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{
"title": "Effect of skin temperature on vibrotactile sensitivity",
"abstract": "The vibration problems relating to living bodies have so far been studied from the perspectives of engineering physiology and psychology. This study shows the relationship between vibratory sensibility and temperature in the living body. Psychological experiments were carried out by using the vibrometer of an acoustic calibration apparatus in sine, triangular and square waves. The sensibility-threshold measurements were made using 30–700 Hz sine waves, 30–300 Hz triangular and sawtooth waves, or 30–250 Hz square waves. Each of ten subjects was kept seated. The average value of the vibratory levels, varied by ascending and descending steps, was taken as that of the threshold. As the vibrometer in the apparatus used makes a noise at frequencies greater than 250 Hz it was masked from the subject by presenting him with a different noise. The threshold curve for square waves is lower by 12·3 dB than that for sine waves at about 30Hz. The threshold curve of the 26°C sine wave was lower by 10 dB than that of the 58°C sine wave vibration near 200 Hz. For example with a sine wave, at 58°C the amplitude threshold was lowest at about 270 Hz, but at −11°C at about 200 Hz. At frequency stimulation higher than 120 Hz, as the temperature of the contact point was lowered, the amplitude threshold increased and the frequency at which the threshold curve was at a minimum shifted to a lower frequency.",
"corpus_id": 7842527
} | {
"title": "Temperature Effects on Pacemaker Generation, Membrane Potential, and Critical Firing Threshold in Aplysia Neurons",
"abstract": "Temperature increases cause a regular and reproducible increase in the frequency of generation of pacemaker potentials in most Aplysia neurons specialized for this type of activity which can only be explained as a direct stimulating effect of temperature upon the ionic mechanisms responsible for pacemaker potentials. At the same time all cells in the visceral ganglion undergo a membrane potential hyperpolarization of approximately 1–2 mv/°C warmed. In spite of the marked variation in resting membrane potential the critical firing threshold remains at a constant membrane potential level at all temperatures in the absence of accommodative changes. The temperature-frequency curves of all types of cells are interpreted as a result of the interaction between the effects of temperature on the pacemaker-generating mechanism and resting membrane potential. Previous observations on the effects of temperature on excitability of mammalian neurons suggest that other types of neurons may undergo similar marked shifts in resting membrane potential with temperature variation.",
"corpus_id": 84123934
} | {
"title": "Forecasting the growth of multicell tumour spheroids: implications for the dynamic growth of solid tumours",
"abstract": "The growth dynamics of multicell tumour spheroids (MTS) were analysed by means of mathematical techniques derived from signal processing theory. Volume vs. time trajectories of individual spheroids were fitted with the Gompertz growth equation and the residuals (i.e. experimental volume determinations minus calculated values by fitting) were analysed by fast fourier transform and power spectrum. Residuals were not randomly distributed around calculated growth trajectories demonstrating that the Gompertz model partially approximates the growth kinetics of three‐dimensional tumour cell aggregates. Power spectra decreased with increasing frequency following a 1/fδ power‐law. Our findings suggest the existence of a source of ‘internal’ variability driving the time‐evolution of MTS growth. Based on these observations, a new stochastic Gompertzian‐like mathematical model was developed which allowed us to forecast the growth of MTS. In this model, white noise is additively superimposed to the trend described by the Gompertz growth equation and integrated to mimic the observed intrinsic variability of MTS growth. A correlation was found between the intensity of the added noise and the particular upper limit of volume size reached by each spheroid within two MTS populations obtained with two different cell lines. The dynamic forces generating the growth variability of three‐dimensional tumour cell aggregates also determine the fate of spheroid growth with a strong predictive significance. These findings suggest a new approach to measure tumour growth potential.",
"corpus_id": 40334746,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Environmental monitoring through protist next‐generation sequencing metabarcoding: assessing the impact of fish farming on benthic foraminifera communities",
"abstract": "The measurement of species diversity represents a powerful tool for assessing the impacts of human activities on marine ecosystems. Traditionally, the impact of fish farming on the coastal environment is evaluated by monitoring the dynamics of macrobenthic infaunal populations. However, taxonomic sorting and morphology‐based identification of the macrobenthos demand highly trained specialists and are extremely time‐consuming and costly, making it unsuitable for large‐scale biomonitoring efforts involving numerous samples. Here, we propose to alleviate this laborious task by developing protist metabarcoding tools based on next‐generation sequencing (NGS) of environmental DNA and RNA extracted from sediment samples. In this study, we analysed the response of benthic foraminiferal communities to the variation of environmental gradients associated with salmon farms in Scotland. We investigated the foraminiferal diversity based on ribosomal minibarcode sequences generated by the Illumina NGS technology. We compared the molecular data with morphospecies counts and with environmental gradients, including distance to cages and redox used as a proxy for sediment oxygenation. Our study revealed high variations between foraminiferal communities collected in the vicinity of fish farms and at distant locations. We found evidence for species richness decrease in impacted sites, especially visible in the RNA data. We also detected some candidate bioindicator foraminiferal species. Based on this proof‐of‐concept study, we conclude that NGS metabarcoding using foraminifera and other protists has potential to become a new tool for surveying the impact of aquaculture and other industrial activities in the marine environment.",
"corpus_id": 2303206
} | {
"title": "Can Abundance of Protists Be Inferred from Sequence Data: A Case Study of Foraminifera",
"abstract": "Protists are key players in microbial communities, yet our understanding of their role in ecosystem functioning is seriously impeded by difficulties in identification of protistan species and their quantification. Current microscopy-based methods used for determining the abundance of protists are tedious and often show a low taxonomic resolution. Recent development of next-generation sequencing technologies offered a very powerful tool for studying the richness of protistan communities. Still, the relationship between abundance of species and number of sequences remains subjected to various technical and biological biases. Here, we test the impact of some of these biological biases on sequence abundance of SSU rRNA gene in foraminifera. First, we quantified the rDNA copy number and rRNA expression level of three species of foraminifera by qPCR. Then, we prepared five mock communities with these species, two in equal proportions and three with one species ten times more abundant. The libraries of rDNA and cDNA of the mock communities were constructed, Sanger sequenced and the sequence abundance was calculated. The initial species proportions were compared to the raw sequence proportions as well as to the sequence abundance normalized by rDNA copy number and rRNA expression level per species. Our results showed that without normalization, all sequence data differed significantly from the initial proportions. After normalization, the congruence between the number of sequences and number of specimens was much better. We conclude that without normalization, species abundance determination based on sequence data was not possible because of the effect of biological biases. Nevertheless, by taking into account the variation of rDNA copy number and rRNA expression level we were able to infer species abundance, suggesting that our approach can be successful in controlled conditions.",
"corpus_id": 2395336
} | {
"title": "The Compleat Angler: Aggressive Mimicry in an Antennariid Anglerfish",
"abstract": "A case of aggressive mimicry is described in which an anglerfish of the genus Antennarius (order Lophiiformes) utilizes a lure that mimics a small fish. The lure provides not only a highly attractive visual cue but presumably also a low-frequency pressure stimulus for potential prey with a minimum of energy expenditure.",
"corpus_id": 45349001,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Opportunistic WiFi Offloading in Vehicular Environment: A Game-Theory Approach",
"abstract": "In this paper, we study opportunistic traffic offloading in a vehicular environment, where the cellular traffic of vehicular users (VUs) is offloaded through carrier-WiFi networks deployed by the mobile network operator (MNO). By jointly considering users' satisfaction, the offloading performance, and the MNO's revenue, two WiFi offloading mechanisms are proposed: auction game-based offloading (AGO) and congestion game-based offloading (CGO). Moreover, we introduce an approach to predict WiFi offloading potential and access cost and incorporate it in the offloading mechanisms. Specifically, with the AGO mechanism, the MNO employs auctions to sell WiFi access opportunities; VUs decide whether to bid according to their utilities and are capable of using WiFi if the auction is won. With the CGO mechanism, a VU calculates utility considering other VUs' strategies and makes offloading decisions accordingly. We show that the AGO mechanism can maximize social welfare and increase the MNO's revenue, whereas the CGO mechanism can achieve a better performance of average VU utility and fairness. Additionally, both AGO and CGO mechanisms can improve the overall WiFi offloading performance. Through simulations, we demonstrate that both AGO and CGO mechanisms can achieve higher average utility of VUs and lower average service delay and offload much more cellular traffic compared with existing offloading mechanisms.",
"corpus_id": 10380175
} | {
"title": "Bus-based content downloading for Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks",
"abstract": "Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) represent promising technologies for comfort driving and entertainment applications which rely heavily on the data downloading. Due to the rapid change of network topology and intermittent connection, it is a big challenge to satisfy the download requirements from multi-vehicles at the same time. This paper proposes a Bus-Based Content Downloading (BBCD) which aims to maximize the volume of downloaded data from bus to vehicles while the download opportunity fairness of each vehicle is taken into consideration. By predicting the number of buses which the vehicle would encounter in its future path and estimating the connection duration that the vehicle stays in the coverage of bus, the proposed BBCD schedules the download service for vehicles slot by slot such that the volume of downloaded data can be guaranteed while achieving the download opportunity fairness. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is evaluated by extensive simulations.",
"corpus_id": 34174860
} | {
"title": "Intensive care medicine in 2050: NEWS for hemodynamic monitoring",
"abstract": null,
"corpus_id": 44373166,
"score": -1
} |
{
"title": "Recent Research on Methionine Sources in Pigs – What is a “ Meaningful ” Experiment ?",
"abstract": "Methionine is a limiting amino acid in commercial swine diets and commonly supplemented as dry DL-methionine (DL-Met, 99%) or as liquid DL-methionine hydroxy analogue-free acid (liquid MHA-FA, containing 88% of active substance). New and intriguing research has been published in poultry and swine as to what is the nutritional effectiveness of liquid MHA-FA relative to DLMet, and what are the reasons for the difference. However, experiments are not always conducted in a “meaningful” way, or data are sometimes analyzed incorrectly. In the present paper, relevant study requirements and new scientific data on relative effectiveness of methionine sources in pigs are summarized and discussed.",
"corpus_id": 1519942
} | {
"title": "Relative effectiveness of methionine hydroxy analog compared to DL-methionine in broiler chickens.",
"abstract": "Two broiler experiments were conducted to assess the relative bioefficacy of liquid DL-Met hydroxy analog-free acid (MHA-FA) and DL-Met (DLM). Exponential regression analysis was used to determine biological efficacy based on body weight, feed conversion, and carcass responses to dietary Met source. In Trial 1, four graded inclusion levels of DLM and liquid MHA-FA (0.06, 0.12, 0.18, and 0.24%) were each added to a basal diet that met the nutrient and energy requirements of broiler chickens, with the exception of Met + Cys. In four additional treatments, diluted DLM (65%) was added at the same supplementation levels as pure DLM and liquid MHA-FA. In the 42-d trial, broilers responded significantly (P < 0.05) to the supplements. Regression analysis revealed that liquid MHA-FA was 68% (weight gain), 67% (feed conversion), 62% (carcass yield), and 64% (breast meat yield) as efficacious as pure DLM on an as-fed basis. Responses to liquid MHA-FA and diluted DLM were very similar at corresponding supplementation levels. Diluted DLM as an internal standard confirmed that exponential regression analysis was a statistically valid technique for determination of the relative efficacy of nutrient sources. In Trial 2, five graded inclusion levels of each DLM (0.040, 0.091, 0.152, 0.222, and 0.303%) and liquid MHA-FA (0.045, 0.102, 0.170, 0.250, and 0.350%) were added to a basal diet limiting in Met + Cys but adequate in all other nutrients and energy. Liquid MHA-FA was 72% (weight gain), 51% (feed conversion), 48% (carcass yield), and 60% (breast yield) as efficacious as DLM on a weight-for-weight basis.",
"corpus_id": 3613859
} | {
"title": "Factors affecting efficacy of methionine hydroxy analogue for chicks fed practical diets.",
"abstract": "The relative values of the calcium salt of the hydroxy analogue of methionine (MHA) and L-methionine were studied in chick feeding tests with five practical type diets deficient in the sulfur amino acids. Performance was improved with the addition of either substance to each of the five diets. Methionine was slightly more effective at low levels of addition to the four diets primarily deficient in methionine. The two supplements were equally effective in one diet based on corn, soybean, and meat and bone meals, a diet with a wider methionine/cystine ratio. Both the practical and highly purified amino acid diets thus showed similar differences in efficacy of the two products as the methionine/cystine ratio of the diet changed. Methionine also was more effective than MHA in overcoming the deleterious effects produced by the addition of ethionine to a practical type diet.",
"corpus_id": 3655036,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Amino acid metabolism in nongrowing environments in higher plants",
"abstract": "SummaryDuring winter season, growth of biennial and perennial plants was virtually halted. Amino acid analyses of 74 samples of woody and herbaceous plants including grasses and winter wheat showed following results. In innately dormant plants, synthesis and accumulation of free amino acids were completed in fall and next changes occurred in the following spring. In plants under enforced dormancy, a different reaction from that of growing season occurred and continued during wintering under snow.1.Amino acid pools — From major amino acid contents of the pool, pools were separated into five types: a group which accumulated 1) arginine, 2) arginine and proline, 3) proline, 4) glutamine and glutamate and 5) asparagine, respectively.2.Inorganic nitrogen assimilation — InDactylis glomerata, about 20µmoles of NH3 g−1 fresh weight were converted into amide nitrogen of glutamine during winter.3.Increase of the pool concentrations — In winter wheat (cv. horoshirikomugi), the level in March was more than twice that of November.4.Changes in the pool composition — (Examples), 1) decrease of arginine inAgrostis alba, 2) decrease of asparagine and increase of arginine inMedicago sativa, 3) increase of asparagine in winter wheat.5.Accumulation of particular amino acids — Histidine inArctium lappa, threonine inArmoracia rusticana and serine inMedicago sativa. Since the reaction appeared to proceed at extremely slow rates over the winter season, amino acid analysis only seemed to be feasible to assess the extent of amino acid accumulation in the pool.",
"corpus_id": 607124
} | {
"title": "NITROGEN METABOLISM IN POTERIUM SANGUISORBA DURING WATER STRESS",
"abstract": "Summary \nWater stress, produced either by the addition of polyethylene glycol 4000 to water culture-grown Poterium sanguisorba or by withholding water from vermiculite-grown material, reduced nitrate reductase activity, but increased the level of glutamine synthetase in shoots, in roots the levels of all the nitrogen-assimilating enzymes studied were reduced. In both tissues these changes were accompanied by a fall in soluble protein and water content and by an increase in the total a-amino and proline pools. Marked changes in shoot individual amino acids were also induced by water stress, but were reversed when stress was relieved. The significance of these changes are discussed in relation to nitrogen assimilation and the mechanism of proline accumulation during drought.",
"corpus_id": 86621768
} | {
"title": "The kinetics of the inactivation of thylakoid membranes by freezing and high concentrations of electrolytes.",
