPC plus GT may be used as a potential effective dietary regimen for inhibiting progression of estrogen-dependent breast cancer.
A quantitative study on the Vasa nervorum in the ulnar nerve of cats

The sources of blood supply to the ulnar nerves of 15 cats were determined by latex and Pelikan India Ink injections and a quantitative account was given of the numbers and internal diameters of blood vessels in the nerves. The following conclusions were drawn: 1The proximal portion of the ulnar nerve usually receives its blood supply from the brachial artery. Proximal to the olecranon, the nerve is supplied by the ulnar collateral artery whereas immediately distal to the olecranon the nerve is always supplied by the recurrent ulnar artery. The palmar and dorsal cutaneous branches of the ulnar nerve receive their arterial supply from the ulnar artery. 2The geatest number of blood vessels is located in the middle portion of the nerve with a mean of 313 blood vessels one centimeter proximal to the olecranon and a mean of 322 vessels one centimeter distal to the olecranon. The smallest number of blood vessels is in the dorsal cutaneous nerve with a mean of 140 vessels. 3The internal diameter of the intrinsic vasa nervosa ranged between 2.7 and 51.8 μ. Approximately 92% of the blood vessels have an internal diameter of less than 10 μ. 4The ratio of blood vessels to myelinated nerve fibers is fairly constant at about 1:25 for all levels of the ulnar nerve.
OFDM Channel Estimation in the Presence of Frequency Offset, IQ Imbalance and Phase Noise

OFDM systems are susceptible to receiver impairments like frequency offset, IQ imbalance and phase noise. In this paper, OFDM channel estimation in the presence of these impairments is studied, and an iterative algorithm is proposed to jointly estimate the channel coefficients and the impairment parameters. It is shown by computer simulations that the algorithm performs close to its associated Cramer-Rao lower bound.
Regional synchroneity in fire regimes of western Oregon and Washington, USA

Abstract For much of the world’s forested area, the history of fire has significant implications for understanding forest dynamics over stand to regional scales. We analyzed temporal patterns of area burned at 25-year intervals over a 600-year period, using 10 tree-ring-based fire history studies located west of the crest of the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), USA, and related them to periods of possible influences of humans, climate, and stand development processes. An early period of widespread fire from the 1400s to ca. 1650 was followed by a period of reduced area burned from ca. 1650 to ca. 1800, possibly associated with cool climatic conditions. Fires were again widespread from ca. 1801 to ca. 1925, associated with European exploration and settlement and warm conditions. Fire suppression began ca. 1911, but appears to have been most effective in limiting the amount of area burned since ca. 1950. Anthropogenic change, climate, and the degree of stand/fuel development appear to have interacted in their influence upon temporal variation in fire regimes. Patterns of temporal variation in area burned were similar among the 10 studies, suggesting a regionally synchronous response. The roughly synchronous nature of fire in the region has important implications for our understanding of landscape dynamics under pre-settlement conditions. Forest landscapes of the Pacific Northwest may have exhibited high spatio-temporal variability even when large areas are considered. Major shifts in the landscape age class distribution were likely associated with episodic, high-severity disturbance events. Over certain time intervals in the past, particular seral stages of forest were either dominant across the region, or relatively scarce.
Sharply enhanced terahertz transmission through a periodic array of subwavelength apertures

We demonstrate resonantly enhanced transmission of terahertz radiation through metal foils perforated with periodic arrays of sub-wavelength apertures. The quality factor of the transmission resonances is more than an order of magnitude larger than observed at optical frequencies. We discuss the effect of aperture shape on the transmission spectrum.
Attenuation of Chondrogenic Transformation in Vascular Smooth Muscle by Dietary Quercetin in the MGP-Deficient Mouse Model

