cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Value of epicardial potential maps in localizing pre-excitation sites for radiofrequency ablation. A simulation study

Using computer simulations, we systematically investigated the limitations of an inverse solution that employs the potential distribution on the epicardial surface as an equivalent source model in localizing pre-excitation sites in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. A model of the human ventricular myocardium that features an anatomically accurate geometry, an intramural rotating anisotropy and a computational implementation of the excitation process based on electrotonic interactions among cells, was used to simulate body surface potential maps (BSPMs) for 35 pre-excitation sites positioned along the atrioventricular ring. Two individualized torso models were used to account for variations in torso boundaries. Epicardial potential maps (EPMs) were computed using the L-curve inverse solution. The measure for accuracy of the localization was the distance between a position of the minimum in the inverse EPMs and the actual site of pre-excitation in the ventricular model. When the volume conductor properties and lead positions of the torso were precisely known and the measurement noise was added to the simulated BSPMs, the minimum in the inverse EPMs was at 12 ms after the onset on average within 0.65 +/- 0.26 cm of the pre-excitation site. When the standard torso model was used to localize the sites of onset of the pre-excitation sequence initiated in individualized male and female torso models, the mean distance between the minimum and the pre-excitation site was 0.67 +/- 0.31 cm for the male torso and 0.82 +/- 0.53 cm for the female torso. The findings of our study indicate that a location of the minimum in EPMs computed using the inverse solution can offer non-invasive means for pre-interventional planning of the ablative treatment.
The genetical control and tissue-specificity of esterase isozymes in hexaploid wheat.

A comparative genetic analysis of esterase (E.C.3.1.1.1) isozymes of wheat cultivar ‘Chinese Spring’ in endosperm, embryo, coleoptile, leaf and root tissues revealed eight sets of isozymes characterised by different tissue specificities, pI ranges and the chromosomal locations of their controlling genes. This data was considered together with previously published work, resulting in a proposed rationalization of nine sets of wheat esterase isozymes. Although this classification included two sets of isozymes controlled by genes on the short arms of homoeologous group 3 chromosomes and three sets on the long arms of the same chromosomes, for which no recombination evidence of genetic distinctness has been obtained among either group, it is argued that the different characteristics of the various sets warrant retention of separate set nomenclatures. Previously unreported esterase genes includeEst-9, a low pI, monomeric, embryo-specific group with controlling genes on chromosomes 3BS and 3DS and two further members ofEs-1,Est-H1 inHordeum vulgare andEst-Sl1 inAegilops longissima.
Optimal length tree-like resolution refutations for 2SAT formulas

In this article, we exploit the graphical structure of 2SAT formulas to show that the shortest tree-like resolution refutation of an unsatisfiable 2SAT formula can be determined in polynomial time.
A photophysical study of two fluorogen-activating proteins bound to their cognate fluorogens

We are exploring the feasibility of using recently developed flu orogen-activating proteins (FAPs) as reporters for single-molecule imaging. FAPs are single-chain antibodies choosen to specifically bind small chromophoric molecules termed f1uorogens. Upon binding to its cognate FAP the fluorescence quantum yield of the fluorogen can increase substantially giving rise to a fluorescent complex. Based on the seminal work of Szent-Gyorgyi et al. (Nature Biotechnology, Volume 26, Number 2, pp 235-240, 2008) we have chosen to study two fluorogen-activating single-chain antibodies, HL 1.0.1-TOI and H6-MG bound to their cognate fluorogens, thiazole orange and malachite green derivatives, respectively. Here we use fluorescence correlation spectroscopy study the photophysics of these fluorescent complexes.
Nested quadratic arithmetic for efficient convolution of complex sequences with Quadratic Modified Fermat Number Transforms

Recently the Modified Fermat Number Transform (MFNT) was extended to a Quadratic MFNT (QMFNT) by combining Right Circular Convolution (RCC) and Left Circular Convolution (LCC) to produce a quadratic representation of the convolution output. This paper investigates nesting of two distinct quadratic number representations, the first associated with quadratic coding of complex input sequences, and the second associated with QMFNT block processing. Quadratic coding of complex sequences combined with QMFNT block processing eliminates cross-products in the complex multiplication. Finally, a generalized form of the QMFNT (GMFNT) is introduced and then extended into two dimensions.
Low-temperature mechanical properties of superconducting radio frequency cavity materials

Abstract Low-temperature mechanical behaviors have been investigated for the constituent materials of superconducting radio frequency cavities. Test materials consist of small grain Nb, single crystal Nb, large grain Nb (bicrystal), Ti45Nb–Nb weld joint (e-beam welded), and Ti–316L bimetal joint (explosion welded). The strength of all test metals displayed strong temperature dependence and the Ti–316L bimetal showed the highest strength and lowest ductility among the test materials. The fracture toughness of the small grain Nb metals decreased with decreasing test temperature and reached the lower shelf values (30–40 MPa √m) at or above 173 K. The Ti45Nb base and Ti45Nb–Nb weld metals showed much higher fracture toughness than the small grain Nb. An extrapolation and comparison with existing data showed that the fracture toughness of the small grain Nb metals at 4 K was expected to be similar to those at 173 and 77 K. The results from optical photography at a low magnification and fractography by a scanning electron microscope were consistent with corresponding mechanical properties.
Base composition of intact nucleic acid oligomers.

