cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct Comparisons of Experimental and Calculated Neutron Structure Factors of Pure Solvents as a Method for Force Field Validation

In the present letter, we directly compare neutron structure factors calculated from force field (FF)-based molecular dynamics simulations with experimental structure factors for water, methanol, and tetrahydrofuran (THF). For water, the difference in the measured structure factors is more significant than differences between the FFs. It is shown that the inclusion of electronic polarization in the force field improves the agreement with experiment for the more-polar methanol, whereas the results are comparable for the additive and polarizable FF models of the less-polar THF. The data presented here confirm that comparing the calculated scattering profiles from FF-based MD simulations to measured neutron structure factors is a promising method for FF validation and development.
Measures of depression in older adults with generalized anxiety disorder: a psychometric evaluation.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most common of the pervasive anxiety disorders among older adults, with lifetime prevalence estimates of 6%. Because of this high prevalence rate, it is important to establish the utility of assessment tools with this population. Preliminary data exist with regard to the use of anxiety measures with older anxious adults; however, no similar information is available for self-report measures of depression in this population. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) with a sample of 54 older adults diagnosed with GAD, 22 of whom were diagnosed with a coexistent depressive disorder. Internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, construct validity, and discriminative validity of the BDI and the GDS were examined. Overall, the results support the reliability and validity of these self-report measures of depressive symptoms in a sample of older anxious adults. Depression and Anxiety 11:114–120, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Influence of various drugs on accumulation of 3H-nicotine in isolated rat atria.

Abstract In the study of 3H-nicotine binding it was found that isolated atria take up and bind 3H-nicotine from the surrounding fluid. This uptake was dose and time dependent. With increasing the concentration of 3H-nicotine and incubation period, accumulation of 3H-nicotine was enhanced. Accumulation of 3H-nicotine was maximum at pH 7.4; increase in pH to 8.4 or decrease in pH to 5 of Tyrode's solution decreased the accumulation. Addition of atropine, nicotine, hexamethonium and chlorisondamine to the organ bath or pretreatment of animals with guanethedine or reserpine did not affect the accumulation of nicotine. The binding appeared to be at nonspecific site and not, at least, at sites where noradrenaline is stored, since 1) nerve stimulation, injection of nicotine or acetylcholine did not affect the spontaneous release of 3H-nicotine inffluent of the perfused cat spleen and 2) acetylcholine, DMPP, nicotine or tyramine in moderate doses failed to release 3H-nicotine from isolated rat atria. It seems that uptake of labelled nicotine is a physical process of diffusion and is not related to any particular storage mechanism. The rate is maximal at pH 7.4.
Civic Responsibility and Human Rights Education: A Pan-Educational Alliance for Social Justice.

Educating global citizens to have knowledge of world political and economic systems and conditions is imperative as the notion of the ‘citizen’ is constantly evolving. This type of civic education needs to involve critical thinking skills that are pan‐educational and allow for cross‐cultural discussion that span all public spheres and encourage empathetic and socially just minded discourses. As such, there are universal and national elements that should be incorporated in all systems of civically responsible education. One such element is human rights education (HRE).
Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Absence of Coronary Artery Calcification

Objectives In this study, we systematically assessed the diagnostic and prognostic value of absence of coronary artery calcification (CAC) in asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals. Background Presence of CAC is a well-established marker of coronary plaque burden and is associated with a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Absence of CAC has been suggested to be associated with a very low risk of significant coronary artery disease, as well as minimal risk of future events. Methods We searched online databases (e.g., PubMed and MEDLINE) for original research articles published in English between January 1990 and March 2008 examining the diagnostic and prognostic utility of CAC. Results A systematic review of published articles revealed 49 studies that fulfilled our criteria for inclusion. These included 13 studies assessing the relationship of CAC with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in 64,873 asymptomatic patients. In this cohort, 146 of 25,903 patients without CAC (0.56%) had a cardiovascular event during a mean follow-up period of 51 months. In the 7 studies assessing the prognostic value of CAC in a symptomatic population, 1.80% of patients without CAC had a cardiovascular event. Overall, 18 studies demonstrated that the presence of any CAC had a pooled sensitivity and negative predictive value of 98% and 93%, respectively, for detection of significant coronary artery disease on invasive coronary angiography. In 4,870 individuals undergoing myocardial perfusion and CAC testing, in the absence of CAC, only 6% demonstrated any sign of ischemia. Finally, 3 studies demonstrated that absence of CAC had a negative predictive value of 99% for ruling out acute coronary syndrome. Conclusions On the basis of our review of more than 85,000 patients, we conclude that the absence of CAC is associated with a very low risk of future cardiovascular events, with modest incremental value of other diagnostic tests in this very low-risk group.
A parametric study of the surface potential and band bending in silicon