Rationale Cartilaginous metaplasia of vascular smooth muscle (VSM) is characteristic for arterial calcification in diabetes and uremia and in the background of genetic alterations in matrix Gla protein (MGP). A better understanding of the molecular details of this process is critical for the development of novel therapeutic approaches to VSM transformation and arterial calcification. Objective This study aimed to identify the effects of bioflavonoid quercetin on chondrogenic transformation and calcification of VSM in the MGP-null mouse model and upon TGF-β3 stimulation in vitro, and to characterize the associated alterations in cell signaling. Methods and Results Molecular analysis revealed activation of β-catenin signaling in cartilaginous metaplasia in Mgp-/- aortae in vivo and during chondrogenic transformation of VSMCs in vitro. Quercetin intercepted chondrogenic transformation of VSM and blocked activation of β-catenin both in vivo and in vitro. Although dietary quercetin drastically attenuated calcifying cartilaginous metaplasia in Mgp-/- animals, approximately one-half of total vascular calcium mineral remained as depositions along elastic lamellae. Conclusion Quercetin is potent in preventing VSM chondrogenic transformation caused by diverse stimuli. Combined with the demonstrated efficiency of dietary quercetin in preventing ectopic chondrogenesis in the MGP-null vasculature, these findings indicate a potentially broad therapeutic applicability of this safe for human consumption bioflavonoid in the therapy of cardiovascular conditions linked to cartilaginous metaplasia of VSM. Elastocalcinosis is a major component of MGP-null vascular disease and is controlled by a mechanism different from chondrogenic transformation of VSM and not sensitive to quercetin.
Femtosecond Raman‐induced Kerr effect spectroscopy

We report the development of a new vibrational technique called Femtosecond Raman-Induced Kerr Effect Spectroscopy (FRIKES). This technique combines a narrow-bandwidth picosecond Raman pump pulse with a broadband femtosecond probe pulse to produce high-resolution Raman-induced Kerr effect spectra spanning a large vibrational range. Because it is a polarization detection technique, FRIKES produces background-free Raman spectra with high signal-to-noise and rapid acquisition times. The practicality of FRIKES is demonstrated by obtaining Raman spectra of common solvents, revealing that its performance is comparable to femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS). The capabilities of FRIKES will make it a valuable new vibrational spectroscopic tool for studies of chemical and biological systems, especially once it is extended to time-resolved studies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Research summary: multiple-case study of artists' and engineers' technology development practices

This research summary describes a comparative, multiple-case study of the work practices of artists and engineers independently developing similar technologies. The goal of the study is to develop evidence-based articulations, or vocabularies, to support the discourse of creative practice particularly with respect to technological innovation in the arts and engineering. This study informs part of my dissertation research, the overall project of which is to contribute to the body of scholarship that acts as ongoing articulation, clarification, and discourse about technological art, specifically when that art contributes to technological invention.
Energy calculations of 6-mercaptopurine riboside adsorbed on a silver electrode surface using density functional theory

The normal Raman and surface enhanced Raman scattering spectra were obtained for 6-mercaptopurine riboside. The mode of interaction between 6-MPR and an adatom on a silver electrode surface was studied using density functional theory calculations. Two functionals, B3LYP and DVWN, were used in the analysis. The calculations were performed on the ionized and non-ionized forms of 6-MPR, with the silver ions attached to the three possible coordination sites, N1, N3 and N7 of the molecule. The analysis was performed based on the zero-point-energy as well as adsorption and solvation energies. Results of the B3LYP and DVWN calculations were consistent and established that coordination through the N7 of 6-MPR was the most energetically favorable of the three coordination sites. The analysis was unable to determine, with a high degree of accuracy, whether the molecule adsorbs on the surface in its non-ionized or ionized form.
Stratospheric ozone protection: IR theory and the montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer

On 16 September 1987, 24 countries and the European Commission signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer ‐ the first international regulatory treaty pertaining to a global ecological problem. This article evaluates the extent to which extant international relations theories can explain why all of the major CFC‐producing countries, as well as several developing countries dependent on CFCs and alons for domestic dvelopment, decided to sign the treaty after many had opposed a regulatory ozone treaty for over a decade. Specifically, the article assesses the ability of five major thrusts of IR theory to explain the emergence of the international ozone regime (structural, neoliberal institutionalist, knowledge‐based, domestic politics, and two‐level games). Since the theoretical literature on the Protocol has largely overlooked both the treaty's domestic sources and a two‐level games interpretation, they will be explored in greatest depth.
Effect of production temperature of seed potatoes on subsequent yielding potential

A two year experiment was conducted to test if the temperature environment under which seed potatoes are produced significantly affects the tuber development and yield of the resultant potato plants. Six temperature regimes were established in the controlled facility of the Biotron. Two generations ofSolanum tuberosum ‘Kennebec’ tubers were grown in these environments and the yielding ability of plants produced from these tubers was tested in greenhouse facilities. Plant growth and tuber yields were similar to those which might be expected under field conditions, and marked differences in the development and productivity as a result of the production environment of the seed tubers were apparent. However, no evidence was found to support the contention that seed potatoes originating from cooler environments had any increased potential to produce higher yielding plants than comparable seed from warm environments. Even within a generation, the highest yields were found in the warmest environments, somewhat modifying the concept that the potato is strictly a cool-season crop. Other possible non-pathogenic explanations for previously observed differences in seed quality as a result of the production environment are discussed.
Custom-made "Nag" eye plaques for 125I brachytherapy