The base composition of intact, purified, oligonucleotides has been determined by comparing the absorption spectrum of each oligomer with calculated curves. The spectral curve of each oligomer was measured in 7M urea at three pH values and digitized at 1-mμ intervals. The calculated curves consisted of the sums of the absorption spectra of mononucleotides in 7M urea at the same pH's. A computer was used to make the comparisons and establish the best fit. Results are presented for nine of the ten possible dimer composition isomers; trimers from pancreatic and T1 ribonuclease hydrolyzates of TMV-RNA; poly-A, poly-C, and poly-U; and intact tobacco mosaic virus-RNA.
Dual Band Supercontinuum Light Source for OCT

We demonstrated an optimized dual band supercontinuum light source with two bands exactly at 830 nm and 1300 nm. The two bands are broad and have enough power and low noise.
Influence of water treatment residuals on phosphorus solubility and leaching.

Laboratory and greenhouse studies compared the ability of water treatment residuals (WTRs) to alter P solubility and leaching in Immokalee sandy soil (sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Arenic Alaquod) amended with biosolids and triple superphosphate (TSP). Aluminum sulfate (Al-WTR) and ferric sulfate (Fe-WTR) coagulation residuals, a lime softening residual (Ca-WTR) produced during hardness removal, and pure hematite were examined. In equilibration studies, the ability to reduce soluble P followed the order: Al-WTR > Ca-WTR = Fe-WTR » hematite. Differences in the P-fixing capacity of the sesquioxide-dominated materials (Al-WTR, Fe-WTR, hematite) were attributed to their varying reactive Fe- and Al-hydrous oxide contents as measured by oxalate extraction. Leachate P was monitored from greenhouse columns where bahiagrass (Paspalam notatum Flugge) was grown on Immokalee soil amended with biosolids or TSP at an equivalent rate of 224 kg P ha -1 and WTRs at 2.5% (56 Mg ha -1 ). In the absence of WTRs, 21% of TSP and 11% of Largo cake biosolids total phosphorus (P T ) leached over 4 mo. With co-applied WTRs, losses from TSP columns were reduced to 3.5% (Fe-WTR), 2,5% (Ca-WTR), and <1% (Al-WTR) of applied P. For the Largo biosolids treatments all WTRs retarded downward P flux such that leachate P was not statistically different than for control (soil only) columns. The phosphorus saturation index (PSI = [P ox ]/ [Al ox + Fe ox ], where P ox , Al ox , and Fe ox are oxalate-extractable P, Al, and Fe, respectively) based on a simple oxalate extraction of the WTR and biosolids is potentially useful for determining WTR application rates for controlled reduction of P in drainage when biosolids are applied to low P-sorbing soils.
“Superconducting” causal nets

The world is described as a relativistic quantum neural net with a quantum condensation akin to superconductivity. The sole dynamical variable is an operator representing immediate causal connection. The net enjoys a quantum principle of equivalence implying local LorentzSL(2,C) invariance and causality. The past-future asymmetry of its cell is similar to that of the neutrino. A net phase transition is expected at temperatures on the order of theW mass rather than the Planck mass, and near gravitational singularities.
Influence of contraction frequency on cardiovascular responses during the upper and lower body exercise

This study examined the relation between pedal frequency and cardiovascular responses during arm (AE) and leg (LE) ergometry. Twenty-six subjects completed three experimental sessions. Each session consisted of 10 min of steady-state exercise on AE or LE at 40, 60, or 80 rev·min−1. Oxygen uptake (VO2) and cardiac output (Q) were measured during each exercise. Arteriovenous oxygen difference (a-vO2diff) was calculated by dividing VO2 by Q. VO2 was greater at 80 than at either 40 or 60 rev·min−1 during both AE and LE. Q was greater at 60 than 40 rev·min−1 during AE and at 80 than 40 rev·min−1 during LE. a-vO2diff was greater at 80 than 40 or 60 rev·min−1 during AE, but remained unchanged during LE. It appears that the greater VO2 at 80 rev·min−1 during AE is due to an increase in peripheral O2 extraction. However, an enhanced systemic circulation may be the principal cause for the greater VO2 seen at 80 rev·min−1 during LE.
Achieving Home-School Continuity in the Socialization of an Academic Motive.