"abstract": "The effect of electrolyte concentration, pH, and low temperature on the inactivation of cyclic photophosphorylation of isolated thylakoids from spinach has been investigated. Inactivation of membranes caused by electrolytes increased with increasing electrolyte concentration and with time. Temperature has a 2-fold effect on the rate at which inactivation of ATP synthesis occurs during freezing: lowering the temperature of a suspension of membranes in an electrolyte solution below the freezing point results in the concentration of electrolyte and membranes owing to the partial crystallization of water. The increased electrolyte concentration accelerates membrane inactivation. If viewed separately from the effect of electrolyte concentration, lowering the temperature decreases the rate of membrane inactivation by electrolytes. However, below about −35 °C inactivation occurs rapidly after freezing. pH shifts are not responsible for the inactivation of membranes by electrolytes during dehydration. \n \nThe results pertain to the response of intact cells to dehydration by freezing or desiccation: inactivation is dependent on temperature, the extent of dehydration, and the time during which temperature and increased electrolyte concentration act on the membrane structures within the cell in vivo.",
"corpus_id": 2785462,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Strong Solidity of free Araki-Woods factors",
"abstract": "abstract:We show that Shlyakhtenko's free Araki-Woods factors are strongly solid, meaning that for any diffuse amenable von Neumann subalgebra that is the range of a normal conditional expectation, the normalizer remains amenable. This provides the first class of nonamenable strongly solid type III factors.",
"corpus_id": 3405300
} | {
"title": "Factoriality of $q$-deformed Araki-Woods von Neumann algebras",
"abstract": "It is proved that the $q$-Araki-Woods von Neumann algebras $\\Gamma_q(\\CH_\\R,U_t)^{\\prime\\prime}$ for $q\\in (-1,1)$ are factors if $dim(\\CH_\\R)\\geq 3$.",
"corpus_id": 119131933
} | {
"title": "Advanced Linear Modeling",
"abstract": "Advanced Linear Modeling is a retitled second edition of Linear Models for Multivariate, Time Series, and Spatial Data (Christensen 1991). The major changes in the second edition are new chapters on nonparametric regression and response-surface methodology. In addition, sections on longitudinal data analysis and covariance models for spatial lattice data have been added, and the index has been reorganized from a topic-by-topic index to the more traditional alphabetical format. These changes have added 81 pages and strengthened the book. The book is a companion volume to the author’s linear-models text, Plane Answers to Complex Questions: The Theory of Linear Models (Christensen 2002). This connection is both a strength and a weakness. It is a strength because Plane Answers is a thorough and deep treatment of the subject of linear models that provides an excellent platform from which to tackle the related topics addressed in Advanced Linear Modeling. However, this advantage comes at some cost, because Christensen’s treatment in Plane Answers is both unconventional and demanding. Although readers acquainted with the earlier book are likely to nd the presentation in Advanced Linear Modeling natural and familiar, others will not see the connections to linear model theory as readily and will nd the book challenging. This problem is exacerbated by a large number of references to the earlier text that leave the reader feeling that Advanced Linear Modeling is not a stand-alone book, but more appropriately a second volume to Plane Answers. Advanced Linear Modeling includes chapters on multivariate linear models, discrimination and allocation, principal components and factor analysis, time series from both the frequencyand time-domain perspectives, spatial data analysis, nonparametric regression, and response-surface methodology. For all of these topics, connections to linear-model theory are emphasized. As Christensen pointed out in his Preface to the rst edition, the ideas from linear models that are of most importance in his presentation are best linear prediction (BLP), projections, and Mahalanobis distance. Using the vec operator and Kronecker products, Christensen formulates the multivariate linear model as a univariate linear model with a nondiagonal variance-covariance matrix. Both orthogonal and oblique projections are used extensively to help develop and motivate multivariate methods. The presentation of discrimination and allocation emphasizes the latter aspect of the problem. Allocation (classi cation) rules based on Mahalanobis distance, Bayes theorem, and maximum likelihood are presented in a traditional manner. In addition, linear discrimination coordinates are introduced based on maximizing analysis-of-variance F statistics for testing group differences. Principal components are derived and interpreted as linear combinations of y, the random vector of interest, that are orthogonal in the inner product de ned by var4y5 and that are BLPs of y. Frequency domain time series models are presented as random-effects models with a design matrix consisting of sine and cosine functions of various frequencies. The coherence of two time series is developed with extensive use of projections. Time domain time series models are presented as linear models with random design matrices. Partial correlation and BLP gure prominently in the development of estimation methods for autoregressive integrated moving average models. BLP is also the basis of forecasting in both the frequency and time domains. For spatial data, Christensen emphasizes that kriging is best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) based on a linear model with a nondiagonal variancecovariance matrix. He shows that under mild conditions, BLUP can be based on the semivariogram as well as the covariance function. Because the variance-covariance structure is typically unknown in practice, he introduces models for the semivariogram and covariance function and methods for their estimation. In these developments, oblique projections and connections to BLUP in the linear mixed model are prominent. The orthogonal series (e.g., wavelet) approach is the main topic of Chapter 7, “Nonparametric Regression,” and Christensen casts this methodology in terms of linear models to offer insight into the usual estimation and variable selection methods from the wavelet literature. Other topics in nonparametric regression, including cubic splines, kernel estimation, regression trees, and density estimation, are given brief attention. Other subjects in the book, such as factor analysis and response-surface methodology, are treated in a fairly traditional way. Clearly, topics such as the multivariate linear model, time-series analysis, and spatial data analysis are broad areas that cannot be thoroughly covered in a chapter or two. Christensen is well aware of this fact and keeps his presentation at an appropriately introductory—but far from super cial—level. However, the book has limited use as a text, due to the necessarily limited coverage of these topics and the nontraditional emphasis on the linear model aspects of the material. Most graduate programs in statistics offer courses devoted exclusively to topics that make up one or two chapters in Advanced Linear Modeling and lack courses that survey several of the other topics in the book. In addition, the unusual treatment of many of the topics offers the most bene t to readers with some previous familiarity with them. I would recommend very few of the chapters as good introductions to their subjects. For instructional purposes, the book may serve best as a supplementary resource to students in time series and multivariate analysis courses. There are useful exercises for all chapters except Chapter 8, “Response Surface Maximization.” As someone well acquainted with Plane Answers to Complex Questions and with some familiarity with most of the topics of Advanced Linear Modeling from a more traditional standpoint, I am particularly well-suited to appreciate this new book. Indeed, I nd it enlightening and a pleasure to read. Christensen writes in an engaging, informal style that carries the reader along through some challenging material. His linear models framework offers many new insights into the topics that he covers. I expect that I will refer to the book repeatedly when I have occasion to study these topics further. However, I cannot recommend the book as a primary text or as an appropriate resource for those without previous training in the subject areas covered and a familiarity with linear models from the geometric perspective.",
"corpus_id": 121234802,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Tissue P Systems With Channel States Working in the Flat Maximally Parallel Way",
"abstract": "Tissue P systems with channel states are a class of bio-inspired parallel computational models, where rules are used in a sequential manner (on each channel, at most one rule can be used at each step). In this work, tissue P systems with channel states working in a flat maximally parallel way are considered, where at each step, on each channel, a maximal set of applicable rules that pass from a given state to a unique next state, is chosen and each rule in the set is applied once. The computational power of such P systems is investigated. Specifically, it is proved that tissue P systems with channel states and antiport rules of length two are able to compute Parikh sets of finite languages, and such P systems with one cell and noncooperative symport rules can compute at least all Parikh sets of matrix languages. Some Turing universality results are also provided. Moreover, the NP-complete problem SAT is solved by tissue P systems with channel states, cell division and noncooperative symport rules working in the flat maximally parallel way; nevertheless, if channel states are not used, then such P systems working in the flat maximally parallel way can solve only tractable problems. These results show that channel states provide a frontier of tractability between efficiency and non-efficiency in the framework of tissue P systems with cell division (assuming P ≠ NP).",
"corpus_id": 766932
} | {
"title": "Polarizationless P Systems with Active Membranes Working in the Minimally Parallel Mode",
"abstract": "We investigate the computing power and the efficiency of P systems with active membranes without polarizations, working in the minimally parallel mode. Such systems are shown to be computationally complete even when using only rules handling single objects in the membranes and avoiding the division of non-elementary membranes. Moreover, we elaborate an algorithm for solving NP-complete problems, yet in this case we need evolution rules generating at least two objects as well as rules for non-elementary membrane division.",
"corpus_id": 13287930
} | {
"title": "Small Universal Turing Machines",
"abstract": "Abstract Let UTM( m , n ) be the class of universal Turing machine with m states and n symbols. Universal Turing machines are proved to exist in the following classes: UTM(24,2), UTM(10,3), UTM(7,4), UTM(5,5), UTM(4,6), UTM(3,10) and UTM(2,18).",
"corpus_id": 8880912,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "The role of 5-fluorouracil dose in the adjuvant therapy of colorectal cancer.",
"abstract": "BACKGROUND\nIn many centres, the use of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) combined with levamisole has become standard therapy for the treatment of patients with Dukes' C colon cancer. However, the role of levamisole remains unclear.\n\n\nMATERIALS AND METHODS\nAll of the published adjuvant studies for colorectal cancer in which 5-FU (either as a single agent or in combination with other cytotoxics or levamisole) was compared to a no-treatment control group were ranked according to the total planned dose of 5-FU (assuming a body weight of 70 kg or a body surface area of 1.7 m2) over a three-month time frame. The effect of planned total dose of adjuvant therapy on the reduction of mortality was analysed using indirect comparisons of dose on the log odds ratio of death in a linear regression analysis.\n\n\nRESULTS\nOverall, this analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in the odds of death for those receiving 5-FU regimens compared to untreated controls (estimate 0.82, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.91, p < 0.001). This effect was larger in those receiving a larger planned dose; for a total dose of 5-FU in the first three months of greater than 10 grams, 8 to 10 grams, less than 8 grams or oral 5-FU, estimates were 0.71, 0.79, 0.93 and 1.04, respectively (p = 0.02 for trend). Similar results were observed when the planned total dose of 5-FU received over 12 months was analysed. The analysis was then repeated by separating those studies in which 5-FU and levamisole were compared to a no-treatment control. A larger effect was seen in the 5-FU/levamisole trials (odds ratio, 0.64) compared to the other 5-FU regimens (odds ratio 0.86, p = 0.04). However, when adjusted for dose, the effect of levamisole was no longer significant (p = 0.09).\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nThese data suggest two separate hypotheses. The first is that the benefit associated with the use of 5-FU and levamisole given as adjuvant therapy in Dukes' C colon cancer is directly related to the planned total dose of 5-FU administered. Alternatively, in view of the fact that levamisole was part of the treatment regimens in two of the three studies in which the total planned dose of 5-FU exceeded 10 grams in three months (or 40 grams in 12 months), levamisole may be critical to outcome and the 5-FU total dose or dose intensity less relevant.",
"corpus_id": 2022846
} | {
"title": "A systematic review of analytical methods used to study subgroups in (individual patient data) meta-analyses.",
"abstract": "OBJECTIVES\nTo determine whether individual patient data meta-analyses (IPDMA) are used to perform subgroup analyses and to study whether the analytical methods regarding subgroup analyses differ between IPDMA and conventional meta-analyses (CMA).\n\n\nSTUDY DESIGN AND SETTING\nIPDMA were identified with a comprehensive literature search, subsequently, CMA on similar research questions were traced. Methods for studying subgroups were compared for IPDMA and CMA that were matched with respect to domain, type of treatment, and outcome measure.\n\n\nRESULTS\nOf all 171 identified IPDMA and 102 CMA, 80% and 45% presented subgroup analyses, respectively. For 35 IPDMA and 37 \"matched\" CMA, subgroup analytic methods could be compared. The number of performed subgroup analyses did not differ between IPDMA and CMA. Both IPDMA and CMA often do not report adequate information on methods of analyses. Interaction tests were often not performed in IPDMA (69%) and individual patient data was often not directly modelled (74%).\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nMany IPDMA performed subgroup analyses, but overall treatment effects were more emphasized than subgroup effects. To study subgroups, a wide variety of analytical methods was used in both IPDMA and CMA. In general, the use and reporting of appropriate methods for subgroup analyses should be promoted. Recommendations for improvement of methods of analyses are provided.",
"corpus_id": 6014788
} | {
"title": "A Printable Photopolymerizable Thermosensitive p(HPMAm‐lactate)‐PEG Hydrogel for Tissue Engineering",
"abstract": "Bioprinting is a new technology in regenerative medicine that allows the engineering of tissues by specific placement of cells in biomaterials. Importantly, the porosity and the relatively small dimensions of the fibers allow rapid diffusion of nutrients and metabolites. This technology requires the availability of hydrogels that ensure viability of encapsulated cells and have adequate mechanical properties for the preparation of structurally stable and well‐defined three‐dimensional constructs. The aim of this study is to evaluate the suitability of a biodegradable, photopolymerizable and thermosensitive A–B–A triblock copolymer hydrogel as a synthetic extracellular matrix for engineering tissues by means of three dimensional fiber deposition. The polymer is composed of poly(N‐(2‐hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide lactate) A‐blocks, partly derivatized with methacrylate groups, and hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) B‐blocks of a molecular weight of 10 kDa. Gels are obtained by thermal gelation and stabilized with additional chemical cross‐links by photopolymerization of the methacrylate groups coupled to the polymer. A power law dependence of the storage plateau modulus of the studied hydrogels on polymer concentration is observed for both thermally and chemically cross‐linked hydrogels. The hydrogels demonstrated mechanical characteristics similar to natural semi‐flexible polymers, including collagen. Moreover, the hydrogel shows suitable mechanical properties for bioprinting, allowing subsequent layer‐by‐layer deposition of gel fibers to form stable constructs up to at least 0.6 cm (height) with different patterns and strand spacing. The resulting constructs have reproducible vertical porosity and the ability to maintain separate localization of encapsulated fluorescent microspheres. Moreover, the constructs show an elastic modulus of 119 kPa (25 wt% polymer content) and a degradation time of approximately 190 days. Furthermore, high viability is observed for encapsulated chondrocytes after 1 and 3 days of culture. In summary, we conclude that the evaluated hydrogel is an interesting candidate for bioprinting applications.",
"corpus_id": 95373760,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Nonlinear Autocorrelograms: an Application to Inter‐Trade Durations",
"abstract": "The paper presents a study of temporal dependence in nonlinear transformations of time series. We examine the effects of parametric transformations on autocorrelation values and the persistence range with special emphasis on long memory processes. We derive an invariance property for the order of fractional integration of transformed normal processes and propose a related specification test. Within the class of nonlinear time series transforms, we identify those which maximize autocorrelations at selected lags. This procedure is based on nonlinear canonical correlations analysis adapted to serially correlated data. The methods proposed in this paper may be applied to various financial time series that usually are transformed prior to estimation, like returns, volumes or inter‐trade durations. In examples illustrating our approach, we use series of durations between trades of the Alcatel stock on the Paris Bourse.",
"corpus_id": 5882434
} | {
"title": "Identiication Problem in Nonlinear Cointegration",