Abstract Purpose To report our experience in treating medium-size ocular melanomas with custom-made "Nag" eye plaques. Method Seventy-eight patients with medium-size ocular melanomas were treated with plaques of 0.6-mm-thick, 18k gold with a radius of curvature of 12 mm to conform to the curvature of the eyeball. These plaques were custom-made in various sizes and shapes to encompass the base of the tumor and a 1-mm margin on all sides. Apertures in three wings of these plaques allowed sutures to be easily placed to hold the plaques onto the sclera. A dose of 100 Gy (before TG-43) or 85 Gy (after TG-43) was delivered with 125 I in 4 days. The dose was prescribed to the periphery of tumor at the level of tumor apex to ensure that the entire tumor volume received at least this dose. Results The median follow-up was 49 months (range 8–112 months). The progression-free survival (Kaplan-Meier method), overall survival, and disease-specific survival at 5 years were 93%, 86%, and 97%, respectively. Fifty of 78 (64%) patients retained useful visual acuity (20/200 or better). Thirty-one of 78 (40%) patients developed retinopathy or papillopathy. In the subgroup of 22 patients with tumor distance ≤2 mm from optic disc or macula, 12 patients (54%) developed retinopathy or papillopathy. Only 7 of these patients (32%) had useful vision (20/200 or better). Short distance to optic disc or macula was associated with significantly poor visual acuity and moderate to severe retinopathy or papillopathy (ANOVA, p = 0.004 and p = 0.002, respectively). Conclusion Our experience suggests that custom-made Nag plaque brachytherapy can control medium-size choroidal melanoma and that a 1-mm, rather than the standard 2-mm, minimum margin is sufficient when this plaque and prescription methods are used. Patients with tumors close (≤2 mm) to optic disc or macula have a significantly poorer visual outcome.
Unfolding degenerate grazing dynamics in impact actuators

In this paper, a selected analysis of the dynamics in an example impact microactuator is performed through a combination of numerical simulations and local analysis. Here, emphasis is placed on investigating the system response in the vicinity of the so-called grazing trajectories, i.e. motions that include zero-relative-velocity contact of the actuator parts, using the concept of discontinuity mappings that account for the effects of low-relative-velocity impacts and brief episodes of stick–slip motion. The analysis highlights the existence of isolated co-dimension-two grazing bifurcation points and the way in which these organize the behaviour of the impacting dynamics. In particular, it is shown how higher-order truncations of local maps of the near-grazing dynamics predict and enable the computation of global bifurcation curves emanating from such degenerate bifurcation points, thereby unfolding the near-grazing dynamics. Although the numerical results presented here are specific for the chosen model of an electrically driven and previously experimentally realized impact microactuator, the methodology generalizes naturally to arbitrary systems with impacts. Moreover, the qualitative nature of the near-grazing dynamics is expected to generalize to systems with similar nonlinearities.
Distinguishing fizz gas from commercial gas reservoirs using multicomponent seismic data

Partial gas discrimination is a challenging problem because low and high gas saturation can result in very similar seismic AVO, bright spot, and velocity sag anomalies. This is typically explained using Gassmann's theory: i.e., (1) small amounts of gas in the pore space cause large decreases in rock incompressibility while further increasing gas content does not reduce rock incompressibility significantly, and (2) the shear modulus is not affected by nonviscous fluids in the rock pore space. In addition, rock bulk density varies gradually with water saturation, as predicted using the volume-average equation. Consequently, low-gas saturation reservoirs and high-gas saturation reservoirs can have similar VP and VP/VS values (or, equivalently, Poisson's ratios). Therefore, in many cases, high and low gas saturations cannot be distinguished using existing hydrocarbon indicators and techniques. These indicators include those based on VP variations, such as velocity sags, and those based on Poisson's ratio vari...
Modular invariance and anomalies in lower dimensional superstring theories

Abstract We show explicitly that the lower dimensional, modular invariant superstrings with Z 2 twisting of the fermionic fields have anomaly free massless sectors.
Spatial heterogeneity of climate and land-cover constraints on distributions of tick-borne pathogens