A field experiment was conducted to test the effectiveness of procedures designed to enable parents to influence children’s motivation toward reading, a goal commonly valued by parents and school p...
Filing and printing services on a local-area network

This paper describes the design and implementation of filing and printing services in a distributed system based on a token-ring local-area network. The main emphasis is put on the communication aspects of the client/server scenario: roles of a client and a server in a communication protocol, and the integration of communication protocols with applications.
Knowledge-driven image analysis of cell structures

Digital Imaging Light Microscopy technology has made major advancements over the past years. Changes have included significant improvements in sensitivity and image quality, but also the advent of innovative methods that have greatly increased the versatility of instruments. Methods to yield contrast in the specimen have made leaps in specificity and signal-to-noise ratio. The combination of these advanced technologies now permits the acquisition of 2 and 3 dimensional image data, of up to five independently labeled parameters, in fixed specimens, or - in time lapse series - of living cells. Given the vast amount of data that can be generated with these instruments, there is a growing need for image analysis software that can yield quantitative measurements from these complex images. The authors are developing a knowledge driven image analysis system that is capable of handling the described image data. The proposed architecture tries to optimize robustness by taking advantage of knowledge that is available both from the expert user as well as from the multiple image sources. It therefore offers significant potential for improvements in performance over linear and mathematical morphology based systems. The authors applied this system to trace actin-based fiber bundles using knowledge constraints, and analyzed their distribution, shape, sizes and orientation in fixed cells by immunofluorescence with good results.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Comparison of induction machine equivalent circuit models

Most textbooks on electric machines present a classical five-element constant impedance equivalent circuit for modeling polyphase induction machines operating under balanced polyphase sinusoidal steady-state conditions. Yet it is known for cage rotor machines that the rotor element impedances vary significantly with rotor frequency. Research is in progress to determine a better AC equivalent circuit model, balancing accuracy against practicality of use and data acquisition. This paper provides a qualitative assessment of several advanced machine models. >
A Proteomic Strategy for Gaining Insights into Protein Sumoylation in Yeast

Sumoylation represents a vital post-translational modification that pervades numerous aspects of cell biology, including protein targeting, transcriptional regulation, signal transduction, and cell division. However, despite its broad reaching effects, most biological outcomes of protein sumoylation remain poorly understood. In an effort to provide further insight into this complex process, a proteomics approach was undertaken to identify the targets of sumoylation en mass. Specifically, SUMO-conjugated proteins were isolated by a double-affinity purification procedure from a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain engineered to express tagged SUMO. The components of the isolated protein mixture were then identified by subsequent LC-MS/MS analysis using an LTQ FT mass spectrometer. In this manner, 159 candidate sumoylated proteins were identified by two or more peptides. Furthermore, the high accuracy of the instrument, combined with stringent search criteria, enabled the identification of an additional 92 putative candidates by only one peptide. The validity of this proteomics approach was confirmed by performing subsequent Western blot experiments for numerous proteins and determining the actual sumoylation sites for several other substrates. These data combine with recent works to further our understanding of the breadth and impact of protein sumoylation in a diverse array of biological processes.
Meehl's contribution to clinical versus statistical prediction

Paul E. Meehl's work on the clinical versus statistical prediction controversy is reviewed. His contributions included the following: putting the controversy center stage in applied psychology; clarifying concepts underpinning the debate (especially his crucial distinction between ways of gathering data and ways of combining them) as well as establishing that the controversy was real and not concocted, analyzing clinical inference from both theoretical and probabilistic points of view, and reviewing studies that compared the accuracy of these 2 methods of data combination. Meehl's (1954/1996) conclusion that statistical prediction consistently outperforms clinical judgment has stood up extremely well for half a century. His conceptual analyses have not been significantly improved since he published them in the 1950s and 1960s. His work in this area contains several citation classics, which are part of the working knowledge of all competent applied psychologists today.
Analysis and treatment of edge effects on the radiation pattern of a microstrip patch antenna

Microstrip antennas have many applications on structures where size and weight constraints are critical. Because of their low profile and conformal nature, they are especially useful for airborne and spacecraft systems. When designing these antennas, it is often assumed that the microstrip elements are mounted on infinitely large ground planes so that the diffraction from the edges of the ground plane are neglected. In practical applications, however, the diffraction from these edges can have a significant affect on the radiation pattern. It would be desirable to have an analytical model that can be used to understand exactly how great this affect is. Treatment of these edges may be necessary to control their effect on the radiation pattern, which can often be accomplished by placing lossy materials in the vicinity of the edges to minimise the fields which diffract from them. Such a technique has been previously successfully applied to control the scattering from the vertex of a wedge using resistive cards, and will be extended here for the problem of controlling radiation patterns.
NOTES ON THE BIOLOGY OF PRIONUS LATICOLLIS (COLEOPTERA: CERAMBYCIDAE)