"abstract": "Acknowledgments: We thank Clive Granger and two anonymous referees for helpful comments.",
"corpus_id": 11970274
} | {
"title": "Measurement of thermal conductivity of silicon dioxide thin films using a 3ω method",
"abstract": "The thermal conductivity of SiO2 thin films prepared using various procedures has been studied using a 3ω method. The thermal conductivity of SiO2 thin films of above approximately 500 nm thickness decreases as the porosity of the specimen, which is determined by infrared absorption spectroscopy, increases. Below approximately 250 nm thickness, the observed thermal conductivity of the SiO2 thin films systematically decreases as a function of film thickness. The data have been analyzed based on a SiO2-thickness-independent thermal conductivity and interfacial resistance. The total estimated interfacial resistance between the metal strip and the film, and between the film and the substrate is about 2×10−8 m2 KW−1.",
"corpus_id": 120782528,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Single -Dose Pefloxacin Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism in Patients Undergoing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD)",
"abstract": "Seven adult patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) received one dose of pefloxacin, a novel quinolone antibiotic, orally and intravenously on two separate occasions to characterize the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of the drug. Concentrations of both pefloxacin and its active metabolite N-desmethylpefloxacin (norfloxacin) were measured in serum and dialysate by HPLC. Half-life, total body clearance and peritoneal clearance were determined. The overall elimination half-life was 19.9h. Relative to the IV dose the bioavailability following oral administration of pefloxacin was 76%. The mean serum and dialysate concentrations were similar up to 24 h after the oral or IV dose. After a 6 h dwell time the dialysate concentration of pefloxacin was 2.24 mg/L which is above the MICgo for most bacteria responsible for peritonitis in CAPD patients. The peritoneal clearance of pefloxacin averaged 2.5 mL/min. Serum concentrations of the metabolite norfloxacin were less than 0.5 mg/L during the 24 h study period. We conclude that pefloxacin might be equally effective in the treatment of peritonitis of CAPD after oral or IV administration. Since the peritoneal clearance contributes insignificantly to the elimination of pefloxacin during CAPD, the proposed maintenance regimen of an oral or IV 400 mg dose/day seems to be a reasonable therapy for infections in CAPD patients.",
"corpus_id": 1302222
} | {
"title": "Report: pharmacokinetic and drug interaction studies of pefloxacin with paracetamol (NNAID) in healthy volunteers in Pakistan.",
"abstract": "In the present study, the pharmacokinetic and drug interaction evaluation of two drugs pefloxacin and paracetamol was carried out by a single-dose, two-treatment and two-sequence crossover design. Total fifteen healthy volunteers participated out of which ten completed the study. All were male volunteers, aged 22.36 years (means), with a mean weight of 76.45±12.05 Kg. The washout period between treatments was 5 week. Initially the method utilized for quantitative analysis of the drug was developed which was further validated. The study involved plasma protein precipitation with ethyl acetate and detection was done at 275nm. The retention time for pefloxacin 18±1 min and paracetamol were approximately 6±1 min, respectively. The calibration curve for pefloxacin was linear in the concentration range of 0.125-12.0mg/ml with r(2)=0.9987 in plasma. Standard concentration solution was maintained on the same temperature as that of volunteer's samples to optimize the periods for the determination of drug concentration in the plasma samples. Blood samples were collected from volunteers at different time intervals. The pharmacokinetics and drug interaction studies were anticipated by plotting concentration versus time-profiles. The value of AUC0-∞ in control was 67.355±3.174μg.h/ml, in treatment 61.242±3.868μg.h/ml along with relative bioavailability =91.395±4.864. Under the control and treatment condition the mean maximum plasma concentrations were found to be 4.679±0.248 μg/ml and 4.6595±0.266 μg/ml respectively. The average T(max) for plasma concentrations was 1.819±0.1743hr and 1.605 ±0.1134hr respectively. The biological half-lives in the two phases of studies were found to be 7.953±0.33hr in control and 7.7257±0.355hr in treatment. No significant effect were observed on the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of pefloxacin by the concomitant administration with paracetamol, however very minor effect were observed that might be related with inter-individual variation in human volunteers. This pharmacokinetic studies also indicated that the level of drug (Cmax) do not differ from previous studies in different races.",
"corpus_id": 24044425
} | {
"title": "Effect of protamine on the permeability and structure of rat peritoneum.",
"abstract": "The effect of protamine, a polycationic protein, on the mesothelial permeability and ultrastructure was evaluated in a rat model of peritoneal dialysis. The peritoneal permeability to urea and inulin were measured after the intraperitoneal instillation of protamine sulfate in varying concentrations. A functional correlation was made with the ultrastructure of omentum. Protamine concentrations between 5 and 30 micrograms/ml decreased the permeability to inulin without significantly altering that of urea. At concentrations from 30 to 75 micrograms/ml, protamine increased permeability to urea by 50% and to inulin by 20%. Mesothelial cells revealed a loss of microvilli and minor degrees of disorganization of submembranous, cytoplasmic microfilaments without significant changes in the intramembranous structure of occluding junctions. Effects were partially reversible. At a concentration of 100 micrograms/ml, there was an irreversible doubling in permeability to inulin without a comparable effect on permeability to urea associated with the disruption of occluding junctions in focal areas. This complex response to protamine suggests at least two transperitoneal diffusion pathways, transcellular and paracellular. The mesothelial cell occluding junctions may be a diffusion barrier in the latter pathway.",
"corpus_id": 23128447,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Transmitted phase code/receive filter design for high reverberating environment: A cognitive approach",
"abstract": "In this paper, we consider the problem of knowledge-aided transmit signal and receive filter design for a point-like target embedded in a high reverberating signal dependent environment. We focus on phase-only waveforms and devise a constrained optimization procedure which sequentially improves the Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR), forcing a similarity constraint between the transmitted signal and a known radar waveform sharing a good ambiguity function. The computational complexity of the proposed algorithm is linear with the number of iterations and polynomial with the receive filter length. At the analysis stage, the performances of the technique are assessed in the presence of a homogeneous clutter scenario.",
"corpus_id": 3716556
} | {
"title": "Optimization of the Receive Filter and Transmit Sequence for Active Sensing",
"abstract": "This paper discusses the joint design of receive filters and transmit signals for active sensing applications such as radar and active sonar. The goal is to minimize the mean-square error (MSE) of target's scattering coefficient estimate in the presence of clutter and interference, which is equivalent to maximizing the signal-to-clutter-plus-interference ratio. A discrete-time signal model is assumed and practical constant-modulus or low peak-to-average-power ratio (PAR) constraints are imposed on the transmit signal. Several optimization methods are proposed for this joint design. Furthermore, the MSE criterion is expressed in the frequency domain and a corresponding MSE lower bound is derived. Numerical examples for different types of interferences are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed designs.",
"corpus_id": 10471303
} | {
"title": "Theoretical insights into nucleation of CO2 and CH4 hydrates for CO2 capture and storage.",
"abstract": "We present a hybrid three-dimensional (3D) theoretical approach, the density functional theory (DFT) integrated with the reference interaction site model (RISM), to investigate the nucleation of CO2 and CH4 hydrates. Within the theoretical framework, the 3D-RISM is applied to describe gas density distributions in hydrate cages, and the 3D-DFT is used to describe the interfacial structure and properties of the two hydrates, as well as their nucleation. The crystal-liquid phase equilibria of CO2 and CH4 hydrates are predicted by the hybrid 3D-DFT-RISM, and compared with the available experimental data to examine the theoretical model. In particular, the local and interfacial structure and properties, the critical nucleus radii and free-energy barriers at moderate concentration supersaturation are presented to analyze their nucleation. The formation enthalpies for the two hydrates are calculated to evaluate the possibility of CO2 storage by CH4-CO2 replacement in hydrate.",
"corpus_id": 32223675,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Mapping Images with the Coherence Length Diagrams",
"abstract": "Statistical pattern recognition methods based on the Coherence Length Diagram (CLD) have been proposed for medical image analyses, such as quantitative characterisation of human skin textures, and for polarized light microscopy of liquid crystal textures. Further investigations are made on image maps originated from such diagram and some examples related to irregularity of microstructures are shown.",
"corpus_id": 7326645
} | {
"title": "Measuring the blood cells by means of an image segmentation",
"abstract": "The analysis of the blood cells is used for evidencing several diseases in humans and animals. Usually, the analysis is performed manually by means of an optical microscope. However, some approaches, based on an automatic image processing, exist for evidencing and counting the blood cells in the given specimens. Measurements of the cell morphology are possible too. Here we show a method which uses a processing based on an image segmentation obtained by thresholding. After the segmentation, the area of the cells is easily evaluated. Their perimeters are measured using a rose of directions.",
"corpus_id": 41978835
} | {
"title": "A comparative study of texture measures for human skin treatment",
"abstract": "We study several texture measures for the evaluation of the treatment of the burned skin. The tone, color and coarseness of scarred skin and normal skin are visually different. However, it is important to model such differences quantitatively using texture models. The texture measures we used include fractal dimension, co-occurrence matrix, gray-level difference and correlation functions etc. We compare the performance of these measures and discuss the possible future research directions.",
"corpus_id": 119942371,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Mining internet media for monitoring changes of public emotions about infectious diseases",
"abstract": "The Internet encompasses websites, email, social media, and Internet-based television. Given the widespread use of networked computers and mobile devices, it has become possible to monitor the behavior of Internet users by examining their access logs and queries. Based on large-scale web and text mining of Internet media articles and associated user comments, we propose a framework to rapidly monitor how the emotion of the public changes over time and apply the framework to a real case of an infectious disease. The proposed methodology will be helpful for performing cost-effective and time-efficient public health monitoring that otherwise would take orders-of-magnitude more time and resources if traditional epidemiology techniques were used.",
"corpus_id": 1678850
} | {
"title": "Large-scale machine learning of media outlets for understanding public reactions to nation-wide viral infection outbreaks",
"abstract": "\n Abstract\n \n From May to July 2015, there was a nation-wide outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in Korea. MERS is caused by MERS-CoV, an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the family Coronaviridae. Despite expert opinions that the danger of MERS might be exaggerated, there was an overreaction by the public according to the Korean mass media, which led to a noticeable reduction in social and economic activities during the outbreak. To explain this phenomenon, we presumed that machine learning-based analysis of media outlets would be helpful and collected a number of Korean mass media articles and short-text comments produced during the 10-week outbreak. To process and analyze the collected data (over 86 million words in total) effectively, we created a methodology composed of machine-learning and information-theoretic approaches. Our proposal included techniques for extracting emotions from emoticons and Internet slang, which allowed us to significantly (approximately 73%) increase the number of emotion-bearing texts needed for robust sentiment analysis of social media. As a result, we discovered a plausible explanation for the public overreaction to MERS in terms of the interplay between the disease, mass media, and public emotions.\n \n",
"corpus_id": 13371659
} | {
"title": "Development of a Novel Bidirectional Canopy Reflectance Model for Row-Planted Rice and Wheat",
"abstract": "Rice and wheat are mainly planted in a row structure in China. Radiative transfer models have the potential to provide an accurate description of the bidirectional reflectance characteristics of the canopies of row-planted crops, but few of them have addressed the problem of row-planted structures. In this paper, a new 4SAIL-RowCrop model for row-planted rice and wheat canopies was developed by integrating the 4SAIL model and the Kimes geometric model. The Kimes model and the Kimes–Porous geometric optics (GO) module were used to simulate different scene component proportions. Spectral reflectance and transmittance were subsequently calculated using the 4SAIL model to determine the reflectance of crucial scene components: the illuminated canopy, illuminated background and shadowed background. The model was validated by measuring the reflectance of rice and wheat cultivars at different growth stages, planting densities and nitrogen fertilization rates. The directional and nadir reflectance simulated by the model agreed well with experimental data, with squared correlation coefficients of 0.69 and 0.98, root mean square errors of 0.013 and 0.009 and normalized root mean square errors of 15.8% and 12.4%, respectively. The results indicate that the 4SAIL-RowCrop model is suitable for simulating the spectral reflectance of the canopy of row-planted rice and wheat.",
"corpus_id": 591235,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Quantum ratchet in two-dimensional semiconductors with Rashba spin-orbit interaction",
"abstract": "Ratchet is a device that produces direct current of particles when driven by an unbiased force. We demonstrate a simple scattering quantum ratchet based on an asymmetrical quantum tunneling effect in two-dimensional electron gas with Rashba spin-orbit interaction (R2DEG). We consider the tunneling of electrons across a square potential barrier sandwiched by interface scattering potentials of unequal strengths on its either sides. It is found that while the intra-spin tunneling probabilities remain unchanged, the inter-spin-subband tunneling probabilities of electrons crossing the barrier in one direction is unequal to that of the opposite direction. Hence, when the system is driven by an unbiased periodic force, a directional flow of electron current is generated. The scattering quantum ratchet in R2DEG is conceptually simple and is capable of converting a.c. driving force into a rectified current without the need of additional symmetry breaking mechanism or external magnetic field.",
"corpus_id": 509143
} | {
"title": "Dependence of quantum kinetic effects in the spin dynamics of diluted magnetic semiconductors on the excitation conditions",
"abstract": "Non-Markovian quantum kinetic features, that cannot be captured by rate equations, have been predicted theoretically in the spin dynamics in diluted magnetic semiconductors excited with a circularly polarized laser. In order to identify situations which are most promising for detecting the genuine quantum kinetic effects in future experiments, we study numerically the strength of these effects for a number of different excitation conditions. In particular, we show that laser pulse durations of the order of the spin-transfer rate or longer are well suited for studying the non-Markovian effects. Furthermore, in the presence of an external magnetic field, the quantum kinetic theory predicts a significantly different stationary value for the carrier spin polarization than Markovian rate equations, which can be attributed to the build-up of strong carrier-impurity correlations.",
"corpus_id": 126102939
} | {
"title": "Gating ratchet for cold atoms.",
"abstract": "We demonstrate experimentally a gating ratchet with cold rubidium atoms in a driven near-resonant optical lattice. A single-harmonic periodic modulation of the optical potential depth is applied, together with a single-harmonic rocking force. Directed motion is observed as a result of the breaking of the symmetries of the system.",
"corpus_id": 549591,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Configurational entropy and its crisis in metastable states: ideal glass transition in a dimer model as a paragidm of a molecular glass.",
"abstract": "We discuss the need for discretization to evaluate the configurational entropy in a general model. We also discuss the prescription using restricted partition function formalism to study the stationary limit of metastable states where a more stable equilibrium state exists. We introduce a lattice model of dimers as a paradigm of molecular fluid and study stationary metastability in it to investigate the root cause of glassy behavior. We demonstrate the existence of entropy crisis in metastable states, from which it follows that the entropy crisis is the root cause underlying the ideal glass transition in systems with particles of all sizes. The orientational interactions in the model control the nature of the liquid-liquid transition observed in recent years in molecular glasses.",