Abstract A unified approach to band bending is described, and the macroscopic electronic potential through the silicon surface is calculated as a function of temperature in the ranges 300–500°K and 100–1600°K, externally applied electric field, for zero field and for 10 3 to 10 5 V/cm, and donor and acceptor concentrations, from 10 12 to 10 18 cm −3 . The results, presented in graphical and tabular forms, are intended to serve the convenience of researchers in a wide area of surface and high temperature silicon physics such as in thermionic, field, and photoelectric emission work and in high temperature, and field modulated transport studies. The calculations are based on an essentially classical approach to the solution of the electrostatic band bending problem, using the surface state density for silicon proposed by Allen and Gobeli on the basis of their photoelectric investigations. The cases considered were limited to nondegenerate, intrinsic, and n- and p-doped silicon in which all impurity states are fully ionized.
Temporal dynamics of estuarine phytoplankton: A case study of San Francisco Bay

Detailed surveys throughout San Francisco Bay over an annual cycle (1980) show that seasonal variations of phytoplankton biomass, community composition, and productivity can differ markedly among estuarine habitat types. For example, in the river-dominated northern reach (Suisun Bay) phytoplankton seasonality is characterized by a prolonged summer bloom of netplanktonic diatoms that results from the accumulation of suspended particulates at the convergence of nontidal currents (i.e. where residence time is long). Here turbidity is persistently high such that phytoplankton growth and productivity are severely limited by light availability, the phytoplankton population turns over slowly, and biological processes appear to be less important mechanisms of temporal change than physical processes associated with freshwater inflow and turbulent mixing. The South Bay, in contrast, is a lagoon-type estuary less directly coupled to the influence of river discharge. Residence time is long (months) in this estuary, turbidity is lower and estimated rates of population growth are high (up to 1–2 doublings d−1), but the rapid production of phytoplankton biomass is presumably balanced by grazing losses to benthic herbivores. Exceptions occur for brief intervals (days to weeks) during spring when the water column stratifies so that algae retained in the surface layer are uncoupled from benthic grazing, and phytoplankton blooms develop. The degree of stratification varies over the neap-spring tidal cycle, so the South Bay represents an estuary where (1) biological processes (growth, grazing) and a physical process (vertical mixing) interact to cause temporal variability of phytoplankton biomass, and (2) temporal variability is highly dynamic because of the short-term variability of tides. Other mechanisms of temporal variability in estuarine phytoplankton include: zooplankton grazing, exchanges of microalgae between the sediment and water column, and horizontal dispersion which transports phytoplankton from regions of high productivity (shallows) to regions of low productivity (deep channels).
150 years of treating severe traumatic brain injury: a systematic review of progress in mortality

Abstract Considerable effort and resources have been devoted to preserving life in patients with severe closed traumatic brain injury (TBI). We sought to identify temporal trends in mortality rates of these patients from the late 1800s to the present. We searched the literature for articles on severe TBI, abstracting numbers of patients studied, numbers of deaths, and years of patient entry. Mortality rates were calculated for each study, and meta-regression was used to pool data and to test for significant temporal trends. We reviewed 207 case series comprising more than 140,000 cases of severe closed TBI admitted to hospital over a span of almost 150 years. Since the late 1800s mortality has fallen by almost 50%. However, the rate has varied considerably among the four epochs chosen. Between 1885 and 1930, mortality decreased at a rate of 3% per decade. From 1970 to 1990, mortality declined at a rate of 9% per decade. Both changes are significant. There was no observed improvement in mortality between 1...
A cellular processor for task assignments in polymorphic, multiprocessor computers

Polymorphic computer systems are comprised of a large number of hardware devices such as memory modules, processors, various input/output devices, etc., which can be combined or connected in a number of ways by a controller to form one or several computers to handle a variety of jobs or tasks. Task assignment and resource allocation in computer networks and polymorphic computer systems are currently being handled by software. It is the intent of this paper to present a cellular processor which can be used for scheduling and controlling a polymorphic computer network, freeing some of the processor time for more important functions. (See Figure 1.)
Sequential click reactions for synthesizing and patterning three-dimensional cell microenvironments

Click chemistry provides extremely selective and orthogonal reactions that proceed with high efficiency and under a variety of mild conditions, the most common example being the copper(I)-catalysed reaction of azides with alkynes. While the versatility of click reactions has been broadly exploited, a major limitation is the intrinsic toxicity of the synthetic schemes and the inability to translate these approaches into biological applications. This manuscript introduces a robust synthetic strategy where macromolecular precursors react through a copper-free click chemistry, allowing for the direct encapsulation of cells within click hydrogels for the first time. Subsequently, an orthogonal thiol-ene photocoupling chemistry is introduced that enables patterning of biological functionalities within the gel in real time and with micrometre-scale resolution. This material system enables us to tailor independently the biophysical and biochemical properties of the cell culture microenvironments in situ. This synthetic approach uniquely allows for the direct fabrication of biologically functionalized gels with ideal structures that can be photopatterned, and all in the presence of cells.
Content Analysis of Consumer Confidence in Food Service in Relation to Food Safety Laws, Publicity, and Sales