The broad-necked root borer, Prionus laticollis (Drury), causes economic damage to apple orchards in the eastern United States by boring in the roots of apple trees. The insect has a 3- to 4-year life cycle. Eggs are deposited in the soil or on the soil surface in mid-summer, and larvae tunnel through the bark and may excavate the interior wood of living, weakened, or dead apple tree roots. Larvae leave the roots to pupate in the soil and have been found up to a depth of 84 cm below the soil surface. Prepupae occur in the soil during May and June and pupae in June and July. Adults live approximately 1 week after emergence and mate several times. A tachinid fly, several potential pathogenic microorganisms, larvae biting one another, and freezing temperatures were observed to be mortality factors.
Transmissivity and storage coefficient estimation by coupling the Cooper–Jacob method and modified fuzzy least-squares regression

Summary Traditionally the Cooper–Jacob equation is used to determine the transmissivity and the storage coefficient for an aquifer using pump test results. This model, however, is a simplified version of the actual subsurface and does not allow for analysis of the uncertainty that comes from a lack of knowledge about the heterogeneity of the environment under investigation. In this paper, a modified fuzzy least-squares regression (MFLSR) method is developed that uses imprecise pump test data to obtain fuzzy intercept and slope values which are then used in the Cooper–Jacob method. Fuzzy membership functions for the transmissivity and the storage coefficient are then calculated using the extension principle. The supports of the fuzzy membership functions incorporate the transmissivity and storage coefficient values that would be obtained using ordinary least-squares regression and the Cooper–Jacob method. The MFLSR coupled with the Cooper–Jacob method allows the analyst to ascertain the uncertainty that is inherent in the estimated parameters obtained using the simplified Cooper–Jacob method and data that are uncertain due to lack of knowledge regarding the heterogeneity of the aquifer.
THE VALUE OF NULL THEORIES IN ECOLOGY

Reactions to the metabolic theory of ecology (MTE) proposed by Brown et al. (2004, this issue) are likely to fall into the following categories. Enthusiastic support.—MTE persuasively demonstrates how a few simple, well-founded physical principles concerning energy and temperature can explain an impressive fraction of the natural variability in organism-level productivity, developmental rates, mortality, and other life history traits, and in ecosystemlevel carbon turnover, population density, and resource partitioning. This is particularly impressive, given that the theory assumes nothing about many of the concepts that most ecologists had probably thought to be essential input to any comprehensive theory, such as reproductive strategies, succession, stability, food webs, spatial distribution of individuals and species, stochastic and cyclic temporal variability, the influence of disturbance regimes, and organism behavior (including its role in determining effective environmental temperature). MTE will be a major component of a parsimonious theory of nearly everything in ecology. Here at last is an agenda for ecology. Limited admiration.—MTE explains parsimoniously a very limited subset of ecosystem traits, but it cannot hope to say anything useful about most of the things that we care about in ecology, such as reproductive strategies, succession, stability, food webs, spatial distribution of individuals and species, stochastic and cyclic temporal variability, the influence of disturbance regimes, and organism behavior. A parsimonious theory of nearly everything in ecology is, at best, far in the future. In the meantime, there are also critical questions in applied ecology. What will ecosystems look like under global warming? What sustains and what threatens ecosystem services? How can ecosystems be restored and managed? How can we best design reserves? We do not have the luxury of waiting indefinitely for some future comprehensive theory of ecology to answer these practical questions; unfortunately, MTE will not help us here. Skeptical dismissal.—The unexplained variances in MTE are large and all those ignored aspects of ecology (listed in Limited admiration) would have to be ingredients in any theory that would convincingly explain
Free energy mapping of class I MHC molecules and structural determination of bound peptides

Free energy maps of the binding site are constructed for class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins, by rotating and translating amino acid probes along the cleft, and performing a side-chain conformational search at each position. The free energy maps are used to determine favorable residue positions that are then combined to form docked peptide conformations. Because the generic backbone structural motif of peptides bound to class I MHC is known, the mapping is restricted to appropriate regions of the site, but allows for the sometimes substantial variations in backbone and side-chain conformations. In a test demonstrating the quality of predictions for a known MHC site using only a rotational and conformational search, we started from the crystal structure of the HIV-1 gp120/HLA-A2 complex, and predicted the HLA-A2 bound structures of peptides from the influenza matrix protein, the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, and the human T cell leukemia virus. The calculated peptides are at 1.6, 1.3, and 1.4 A all-atom RMSDs from their respective crystal structures (Madden DR, Garboczi DN, Wiley DC, 1993). A further test, which also included a local translational search, predicted structures across MHCs. In particular, we obtained the Kb/SEV-9 complex (Fremont DH et al., 1992, Science 257:919-927) starting with the complex between HLA-B27 and a generic peptide (Madden DR, Gorga JC, Strominger JL, Wiley DC, 1991, Nature (Lond) 353:321-325), with an all-atom RMSD of 1.2 A, indicating that the docking procedure is essentially as effective for predictions across MHCs as it is for determinations within the same MHC, although at substantially greater computational cost. The requirements for further improvement in accuracy are identified and discussed briefly.
Routine laryngoscopy in thyroid surgery: A valuable adjunct