"corpus_id": 1302482
} | {
"title": "The Resonating Valence Bond State in La 2 CuO 4 and Superconductivity",
"abstract": "The oxide superconductors, particularly those recently discovered that are based on La2CuO4have a set of peculiarities that suggest a common, unique mechanism: they tend in every case to occur near a metal-insulator transition into an odd-electron insulator with peculiar magnetic properties. This insulating phase is proposed to be the long-sought “resonating-valence-bond” state or “quantum spin liquid” hypothesized in 1973. This insulating magnetic phase is favored by low spin, low dimensionality, and magnetic frustration. The preexisting magnetic singlet pairs of the insulating state become charged superconducting pairs when the insulator is doped sufficiently strongly. The mechanism for superconductivity is hence predominantly electronic and magnetic, although weak phonon interactions may favor the state. Many unusual properties are predicted, especially of the insulating state.",
"corpus_id": 155359888
} | {
"title": "Off-equilibrium fluctuation-dissipation relation in fragile glasses",
"abstract": "In this Letter we investigate the approach to equilibrium in fragile glasses by doing numerical simulations of binary mixtures. We study the diffusion of particles and the response to an external driving force. We find evidence for the validity of the Cugliandolo-Kurchan off-equilibrium fluctuation-dissipation relation. The results agree with the predictions of one step replica symmetry breaking and the dependence of the breakpoint parameter on temperature coincides with that found in simple generalized spin glass models.",
"corpus_id": 122127128,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Recombinant interleukin-2 and lymphokine-activated killer cells in renal cancer patients: II. characterization of cells cultured ex vivo and their contribution to the in vivo immunomodulation",
"abstract": "SummaryPeripheral blood mononuclear cells, obtained from patients with renal cell cancer and cultured ex vivo, exhibit high natural killer (NK) and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity (also against allogeneic fresh tumour cells), which is transcribed into the hosts' immune status after reinfusion. Phenotypic analysis shows a slight increase in the percentage of CD56+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, while CD4+ lymphocytes decrease slightly. As a sign of activation an increase of cells expressing DR and CD25 antigens is observed. At the peripheral blood level, mononuclear cells show an increase, compared to basal values, of NK and LAK activity, especially at the end of the first infusion cycle. Phenotypic analysis of the patients' PBMC shows a decrease of CD3+CD4+ T lymphocytes and an increase of NK cells (CD3−CD56+CD16+) and of cells expressing activation markers (DR and CD25), particularly evident by the end of the second infusion cycle. Finally, in addition to the changes induced by IL-2 alone, reinfusion of incubated cells results in an activation of CD56+ and LeuM3+ cells.",
"corpus_id": 1877856
} | {
"title": "In vivo induction of the lymphokine-activated killer phenomenon: interleukin 2-dependent human non-major histocompatibility complex-restricted cytotoxicity generated in vivo during administration of human recombinant interleukin 2.",
"abstract": "The availability of purified human recombinant interleukin 2 (IL-2) has enabled clinical trials to test its in vivo effects. We report here the immunological effects of 7 consecutive days of IL-2 treatment given to 25 patients with cancer in a clinical Phase I study. Peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from patients following therapy with IL-2 had enhanced proliferative responses to IL-2 and enhanced direct cytotoxic activity on K562 target cells. This lytic activity was further augmented by the addition of IL-2 during the 51Cr release assay. Fresh peripheral blood lymphocytes from some patients who had just completed treatment at the higher IL-2 dose levels were able to kill both the natural killer-resistant Daudi cell line and fresh tumor cells while pretreatment samples and peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy controls were not. This lytic activity was best detected when IL-2 was present in the in vitro effector assay. These results demonstrate that the administration of IL-2 to patients with cancer induces a population of effector cells able to directly destroy natural killer-resistant target cells, when assayed in the presence of IL-2.",
"corpus_id": 18016884
} | {
"title": "A preliminary analysis of component polarimetric decomposition towards soil moisture inversion in an oasis of the northwest arid regions of China",
"abstract": "The polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) has been demonstrated a huge application potential in soil moisture (SM) inversion under vegetation. However, this promising approach has seldom been reported applied in an oasis of the northwest arid regions of China. This paper presents an analysis of component decomposition based on Radarsat-2 images. The main purpose of the analysis is to provide a preliminary recognition of the scattering mechanisms. The results of the analysis show that the scattering mechanisms in the vegetated oasis are very complex, which implies that scattering mechanisms must be decomposed before SM inversion in a vegetated surface. The analysis provide basis for the SM inversion under vegetation in an oasis of arid regions.",
"corpus_id": 8458892,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Is there a high molecular weight glutamic acid decarboxylase?",
"abstract": "Gel-filtration chromatography from crude extracts of mouse brain indicates the presence of a high molecular weight (HMW) (more than 750 kd) and a low molecular weight (LMW) (87.5 Kd) glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) when they are concentrated prior chromatography either by precipitation with salts or ethanol. Kinetically both peaks of GAD-activity exhibit an almost identical Km for L-glutamate. Only LMW-GAD appears if the concentration step is carried out by ultrafiltration or if the extract is chromatographied without the concentrating step. HMW-GAD disappears from the chromatographic profiles if ethanolic extracts of GAD are treated with Triton X-100 before the chromatographic procedure. The sodium sulfate precipitation of a previously separated LMW-GAD gives rise to the reappearance of a HMW-GAD peak. Apparently HMW-GAD does not exist as a different molecular entity; indeed it may be an artefactual aggregation of LMW-GAD.",
"corpus_id": 483293
} | {
"title": "Multiple Forms of Glutamate Decarboxylase in Porcine Brain",
"abstract": "Three forms of glutamate decarboxylase from hog brain (termed α‐, ß‐, and γ‐GAD) were separated by hydrophobic interaction chromatography on phenyl‐Sepharose, by isoelectric focusing, and by polyacryl‐amide gel electrophoresis. When rechromatographed on phenyl‐Sepharose, each form migrated as a single entity, indicating that the forms are not readily interconvertible. The three forms are not different‐sized aggregates of one form, since all three have the same approximate molecular weight (100,000) as determined by Sephadex G‐200 chromatography. The pIs of the three forms separated by phenyl‐Sepharose were determined by isoelectric focusing. The values obtained (5.3, 5.5, and 5.8 for α‐, ß‐, and γ‐GAD, respectively) were comparable to the pIs of the three peaks of activity observed upon focusing of enzyme that had been subjected to phenyl‐Sepharose chromatography. These results indicate that phenyl‐Sepharose chromatography and isoelectric focusing separate the same three components. When synaptosomal extracts were analyzed by phenyl‐Sepharose chromatography without intervening purification steps, all three forms were present, but the proportion of ß‐GAD was somewhat higher and that of γ‐GAD somewhat lower than in the usual preparations.",
"corpus_id": 23310273
} | {
"title": "Isoelectric-focusing patterns of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase from rat heart.",
"abstract": "1. Isoelectric focusing on a flat gel bed of the rat heart cytosolic fraction resolved cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity into several forms, characterized by their substrate specificity, kinetic constants and dependence towards Ca2+ and calmodulin. A peak of pI 4.9 displayed 20 times more affinity for cyclic GMP than for cyclic AMP and was markedly inhibited by EGTA. A less substrate-specific form, only slightly sensitive to EGTA inhibition, focused at pH 5.45. Several overlapping peaks detected between pH 5.55 and pH6 specifically hydrolysed cyclic AMP, with non-Michaelian kinetics; these peaks were insensitive to Ca2+ chelation. 2. Isoelectric focusing did not dissociate enzyme-calmodulin complexes, as none of the resulting peaks was activatable by calmodulin plus Ca2+. 3. Some new information on rat cardiac phosphodiesterase is obtained with this technique, which is convenient for routine analytical studies of phosphodiesterase, as well as for preparative purposes.",
"corpus_id": 12690545,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Fragmentation modifies seed trait effects on scatter-hoarders’ foraging decisions",
"abstract": "Scatter-hoarding animals are crucial in seed dispersal of nut-bearing plants. We used the holm oak Quercus ilex—wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus mutualism as a model system to evaluate the relative importance of seed size and fat content on scatter-hoarders’ foraging decisions influencing oak dispersal and potential recruitment. We performed a field experiment in which we offered holm oak acorns with contrasting seed size (2 vs 5 g) and fat content (3 vs 11%). Moreover, to test if the strength of these seed trait effects was context-dependent, experimental acorns were placed in small fragments, where natural regeneration is scarce or absent, and forest habitats. In small fragments, rodents had to face increased intraspecific competition for acorns and reduced anti-predator cover during transportation. As a result, they became more selective to ensure rapid acquisition of most valuable food items but, in turn, transported seeds closer to avoid unaffordable predation risks. During harvesting and caching, larger acorns were prioritized and preferentially cached. Fat content only had a minor effect in harvesting preferences. In contrast, in forest sites, where rodent abundance was four times lower and understory cover was well-developed, rodents were not selective but provided enhanced dispersal services to oaks (caching rates were 75% higher). From the plants’ perspective, our results imply that the benefits of producing costly seeds are context-dependent. Seed traits modified harvesting and caching rates only when rodents were forced to forage more efficiently in response to increased intraspecific competition. However, when landscape traits limited cache protection strategies, a more selective foraging behavior by scatter-hoarders did not result in enhanced dispersal services. Overall, our result shows that successful dispersal of acorns depends on how specific traits modulate their value and how landscape properties affect rodents’ ability to safeguard them for later consumption.",
"corpus_id": 3480117
} | {
"title": "Introduction to the Special Issue: The role of seed dispersal in plant populations: perspectives and advances in a changing world",
"abstract": "Abstract Despite the importance of seed dispersal as a driving process behind plant community assembly, our understanding of the role of seed dispersal in plant population persistence and spread remains incomplete. As a result, our ability to predict the effects of global change on plant populations is hampered. We need to better understand the fundamental link between seed dispersal and population dynamics in order to make predictive generalizations across species and systems, to better understand plant community structure and function, and to make appropriate conservation and management responses related to seed dispersal. To tackle these important knowledge gaps, we established the CoDisperse Network and convened an interdisciplinary, NSF-sponsored Seed Dispersal Workshop in 2016, during which we explored the role of seed dispersal in plant population dynamics (NSF DEB Award # 1548194). In this Special Issue, we consider the current state of seed dispersal ecology and identify the following collaborative research needs: (i) the development of a mechanistic understanding of the movement process influencing dispersal of seeds; (ii) improved quantification of the relative influence of seed dispersal on plant fitness compared to processes occurring at other life history stages; (iii) an ability to scale from individual plants to ecosystems to quantify the influence of dispersal on ecosystem function; and (iv) the incorporation of seed dispersal ecology into conservation and management strategies.",
"corpus_id": 216163471
} | {
"title": "Tertiary Oxygen and Carbon Isotope Stratigraphy, Site 357 (Mid Latitude South Atlantic)",
"abstract": "Detailed O and C records were constructed for the Tertiary at Site 357 (Leg 39, DSDP) on the Rio Grande Rise, South Atlantic. Samples were measured at intervals of closer than one per million years, except across hiatuses from the late Paleocene to early Eocene, late Eocene to early Oligocene, middle Miocene, and parts of the late Miocene. A survey of planktonic foraminiferal depth habitats showed that during the Paleogene the keeled globorotalids and chiloguembelinids lived at warmer temperatures in the water column than other planktonics. Below these lived the acute-edged acarininids, globigerinathekids, hantkeninids, round-edged acarininids, globigerinids, and finally Catapsydrax. In the Oligocene the warmest species were the chiloguembelinids and the unkeeled globorotalids. These warmest forms were used where possible to construct a surface temperature curve. For the Miocene, Globigerinoides was used. In the early Paleogene the surface temperature was about 19°20°C, a temperature no higher than today at these latitudes. A marked temperature decline began in the latest middle Eocene, peaked in the late Eocene (Zone PI6), and resulted in temperatures ranging from 12°-6°C in the Oligocene, and nothing higher in the Miocene. Several species of Paleogene benthic foraminifera were calibrated to the genus, Uvigerina, which has been shown to be in isotopic equilibrium in the Recent and late Tertiary. Stratigraphically longranging and geographically wide-ranging forms were calibrated, including Globocassidulina subglobosa, Pullenia bulloides, Oridorsalis umbonatus, and Cibicides perlucidus. In the Paleocene to Eocene the bottom temperature on this segment of the Rio Grande Rise was about 12°C; today this temperature water extends only to a depth of around 500 meters. The warm pool of Atlantic deep water was much more extensive in the Paleogene. The major drop in bottom water temperature began during the late middle Eocene (Zone PI3) and reached 6°C by around 40 m.y., the late Eocene (Zone P16). The time of these low temperatures corresponds with hiatuses here and elsewhere across the Eocene/Oligocene boundary in the South Atlantic. It corresponds also with the temperature decrease noted at Site 277 in the South Pacific (called Oligocene there). The temperature dropped to 4° in the middle Oligocene (Zone P21) and to a low of 3° in the early Miocene (Zone N4). Such lows may be evidence for an intensification in the rate of production of Antarctic-derived bottom waters. 'The senior author has expressed strong preference for using \"foraminifera\" rather than the common form \"foraminifer.\" Although the DSDP editors feel that the common form of the word is preferable in English, and have decided for consistency to use it in the Initial Reports, they accede here to the senior author's wishes.",
"corpus_id": 132558578,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Genotyping of human cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6), a nicotine C‐oxidase",
"abstract": "Cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) is a polymorphic enzyme responsible for the oxidation of certain precarcinogens and drugs and is the major nicotine C‐oxidase. The role of CYP2A6 for nicotine elimination was emphasised recently by the finding that smokers carrying defective CYP2A6 alleles consumed fewer cigarettes [Pianezza et al. (1998) Nature 393, 750]. The method used for CYP2A6 genotyping has, however, been found to give erroneous results with respect to the coumarin hydroxylase phenotype, a probe reaction for the CYP2A6 enzyme. The present study describes an allele‐specific PCR genotyping method that identifies the major defective CYP2A6 allele and accurately predicts the phenotype. An allele frequency of 1–3% was observed in Finnish, Spanish, and Swedish populations, much lower than described previously.",
"corpus_id": 1250823
} | {
"title": "Expression and alternative splicing of the cytochrome P-450 CYP2A7.",
"abstract": "In order to investigate the relative levels of expression of human cytochrome P-450 (P-450) CYP2A genes and determine how this relates to polymorphism in coumarin hydroxylase activity, cDNA clones for members of the CYP2A gene family were isolated. These clones were CYP2A6, CYP2A7 and an alternatively spliced version of CYP2A7 (CYP2A7AS). The latter clone was missing exon 2, but contained a 10 bp segment of intron 1. Translation of CYP2A7AS resulted in an in-frame deletion of 51 amino acids. The expression of these cDNAs in COS-7 cells showed that both CYP2A6 and CYP2A7 generated a protein of molecular mass 49 kDa, whereas the protein product of CYP2A7AS was about 44 kDa. Only the CYP2A6 had coumarin hydroxylase activity. The relative level of CYP2A7 and CYP2A7AS mRNA was investigated by reverse transcription followed by PCR (RT-PCR) using human liver RNAs and an RNA sample from a human skin fibroblast cell line. In one of five liver RNAs studied, the aberrantly spliced CYP2A7 mRNA was 3-4-fold more abundant than the normal mRNA. The other samples contained very low levels of this mRNA species. Interestingly, CYP2A7AS mRNA was the major CYP2A7 mRNA detected in the fibroblast cell line. In this case only a protein band of 44 kDa was observed by Western-blot analysis. The relative of mRNA encoding CYP2A6 and CYP2A7 was established in seven human liver samples by RT-PCR and found to range between 1:0.5 and 1:3. These data strength the previous findings that alternative splicing is an important factor in determining the levels of many human P-450s and that this may be subject to tissue-specific effects. Whether in this case the protein product has some function remains to be determined.",