For many years, consumers have relied on food safety laws to protect them from foodborne illnesses. Unfortunately, incidents of foodborne illness have been increasing in recent years. As a result, consumer confidence in food safety has resulted in sales losses for many businesses as the media focuses more and more on finding someone to point the finger at in these incidences. This article will utilize previous studies of food safety laws, consumer confidence, and foodborne illness outbreaks to determine their respective effects on food sales.
Prevention of infection during transrectal biopsy of prostate through double-glove technique

Eighty male patients, most of whom had suspicious prostatic nodules on digital examination, were subjected to transrectal needle biopsy of the prostate. The biopsy needle was held between the gloved hand and an overlying sterile finger cot on the index finger. When the lesion was palpated, the needle was pushed through the finger cot and a tissue specimen obtained. All patients were treated orally with minocycline hydrochloride 100 mg. twice a day starting eight to twelve hours before biopsy and continuing at this dosage for five days after biopsy. Except for one episode of transitory hematuria, there were no reports of infection or complication, as manifested by fever, chills, or transrectal or transurethral bleeding.
RNA polymer translocation with single-walled carbon nanotubes

The translocation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) across MCF7 breast cancer cells was demonstrated with radioisotope labeling. Hybrids of SWNT−RNA polymer poly(rU) were formed through a nonspecific binding mechanism which could allow for the dissociation of the poly(rU) from the SWNTs upon delivery. The cellular uptake of the hybrids was examined by confocal fluorescence microscopy. Through cell growth and MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) assays, we showed the negligible cytotoxicity of SWNTs (up to 0.5 mg/mL) to MCF7 cells.
Exponential temperature dependence and low-bias conductance anomaly in transport through Langmuir–Blodgett monolayer devices

Current–voltage characteristics are reported as a function of temperature (2–300 K) for 2.8-nm-thick eicosanoic acid (C20) Langmuir–Blodgett organic monolayers sandwiched between planar platinum electrodes of area 5–200 μm2. An exponential temperature dependence observed between 60 and 300 K does not fit standard activated conduction, but can be described by thermionic field emission through a thin ∼0.1-eV barrier. A second model of tunneling through a vibrationally excited harmonic oscillator barrier also fits the data. A broad ∼200 meV dip in conductance at V=0 suggests strong inelastic tunneling, supporting the vibrational model.
Ensuring the future

Abstract Can intelligent life overcome a host of self-inflicted problems and flourish in the next century? This paper explores this question by examining threats to the future. Western culture, institutions and decision-making process are seen as anti-future and the strongest hazard to shaping a viable future for humanity. The paper offers an imaginative research programme to overcome this obstacle and discusses the inherent contradictions in the agenda.
Resurrecting Prostitutes and Overturning Treaties: Gender Politics in the "Anti-American" Movement in South Korea

Although recent expressions of “anti-Americanism” in South Korea have alarmed policy makers in Seoul and Washington and aroused fears about declining popular support for the bilateral alliance, they are understandable manifestations of civil society activism, which has grown since democratization began during the late 1980s. This paper analyzes anti-Americanism as a dynamic coalition movement accompanied by the all of internal competition, conflicts, and contradictions that characterize such movements. In the process, some actors and issues have become high priorities, whereas others have been marginalized or silenced. Professor Moon examines kijich'on (camptown) prostitution around U.S. military bases in Korea as a case study of how power conflicts within the coalition movement, which are focused on nationalism and gender, have exploited and shut out the very people who served as its initiators and early leaders.
REGIONAL CONCENTRATION OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES

Abstract Entrepreneurial agglomerations often feature positive feedback mechanisms such as strategic complementarities, knowledge spillovers and network externalities. However, they can also occur in the absence of these mechanisms, even across regions of considerably homogeneous economic potential. We analyze a market entry game in an evolutionary setup to investigate how two economically similar regions may evolve different rates of entrepreneurship under the assumption that there is migration between them, and that individuals are predisposed to imitate others who are economically more successful. We examine the long run dynamics of this model and assess the impact of the economic, social and demographic exchange on the regional concentration of entrepreneurial activities.
Flap endonuclease disengages DNA2 helicase/nuclease from Okazaki fragment flaps