Dr. Maschuw and her colleagues from Philipps University of Marburg, Germany, have presented an interesting manuscript on the role of preand postoperative laryngoscopy in thyroid surgery. They question whether laryngoscopy is an essential standard of care or an unnecessary routine and conclude that it is not warranted for the majority of patients undergoing thyroid operations. They caution readers, however, that in patients with suspected malignancies, voice changes, or reoperative thyroid operations, laryngoscopy is essential. The bulk of thyroid operations evaluated in this manuscript were performed for benign thyroid problems. This percentage of benign disorders would be quite rare in the United States. The majority of thyroid operations performed in the United States are for suspected thyroid cancer or large goiters causing compression symptoms. More than 40% of thyroid operations performed are for suspected or proven thyroid malignancies, which is quite different from the authors’ series. Although vocal cord paralysis is known to occur in a small percentage of patients with benign thyroid diseases, the majority are not truly vocal cord paralyses, but more likely due to a rotated or tilted larynx where the vocal cord evaluation may be quite difficult unless appropriate stroboscopy or critical acoustic voice analysis is performed. The authors argue that if the patient’s preoperative voice is normal, the vocal cords are generally normal. In my opinion, this argument is a miscon-
DipZoom: The Internet Measurements Marketplace

We describe DipZoom (for "deep Internet performance zoom"), an approach to provide focused, on-demand Internet measurements. Unlike existing approaches that face a difficult challenge of building a measurement platform with sufficiently diverse measurements and measuring hosts, DipZoom offers a matchmaking service instead, which uses P2P concepts to bring together experimenters in need of measurements with external measurement providers. It then harnesses market forces to orchestrate the supply and demand sides in the resulting open eco-system. This paper outlines the overall design of DipZoom, and discusses payment, trust and security issues in the resulting open system.
Theory and Design of Transmission Line All-Pass Equalizers

A general theory of transmission line all-pass equalizers operating in either TEM, TE, or TM modes is presented. Application of the theory to practical problems is straightforward, and circuit realizations of the equalizers are often simply related to easily computed design curves. Although the theory, strictly speaking, is for commensurate transmission line networks, it is not essential that the network being equalized, or in narrow-band cases the equalizer itself, be of commensurate length lines. Design formulas for narrow-band equalizers of up to two cavities are presented, and a method for extending the design to a greater number of cavities is described. The effect of equalizer dissipation loss is investigated and briefly described. Two example designs are presented.
Preoperative statin therapy does not reduce cognitive dysfunction after cardiopulmonary bypass.

Objective : The purpose of this study was to determine if patients receiving statin therapy before coronary artery bypass grafting surgery would have less cognitive dysfunction after cardiopulmonary bypass as a consequence of a diminished inflammatory response. Design : Retrospective observational study of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. Setting : Referral center for cardiothoracic surgery at a university hospital. Participants : Four hundred forty patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Interventions : None. Measurements and Main Results : Thirty-five percent of patients received statins in the preoperative period. Multivariable analysis revealed no effect of preoperative statin therapy on cognitive function ( p = 0.67). Post hoc analysis revealed that statin therapy at hospital discharge was associated with less improvement in cognitive performance at 6 weeks after surgery ( p = 0.011). No significant differences were found between statin therapy groups in either range or maximum value of any of the cytokines ( p > 0.05). Conclusions : Preoperative statin therapy did not decrease the inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass or the cognitive dysfunction commonly seen after cardiac surgery.
Optimal multi-channel time-sequential acquisition in dynamic MRI with parallel coils

Magnetic resonance imaging with parallel coils is commonly used as a method to speed up the acquisition by exploiting spatial encoding. Another, distinct acceleration method is spatio-temporal modeling with adaptive acquisition, which has been previously proposed for dynamic cardiac MRI with a single coil. We propose an optimal acquisition scheme for parallel dynamic MRI combining the two methods. It provides accelerations up to the product of the individual accelerations. The proposed scheme produces an artifact-free cine of the dynamic object, with high spatial and temporal resolution. Simulations demonstrate the method for cases where neither parallel imaging nor adaptive acquisition alone is feasible.
Relay Networks With Delays