Aim To compare the geographical distributions of two tick-borne pathogens vectored by different tick species, to examine the relative importance of climate, land cover and host density in structuring these distributions, and to assess the spatial variability of these environmental constraints across the species ranges. Location South-central and south-eastern North America. Methods Presence/absence data for two tick-borne pathogens, Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum , were obtained for 567 counties from a regional data base based on white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) serology. Environmental variables describing climate, land cover and deer density were calculated for these counties. Global logistic regression analysis was used to screen the environmental variables and select a parsimonious subset of predictors. Local analysis was carried out using geographically weighted regression (GWR) to explore spatial variability in the parameters of the regression models. Cluster analysis was applied to the GWR output to identify zones with distinctive species‐habitat relationships. Results Global habitat models for E. chaffeensis and A. phagocytophilum included temperature, humidity, precipitation and forest cover as explanatory variables. The E. chaffeensis model also included forest fragmentation, whereas the A. phagocytophilum model included deer density. Local analyses revealed that climate was the primary correlate of pathogen presence in the eastern portion of the study area, whereas forest cover and fragmentation constrained the western range boundaries. Habitat relationships for all variables were weak in and around the Mississippi Delta. Main conclusions Efforts to model pathogen and disease ranges, and to predict shifts in response to global change should consider future scenarios of land-cover change as well as climate change, and should address the possibility of spatial heterogeneity in species‐habitat relationships. The methods presented here outline an approach for objectively delineating geographical zones with similar species‐ environment relationships, which can then be used to stratify landscapes for the purposes of further explanatory and predictive modelling.
Fast excitation of EGAM by NBI

A new mechanism for the fast excitation of the energetic geodesic acoustic mode (EGAM) is proposed to explain the recent experiment in DIII-D (Nazikian et al 2008 Phys. Rev. Lett. 101 185001), where the mode turns on in less than a millisecond after the turn-on of the neutral beam injection. The existence of loss boundary in pitch angle when beam particles are injected counter to the plasma current is crucial to the formation of negative energy EGAM mode. The resonance of this negative energy wave with energetic particles, whose distribution decreases with energy, destabilizes the mode. We find that when there is a loss region, the onset time of instability can be significantly shorter than it would be if the injected particles had no loss region.
Use of a centrifuging method to measure the drip of pork longissimus dorsi slices before and after freezing and thawing

A method has been developed in which the drip from post-mortem muscle is removed by centrifuging in tubes fitted with perforated teflon discs. Measurement of a number of samples showed that the weight lost after 1 1/2 h centrifuging correlated with the free drip of slices from the same muscle. There was also a good correlation between the free and centrifuged drip from frozen muscle slices. Thus the centrifuging method measures parameters which influence the water holding capacity of meat and offers a means of assaying, more quickly, the potential drip loss in meat slices both before and after freezing.
Electronic structure and properties of novel thermoelectrics from first principles calculations

The application of first principles calculations based on density functional theory to novel thermoelectric materials is discussed. These calculations give an understanding of the electronic structure and transport coefficients that is often complementary to the view provided by experimental characterization efforts, and which is often useful in identifying promising materials and guiding their optimization. This is illustrated by examples in the skutterudites.
Effect of Ultrapasteurization With and Without Homogenization on the Electrophoretic Patterns of Aseptically Processed Liquid Whole Egg

Abstract Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was performed on ultrapasteurized liquid whole egg (LWE), which was either homogenized or unhomogenized and heated at 64, 68, or 72 C each for 30, 60, or 95 s. Native PAGE was used to determine the effect of ultrapasteurization in combination with homogenization on LWE protein. The α-livetin band was absent at 72 C for 60 and 95 s processing times but remained present at the 30-s treatment time at 72 C and for all processing times at 64 and 68 C. Protein bands of the globulin/β-livetin and ovotransferrin/γ-livetin fractions appear to have faded in all heat-treated samples in comparison with the unheated samples, reflecting their heat instability. Homogenization had no effect on the presence of protein bands identified by PAGE.
The power game between a MIMO radar and jammer

The interaction between a smart target and a smart MIMO radar is investigated from a game theory perspective. Since the target and the radar form an adversarial system, their interaction is modeled as a two-person zero-sum game. The mutual information criterion is used to formulate the utility functions. The unilateral, hierarchical, and symmetric games are studied, and the equilibria solutions are derived.
Fitting users' needs into Web‐based area studies resources: A study of the Latin American Network Information Center (LANIC)