Okazaki fragments contain an initiator RNA/DNA primer that must be removed before the fragments are joined. In eukaryotes, the primer region is raised into a flap by the strand displacement activity of DNA polymerase {delta}. The Dna2 helicase/nuclease and then flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1) are proposed to act sequentially in flap removal. Dna2 and FEN1 both employ a tracking mechanism to enter the flap 5' end and move toward the base for cleavage. In the current model, Dna2 must enter first, but FEN1 makes the final cut at the flap base, raising the issue of how FEN1 passes the Dna2. To address this, nuclease-inactive Dna2 was incubated with a DNA flap substrate and found to bind with high affinity. FEN1 was then added, and surprisingly, there was little inhibition of FEN1 cleavage activity. FEN1 was later shown, by gel shift analysis, to remove the wild type Dna2 from the flap. RNA can be cleaved by FEN1 but not by Dna2. Pre-bound wild type Dna2 was shown to bind an RNA flap but not inhibit subsequent FEN1 cleavage. These results indicate that there is a novel interaction between the two proteins in which FEN1 disengages the Dna2 tracking mechanism. This interaction is consistent with the idea that the two proteins have evolved a special ability to cooperate in Okazaki fragment processing.
Childhood Diagnoses and Later Risk for Multiple Suicide Attempts

The relationship between childhood diagnosis, personality psychopathology and suicidal behavior in young adulthood was explored in a sample of 327 suicide ideators, single attempters, and multiple attempters. Of the total sample, 174 received at least one childhood diagnosis; the 153 without a diagnosis provided a comparison group. Results suggest that a childhood history of an anxiety disorder or major depression predispose a person to both later multiple suicide attempts and personality psychopathology. Gender was found to play a significant role, with females being predisposed to multiple attempts in young adulthood but only as a function of childhood anxiety, not major depression. Additionally, childhood anxiety disorders were found to predispose to multiple attempts as a function of personality psychopathology, with distinctly different paths for males and females. Implications are discussed in terms of etiology, prevention, and treatment.
Archival Data: Advantages and Disadvantages for Research in Psychology

Archival data may be thought of as any sort of information, previously collected by others, amenable to systematic study. Here, the focus is on information that may be used to answer questions related to psychological phenomena, with an overview of the myriad sources of data available to the psychological researcher, and the advantages and disadvantages of secondary versus primary data use. Particularly creative uses of archival data and good examples of archived studies, along with resources for those interested in archival data, are given.
Bonding anomalies in the rare earth sesquioxides

Raman and IR vibrational spectra of C-type rare earth sesquioxides exhibit anomalous wavenumber decreases for europium (f6) and ytterbium (f13) oxide which have not been previously reported. Because of the large shifts observed for the Raman spectra, the IR band positions have been re-examined. Smaller, but definite decreases have been observed in the IR spectra as well. Scatter in the literature data had obscured these anomalies. The anomalies correlate with thermodynamic properties and indicate weaker bonding for these two oxides. It is suggested that these anomalies are caused by electron-phonon interaction, involving low-lying f-states which are below the Fermi level for europium and ytterbium. Therefore, these data provide another example of a system in which 4f electronic structure significantly influences chemical bonding. We suggest that it is due to the presence of the unique, low-lying electronic energy levels in these two elements, and not simply the result of the number of f electrons (half-full or full). Literature results suggest the anomalies are not due to “mixed valence” for Eu2O3 and Yb2O3; however, further research is needed to explain the origin more completely. Raman band positions are reported for the first time for several of the oxides.
The Sensitivity of Springtime Arctic Mixed-Phase Stratocumulus Clouds to Surface-Layer and Cloud-Top Inversion-Layer Moisture Sources

AbstractIn this study, a series of idealized large-eddy simulations is used to understand the relative impact of cloud-top and subcloud-layer sources of moisture on the microphysical–radiative–dynamical feedbacks in an Arctic mixed-phase stratocumulus (AMPS) cloud system. This study focuses on a case derived from observations of a persistent single-layer AMPS cloud deck on 8 April 2008 during the Indirect and Semi-Direct Aerosol Campaign near Barrow, Alaska. Moisture and moist static energy budgets are used to examine the potential impact of ice in mixed-phase clouds, specific humidity inversions coincident with temperature inversions as a source of moisture for the cloud system, and the presence of cloud liquid water above the mixed-layer top. This study demonstrates that AMPS have remarkable insensitivity to changes in moisture source. When the overlying air is dried initially, radiative cooling and turbulent entrainment increase moisture import from the surface layer. When the surface layer is dried in...
Multiplicative ergodicity and large deviations for an irreducible Markov chain

Abstract The paper examines multiplicative ergodic theorems and the related multiplicative Poisson equation for an irreducible Markov chain on a countable state space. The partial products are considered for a real-valued function on the state space. If the function of interest satisfies a monotone condition, or is dominated by such a function, then 1. The mean normalized products converge geometrically quickly to a finite limiting value. 2. The multiplicative Poisson equation admits a solution. 3. Large deviation bounds are obtainable for the empirical measures.
Better Arabic Parsing: Baselines, Evaluations, and Analysis

In this paper, we offer broad insight into the underperformance of Arabic constituency parsing by analyzing the interplay of linguistic phenomena, annotation choices, and model design. First, we identify sources of syntactic ambiguity understudied in the existing parsing literature. Second, we show that although the Penn Arabic Treebank is similar to other tree-banks in gross statistical terms, annotation consistency remains problematic. Third, we develop a human interpretable grammar that is competitive with a latent variable PCFG. Fourth, we show how to build better models for three different parsers. Finally, we show that in application settings, the absence of gold segmentation lowers parsing performance by 2--5% F1.
Differences in Mexican American and Non-Hispanic White veterans' homocysteine levels.