"corpus_id": 20539207
} | {
"title": "Induction and characterization of a novel amine oxidase from the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus",
"abstract": "An amine oxidase from the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus was induced, purified and completely characterized; it was shown to belong to the class of copper‐containing amine oxidases (E.C. 1.4.3.6). The enzyme was induced by putrescine and, very strongly, by copper(II); structural–functional characterization of the enzyme was performed, including determination of molecular weight, glycosylation, copper and TPQ content, isoelectric point, KM and kCAT (with benzylamine as substrate), pH, temperature and ionic strength effect on catalysis, substrate and inhibitor specificity. A 700 bp clone was isolated containing the cDNA that encodes for the C‐terminus of the enzyme; the amino acid sequence deduced (the first available for a benzylamine oxidase from yeast) was compared to that of other copper amine oxidases from microorganisms and higher organisms. From the results obtained, the putrescine/benzylamine oxidase from Kluyveromyces marxianus was found to have a good homology with other enzymes of this class from microorganisms, and particularly with AO I from Aspergillus niger. Nonetheless, some features resulted closer to those of animal amine oxidases and histaminases. Some potential biotechnological applications are proposed. The cDNA Accession No. is AJ320485. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.",
"corpus_id": 2504518,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Feeding rate of sibling vole Microtus rossiaemeridionalis and mandarin vole Lasiopodomys mandarinus housed in cages and enclosures",
"abstract": "Consumption of food of different nutritive value by sibling vole Microtus rossiaemeridionalis and mandarin vole Lasiopodomys mandarinus as a function of housing conditions—in cages or enclosures—was comparatively studied. Experimental groups included 8–14 adult non-reproducing animals of both sexes kept one per cage or enclosure. The rate of food consumption and digestibility were studied by standard methods and the obtained data were statistically analyzed using Statistica 6.0. Significant differences in the rate of food consumption by mandarin voles housed under different conditions as well as in the consumption and digestibility of food of different biochemical composition in both vole species have been revealed.",
"corpus_id": 327821
} | {
"title": "Scaling of energetic cost of running to body size in mammals.",
"abstract": "TAYLOR, C. RICHARD, KNUT SCHMIDT-NIELSEN, AND JACOB L. RAAB, Scaling of energetic cost of running to body size in mammals. Am. J. Physiol. 219(4) : 1104-l 107. 1970.-The purpose of this study was to see if a convenient relationship could be found between the energetic cost of running and the body weight of mammals. We found that steady-state oxygen consumption of seven groups of mammals (21 g-18 kg) increased almost linearly with running speed. Oxygen consumption (M, ml 02 g-l hr-l) relative to running velocity (V, km hr-l) could be expressed by linear equations:",
"corpus_id": 412512
} | {
"title": "Efficacy of ELISA compared to conventional tests (RBPT and CFT) for the diagnosis of Brucella melitensis infection in sheep.",
"abstract": "An indirect ELISA (iELISA) using a B. abortus smooth lipopolysaccharide (S-LPS) as coating antigen and a polyclonal anti-sheep IgG peroxydase-labeled serum as conjugate was developed. The iELISA was assessed in comparison to the Food and Agriculture Organisation/International Atomic Energy Agency (FAO/IAEA) standard bovine ELISA kit (IAEA kit) using an anti-bovine IgG conjugate that cross-reacts with sheep antibodies, and with complement fixation test (CFT) and Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT). The evaluation was performed on sera from ewes experimentally infected with Brucella melitensis 53H38 (H38), using negative and positive sheep reference sera. No significant difference was found as regards to the specificity, the lower limit of detection and the estimated sensitivity of the two iELISAs. This suggests that an anti-bovine conjugate could allow the development of only one ELISA protocol for all ruminants. The iELISA, if well standardized, proved to be a good screening test able to be used either alone or in addition to RBPT.",
"corpus_id": 2528302,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Evidence that the supE44 Mutation of Escherichia coli Is an Amber Suppressor Allele of glnX and that It Also Suppresses Ochre and Opal Nonsense Mutations",
"abstract": "ABSTRACT Translational readthrough of nonsense codons is seen not only in organisms possessing one or more tRNA suppressors but also in strains lacking suppressors. Amber suppressor tRNAs have been reported to suppress only amber nonsense mutations, unlike ochre suppressors, which can suppress both amber and ochre mutations, essentially due to wobble base pairing. In an Escherichia coli strain carrying the lacZU118 episome (an ochre mutation in the lacZ gene) and harboring the supE44 allele, suppression of the ochre mutation was observed after 7 days of incubation. The presence of the supE44 lesion in the relevant strains was confirmed by sequencing, and it was found to be in the duplicate copy of the glnV tRNA gene, glnX. To investigate this further, an in vivo luciferase assay developed by D. W. Schultz and M. Yarus (J. Bacteriol. 172:595-602, 1990) was employed to evaluate the efficiency of suppression of amber (UAG), ochre (UAA), and opal (UGA) mutations by supE44. We have shown here that supE44 suppresses ochre as well as opal nonsense mutations, with comparable efficiencies. The readthrough of nonsense mutations in a wild-type E. coli strain was much lower than that in a supE44 strain when measured by the luciferase assay. Increased suppression of nonsense mutations, especially ochre and opal, by supE44 was found to be growth phase dependent, as this phenomenon was only observed in stationary phase and not in logarithmic phase. These results have implications for the decoding accuracy of the translational machinery, particularly in stationary growth phase.",
"corpus_id": 609547
} | {
"title": "G673 could be a novel mutational hot spot for intragenic suppressors of pheS5 lesion in Escherichia coli",
"abstract": "The pheS5 Ts mutant of Escherichia coli defined by a G293 → A293 transition, which is responsible for thermosensitive Phenylalanyl‐tRNA synthetase has been well studied at both biochemical and molecular level but genetic analyses pertaining to suppressors of pheS5 were hard to come by. Here we have systematically analyzed a spectrum of Temperature‐insensitive derivatives isolated from pheS5 Ts mutant and identified two intragenic suppressors affecting the same base pair coordinate G673 (pheS19 defines G673 → T673; Gly225 → Cys225 and pheS28 defines G673 → C673; Gly225 → Arg225). In fact in the third derivative, the intragenic suppressor originally named pheS43 (G673 → C673transversion) is virtually same as pheS28. In the fourth case, the very pheS5 lesion itself has got changed from A293 → T293 (named pheS40). Cloning of pheS+, pheS5, pheS5‐pheS19, pheS5‐pheS28 alleles into pBR322 and introduction of these clones into pheS5 mutant revealed that excess of double mutant protein is not at all good for the survival of cells at 42°C. These results clearly indicate a pivotal role for Gly225 in the structural/functional integrity of alpha subunit of E. coli PheRS enzyme and it is proposed that G673 might define a hot spot for intragenic suppressors of pheS5.",
"corpus_id": 16409015
} | {
"title": "RNA codewords and protein synthesis, VII. On the general nature of the RNA code.",
"abstract": "In this report, the template activities of twenty-six additional trinucleotides are described and related to the nature of\n the RNA code. This builds on earlier work of Nirenberg and others, which describes the template activities of nineteen additional\n trinucleotides and nucleotide sequences suggested for RNA codons corresponding to amino acids. While still far from an \"invariant\n dictionary\" at this stage in the research, a table of possible nucleotide sequences is provided.",
"corpus_id": 9267871,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Total dietary protein derived from wheat for rearing replacement pullets.",
"abstract": "Abstract THE primary function of dietary protein is to supply amino acids in a suitable form for growth and maintenance of body tissue. The ability of protein in a particular feeding stuff to fulfill these functions is a measure of its quality (i.e. content and availability of essential amino acids). It is only in recent years that assessment of the protein moiety of a feeding stuff has become possible, separately from the minerals and vitamins, which are an integral part of natural feeding stuff. Furthermore, due to the increasing knowledge of energy requirements of animals to meet specific environmental or productive needs, it is now feasible to relate protein requirements to the physiological status of the animal. Traditionally the protein supplied by grain is supplemented with high protein animal and/or vegetable concentrate to provide a balanced amino acid mixture for chicks and laying birds. However, the availability of feed grade amino…",
"corpus_id": 3611085
} | {
"title": "Evaluation of four cereal grain and three protein level combinations for layer performance.",
"abstract": "Abstract CORN is undoubtedly the most commonly used cereal grain as a source of carbohydrate in commercial poultry rations. Several investigators have tested barley, oats, or wheat as substitutes for corn in layer diets, but it is difficult to make valid comparisons because of experimental variables. In some studies the substitutions were made pound for pound rather than on a protein and energy basis. In most of the studies the protein content of the diets ranged from 14 to 20 percent, and usually, only one protein level was used. Also, in the majority of the tests the grain under investigation was fed in combination with other grains and/or their byproducts rather than as the sole grain. When fed as a main grain, in combination with other grains in layer diets, barley was evaluated by Petersen and Lampman (1955) and Brown and Hale (1965); oats by Petersen and Lampman (1955), Gerry (1958) . . .",
"corpus_id": 87341823
} | {
"title": "The Amino Acid Requirement of Laying Hens 4. Supplying Minimal Levels of Essential Amino Acids from Natural Feed Ingredients",
"abstract": "Abstract IT is generally accepted that the protein requirement of animals depends to a large degree upon the amino acid composition of the protein in question in relationship to the amino acid requirement (Mitchell and Block, 1946). Although there have been several recent reports on the crude protein requirement of laying hens (Carpenter et al., 1954; Miller et al., 1956; Thornton et al., 1957), heretofore no attempt has been made to meet specific amino acid levels in the rations under study. Johnson and Fisher (1958) have determined minimal levels of the essential amino acids for egg production utilizing a free amino acid diet. In the present study practical diets were formulated in which the protein containing ingredients provided as closely as possible the previously established amino acid estimates of requirement. EXPERIMENTAL 150 White Leghorn pullets which had been laying for about 2 months were randomly divided into 6 groups of 25 …",
"corpus_id": 84706161,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "3D tumor shape reconstruction from 2D bioluminescence images",
"abstract": "This paper introduces a novel and efficient algorithm for reconstructing the 3D shapes of tumors from a set of 2D bioluminescence images which are taken by the same camera but after continually rotating the animal by a small angle. The method is efficient and robust enough to be used for analyzing the repeated imaging of a same animal transplanted with gene marked cells. There are several steps in our algorithm. First, the silhouettes (or boundaries) of the animal and its interior hot spots (corresponding to tumors) are segmented in the set of bioluminescence images. Second, the images are registered according to the projection of the animal rotating axis. Third, the images are mapped onto 3D projection planes and from the viewpoint of each plane, the visual hulls of the animal and its interior tumors are reconstructed. Finally, the intersection of visual hulls from all viewpoints approximates the shape of the animal and its interior tumors. The experimental results show promising performance of our reconstruction method",
"corpus_id": 7831551
} | {
"title": "Semi-automated Image Processing for Preclinical Bioluminescent Imaging.",
"abstract": "OBJECTIVE\nBioluminescent imaging is a valuable noninvasive technique for investigating tumor dynamics and specific biological molecular events in living animals to better understand the effects of human disease in animal models. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a strategy behind automated methods for bioluminescence image processing from the data acquisition to obtaining 3D images.\n\n\nMETHODS\nIn order to optimize this procedure a semi-automated image processing approach with multi-modality image handling environment was developed. To identify a bioluminescent source location and strength we used the light flux detected on the surface of the imaged object by CCD cameras. For phantom calibration tests and object surface reconstruction we used MLEM algorithm. For internal bioluminescent sources we used the diffusion approximation with balancing the internal and external intensities on the boundary of the media and then determined an initial order approximation for the photon fluence we subsequently applied a novel iterative deconvolution method to obtain the final reconstruction result.\n\n\nRESULTS\nWe find that the reconstruction techniques successfully used the depth-dependent light transport approach and semi-automated image processing to provide a realistic 3D model of the lung tumor. Our image processing software can optimize and decrease the time of the volumetric imaging and quantitative assessment.\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nThe data obtained from light phantom and lung mouse tumor images demonstrate the utility of the image reconstruction algorithms and semi-automated approach for bioluminescent image processing procedure. We suggest that the developed image processing approach can be applied to preclinical imaging studies: characteristics of tumor growth, identify metastases, and potentially determine the effectiveness of cancer treatment.",
"corpus_id": 20604134
} | {
"title": "Optimal placement of capacitor on three phase radial distribution system using direct search algorithm",
"abstract": "In this paper, a new methodology combined with Harmonic Loss Sensitivity Factor (HLSF) and Direct Search Algorithm (DSA) has been proposed for optimal placement of capacitor on unbalanced and harmonically distorted three phase radial distribution system. In other words, an aggregate harmonic loss sensitivity factor, i.e., including fundamental component is used to decide the prospective optimal locations by using DSA to obtain the maximum power loss reduction as well as Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). The effectiveness of the proposed methodology has been investigated on IEEE 13-bus radial distribution system. By obtaining the optimal size and location of shunt capacitors from the proposed methodology yields in minimum aggregate power losses including from various harmonics as well as fundamental power frequency. The results has also been compared and found to be better over literature work, where Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) was used to obtain capacitor placement while maintain THD within acceptable range of standards.",
"corpus_id": 8797610,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Type 1 Achilles tendon rupture caused by grooming trauma in a young dog",
"abstract": "Achilles tendon rupture is uncommon in small animal practice. A 9-month-old, female, mixed breed dog (weighing 2.2kg) was referred to our hospital with a primary complaint of right hind limb lameness. Complete right Achilles tendon rupture was diagnosed by physical examination and radiography. The tendon was surgically repaired the next day by using a three-loop and single near-far-far-near suture methods. Complete healing was achieved by 97 days post-surgery. This report describes the surgical technique used for complete Achilles tendon rupture repair in a young dog.",
"corpus_id": 60955
} | {
"title": "Retrospective study of Achilles mechanism disruption in 45 dogs",
"abstract": "Forty-five cases of canine Achilles mechanism disruption were reviewed, mostly involving medium-sized dogs, among which dobermanns, labradors and border collies were most commonly represented. Most cases were acute in onset (66.7 per cent), and were usually closed injuries (75.6 per cent). In the majority of cases, the damage involved all tendons (26.7 per cent), all tendons except the superficial digital flexor tendon (22.2 per cent), or the gastrocnemius alone (20 per cent). Damage most commonly occurred at the tendo-osseous junction (60 per cent), with injury occurring less commonly at the musculotendinous junction (20 per cent) or in the body of the tendon (13.3 per cent). A plantigrade posture was not predictive of involvement of specific tendons, but was more likely if the injury involved the musculotendinous junction. The most common method of treatment was a primary tendon repair using polydioxanone suture in a locking-loop pattern, with placement of a temporary calcaneotibial screw and cast. The outcome was not significantly influenced by whether the injury was open or closed, the duration of the injury, the tendons involved, or the method of repair. Complications were recorded in 16 cases (35 per cent), of which 10 were minor and six major. Complications were significantly more likely if the damage involved the body of the tendon. Long-term follow-up was available for 19 dogs; the outcome of surgery was considered to be good to excellent in 18 dogs.",