The paper investigates the effect of link delays on the capacity of relay networks. The relay-with-delay is defined as a relay channel with relay encoding delay d isin Z of units, or equivalently, a delay of units on the link from the sender to the relay, zero delay on the links from the transmitter to the receiver and from the relay to the receiver, and zero relay encoding delay. Two special cases are studied. The first is the relay-with-unlimited look-ahead, where each relay transmission can depend on its entire received sequence, and the second is the relay-without-delay, where the relay transmission can depend only on current and past received symbols, i.e., d=0. Upper and lower bounds on capacity for these two channels that are tight in some cases are presented. It is shown that the cut-set bound for the classical relay channel, corresponding to the case where d=1, does not hold for the relay-without-delay. Further, it is shown that instantaneous relaying can be optimal and can achieve higher rates than the classical cut-set bound. Capacity for the classes of degraded and semi-deterministic relay-with-unlimited-look-ahead and relay-without-delay are established. These results are then extended to the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) relay-with-delay case, where it is shown that for any dles0, capacity is achieved using amplify-and-forward when the channel from the sender to the relay is sufficiently weaker than the other two channels. In addition, it is shown that a superposition of amplify-and-forward and decode-and-forward can achieve higher rates than the classical cut-set bound. The relay-with-delay model is then extended to feedforward relay networks. It is shown that capacity is determined only by the relative delays of paths from the sender to the receiver and not by their absolute delays. A new cut-set upper bound that generalizes both the classical cut-set bound for the classical relay and the upper bound for the relay-without-delay on capacity is established.
The autistic savant: Recognizing and serving the gifted student with autism

Among the relatively neglected minority of gifted youngsters with handicapping conditions are those children referred to as autistic savants. These gifted students with autism are characterized by remarkable areas of talent despite their pervasive disabilities in communication and social development. This article focuses attention on this particularly underserved population of handicapped gifted students. The authors emphasize the educational potential inherent in this handicapping condition by encouraging awareness, identification, and program planning for this low incidence gifted subgroup.
Multi-hop communication is order-optimal for homogeneous sensor networks

The main goal of this paper is to show that multi-hop single-user communication achieves the per node transport capacity of /spl Theta/((ln N)/N) in homogeneous sensor networks, making it order-optimal. Our contributions in this paper are three-fold. First, we construct a route-discovery and scheduling scheme based on spatial TDMA for sensor networks. Second, we show that our schedule achieves a per node transport capacity of /spl Theta/ ((ln N)/N), the same as that achievable by beamforming. Third, we compare multi-hop communication and beamforming based methods in terms of the network power consumption required to attain a fixed throughput. Based on our power calculations, we conclude that if the channel attenuation is above a certain threshold (which we calculate), then multi-hop communication performs better, whereas below the threshold, beamforming is preferable.
Geometry of state space in plane Couette flow

A large conceptual gap separates the theory of low-dimensional chaotic dynamics from the infinite-dimensional nonlinear dynamics of turbulence. Recent advances in experimental imaging, computational methods, and dynamical systems theory suggest a way to bridge this gap in our understanding of turbulence. Recent discoveries show that recurrent coherent structures observed in wall-bounded shear flows (such as pipes and plane Couette flow) result from close passes to weakly unstable invariant solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations. These 3D, fully nonlinear solutions (equilibria, traveling waves, and periodic orbits) structure the state space of turbulent flows and provide a skeleton for analyzing their dynamics. We calculate a hierarchy of invariant solutions for plane Couette, a canonical wall-bounded shear flow. These solutions reveal organization in the flow's turbulent dynamics and can be used to predict directly from the fundamental equations physical quantities such as bulk flow rate and mean wall drag. All results and the code that generates them are disseminated through through our group's open-source CFD software and solution database Channelflow.org and the collaborative e-book ChaosBook.org.
Parent-Youth Power Dimensions and the Behavioral Autonomy of Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to determine: (a) whether adolescents were perceived by parents as having power, and (b) whether dimensions of adolescent and parental power predicted teenagers' behavioral autonomy. Ouestionnaire data were collected from a sample of 392 adolescents and their parents. Factor analysis and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that adolescents were perceived by their parents as having expert, legitimate, referent, reward, and coercive power. In addition, adolescent and parental power predicted the progress of adolescents toward behavioral autonomy from parents. A major conclusion from these findings was that adolescents are capable of becoming autonomous while retaining close ties with parents.
Recent Mathematical Methods for Engineering System Design, Part 2: System Approach in Engineering Optimization

Mutual couplings among the mathematical models of physical phenomena and parts of a system such as an aircraft complicate the design process because each contemplated design change may have far reaching consequences throughout the system. This paper outlines techniques for computing these influences as system design derivatives useful for both judgmental and formal optimization purposes. The techniques facilitate decomposition of the design process into smaller, more manageable tasks and they form a methodology that can easily fit into existing engineering organizations and incorporate their design tools.
Non-Chlorine Bleaching of Wood Pulps Mediated by Heteropolyoxometalates

Wood consists primarily of carbohydrates (cellulose and some hemicelluloses) and lignin. In the production of chemical pulps, used in the manufacture of high quality paper, most of the lignin is removed by reaction with alkaline sulfide. At the elevated temperatures used in pulping, chemical reactions of lignin give rise to highly colored conjugated aromatic structures that remain within the wood cell (fiber) walls. The purpose of bleaching is to degrade or remove these chromophores along with remaining lignin.
Mexicanness and Social Order in Digital Spaces Contention Among Members of a Multigenerational Transnational Network