Purpose: To compare homocysteine (Hcy) levels and possible modulatory factors, such as nutrient or supplement intake, between Mexican American and Non-Hispanic White (NHW) male military veterans scoring at high- versus low-risk for stroke. Design: A cross-sectional survey with a high and low stroke risk biomarkers substudy. Methods: Voluntary participants were Mexican American (n=109) and NHW (n=120) veteran outpatients 54 to 85 years of age at a Southwestern Veterans Administration (VA) medical center. Measures included food frequency, health history, and stroke risk scale derived from the Framingham Study. Biomarker subgroups, 30 Mexican American and 30 NHW, half of each group scoring high or low on stroke risk, who were tested for morning fasting blood levels of Hcy, B12, and folate. Findings: In the cross-sectional study (n=229), nutrient intake was comparable between ethnic groups. In the substudy, Mexican Americans (n=30) with high or low stroke risk scores and NHW (n=30) with high stroke risk scores had elevated Hcy levels (12.5; 11.9; 11.4 µmol/L respectively) compared to NHW veterans with low stroke risk scores (7.8 µmol/L) even after controlling for age, education, folate, diabetes, and smoking pack-years (p=.001). Mexican Americans compared to NHW were significantly more likely to be in the preclinical (17% versus 3% >10 µmol/L) and clinical ranges (69% versus 35% >15 µmol/L) for Hcy. Conclusions: Mexican Americans showed higher levels of Hcy whether they scored high or low for stroke, and greater representation in clinical and preclinical Hcy ranges compared to NHW veterans. The Framingham-derived, predominantly NHW population-based stroke risk measure might require ethnically relevant stroke risk factors for Mexican Americans.
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Radiofrequency Ablation With Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Inoperable Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Systemic Review and Pooled Analysis

Purpose To performed a systematic review and pooled analysis to compare clinical outcomes of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of medically inoperable stage I non-small cell lung cancer. Methods and Materials A comprehensive literature search for published trials from 2001 to 2012 was undertaken. Pooled analyses were performed to obtain overall survival (OS) and local tumor control rates (LCRs) and adverse events. Regression analysis was conducted considering each study's proportions of stage IA and age. Results Thirty-one studies on SBRT (2767 patients) and 13 studies on RFA (328 patients) were eligible. The LCR (95% confidence interval) at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years for RFA was 77% (70%-85%), 48% (37%-58%), 55% (47%-62%), and 42% (30%-54%) respectively, which was significantly lower than that for SBRT: 97% (96%-98%), 92% (91%-94%), 88% (86%-90%), and 86% (85%-88%) ( P P P =.04 at 5 years). The effect of RFA was not different from that of SBRT on OS ( P >.05). The most frequent complication of RFA was pneumothorax, occurring in 31% of patients, whereas that for SBRT (grade ≥3) was radiation pneumonitis, occurring in 2% of patients. Conclusions Compared with RFA, SBRT seems to have a higher LCR but similar OS. More studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to validate such findings.
Granulocyte collection: a comparison of Fenwal CS 3000, IBM 2997, and haemonetics cell separators.

With the advent of sophisticated automated blood processors, the collection of large numbers of granulocytes for transfusion has been made more practical in the past ten years. Harvesting granulocytes by filtration leukapheresis has been abandoned in most centers because of adverse reactions in both donors and recipients. Currently, both continuous and discontinuous flow centrifugation leukapheresis techniques are available. However, both corticosteroids and hydroxyethyl starch are required for optimal granulocyte collection. In this paper, we critically compare the three major cell separators used for the collection of granulocytes by centrifugation leukapheresis. All three instruments separate blood cells by centrifugation; the IBM-2997 and the Fenwal CS-3000 function by continuous-flow centrifugation, and the Haemonetics Model 30 by discontinuous-flow centrifugation. Factors such as the donor preapheresis white blood cell count, the blood flow rate through the machine and the centrifuge speed effect granulocyte collection. Comparisons will be made of the cost of the software for each machine, the time required for granulocyte collection, the convenience of set-up and tear-down, the amount of skill and experience demanded of the operator. Donor factors will be discussed. Since the blood processor may be used for other procedures including plateletpheresis, therapeutic plasma exchange, lymphocytapheresis and erthrocytapheresis, the pros and cons of each machine as used for some of these procedures will be included in the discussion. In our experience, total leukocytes and granulocytes (neutrophils) collected with the three different instruments varied only slightly when unstimulated donors were studied. Total WBC × 109 per granulocyte pack were 16.7 ± 0.85 for CS-3000 (N=37), 16.3 ±0.95 for IBM-2997 (N=47) and 13.3 ±0.09 for Model 30 (N=179). Neutrophils × 109 per pack were 8.4 ± 0.42, 8.2 ± 0.47 and 7.4 ± 0.28, respectively. Granulocyte yields can be increased 2–3 fold when donors are stimulated with corticosteroids, particularly with the continuous-flow machines. Platelet collection varied greatly. The largest number of platelets per granulocyte pack was collected with the Haemonetics Model 30 (7.5 × 10″ ±0.13). The Fenwal CS-3000 had the next highest platelet yield with 3.6 × 10″ ±0.12, the IBM-2997 collected 2.6 × 10″±0.16. Erthrocyte contamination was greatest with the Model-30.
A geostatistical data fusion technique for merging remote sensing and ground-based observations of aerosol optical thickness