"corpus_id": 207040431
} | {
"title": "Five-Year Retrospective Study with Special Reference to Management",
"abstract": "The charts of 143 patients with foreign bodies in the larynx and tracheobronchial tree who were admitted to the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles during the period 1973 to 1978 were reviewed. Of these children 84 were male and 59 were female. One hundred were private patients and forty-three were clinic patients. Of these foreign bodies 60 were nut meat which is by far the most common foreign body of the tracheobronchial tree. All foreign bodies were successfully removed. One hundred twenty-six were discharged within the first 24 hours after admission and treatment. Fifty-one or 36% of these patients were discharged on the same day after the foreign body was removed. Sixty-two of the foreign bodies were in the left bronchial tree, while 55 were in the right bronchial tree. One hundred thirty-eight were endoscoped under general anesthesia using the apneic technique and five patients were treated with oxygen standby only because of severe respiratory obstruction. A detailed description of the use of apneic technique with profound muscle relaxation, the avoidance of preoperative medication and the team approach to ventilating the patients are all described. The advantage of general anesthesia, and the potential intraoperative and postoperative problems are reviewed. Of the total number of cases 13 % were between 4 and 11 months of age, 44% were between 12 and 23 months of age and 57% were over 23 months of age.",
"corpus_id": 25012229,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Infl ation rates , rifts , and bands in a p ā hoehoe sheet fl ow",
"abstract": "The margins of sheet fl ows—pāhoehoe lavas emplaced on surfaces sloping <2°—are typically delineated by structures that form to accommodate vertical fl ow infl ation. We refer to these structures as infl ation rifts. The surfaces of infl ation rifts almost always exhibit bands of varying color and texture. Various explanations for the bands have been proposed, but active band formation has never been documented. In order to test our hypothesis that banding is caused by changes in the infl ation rate, we collected time-lapse photographs of the margin of an actively infl ating fl ow and simultaneously measured the height of the fl ow with an extensometer. Data collected over a period of ~1 d indicate that the height of the fl ow margin changed in a stepwise manner and that rate changes correlate with band formation. This confi rms our hypothesis. Infl ation and rift-band formation is probably cyclic, because the pattern we observed suggests episodic or crude cyclic behavior. Furthermore, some infl ation rifts contain numerous bands whose spacing and general appearances are remarkably similar. We propose a conceptual model wherein the inferred cyclicity is due to the competition between the fl uid pressure in the fl ow’s liquid core and the tensile strength of the visco elastic layer where it is weakest—in infl ation rifts. The viscoelastic layer consists of lava that has cooled to temperatures between 800 and 1070 °C. This layer is the key parameter in our model because, in its absence, rift banding and stepwise changes in the fl ow height would not occur.",
"corpus_id": 159036232
} | {
"title": "Plateaus and sinuous ridges as the fingerprints of lava flow inflation in the Eastern Tharsis Plains of Mars",
"abstract": "Abstract The Tharsis Montes rift aprons are composed of outpourings of lava from chaotic terrains to the northeast and southwest flank of each volcano. Sinuous and branching channel networks that are present on the rift aprons suggest the possibility of fluvial processes in their development, or erosion by rapidly emplaced lavas, but the style of lava flow emplacement throughout rift apron development is not clearly understood. To better characterize the style of lava emplacement and role of fluvial processes in rift apron development, we conducted morphological mapping of the Pavonis Mons southwest rift apron and the eastern Tharsis plains using images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC), Context Camera (CTX), Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), and High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) along with the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) Precision Experiment Data Records (PEDRs) and gridded data. Our approach was to: (1) search for depositional fans at the slope break between the rift apron and adjacent low slope plains; (2) determine if there is evidence that previously formed deposits might have been buried by plains units; (3) characterize the Tharsis plains morphologies east of Pavonis Mons; and (4) assess their relationship to the rift apron units. We have not identified topographically significant depositional fans, nor did we observe evidence to suggest that plains units have buried older rift apron units. Flow features associated with the rift apron are observed to continue across the slope break onto the plains. In this area, the plains are composed of a variety of small fissures and low shield vents around which broad channel-fed and tube-fed flows have been identified. We also find broad, flat-topped plateaus and sinuous ridges mixed among the channels, tubes and vents. Flat-topped plateaus and sinuous ridges are morphologies that are analogous to those observed on the coastal plain of Hawai‘i, where lava flows have advanced from the volcano's several degree flank onto the nearly zero degree coastal plain. When local volumetric flow rates are low, flow fronts tend to spread laterally and often thicken via endogenous growth, or inflation, of the sheet-like flow units. If flow advance is restricted by existing topography into narrow pathways, inflation can be focused into sinuous, elongate ridges. The presence of plateaus and ridges—emplaced from the rift zones, across the plains to the east of Pavonis Mons—and a lack of fan-like features, or evidence for their burial, are consistent with rift apron lavas crossing a slope break with low local volumetric flow rates that led to inflation of sheet-like and tube-fed lava flows.",
"corpus_id": 3899860
} | {
"title": "Mitonuclear match: Optimizing fitness and fertility over generations drives ageing within generations",
"abstract": "Many conserved eukaryotic traits, including apoptosis, two sexes, speciation and ageing, can be causally linked to a bioenergetic requirement for mitochondrial genes. Mitochondrial genes encode proteins involved in cell respiration, which interact closely with proteins encoded by nuclear genes. Functional respiration requires the coadaptation of mitochondrial and nuclear genes, despite divergent tempi and modes of evolution. Free‐radical signals emerge directly from the biophysics of mosaic respiratory chains encoded by two genomes prone to mismatch, with apoptosis being the default penalty for compromised respiration. Selection for genomic matching is facilitated by two sexes, and optimizes fitness, adaptability and fertility in youth. Mismatches cause infertility, low fitness, hybrid breakdown, and potentially speciation. The dynamics of selection for mitonuclear function optimize fitness over generations, but the same selective processes also operate within generations, driving ageing and age‐related diseases. This coherent view of eukaryotic energetics offers striking insights into infertility and age‐related diseases.",
"corpus_id": 27168722,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Ant Colony Optimisation and Geolocation Technologies for the Transportation Assignment Problem",
"abstract": "This paperwork proposes a more economical and efficient Local Public Transport (LPT) transit routes for Rome. Optimization of public transit will result in greater capacity and efficiency for transit users. This proposal is based on real data of the public transit network of Rome, elaborated by an Ant Colony System (ACS) algorithm. The source information has been obtained via recorded phone data of transit users.",
"corpus_id": 227112
} | {
"title": "Making Cities Smarter—Optimization Problems for the IoT Enabled Smart City Development: A Mapping of Applications, Objectives, Constraints",
"abstract": "One of the prime aims of smart cities has been to optimally manage the available resources and systems that are used in the city. With an increase in urban population that is set to grow even faster in the future, smart city development has been the main goal for governments worldwide. In this regard, while the useage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques covering the areas of Machine and Deep Learning have garnered much attention for Smart Cities, less attention has focused towards the use of combinatorial optimization schemes. To help with this, the current review presents a coverage of optimization methods and applications from a smart city perspective enabled by the Internet of Things (IoT). A mapping is provided for the most encountered applications of computational optimization within IoT smart cities for five popular optimization methods, ant colony optimization, genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization, artificial bee colony optimization and differential evolution. For each application identified, the algorithms used, objectives considered, the nature of the formulation and constraints taken in to account have been specified and discussed. Lastly, the data setup used by each covered work is also mentioned and directions for future work have been identified. This review will help researchers by providing them a consolidated starting point for research in the domain of smart city application optimization.",
"corpus_id": 249653137
} | {
"title": "mPASS: Integrating people sensing and crowdsourcing to map urban accessibility",
"abstract": "This paper presents mPASS (mobile Pervasive Accessibility Social Sensing), a system designed to collect data about urban and architectural accessibility and to provide users with personalized paths, computed on the basis of their preferences and needs. The system combines data obtained by sensing, crowdsourcing and mashing-up with main geo-referenced social systems, with the aim of offering services based on a detailed and valid data set.",
"corpus_id": 2352060,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Modified Convolutional Neural Network Based on Dropout and the Stochastic Gradient Descent Optimizer",
"abstract": "This study proposes a modified convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm that is based on dropout and the stochastic gradient descent (SGD) optimizer (MCNN-DS), after analyzing the problems of CNNs in extracting the convolution features, to improve the feature recognition rate and reduce the time-cost of CNNs. The MCNN-DS has a quadratic CNN structure and adopts the rectified linear unit as the activation function to avoid the gradient problem and accelerate convergence. To address the overfitting problem, the algorithm uses an SGD optimizer, which is implemented by inserting a dropout layer into the all-connected and output layers, to minimize cross entropy. This study used the datasets MNIST, HCL2000, and EnglishHand as the benchmark data, analyzed the performance of the SGD optimizer under different learning parameters, and found that the proposed algorithm exhibited good recognition performance when the learning rate was set to [0.05, 0.07]. The performances of WCNN, MLP-CNN, SVM-ELM, and MCNN-DS were compared. Statistical results showed the following: (1) For the benchmark MNIST, the MCNN-DS exhibited a high recognition rate of 99.97%, and the time-cost of the proposed algorithm was merely 21.95% of MLP-CNN, and 10.02% of SVM-ELM; (2) Compared with SVM-ELM, the average improvement in the recognition rate of MCNN-DS was 2.35% for the benchmark HCL2000, and the time-cost of MCNN-DS was only 15.41%; (3) For the EnglishHand test set, the lowest recognition rate of the algorithm was 84.93%, the highest recognition rate was 95.29%, and the average recognition rate was 89.77%.",
"corpus_id": 4798841
} | {
"title": "A Review on Deep Learning Techniques Applied to Semantic Segmentation",
"abstract": "Image semantic segmentation is more and more being of interest for computer vision and machine learning researchers. Many applications on the rise need accurate and efficient segmentation mechanisms: autonomous driving, indoor navigation, and even virtual or augmented reality systems to name a few. This demand coincides with the rise of deep learning approaches in almost every field or application target related to computer vision, including semantic segmentation or scene understanding. This paper provides a review on deep learning methods for semantic segmentation applied to various application areas. Firstly, we describe the terminology of this field as well as mandatory background concepts. Next, the main datasets and challenges are exposed to help researchers decide which are the ones that best suit their needs and their targets. Then, existing methods are reviewed, highlighting their contributions and their significance in the field. Finally, quantitative results are given for the described methods and the datasets in which they were evaluated, following up with a discussion of the results. At last, we point out a set of promising future works and draw our own conclusions about the state of the art of semantic segmentation using deep learning techniques.",
"corpus_id": 8574504
} | {
"title": "3D skeleton based action recognition by video-domain translation-scale invariant mapping and multi-scale dilated CNN",
"abstract": "In this paper, we present an image classification approach to action recognition with 3D skeleton videos. First, we propose a video domain translation-scale invariant image mapping, which transforms the 3D skeleton videos to color images, namely skeleton images. Second, a multi-scale dilated convolutional neural network (CNN) is designed for the classification of the skeleton images. Our multi-scale dilated CNN model could effectively improve the frequency adaptiveness and exploit the discriminative temporal-spatial cues for the skeleton images. Even though the skeleton images are very different from natural images, we show that the fine-tuning strategy still works well. Furthermore, we propose different kinds of data augmentation strategies to improve the generalization and robustness of our method. Experimental results on popular benchmark datasets such as NTU RGB + D, UTD-MHAD, MSRC-12 and G3D demonstrate the superiority of our approach, which outperforms the state-of-the-art methods by a large margin.",
"corpus_id": 3706735,
"score": -1
} |
{
"title": "Nitrification in Mono Lake, California: Activity and community composition during contrasting hydrological regimes",
"abstract": "Rates of nitrification, geochemical variables, and the associated ammonia oxidizer microbial community were investigated in the water column of Mono Lake, California, between August 2002 and August 2003. Ammonia oxidation rates were measured using a 15N isotope tracer technique. 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid, functional gene, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses were used to characterize the ammonia oxidizer population. Peak ammonia oxidation activity occurred consistently between 12 and 14 m; the maximum integrated rate was observed in November 2002. The ammonia‐oxidizing bacterial (AOB) community exhibited sequences most closely related to halo and/or alkaline tolerant Nitrosomonas‐like sequences. The observed phylogeny represented a significant shift from previously documented AOB community composition and was coincident with Mono Lake's transition from monomixis to meromixis. Samples were also analyzed for ammoniaoxidizing archaea (AOA). FISH analysis revealed a substantial population of Crenarchaeota, the phylum encompassing all known AOA; however, no archaeal ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) sequences were detected. Unrealistic AOB cell‐specific nitrification rates strongly indicate the possibility of a missing nitrification source, and correlations between nitrification rates, geochemical variables, and crenarchaeal and AOB abundance also indicate a significant AOA contribution to nitrification. However, the lack of verifiable archaeal amoA genes leaves open the question of whether AOA contribute to nitrification in Mono Lake.",
"corpus_id": 1869692
} | {
"title": "Surprising Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Diversity, Community Structure and Biogeography of Ethiopian Soda Lakes",
"abstract": "Soda lakes are intriguing ecosystems harboring extremely productive microbial communities in spite of their extreme environmental conditions. This makes them valuable model systems for studying the connection between community structure and abiotic parameters such as pH and salinity. For the first time, we apply high-throughput sequencing to accurately estimate phylogenetic richness and composition in five soda lakes, located in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. The lakes were selected for their contrasting pH, salinities and stratification and several depths or spatial positions were covered in each lake. DNA was extracted and analyzed from all lakes at various depths and RNA extracted from two of the lakes, analyzed using both amplicon- and shotgun sequencing. We reveal a surprisingly high biodiversity in all of the studied lakes, similar to that of freshwater lakes. Interestingly, diversity appeared uncorrelated or positively correlated to pH and salinity, with the most “extreme” lakes showing the highest richness. Together, pH, dissolved oxygen, sodium- and potassium concentration explained approximately 30% of the compositional variation between samples. A diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic taxa could be identified, including several putatively involved in carbon-, sulfur- or nitrogen cycling. Key processes like methane oxidation, ammonia oxidation and ‘nitrifier denitrification’ were also confirmed by mRNA transcript analyses.",
"corpus_id": 7560205
} | {
"title": "Immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase on glass beads for enantioselective hydrolysis of racemic naproxen methyl ester.",