The Latin American Network Information Center (LANIC, http://lanic.utexas.edu/) is an academic Website that houses various databases and similar projects and provides directory access to sites in and about Latin America. Exploratory research into the site's usability was performed in October and November of 2002 through surveys, card sorting, and observation. Problems addressed included users' (in)ability to identify and use databases, (in)adequacy of the site's and the directory's hierarchical structures, (in)adequacy of subject terms, and page size. Several open-ended questions were used to solicit criticisms and suggestions from users. Overall, users were successful in using the Website and expressed satisfaction with it, but some problems, both major and minor, were uncovered.
Disturbance regime and limits on benefits of refuge use for fishes in a fluctuating hydroscape

Refuge habitats increase survival rate and recovery time of populations experiencing environmental disturbance, but limits on the ability of refuges to buff er communities are poorly understood. We hypothesized that importance of refuges in preventing population declines and alteration in community structure has a non-linear relationship with severity of disturbance. In the Florida Everglades, alligator ponds are used as refuge habitat by fi shes during seasonal drying of marsh habitats. Using an 11-year record of hydrological conditions and fi sh abundance in 10 marshes and 34 alligator ponds from two regions of the Everglades, we sought to characterize patterns of refuge use and temporal dynamics of fi sh abundance and community structure across changing intensity, duration, and frequency of drought disturbance. Abundance in alligator ponds was positively related to refuge size, distance from alternative refugia (e.g. canals), and abundance in surrounding marsh prior to hydrologic disturbance. Variables negatively related to abundance in alligator ponds included water level in surrounding marsh and abundance of disturbance-tolerant species. Refuge community structure did not differ between regions because the same subset of species in both regions used alligator ponds during droughts. When time between disturbances was short, fi sh abundance declined in marshes, and in the region with the most spatially extensive pattern of disturbance, community structure was altered in both marshes and alligator ponds because of an increased proportion of species more resistant to disturbance. Th ese changes in community structure were associated with increases in both duration and frequency of hydrologic disturbance. Use of refuge habitat had a modal relationship with severity of disturbance regime. Spatial patterns of response suggest that decline in refuge use was because of decreased eff ectiveness of refuge habitat in reducing mortality and providing suffi cient time for recovery for fi sh communities experiencing reduced time between disturbance events.
Biology and host preference of the planthopper Taosa longula (Hemiptera: Dictyopharidae), a candidate for biocontrol of water hyacinth

Abstract Taosa longula Remes Lenicov (Hemiptera: Dictyopharidae) is a planthopper from the South American tropics that feeds on water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laubach (Pontederiaceae). The biology of T. longula was studied in the laboratory and field to evaluate it as a potential biological control agent for this widespread aquatic weed. The developmental time of nymphs was recorded at different temperatures (15, 19, 23, 25, 27 and 30 °C), and developmental threshold temperatures were obtained for the different instars. The host range was evaluated in terms of development and feeding preference. Development from instar I to adult was recorded in two no-choice trials, one with cut leaves of Pontederiaceae, and a second with growing whole plants. In the cut-leaf tests, adults were obtained from Pontederia cordata var. cordata, P. rotundifolia and water hyacinth. In the whole plant test, T. longula adults were obtained only from water hyacinth. Feeding preference was evaluated by means of...
Post-cardiac arrest temperature manipulation alters early EEG bursting in rats.

Summary Objectives: Hypothermia improves outcomes after cardiac arrest (CA), while hyperthermia worsens injury. EEG recovers through periodic bursting from isoelectricity after CA, the duration of which is associated with outcome in normothermia. We quantified burst frequency to study the effect of temperature on early EEG recovery after CA. Methods: Twenty-four rats were divided into three groups, based on 6 h of hypothermia (T =3 3 ◦ C), normothermia (T =3 7 ◦ C), or hyperthermia (T =3 9 ◦ C) immediately post-resuscitation from 7-min asphyxial CA. Temperature was maintained using surface cooling and re-warming. Neurological recovery was defined by 72-h neurological deficit score (NDS). Results: Burst frequency was higher during the first 90 min in rats treated with hypothermia (25.6 ± 12.2 min −1 ) and hyperthermia (22.6 ± 8.3 min −1 ) compared to normothermia (16.9 ± 8.5 min −1 )( p < 0.001). Burst frequency correlated strongly with 72-h NDS in normothermic rats (p < 0.05) but not in hypothermic or hyperthermic rats. The 72-h NDS of the hypothermia group (74, 61—74; median, 25—75th percentile) was significantly higher than the normothermia (49, 47—61) and hyperthermia (43, 0—50) groups (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In normothermic rats resuscitated from CA, early EEG burst frequency is strongly associated with neurological recovery. Increased bursting followed by earlier restitution of continuous EEG activity with hypothermia may represent enhanced recovery, while heightened metabolic rate and worsening secondary injury is likely in the hyperthermia group. These factors may confound use of early burst frequency for outcome prediction. © 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Discussion by Eric R. Eggenberger, DO