Particles in the atmosphere reflect incoming sunlight, tending to cool the Earth below. Some particles, such as soot, also absorb sunlight, which tens to warm the ambient atmosphere. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) is a measure of the amount of particulate matter in the atmosphere, and is a key input to computer models that simulate and predict Earth's changing climate. The global AOD products from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) and the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), both of which fly on the NASA Earth Observing System's Terra satellite, provide complementary views of the particles in the atmosphere. Whereas MODIS offers global coverage about four times as frequent as MISR, the multi-angle data makes it possible to separate the surface and atmospheric contributions to the observed top-of-atmosphere radiances, and also to more effectively discriminate particle type. Surface-based AERONET sun photometers retrieve AOD with smaller uncertainties than the satellite instruments, but only at a few fixed locations. So there are clear reasons to combine these data sets in a way that takes advantage of their respective strengths. This paper represents an effort at combining MISR, MODIS and AERONET AOD products over the continental US, using a common spatial statistical technique called kriging. The technique uses the correlation between the satellite data and the "ground-truth" sun photometer observations to assign uncertainty to the satellite data on a region-by-region basis. The larger fraction of the sun photometer variance that is duplicated by the satellite data, the higher the confidence assigned to the satellite data in that region. In the Western and Central US, MISR AOD correlation with AERONET are significantly higher than those with MODIS, likely due to bright surfaces in these regions, which pose greater challenges for the single-view MODIS retrievals. In the east, MODIS correlations are higher, due to more frequent sampling of the varying AOD. These results demonstrate how the MISR and MODIS aerosol products are complementary. The underlying technique also provides one method for combining these products in such a way that takes advantage of the strengths of each, in the places and times when they are maximal, and in addition, yields an estimate of the associated uncertainties in space and time.
Role of Atrial Contraction in Diastolic Pressure Elevation Induced by Rapid Pacing of Hypertrophied Canine Ventricle

The mechanism of diastolic pressure elevation induced by acute rapid pacing in pressure-load hypertrophied left ventricles (LVs) remains incompletely understood. It has been ascribed to abnormalities of coronary flow, metabolism, and calcium cycling. However, rapid pacing also alters the timing of atrial and ventricular stimulation relative to the diastolic filling period, and this could also influence diastolic pressures. To test the role of such mechanical factors, LV pressure-volume hemodynamics were measured in closed-chested anesthetized dogs during and after abrupt cessation of rapid atrial pacing. Twenty-one dogs were studied: 6 dogs with LV hypertrophy (LVH) induced by perinephritic hypertension, 5 sham-operated normotensive dogs, and 10 acute normotensive control dogs. In LVH dogs, but not in sham-operated or control dogs, end-diastolic pressure rose progressively with increasing heart rate from 5.6 +/- 3.1 mm Hg at baseline to 22.6 +/- 8.1 mm Hg at 220 beats per minute. In all hearts, rapid pacing shifted the timing of left atrial contraction so that it occurred near the onset of LV filling rather than at end diastole. However, in LVH hearts, early LV diastolic pressure and peak atrial pressure were also markedly elevated. Most striking, immediately after terminating the pacing, diastolic pressure declined to near baseline. This rapid pressure decline occurred just when atrial systole would have ensued and before ventricular activation would have followed had pacing continued. Thus, diastolic pressure elevation resolved before a change in ventricular pacing rate. The role of atrial contraction was further explored by simultaneous atrioventricular pacing. This shifted the time of atrial systole so that it occurred during LV isovolumic contraction, while maintaining the identical LV pacing rate. This change eliminated the diastolic pressure elevation found previously. Further analysis revealed that the pressure increase during rapid pacing was not due simply to partial LV filling imposed on a relaxing ventricle or to hypertension or an intact pericardium. These data indicate that mechanical effects of atrioventricular interaction play an important role in tachycardia-induced diastolic dysfunction in this model of LVH and can be more causative than ischemia or metabolic factors in this setting.
A neural network pruning algorithm with embedded gradient-conjugate training for the identification of large flexible space structures