This article explores how younger members of a multigenerational social network of transnational Mexicans of ranchero background construct their ethnic identity both in offline and online contexts. By using traditional ethnography and discourse-centered online ethnography (DCOE), this study found that members of this network use four emic criteria (language, color, transnationality, and display of culture) to construct their ethnic identity as Mexican. In the online context, members use these criteria to challenge each other’s degree of Mexicanness. By challenging other members’ degree of Mexicanness, members are indirectly re-constructing their social order, not based on age and gender but based on a hierarchy that conforms to a place of influence in the network grounded in centrality, which correlates to their perceived degrees of Mexicanness. Facebook serves as a catalyst for change, as it allows members to interact in more direct ways, slowly influencing interactions carried out in offline contexts.
The Influence of Temperature and Nutrition on Formation of Sexual Structures by Phytophthora Cinnamomi

The influence of temperature on the abundance, developmental sequence, morphology, and size of Phytophthora cinnamomi sexual structures was studied in a cross between isolates of A1 and A2 mating t...
Treatment of pernicious anemia with citrovorum factor.

SummaryThe daily administration of 10 or 20 million units of citrovorum factor to 5 patients with pernicious anemia in relapse usually is followed by a submaximal reticulocyte response, suboptimal levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells, and moderate to good clinical remissions. In one case a theoretically maximal reticulocyte response followed the daily administration of 20 million units of citrovorum factor. Neurologic signs improved in one patient. Although the daily administration of 40 million units produced a further rise in erythrocytes in 3 cases, normal blood values were not attained.
Effect of variation in motivational level during brightness SDR training among Squirrel monkeys

Since previous research has demonstrated that Ss trained on a successive discrimination reversal task under conditions of high drive show performance inferior to that obtained under conditions of low drive, an experiment was designed to discover whether a shift from low drive to high drive conditions during the course of reversal training would also lead to increased errors. Three Squirrel monkeys previously trained on a brightness reversal task under 10% body weight reduction, were shifted to a 30% weight reduction for continued training. Rather than an impaired performance, errors were actually reduced by the shift to high drive.
Arms control and foreign policy under Reagan

The Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, a relative newcomer in Washington, has experienced traumatic shifts in leadership and support. These shifts coincide with the acceleration of the arms race and the failure to negotiate reductions.
A Coupled Surface-water/Groundwater Model for Haihe River Basin

The Haihe River Basin covers 318 200 km2 in northern China,consisting of mountains and plateaus in the north and west,and the North China Plain in the eastern and southern parts.With rapid population growth and economic development,the combined problems of water shortage and water contamination significantly constrain the sustainable development in this area.At present,severe over-exploitation of groundwater was observed in the Haihe River Basin,with about 2/3 of the water supply relying on groundwater.In order to strengthen the unified management of groundwater and surface water,we need to develop coupled hydrologic modeling of surface-and groundwater which provides essential technical supports in the management planning of the Haihe River Basin.This article discussed existing modeling structures for coupled surface water and groundwater simulations.Loose coupling of SWAT model(for surface water simulation) and MODFLOW(for groundwater simulation) was developed based on the consideration of management-oriented application and data availability.The results of model evaluation indicated that,the newly developed modeling framework,integrated with GIS platform,reasonably captured the spatiotemporal variability of the hydrological processes of the surface water and groundwater in the study area.This article built a coupled SWAT/MODFLOW model for the Haihe River Basin.For surface water simulation,the study area was divided into 283 sub-watersheds,and further into 2100 hydrologic response units(HRU) based on land use and soil maps.For groundwater simulation,grid system of 4 by 4 km2 was established for the 15 major lithologic regions.In a GIS-based platform,the groundwater grids were geo-referenced to corresponding overlying HRUs.The modeling results showed a good agreement with the measurements of surface water and groundwater during 1995-2004.Results of model evaluation indicated that the developed model could be a promising tool in watershed management planning under the context of global climate change and the "South-North Water Transfer Project".
Vasopressin stimulates sodium transport in A6 cells via a phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase-dependent pathway.

The enzyme phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) phosphorylates the D-3 position of the inositol ring of inositol phospholipids and produces 3-phosphorylated inositides. These novel second messenge...
Potential barriers to HPV immunization: from public health to personal choice.

Of the over 100 types of human papillomavirus (HPV), more than 40 can be sexually transmitted. Genital HPV infection is very common, with a point prevalence among women worldwide of approximately 10 percent. In most cases, HPV infection is either cleared or becomes undetectable and causes no disease; however, persistent HPV infection is causally related to all cervical cancers and genital warts. In addition, a large proportion of other cancers, such as vaginal, vulvar, anal, and penile cancers as well as many cancers of the head and neck, are associated with HPV infection. Moreover, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a potentially serious disease caused by HPV types typically responsible for genital warts. RRP can lead to severe airways obstructions and may require repeated surgical interventions. HPV types are typically divided into high-risk types, most often associated with cancers, and low-risk types, typically associated with warts. High-risk types 16 and 18 are responsible for approximately 70 percent of cervical cancers worldwide, whereas low-risk types 6 and 11 are responsible for approximately 90 percent of genital warts.
Brain stem genesis of automatic ventilatory patterns independent of spinal mechanisms