Objective: To describe the detection of emboli to the retrobulbar circulation using orbital color Doppler imaging in patients with central retinal artery occlusions (CRAO) without visible retinal emboli. Design: Noncomparative, retrospective, observational case series. Patients and Methods: Twenty-nine patients with CRAO, without funduscopic evidence of embolic material within the retinal arterioles, underwent neuroophthalmic examination and evaluation with orbital color Doppler imaging. Main Outcome Measures: The detection of retrobulbar plaques using orbital color Doppler imaging. Results: Nine of 29 (31%) patients with CRAO demonstrated hyperechoic retrobulbar plaques. All nine patients had visual acuity of counting fingers or worse at presentation. Six of the nine patients (67%) had a history of hypertension, and seven (78%) had coronary artery disease as vascular risk factors for arterial occlusive disease. Two of the nine patients (22%) subsequently died from cardiac-related events. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that orbital color Doppler imaging is an important diagnostic procedure for establishing embolism as the cause of CRAO when no emboli are visible in the retinal circulation. This noninvasive technology enables prompt differentiation of embolic disease from arterial occlusion caused by intrinsic atherosclerosis, vasospasm, or vasculitis from giant cell arteritis. Recognition of emboli has important management implications for these patients.
Miniaturized dual-mode bandpass filter with harmonic control

This letter presents a miniaturized dual-mode microstrip bandpass filter with the right crossed slots. The right crossed slots perturb and reduce the fundamental resonant frequency, but the second resonance is not affected. Therefore, the second resonance will be effectively higher than 2f/sub o/, where f/sub o/ is the fundamental frequency. Since the fundamental frequency is lower, the bandpass filter is smaller than the conventional filter. The proposed filter shows a 4.4% fractional bandwidth at 1.595GHz with a return loss of better than 10dB and an insertion loss of less than 2.5dB, while the second passband is located around 2.88f/sub o/= 4.6GHz. Compared with the conventional square patch filter, the proposed filter also shows a 58% size reduction.
Point at infinity

We adjoin a point at infinity to a field with a ring topology and extend the topology by taking complements of bounded sets as neighbourhoods of infinity. We note some elementary relations between the topology on the field and the topology on the field with infinity adjoined.
Can Transmitral Doppler E-Waves Differentiate Hypertensive Hearts From Normal?

Physiological models of transmitral flow predict E-wave contour alteration in response to variation of model parameters (stiffness, relaxation, mass) reflecting the physiology of hypertension. Accordingly, analysis of only the E-wave (rather than the E-to-A ratio) should be able to differentiate between hypertensive subjects and control subjects. Conventional versus model-based image processing methods have never been compared in their ability to differentiate E-waves of hypertensive subjects with respect to age-matched control subjects. Digitally acquired transmitral Doppler flow images were analyzed by an automated model-based image processing method. Model-derived indexes were compared with conventional E-wave indexes in 22 subjects: 11 with hypertension and echocardiographically verified ventricular hypertrophy and 11 age-matched nonhypertensive control subjects. Conventional E-wave indexes included peak E, E, and acceleration and deceleration times. Model-based image processing-derived indexes included acceleration and deceleration times, potential energy index, and damping and kinematic constants. Intergroup comparison yielded lower probability values for model-based compared with conventional indexes. In the subjects studied, Doppler E-wave images analyzed by this automated method (which eliminates the need for hand-digitizing contours or the manual placement of cursors) demonstrate diastolic function alteration secondary to hypertension made discernible by model-based indexes. The method uses the entire E-wave contour, quantitatively differentiates between hypertensive subjects and control subjects, and has potential for automated noninvasive diastolic function evaluation in large patient populations, such as hypertension and other transmitral flow velocity-altering pathophysiological states.
An Integrated Impact Indicator: A new definition of ‘Impact’ with policy relevance’