The choice of network dimension is a fundamental issue in the design of artificial neural networks. A larger neural network is powerful for solving problems while a smaller neural network is always advantageous in real-time environment where speed is crucial. In this paper, a network pruning algorithm with embedded gradient-conjugate training is investigated and applied to the identification of a large flexible space structure. Computer simulation results show that this approach can dramatically reduce the size of neural network while maintaining compatible identification accuracy.
Effect of Early Fruit-Zone Leaf Removal on Canopy Development and Fruit Quality in Riesling and Sauvignon blanc

Canopy management is vital for quality winegrape production. During the 2012 and 2013 growing seasons, the timing of fruit-zone leaf removal (FZLR) was evaluated in two commercial vineyard blocks (Vitis vinifera Riesling and Sauvignon blanc) located north of Prosser, WA. Three different timings of manual FZLR were evaluated with a no-removal control. Leaf removal consisted of complete removal of all leaves and lateral shoots in the fruit zone on both sides of the canopy at prebloom, bloom, and four weeks postbloom. Each vine received the same treatment in both years. No negative implications were observed in total fruit set in either year. When leaf removal was performed, regardless of timing, the fruit zone of the canopy had less lateral shoot development and canopy refill than the control. Leaf removal also improved spray coverage in the fruit zone in Riesling, but the effect was related to the timing of leaf removal relative to the timing of the spray. In 2013, prebloom leaf removal significantly reduced Botrytis bunch rot severity in Sauvignon blanc (p = 0.01) below that of the control and four weeks postbloom leaf removal treatments. In 2013, prebloom leaf removal in Riesling increased terpene concentrations in the harvested juice (p = 0.03). In 2012, postbloom leaf removal in Riesling reduced concentrations of acids below those of the prebloom treatment (p = 0.04) in juice.
The “Question” Question*

When we read Shang oracle-bone inscriptions, we should distinguish between what the diviner is saying (in the “charge,” mingci) and what he is doing in the whole divination rite. What he is doing is not always seeking information; and even when he is doing this, what he says is usually not a question. This paper offers various arguments and examples to show this. For example, Li Xueqin's research proves that the oracle language possessed grammatical forms, such as final particles and final negatives, for marking a sentence as a question. Therefore, the first assumption should be that when a diviner does not use these forms, he does not intend a sentence to be understood as a question. And when two sentences in the same inscription — e.g., the charge and the prognostication — are alike in form (both of them being without final negatives or interrogative particles), it is a mistake to construe one of them as a question and the other as a statement.
Quadrature Rules and Interpolation via PSWFs

In this chapter, we describe several classes of prolate spheroidal wave function (PSWF)-based quadrature rules and interpolation formulas, designed for band-limited functions with a specified band limit c > 0 over the interval [ − 1, 1] (see also [49, 50, 53–55, 73]).
Role of Defects on Mechanical Response of Nafion® Membranes for Fuel Cell Applications

Nafion® manufactured by Dupont is a widely used membrane material for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Such membranes are made thin and also have to be hydrated during operation to increase proton conductivity of the cell. Since the membranes are made thin, and do not posses high mechanical properties, they are prone to any handling induced damage. In this paper, we have made an initial attempt to demonstrate the capability of thermal wave imaging nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technique in detecting various types of damage entities such as scratches, folding, and pin pricks in the membrane material. In addition, the effect of hydration and handling induced damage on the tensile behavior of Nafion® membrane is studied. It is observed that the damaged and as-received hydrated samples exhibit lower modulus and yield strength than the corresponding dry counterparts.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Soft frequency reuse for intercell interference mitigation in two-tier underwater multicell OFDM wireless networks

Underwater acoustic communications have received significant research attention with the increasing ocean explore applications. Due to the frequency-dependent path loss and fading characteristics of the acoustic channel, and scarce available bandwidth, it is more important to employ frequency reuse scheme to improve the spectrum efficiency and the entire network performance. However, the frequency reuse imposes the new and complicated designing tradeoff among co-channel interference on cell-edge users, the overall network throughput, and spectrum efficiency, which has significant impact on the performance for underwater multicell OFDM wireless networks. To overcome these new challenges, in this paper we employ soft frequency reuse (SFR) scheme in underwater acoustic multicell networks to balance the intercell interference mitigation and the spectrum efficiencies while guaranteeing the edge-user's QoS requirements in terms of signal-to-interference-plus-noise (SINR) and outage probability. The extensive simulations validate and evaluate our proposed schemes, showing that the our schemes outperform the other existing frequency reuse schemes for underwater wireless networks in terms of SINR, outage probabilities of cell-edge users, and spectrum efficiency.
A Phase-Contrast Study of the Spermatozoa of a Tiger Beetle (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)