"abstract": "Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) was immobilized on glutaraldehyde-activated aminopropyl glass beads by using covalent binding method or sol-gel encapsulation procedure and improved considerably by fluoride-catalyzed hydrolysis of mixtures of RSi(OCH3)3 and Si(OCH3)4. The catalytic properties of the immobilized lipases were evaluated into model reactions, i.e. the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenylpalmitate (p-NPP). It has been observed that the percent activity yield of the encapsulated lipase was 166.9, which is 5.5 times higher than that of the covalently immobilized lipase. The enantioselective hydrolysis of racemic Naproxen methyl ester by immobilized lipase was studied in aqueous buffer solution/isooctane reaction system and it was noticed that particularly, the glass beads based encapsulated lipases had higher conversion and enantioselectivity compared to covalently immobilized lipase. In short, the study confirms an excellent enantioselectivity (E>400) for the encapsulated lipase with an ee value of 98% for S-Naproxen.",
"corpus_id": 7198818,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Bosentan Enhances Viral Load via Endothelin-1 Receptor Type-A–Mediated p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Activation While Improving Cardiac Function During Coxsackievirus-Induced Myocarditis",
"abstract": "Reduced cardiac output is one of the consequences of myocarditis. Bosentan, an endothelin-1 receptor (ET1R) antagonist, could be useful to reduce cardiac afterload, preserving cardiac output. In this study, we investigated the potential therapeutic use of bosentan in an animal model of viral myocarditis. Using a mouse model of coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)-induced myocarditis, we demonstrated preserved ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) by treatment with bosentan (68±5.8% EF and 40±3.7% FS for treated versus 48±2.2% EF and 25±2.6% FS for controls; P=0.028). However, bosentan enhanced cardiac viral load (10.4±6.7% in the bosentan group versus 5.0±5.5% in control group; P=0.02), likely through enhancement of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation (0.77±0.40% ATF2 activation in the bosentan group versus 0.03±0.02% in controls; P=0.0002), mediated by endothelin receptor type-A. We further demonstrate that a water soluble inhibitor of p38 MAPK, SB203580 HCl, is a potent inhibitor of virus replication in the heart (0.28% antisense viral genome stained area for 3 mg/kg dose versus 2.9% stained area for controls; P=0.01), attenuates CVB3-induced myocardial damage (blinded cardiac histopathologic scores of 1.8±1.6 and 2.05±1.2 for the 3 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg doses, respectively, versus 3.25±1.2 for the controls), and preserves cardiac function (69±3.5% EF for 3 mg/kg dose and 71±6.7% EF for 10 mg/kg dose versus 60±1.5% EF control; P=0.038 and P=0.045, as compared to control, respectively). Bosentan, a prescribed vasodilator, improves cardiac function but enhances viral load and myocarditis severity through ETRA mediated p38 MAPK activation; p38 MAPK is a desirable antiviral target. Caution must be exercised during treatment of suspected infectious myocarditis with supportive vasoactive remedies.",
"corpus_id": 7586
} | {
"title": "Endothelin ETA receptor blockade restores NO-mediated endothelial function and inhibits atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.",
"abstract": "This study investigated whether endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor, which also stimulates cell proliferation, contributes to endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. Apolipoprotein E (apoE)-deficient mice and C57BL/6 control mice were treated with a Western-type diet to accelerate atherosclerosis with or without ETA receptor antagonist LU135252 (50 mg/kg/d) for 30 wk. Systolic blood pressure, plasma lipid profile, and plasma nitrate levels were determined. In the aorta, NO-mediated endothelium-dependent relaxation, atheroma formation, ET receptor-binding capacity, and vascular ET-1 protein content were assessed. In apoE-deficient but not C57BL/6 mice, severe atherosclerosis developed within 30 wk. Aortic ET-1 protein content (P < 0.0001) and binding capacity for ETA receptors was increased as compared with C57BL/6 mice. In contrast, NO-mediated, endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine (56 +/- 3 vs. 99 +/- 2%, P < 0.0001) and plasma nitrate were reduced (57.9 +/- 4 vs. 93 +/- 10 micromol/liter, P < 0.01). Treatment with the ETA receptor antagonist LU135252 for 30 wk had no effect on the lipid profile or systolic blood pressure in apoE-deficient mice, but increased NO-mediated endothelium-dependent relaxation (from 56 +/- 3 to 93 +/- 2%, P < 0.0001 vs. untreated) as well as circulating nitrate levels (from 57.9 +/- 4 to 80 +/- 8.3 micromol/liter, P < 0.05). Chronic ETA receptor blockade reduced elevated tissue ET-1 levels comparable with those found in C57BL/6 mice and inhibited atherosclerosis in the aorta by 31% without affecting plaque morphology or ET receptor-binding capacity. Thus, chronic ETA receptor blockade normalizes NO-mediated endothelial dysfunction and reduces atheroma formation independent of plasma cholesterol and blood pressure in a mouse model of human atherosclerosis. ETA receptor blockade may have therapeutic potential in patients with atherosclerosis.",
"corpus_id": 20979079
} | {
"title": "Superoxide and peroxynitrite in atherosclerosis.",
"abstract": "The role of reactive oxygen species in the vascular pathology associated with atherosclerosis was examined by testing the hypothesis that impaired vascular reactivity results from the reaction of nitric oxide (.NO) with superoxide (O2-), yielding the oxidant peroxynitrite (ONOO-). Contractility studies were performed on femoral arteries from rabbits fed a cholesterol-supplemented diet. Cholesterol feeding shifted the EC50 for acetylcholine (ACh)-induced relaxation and impaired the maximal response to ACh. We used pH-sensitive liposomes to deliver CuZn superoxide dismutase (SOD; superoxide:superoxide oxidoreductase, EC 1.15.1.1) to critical sites of .NO reaction with O2-. Intravenously injected liposomes (3000 units of SOD per ml) augmented ACh-induced relaxation in the cholesterol-fed group to a greater extent than in controls. Quantitative immunocytochemistry demonstrated enhanced distribution of SOD in both endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells as well as in the extracellular matrix. SOD activity in vessel homogenates of liposome-treated rabbits was also increased. Incubation of beta very low density lipoprotein with ONOO- resulted in the rapid formation of conjugated dienes and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances. Our results suggest that the reaction of O2- with .NO is involved in the development of atherosclerotic disease by yielding a potent mediator of lipoprotein oxidation, as well as by limiting .NO stimulation of vascular smooth muscle guanylate cyclase activity.",
"corpus_id": 7055905,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Big Data in Supply Chain Management - Applications, Challenges and Benefits.",
"abstract": "This paper focuses on Big Data (BD) applications, challenges and benefits (ACBs) in Supply Chain Management (SCM). While BD-related research has attracted a growing number of Business Intelligence and Analytics (BI&A) researchers, SCM-specific research on BD is yet to receive their full attention. By combining relevant frameworks from SCM and BI&A, this paper proposes a new research framework for BD in SCM. The combined framework is then used to identify, classify and analyze ACBs of BD in SCM, using insights from a multi-disciplinary literature review from the fields of BI&A and SCM. Based on the main research findings the paper also suggests further SCM-specific research related to BD, by identifying synergies across business functions and value dimensions of SCM.",
"corpus_id": 9093964
} | {
"title": "Big Data Analytics",
"abstract": null,
"corpus_id": 15170572
} | {
"title": "Binary spectral minutiae representation with multi-sample fusion for fingerprint recognition",
"abstract": "Biometric fusion is the approach to improve the biometric system performance by combining multiple sources of biometric information. The binary spectral minutiae representation is a method to represent a fingerprint minutiae set as a fixed-length binary string. This binary representation has the advantages of a fast operation and a small template storage. It also enables the combination of a biometric system with template protection schemes that require a fixed-length feature vector as input. In this paper, based on the spectral minutiae representation algorithm, we investigate the multi-sample fusion algorithms at the feature-, score-, and decision-level respectively. Furthermore, we propose different schemes to mask out unreliable bits. The algorithms are evaluated on the FVC2000-DB2 database and showed promising results.",
"corpus_id": 18472166,
"score": -1
} |
{
"title": "A new version of the ant-miner algorithm discovering unordered rule sets",
"abstract": "The Ant-Miner algorithm, first proposed by Parpinelli and colleagues, applies an ant colony optimization heuristic to the classification task of data mining to discover an ordered list of classification rules. In this paper we present a new version of the Ant-Miner algorithm, which we call Unordered Rule Set Ant-Miner, that produces an unordered set of classification rules. The proposed version was evaluated against the original Ant-Miner algorithm in six public-domain datasets and was found to produce comparable results in terms of predictive accuracy. However, the proposed version has the advantage of discovering more modular rules, i.e., rules that can be interpreted independently from other rules - unlike the rules in an ordered list, where the interpretation of a rule requires knowledge of the previous rules in the list. Hence, the proposed version facilitates the interpretation of discovered knowledge, an important point in data mining.",
"corpus_id": 1705301
} | {
"title": "WACO for Mammogram Classification",
"abstract": "Breast cancer is one of the ruinous diseases causing more number of deaths in women. Many efforts are being made to develop efficient techniques to identify the breast cancer at early stage. This paper implements weaver ant colony optimization (WACO) for classifying mammograms. The behavior of weaver ants' to bind the neurons between the layer to make the path to find the output of Neural Network(NN). The unique nest building behavior of Weaver ants' made a considerable remark, NN have proved to be one of the best methods for classification & WACO is used for optimized pathfinding. Each layer of NN is considered as one leaf and the leaves are divided into as many portions equal to the number of neurons,& let ants connect portion of leaf from one layer to another, makes the weight connection in the NN. The task is accomplished by using a NN with a back propagation technique (BPT). To determine the usefulness of WACO based Neural Network (NN)closed nests building behavior made us change the architecture of BPN. Weaver ants show indirect message between ants to find the shortest path between their nest and food sources. These ants ability is to construct nests by weaving together leaves using larval silk .Local Binary Pattern is a method which can be used extract the features for identifying the breast cancer abnormality by mammogram. Multilayer perceptron (MLP) and support vector machine for mammogram classification and mammogram images are preprocessed to reduce noise and detect the background of the mammogram to extract the required features. This paper implements WACO for classifying mammograms. Here we used MIAS database which describes the mammogram is in which stage benign or normal stage",
"corpus_id": 4868308
} | {
"title": "Granzyme B Is Inhibited by the Cowpox Virus Serpin Cytokine Response Modifier A(*)",
"abstract": "The ability of cytolytic cells to cause apoptosis in target cells is in part due to the action of the serine proteinase granzyme B. We demonstrate that granzyme B is inhibited, with an association rate constant of 2.9 105 M s, by the cowpox viral serpin cytokine response modifier A (CrmA). Previously we have shown CrmA to be an inhibitor of the cysteine proteinase interleukin-1β-converting enzyme (ICE). Thus the mechanism of CrmA involves the unusual ability to efficiently inhibit proteinases from two distinct catalytic classes, in this case serine and cysteine proteinases. Granzyme B and ICE are both used to combat viral infection, and we propose that cowpox virus uses CrmA to evade the contribution of these two proteinases. Thus, through CrmA, the virus may influence two of the pathways normally used to kill virus-infected cells: acting on endogenous proteinases such as ICE and on exogenous proteinases delivered by cytotoxic lymphocytes to infected cells.",
"corpus_id": 12022227,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "EULERIAN MULTI-FLUID MODELS : MODELING AND NUMERICAL METHODS",
"abstract": "In this contribution we propose a general presentation of Eulerian multi-fluid modeling and numerical methods for the simulation of polydisperse evaporating sprays. By spray, we denote a cloud of spherical liquid droplets of various sizes ranging from submicronic scales up to several hundred microns which interact with the carrier gaseous phase and among themselves. We deal with sprays for which the physics of such a two-phase flow is governed at the “kinetic” level, also called mesoscopic level, by a Williams-Boltzmann spray equation, where the elementary phenomena such as evaporation, heating, coalescence and secondary break-up can be described properly. Our ob jective is to provide a hierarchy of models of Eulerian type with two main criteria : 1- to take into account accurately the polydispersion of the spray, that is the large size spectrum, as well as size-conditioned dynamics, evaporation and heating, 2- to keep a rigourous link with the Williams-Boltzmann spray equation at the mesoscopic level of description. We start with the original multi-fluid model where the polydispersion is resolved by discretizing the size phase space into intervals, also called sections in relation to the original work of Greenberg and Tambour. We present the fundamentals of the model, the associated precise set of related closure assumptions as well as its implication on the mathematical structure of solutions. We provide robust numerical methods able to cope with the potential presence of singularities and a set of validations showing the efficiency of the model and of the related numerical methods. This approach is very robust but encounters two difficulties : 1- in order to accurately resolve evaporation and size conditioned dynamics in phase space, it requires a high number of size intervals, 2- for finite Stokes numbers and large Knudsen numbers, it fails to reproduce droplet crossing tra jectories since it relies on a hydrodynamic local velocity equilibrium. We thus present recent studies based on high order moment methods which allow to overcome these two difficulties. Then, the models are validated by comparisons with experimental measurements in the configuration of pulsated free jets with polydisperse spray injection, a dedicated well-controled environment with coupled Laser diagnostics. We conclude this lecture with a chapter on the computational multi-fluid dynamics and prove that the proposed models and related numerical methods and algorithms are well-suited for 2D and 3D simulations. They prove to be very accurate versus a Lagragian approach and eventually involve a small amount of numerical diffusion as a consequence of a precise choice of algorithms. Their ability for high performance computing on parallel architecture with dedicated algorithms is also demonstrated. In the framework of this Lecture Series, it provides a set of very interesting tools for the purpose of simulating nanoparticles in fluid flows.",
"corpus_id": 337275
} | {
"title": "Multivariate Gaussian Extended Quadrature Method of Moments for Turbulent Disperse Multiphase Flow",
"abstract": "The present contribution introduces a fourth-order moment formalism for particle trajectory crossing (PTC) in the framework of multiscale modeling of disperse multiphase flow. In our previous work, the ability to treat PTC was examined with direct-numerical simulations (DNS) using either quadrature reconstruction based on a sum of Dirac delta functions denoted as Quadrature-Based Moment Methods (QBMM) in order to capture large scale trajectory crossing, or by using low order hydrodynamics closures in the Levermore hierarchy denoted as Kinetic-Based Moment Methods (KBMM) in order to capture small scale trajectory crossing. Whereas KBMM leads to well-posed PDEs and has a hard time capturing large scale trajectory crossing for particles with enough inertia, QBMM based on a discrete reconstruction suffers from singularity formation and requires too many moments in order to capture the effect of PTC at both small scale and large scale both to small-scale turbulence as well as free transport coupled to drag in an Eulerian mesoscale framework. The challenge addressed in this work is thus twofold: first, to propose a new generation of method at the interface between QBMM and KBMM with less singular behavior and the associated proper mathematical properties, which is able to capture both small scale and large scale trajectory crossing, and second to limit the number of moments used for applicability in 2-D and 3-D configurations without losing too much accuracy in the representation of spatial fluxes. In order to illustrate its numerical properties, the proposed Gaussian extended quadrature method of moments (Gaussian-EQMOM) is applied to solve 1-D and 2-D kinetic equations representing finite-Stokes-number particles in a known turbulent fluid flow.",
"corpus_id": 3872615
} | {
"title": "Computations of enhanced soot production in time-varying CH4/air diffusion flames",