Allocation of research funding, as well as promotion and tenure decisions, are increasingly made using indicators and impact factors drawn from citations to published work. A debate among scientometricians about proper normalization of citation counts has resolved with the creation of an Integrated Impact Indicator (I3) that solves a number of problems found among previously used indicators. The I3 applies non-parametric statistics using percentiles, allowing highly cited papers to be weighted more than less-cited ones. It further allows unbundling of venues (i.e. journals or databases) at the article level. Measures at the article level can be re-aggregated in terms of units of evaluation. At the venue level, the I3 creates a properly weighted alternative to the journal impact factor. I3 has the added advantage of enabling and quantifying classifications such as the six percentile rank classes used by the National Science Board’s Science & Engineering Indicators.
Correção do astigmatismo irregular com lente intraocular tórica em um paciente com catarata e degeneração marginal pelúcida: relato de caso

Pellucid marginal degeneration (PMD) is a rare corneal ectasia and its progression leads to irregular astigmatism and low vision that can not have spectacles or contact lens correction. This report describes a patient with low vision due to cataract and PMD that was treated with phacoemulsification and implantation of a toric intraocular lens with a satisfactory visual acuity outcome.
Sustainable GPU Computing at Scale

General purpose GPU (GPGPU) computing has produced the fastest running supercomputers in the world. For continued sustainable progress, GPU computing at scale also need to address two open issues: a) how increase applications mean time between failures (MTBF) as we increase supercomputer's component counts, and b) how to minimize unnecessary energy consumption. Since energy consumption is defined by the number of components used, we consider a sustainable high performance computing (HPC) application can allow better performance and reliability at the same time when adding computing or communication components. This paper reports a two-tier semantic statistical multiplexing framework for sustainable HPC at scale. The idea is to leverage the powers of statistic multiplexing to tame the nagging HPC scalability challenges. We include the theoretical model, sustainability analysis and computational experiments with automatic system level multiple CPU/GPU failure containment. Our results show that assuming three times slowdown of the statistical multiplexing layer, for an application using 1024 processors with 35\% checkpoint overhead, the two-tier framework will produce sustained time and energy savings for MTBF less than 6 hours. With 5% checkpoint overhead, 1.5 hour MTBF would be the break even point. These results suggest the practical feasibility for the proposed two-tier framework.
From Anti-humanism to Post-humanism: Hermann Hesse's Steppenwolf

Hermann Hesse’s Steppenwolf (1927) can be regarded as a post-humanist novel for several reasons. It is post-humanist in a temporal sense because it engages with the nineteenth-century humanist legacy from a twentieth-century perspective. The novel’s brazen critique of traditional bourgeois values does not simply reject humanism and its philosophy of individual autonomy. It dislodges idealist concepts of wholeness and self-perfection and replaces them with a multi-perspectival view of a continuously changing human consciousness, an open-ended process toward an ever-elusive self-awareness. The protagonist of Hesse’s novel, Harry Haller, even though still heavily influenced by the humanist tradition, can no longer be viewed as a clearly defined individual personifying the Cartesian dichotomy of body and mind. On the contrary, Hesse’s novel depicts Haller’s gradual disillusionment with this idealist world view by giving a detailed account of the deconstruction of his personality – a personality that, as it turns out, does not consist of a spiritual essence but dissolves into an accumulation of acquired conventions, habits, cultural and philosophical traditions, even specific historical events and constellations. Yet Hesse’s attempt to go beyond a mere negation of humanist values implies transcending the humanist paradigm in many respects, including its form. This essay will focus on the novel’s subversion of the humanist tradition. It discloses how Hesse’s novel undermines universalist philosophical claims, regardless of whether they belong to the idealist or anti-idealist Nietzschean philosophy that heavily influenced both the protagonist and his author. In light of the novel’s dismantling of binary reasoning, foregrounded in the protagonist’s man-animal division, the essay challenges conventional wisdom among critics who regard Hesse’s literary works as traditionalist.
Monodisperse Pt3Fe Nanocubes: Synthesis, Characterization, Self-Assembly, and Electrocatalytic Activity

A facile, reliable, and robust synthetic method to prepare high-quality Pt 3 Fe nanocubes is reported. Results of investigation on these Pt 3 Fe nanocubes in shape-/size-distribution, crystallinity, structural characteristics, compositions, electrochemical activity towards small organic molecule oxidation as well as capability of assembling into simple cubic supercrystals are presented, and a possible formation mechanism of the cubic nanocrystals at high temperature in oleylamine/oleic acid solution is also proposed. This study indicates that the catalyst performance may be improved by controlling the shape of particles.
Human gustation and flavour