Spermatozoa of the tiger beetle Cicindela belfragei Salle, from testes and a spermatheca, were studied by phase-contrast microscopy. Spermatozoa that were presumably mature were 160μ–180μ long, and had an undulating membrane. These spermatozoa differ from most insect spermatozoa previously described in having a greatly elongate head or nucleus and a short tail, and in the extent of the undulating membrane which extends the entire length of the sperm. The undulating membrane and its associated structures are described, and evidence is presented that a centriole occurs at the anterior tip of the spermatozoon.
Origins of the Unusual Space Shuttle Quaternion Definition

This paper is offered to the history session of this conference. It relates to a mathematical convention which is fundamental to guidance, navigation and control, and is used by many other systems of a single spacecraft. The space shuttle program successfully pioneered the extensive use of quaternions for spacecraft. This program has a strong influence on conventions used by later space programs, but the American part of the International Space Station (ISS) uses a different convention, and most spacecraft now use a convention that agrees with ISS and not the space shuttle. This ISS convention has no negative sign in its quaternion definition, and the space shuttle quaternion has one negative sign, negating its vector part. The ISS convention does a better job of simplifying the mathematics. The benefit of re-use of space shuttle experience and products is offset by the fact that publicly available documentation of quaternion mathematics does not follow the space shuttle convention.
Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: What We Can Do.

Although anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) associated with breast implants is a rare finding, it has recently become better recognized according to reports of between 62 and 100 cases worldwide, not all of them confirmed. In March 2014, I had the opportunity to attend a Scientific Advisory Panel on ALCL association with breast implants, convened by the RAND Corporation (a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization)1 at its Arlington, Virginia, office. Commissioned by the Plastic Surgery Foundation (formerly Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation) and the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation, the RAND Corporation had convened a similar panel in 2011 and released key findings of a review of published ALCL cases.2 The 2-day meeting in 2014 included 13 multidisciplinary experts reviewing the latest information on ALCL involving the breast in women with breast implants and updating recommendations for evaluation, treatment, and follow-up of women presenting with this disease. I do not wish to preempt the RAND Corporation’s own release of these proceedings, which are forthcoming. However, I will briefly summarize what we as plastic surgeons can do to appropriately manage patient discussions and care and to move forward with the investigation of breast implant–associated ALCL. Breast implant surgery, whether cosmetic or reconstructive, has perhaps received more attention from a patient education standpoint than any other procedure that plastic surgeons routinely perform. ALCL in the breast is extremely uncommon. According to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute, approximately 3 in 100 million women receive this diagnosis each year in the United States. However, the data pertaining specifically to women with breast implants currently indicate a somewhat higher-than-expected incidence, suggesting that breast implant–associated ALCL is a real entity. Furthermore, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that, while still under study, there appears to be … Neal R. Reisman, MD, JD, FACS, 6624 Fannin Street, Suite 2390, Houston, TX 77030, USA. E-mail: drreisman{at}hotmail.com
A Selected Bibliography of the Publications of Bruce M. Russett

A Selected Bibliography of the Publications of Bruce M. Russett. Links to the complete bibliography of Russett’s works as well as his complete CV maybe found through the Springer website for this volume.
Dog Bites to the Male Genitalia: Characteristics, Management and Comparison with Human Bites

AbstractDog bites to the external male genitalia occur infrequently. We present 4 new cases and review 4 others described previously. Victims tend to seek medical care quickly. Thus, morbidity is directly related to the severity of the initial wound and delayed infectious complications appear to be minimal. Guidelines for management include irrigation, debridement as necessary, empiric antibiotics, consideration of tetanus and rabies immunization, and primary wound closure or surgical reconstruction. The differences between dog bites and human bites to the genitalia—primarily interval to presentation and subsequent likelihood of infection—are summarized. Measures to prevent dog bites are discussed.
Clinical features and management of BRCA1 and BRCA2-associated prostate cancer

It is thought that over forty percent of an individual's risk of developing prostate cancer (PCa) is related to familial and genetic factors. Although multiple genes have been implicated in the development of PCa, few confer as high a risk as mutations in the genes associated with early-onset breast cancer (BRCA1 and BRCA2). Not only do mutations in BRCA genes increase the risk of PCa, but they have also been related to adverse disease characteristics and outcomes. Therefore, a better understanding of the association between BRCA gene mutations and PCa may provide the backdrop for individualized management of patients with PCa who are carriers of a gene mutation. Such management may include an individualized approach to screening and treatment including chemotherapeutic regimens targeted to the underlying genetic mechanism of disease. In this paper, we review the evidence relating BRCA gene mutations to the risk of PCa, as well as outcomes and response to therapy, and suggest an approach to the management of such patients.