Efferent activities on the phrenic and recurrent laryngeal (RLN) nerves were monitored during eupnea, apneusis, and gasping in decerebrate, paralyzed, and ventilated cats before and after spinal cord transection at the first cervical level. The vagi were sectioned caudal to the RLN being studied and at the midcervical level contralaterally. Before spinal transection, the onset of RLN inspiratory activity preceded that of the phrenic nerve during eupnea and apneusis; in gasping, phrenic activity began before the RLN. These results were the same in normocapnia, hypercapnia, and hypoxia. After spinal transection, no phasic phrenic activity was observed at normoxia or hyperoxia, whereas the RLN exhibited discharge patterns similar to those before transection. Upon end-tidal O2 partial pressure diminutions below 50 Torr, one or more "burst" of phrenic activity were recorded. These bursts were not synchronized with the phasic RLN discharge. It is concluded that automatic ventilatory activity may be generated by inherent brain stem mechanisms. These results further imply the processes underlying gasping neurogenesis may differ fundamentally from those of eupnea or apneusis.
Adult Spinal Ligamentous Injuries

Ligamentous injuries may lead to clinical instability of the spine which occurs when the spinal ligaments and bones lose their ability to maintain the normal alignment between vertebral segments under a physiologic load. Instability poses risks to the spinal cord and nerve roots and is a critical factor in treatment planning. Ligaments can only be directly visualized on MRI, although CT and radiographs may show indirect signs of ligamentous injury especially when flexion and extension views are used.
Increased Susceptibility to Atrial Fibrillation Secondary to Atrial Fibrosis in Transgenic Goats Expressing Transforming Growth Factor-β1.

INTRODUCTION Large animal models of progressive atrial fibrosis would provide an attractive platform to study relationship between structural and electrical remodeling in atrial fibrillation (AF). Here we established a new transgenic goat model of AF with cardiac specific overexpression of TGF-β1 and investigated the changes in the cardiac structure and function leading to AF. METHODS AND RESULTS Transgenic goats with cardiac specific overexpression of constitutively active TGF-β1 were generated by somatic cell nuclear transfer. We examined myocardial tissue, ECGs, echocardiographic data, and AF susceptibility in transgenic and wild-type control goats. Transgenic goats exhibited significant increase in fibrosis and myocyte diameters in the atria compared to controls, but not in the ventricles. P-wave duration was significantly greater in transgenic animals starting at 12 months of age, but no significant chamber enlargement was detected, suggesting conduction slowing in the atria. Furthermore, this transgenic goat model exhibited a significant increase in AF vulnerability. Six of 8 transgenic goats (75%) were susceptible to AF induction and exhibited sustained AF (>2 minutes), whereas none of 6 controls displayed sustained AF (P < 0.01). Length of induced AF episodes was also significantly greater in the transgenic group compared to controls (687 ± 212.02 seconds vs. 2.50 ± 0.88 seconds, P < 0.0001), but no persistent or permanent AF was observed. CONCLUSION A novel transgenic goat model with a substrate for AF was generated. In this model, cardiac overexpression of TGF-β1 led to an increase in fibrosis and myocyte size in the atria, and to progressive P-wave prolongation. We suggest that these factors underlie increased AF susceptibility.
The Neurotoxic TAU45-230 Fragment Accumulates in Upper and Lower Motor Neurons in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Subjects.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and lethal neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of upper and lower motor neurons leading to muscle paralysis in affected individuals. Numerous mechanisms have been implicated in the death of these neurons. However, the pathobiology of this disease has not been completely elucidated. In the present study, we investigated to what extent tau cleavage and generation of the neurotoxic tau45-230 fragment is associated with ALS. Quantitative western blot analysis indicated that high levels of tau45-230 accumulated in lumbar and cervical spinal cord specimens obtained from ALS subjects. This neurotoxic tau fragment was also detected in ALS upper motor neurons located in the precentral gyrus. Our results also showed that tau45-230 aggregates were present in the spinal cord of ALS patients. On the other hand, this neurotoxic fragment was not generated in a mouse model of a familial form of this disease. Together, these results suggest a potential role for this neurotoxic tau fragment in the mechanisms leading to the degeneration of motor neurons in the context of sporadic ALS.
Sickle Cell Disease in Pregnancy

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common hereditary disorder and affects 30 million people worldwide. Advances in science have improved overall survival in patients with SCD and as such, more patients are reaching reproductive age and are becoming pregnant. SCD in pregnancy leads to multiple complications that put both the mother and fetus at risk, and patients with SCD have six times the mortality during pregnancy as compared with patients without SCD. This review summarizes the maternal and fetal risks of patients with SCD and makes recommendations on how best to care for these patients throughout all stages of pregnancy.