Taste is an essential component of flavour. Although taste carries fewer distinctive qualities than odour, it provides an essential base on which aroma builds to generate the widely varying flavour of our foods and beverages. The present review covers a wide range of perceptual/psychophysical topics on taste. The first section reviews the taste research questions of early last century; the second section addresses the psychophysical taste research topics of the last few decades; and in the third section, the question is raised whether the old research topics of 80-100 years ago, which have largely not been answered, are worth reconsidering and pursuing. Copyright  2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Geological and geotechnical considerations, associated with some sections of the M25 construction

Introduction A joint meeting of the Engineering Group and the Institution of Highway Engineers was held at Burlington House on Tuesday, 10 January 1984. The topic of the meeting inspired practising engineers, academics and researchers alike, and this was reflected in an extremely well attended meeting. The audience listened to a number of speakers who have been actively involved with construction of particular sections of the M25 and who related their experiences in dealing with various ground engineering problems. There is currently no project so prestigious nor so intently observed in the UK as the M25, and this fact together with the fascination of ground engineering meant that the meeting was destined to be of great interest. The Chairman of the Engineering Group of the Geological Society, Dr A. B. Hawkins, introduced the meeting and related some facts about the M25. The 120 miles of 3–4 lane dual carriageway will constitute the largest orbital road in the world. The most heavily trafficked sections, for instance between the A30 and M4 in the southwest sector, are expected to accommodate between 70 000 and 80 000 vehicles during a 16-h day in 1987. The M25 will provide a much needed fast and problem-free route to cross London and its connections to 18 major radial link roads will greatly improve communications to and from central London. It is anticipated that it will generate traffic and that its excellent communications will encourage development of a new network of industry. Figure 1 shows the present
Cytological, histological, and clinical correlations in intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin immunotherapy

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), an attenuated form of mycobacterium, has been used extensively for the immunotherapy of bladder carcinoma. BCG induces a granulomatous response in the bladder wall. The cytological features induced by BCG-immunotherapy in urines and bladder washes have been described in only rare articles. We evaluated cytologic specimens from 50 patients who received intravesical BCG for bladder carcinoma. Forty-three patients received BCG therapy in a single course, averaging to 6.3 weeks per patient, whereas seven patients received an average of 9 weeks therapy with 2 to 3 interruptions. A total of 93 voided urines (avg, 1.9/patient), 57 bladder washes (avg, 1.1/patient) and 64 biopsies (avg, 1.3/patient) were obtained in the 2-year and 8-month retrospective review from these 50 patients. There were 30 responders and 20 nonresponders to BCG therapy. Positive cytology was predictive of recurrence: (cytologic-histologic correlation, 85%). Nine of 64 (14%) tissue biopsies revealed granulomatous inflammation, whereas only 2 of 150 cytological specimens (1.3%) exhibited specific inflammatory cells and epithelioid cells diagnostic of granulomas. Decoy cells appeared on the surface of the urothelium in four biopsies and in two cytological specimens. Based on this study, cytology appears to be adequate for the follow-up of BCG-treated patients for assessment of recurrence of carcinoma. Diagnostic features of granulomas were detected only in a smaller percentage of urine specimens, compared with biopsies. The presence of decoy cells in the urine and biopsies is an intriguing phenomenon that requires further investigation, especially in regard to the source of these cells and whether they are apoptotic in nature or whether they result from necrosis.
Bone marrow stromal cell distribution of basic fibroblast growth factor in chronic myeloid disorders

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a multifunctional cytokine that exerts positive regulation in hematopoiesis and that may also have a role in myelofibrosis and angiogenesis. We used bone marrow immunohistochemical stains to obtain additional insight into the cellular distribution of bFGF in both chronic myeloproliferative diseases (CMPD) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). DESIGN AND METHODS: Bone marrow immunohistochemical stains were used to evaluate the cellular distribution of bFGF in 29 patients with CMPD, 31 patients with MDS, and 5 normal controls. RESULTS: The density of bFGF-expressing stromal cells was markedly increased in 74% of the patients with MDS, compared with in only 3% of those with CMPD. In contrast, the density was markedly decreased in 62% of the patients with CMPD (versus 6% in MDS). The staining pattern in normal controls was similar to that in patients with MDS. The presence or absence of associated bone marrow fibrosis did not influence the particular pattern of bFGF expression in either MDS or CMPD. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that bone marrow stromal cell bFGF expression in patients with CMPD is abnormally decreased and that the particular staining pattern may complement the morphologic distinction between CMPD and MDS.