"abstract": "Abstract Recent experimental measurements of soot volume fraction in a flickering CH4/air diffusion flame show that for conditions in which the tip of the flame is clipped, soot production is ≈ 5 times greater than that measured for a steady flame burning with the same mean fuel flow velocity (Shaddix et al., Ref. 9). This paper presents time-dependent numerical simulations of both steady and time-varying CH4/air diffusion flames to examine the differences in combustion conditions which lead to the observed enhancement in soot production in the flickering flames. The numerical model solves the two-dimensional, time-dependent, reactive-flow Navier-Stokes equations coupled with submodels for soot formation and radiation transport. Qualitative comparisons between the experimental and computed steady flame show good agreement for the soot burnout height and overall flame shape except near the burner lip. Quantitative comparisons between experimental and computed radial profiles of temperature and soot volume fraction for the steady flame show good to excellent agreement at mid-flame heights, but some discrepancies near the burner lip and at high flame heights. For the time-varying CH4/air flame, the simulations successfully predict that the maximum soot concentration increases by over four times compared to the steady flame with the same mean fuel and air velocities. By numerically tracking fluid parcels in the flowfield, the temperature and stoichiometry history were followed along their convective pathlines. Results for the pathline which passes through the maximum sooting region show that flickering flames exhibit much longer residence times during which the local temperatures and stoichiometries are favorable for soot production. The simulations also suggest that soot inception occurs later in flickering flames, and at slightly higher temperatures and under somewhat leaner conditions compared to the steady flame. The integrated soot model of Syed et al. (Ref. 12), which was developed from a steady CH4/air flame, successfully predicts soot production in the time-varying CH4/air flames.",
"corpus_id": 96915881,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Combinatorial Control of Smooth Muscle–Specific Gene Expression",
"abstract": "Abstract—Alterations in the differentiated state of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are known to play a key role in vascular diseases, yet the mechanisms controlling SMC differentiation are still poorly understand. In this review, we discuss our present knowledge of control of SMC differentiation at the transcriptional level, pointing out some common themes, important paradigms, and unresolved issues in SMC-specific gene regulation. We focus primarily on the serum response factor–CArG box–dependent pathway, because it has been shown to play a critical role in regulation of multiple SMC marker genes. However, we also highlight several other important regulatory elements, such as a transforming growth factor &bgr; control element, E-boxes, and MCAT motifs. We present evidence in support of the notion that SMC-specific gene regulation is not controlled by a few SMC-specific transcription factors but rather by complex combinatorial interactions between multiple general and tissue-specific proteins. Finally, we discuss the implications of chromatin remodeling on SMC differentiation.",
"corpus_id": 1403740
} | {
"title": "Macrophage skewing by Phd2 haplodeficiency prevents ischaemia by inducing arteriogenesis",
"abstract": "PHD2 serves as an oxygen sensor that rescues blood supply by regulating vessel formation and shape in case of oxygen shortage. However, it is unknown whether PHD2 can influence arteriogenesis. Here we studied the role of PHD2 in collateral artery growth by using hindlimb ischaemia as a model, a process that compensates for the lack of blood flow in case of major arterial occlusion. We show that Phd2 (also known as Egln1) haplodeficient (Phd2+/−) mice displayed preformed collateral arteries that preserved limb perfusion and prevented tissue necrosis in ischaemia. Improved arteriogenesis in Phd2+/− mice was due to an expansion of tissue-resident, M2-like macrophages and their increased release of arteriogenic factors, leading to enhanced smooth muscle cell (SMC) recruitment and growth. Both chronic and acute deletion of one Phd2 allele in macrophages was sufficient to skew their polarization towards a pro-arteriogenic phenotype. Mechanistically, collateral vessel preconditioning relied on the activation of canonical NF-κB pathway in Phd2+/− macrophages. These results unravel how PHD2 regulates arteriogenesis and artery homeostasis by controlling a specific differentiation state in macrophages and suggest new treatment options for ischaemic disorders.",
"corpus_id": 2051684
} | {
"title": "Identification of multiple proteins that interact with functional regions of the human cardiac alpha-actin promoter",
"abstract": "5' Sequences of the human cardiac alpha-actin gene are involved in the tissue-specific and developmental regulation of the gene. Deletion analyses combined with transient expression experiments in muscle cells have demonstrated three primary regions of functional importance (A. Minty and L. Kedes, Mol. Cell. Biol. 6:2125-2136, 1986; T. Miwa and L. Kedes, Mol. Cell. Biol. 7:2803-2813, 1987), and we have previously demonstrated binding of a protein indistinguishable from serum response factor (SRF) to the most proximal region (T.A. Gustafson, T. Miwa, L.M. Boxer, and L. Kedes, Mol. Cell. Biol. 8:4110-4119, 1988). In this report, we examine protein interaction with the remainder of the promoter. Gel shift and footprinting assays revealed that at least seven distinct nuclear proteins interacted with known and putative regulatory regions of the promoter. The transcription factor Sp1 bound to eight sites, as demonstrated by footprinting assays and gel shift analysis with purified Sp1. Purified CCAAT box-binding transcription factor CTF/NF-I and Sp1 were shown to interact with the far-upstream regulatory element at -410, and footprint analysis showed extensive overlap of these two sites. Two unidentified proteins with similar but distinct footprints interacted with the second region of functional importance at -140, which contains the second CArG motif [CC(A + T rich)6GG], and these proteins were shown to be distinct from SRF. SRF was found to bind to the remaining three CArG boxes, two of which were closely interdigitated with Sp1 sites. In addition, CArG box 4 was found to interact with SRF and another distinct protein whose footprint was contained within the SRF-binding site. Sequences surrounding the TATA box were also shown to bind proteins. Sp1 was shown to bind to a site immediately downstream from the TATA box and to a site within the first exon. Thus, each of the three functional upstream regions, as defined by transfection assays, was shown to interact with five factors: Sp1 and CTF/NF-I at the upstream site, two unidentified proteins at the central site, and SRF at the most proximal site. These results suggest that expression of the cardiac actin gene in muscle cells is controlled by complex interactions among multiple upstream and intragenic elements.",
"corpus_id": 22947660,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Development of ferritin-containing cells in the pons and cerebellum of the human brain",
"abstract": "The distribution and development of ferritin-containing cells were studied in the pons and cerebellum of human fetuses up to adults, using an immunohistochemical method. The predominant cell type labeled with antiserum to ferritin in the pons and cerebellum was morphologically oligodendrocytes. In the pons, positive cells appeared at 21 weeks of gestation in the reticular formation, and longitudinal and transverse fibers, and at 25 weeks of gestation in pontine nuclei. They increased with age from 33 weeks to infancy. In the cerebellum, positive cells appeared at 25 weeks of gestation in the cerebellar white matter and granular layer. They increased from 29 to 40 weeks of gestation in the white matter, and to childhood in the granular layer. The time of appearance of positive cells in the pons and cerebellum is earlier than in the cerebrum, like myelination. This development of ferritin-positive glia may be related to maturation of oligodendrocytes as well as being the basis of myelination.",
"corpus_id": 1766643
} | {
"title": "Characterizing Aging in the Human Brainstem Using Quantitative Multimodal MRI Analysis",
"abstract": "Aging is ubiquitous to the human condition. The MRI correlates of healthy aging have been extensively investigated using a range of modalities, including volumetric MRI, quantitative MRI (qMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging. Despite this, the reported brainstem related changes remain sparse. This is, in part, due to the technical and methodological limitations in quantitatively assessing and statistically analyzing this region. By utilizing a new method of brainstem segmentation, a large cohort of 100 healthy adults were assessed in this study for the effects of aging within the human brainstem in vivo. Using qMRI, tensor-based morphometry (TBM), and voxel-based quantification (VBQ), the volumetric and quantitative changes across healthy adults between 19 and 75 years were characterized. In addition to the increased R2* in substantia nigra corresponding to increasing iron deposition with age, several novel findings were reported in the current study. These include selective volumetric loss of the brachium conjunctivum, with a corresponding decrease in magnetization transfer and increase in proton density (PD), accounting for the previously described “midbrain shrinkage.” Additionally, we found increases in R1 and PD in several pontine and medullary structures. We consider these changes in the context of well-characterized, functional age-related changes, and propose potential biophysical mechanisms. This study provides detailed quantitative analysis of the internal architecture of the brainstem and provides a baseline for further studies of neurodegenerative diseases that are characterized by early, pre-clinical involvement of the brainstem, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.",
"corpus_id": 10903810
} | {
"title": "The role of trace metals in photosynthetic electron transport in O2-evolving organisms",
"abstract": "Iron is the quantitatively most important trace metal involved in thylakoid reactions of all oxygenic organisms since linear (= non-cyclic) electron flow from H2O to NADP+ involves PS II (2–3 Fe), cytochrome b6-f (5 Fe), PS I (12 Fe), and ferredoxin (2 Fe); (replaceable by metal-free flavodoxin in certain cyanobacteria and algae under iron deficiency). Cytochrome c6 (1 Fe) is the only redox catalyst linking the cytochrome b6-f complex to PS I in most algae; in many cyanobacteria and Chlorophyta cytochrome c6 and the copper-containing plastocyanin are alternatives, with the availability of iron and copper regulating their relative expression, while higher plants only have plastocyanin. Iron, copper and zinc occur in enzymes that remove active oxygen species and that are in part bound to the thylakoid membrane. These enzymes are ascorbate peroxidase (Fe) and iron-(cyanobacteria, and most al gae) and copper-zinc- (some algae; higher plants) superoxide dismutase. Iron-containing NAD(P)H-PQ oxidoreductase in thylakoids of cyanobacteria and many eukaryotes may be involved in cyclic electron transport around PS I and in chlororespiration. Manganese is second to iron in its quantitative role in the thylakoids, with four Mn (and 1 Ca) per PS II involved in O2 evolution. The roles of the transition metals in redox catalysts can in broad terms be related to their redox chemistry and to their availability to organisms at the time when the pathways evolved. The quantitative roles of these trace metals varies genotypically (e.g. the greater need for iron in thylakoid reactions of cyanobacteria and rhodophytes than in other O2-evolvers as a result of their lower PS II:PS I ratio) and phenotypically (e.g. as a result of variations in PS II:PS I ratio with the spectral quality of incident radiation).",
"corpus_id": 35469080,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Pyrrolidide formation as a side reaction during activation of carboxylic acids by phosphonium salt coupling reagents",
"abstract": "Pyrrolidide derivatives are observed as unwanted by-products from slow reactions of activated carboxylates with nucleophilic amines, as mediated by phosphonium salt coupling reagents (PyAOP, PyBOP, PyBroP). This side reaction is attributed to the presence of small amounts (e.g., 0.5%, w/w) of pyrrolidine as a contaminant to commercial phosphonium salts, and does not occur when the reagents are crystallized before their use in coupling reactions.",
"corpus_id": 2263173
} | {
"title": "Backbone Amide Linker (BAL) Strategy for Solid-Phase Synthesis of C-Terminal-Modified and Cyclic Peptides1,2,3",
"abstract": "Peptide targets for synthesis are often desired with C-terminal end groups other than the more usual acid and amide functionalities. Relatively few routes exist for synthesis of C-terminal-modified peptidesincluding cyclic peptidesby either solution or solid-phase methods, and known routes are often limited in terms of ease and generality. We describe here a novel Backbone Amide Linker (BAL) approach, whereby the growing peptide is anchored through a backbone nitrogen, thus allowing considerable flexibility in management of the termini. Initial efforts on BAL have adapted the chemistry of the tris(alkoxy)benzylamide system exploited previously with PAL anchors. Aldehyde precursors to PAL, e.g. 5-(4-formyl-3,5-dimethoxyphenoxy)valeric acid, were reductively coupled to the α-amine of the prospective C-terminal amino acid, which was blocked as a tert-butyl, allyl, or methyl ester, or to the appropriately protected C-terminal-modified amino acid derivative. These reductive aminations were carried out either i...",
"corpus_id": 85321229
} | {
"title": "Bubble nucleation in rhyolitic melts: Experiments at high pressure, temperature, and water content",
"abstract": "Abstract We report the first measurement of bubble nucleation in hydrated rhyolitic melts in response to pressure release. Two rhyolitic obsidians, one containing less than 1% of microlites of Fe—Ti oxides and the other about 20% of various crystals were hydrated at 150 MPa and 780–850°C. After saturation was reached (5.3–5.5 wt% water), pressure was lowered and the samples were allowed to nucleate and grow bubbles for various amounts of time, before the final, rapid quenching of the experiments. The results demonstrate the importance of heterogeneous nucleation. Microlites of Fe—Ti oxides are very efficient as sites for bubble nucleation. In their presence, modest nucleation was observed even after decompression by 6 –10 8 bubbles cm −3 ). In the absence of microlites, no nucleation occurred at ΔP MPa. At ΔP > 10 MPa, bubbles also nucleated on crystals of biotite, zircon and apatite. Modest nucleation (10 3 –10 5 cm −3 ) took place even in crystal-free samples, but it was still heterogeneous. When ΔP exceeded 80 MPa, nucleation in crystal-free samples became extensive (10 5 –10 7 cm −3 ). The lack of correlation of bubble density with either time or decompression suggests that nucleation was still heterogeneous. Nucleation rates were controlled mainly by the availability of sites. Rates were faster than 10 6 cm −3 s −1 when microlites were present, and faster than 10 5 cm −3 s −1 in the absence of microlites at ΔP > 70 MPa. Narrow size distributions in most samples suggests that nucleation took place immediately after the pressure drop. The experimental data we present here indicate that the presence or absence of efficient nucleation sites can lead to two distinct modes of bubble formation. When a large number of efficient sites (e.g., Fe—Ti oxide) are present, bubble nucleation requires very little supersaturation, and to a good approximation, gas and magma are in equilibrium. In magmas that are crystal-free or contain crystals that are inefficient at nucleating bubbles, very high degrees of supersaturation are required in order to initiate nucleation. These two modes of exsolution may lead to contrasting styles of convection, pressure build up and eruption.",
"corpus_id": 130523442,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Event Studies in Information Systems Research: A Review",
"abstract": "Event studies, which look at stock market reactions to assess corporate business events, represent a relatively new research approach in the information systems field. In this paper we present a systematic review of thirty event studies related to information technology. After a brief discussion of each of the papers included in our review, we call attention to several limitations of the published studies and propose possible future research avenues.",
"corpus_id": 44931160
} | {
"title": "Economic security metrics",
"abstract": "This chapter surveys economic approaches for security metrics, among which we could identify two main areas of research. One has its roots in investment and decision theory and is mainly pursued in the field of information technology-oriented business administration. It has yielded a number of quantitative metrics that can be applied as guidelines in investment decisions as well as for the evaluation of existing security measures. The second area of research has ancestors in micro-economics. It deals with market concepts to gather security-relevant information and extract quantitative indicators on information security properties.",
"corpus_id": 4501411
} | {
"title": "Design of the L-LC Resonant Inverter for Induction Heating Based on Its Equivalent SRI",
"abstract": "This paper presents the new L- LC induction heating generator and probes that, in resonance, are equivalent to a series resonant inverter. This equivalence is then used to compare both topologies, extracting the advantages and disadvantages of the L-LC usage. In addition, based on this equivalence, a design procedure is proposed that covers all possible L-LC configurations. Finally, some experimental results are presented, showing waveforms during normal and short-circuit operation.",
"corpus_id": 207878357,
"score": -1
} |
{
"title": "Addition of Cyanoethyl Groups to Ring a of Triterpenoids",
"abstract": "The potential for cyanoethylation of ring A of triterpenoids and their A-seco derivatives prepared from allobetulone and methyl betulonate was investigated. Triterpenoids with a cyanoethyl moiety on C-1, C-2, and C-3 and derivatives with two cyanoethyl groups on ring A were synthesized. The inhibitory activity of the synthesized compounds for herpes simplex virus type 1 was studied in vitro.",
"corpus_id": 4925746
} | {
"title": "Synthesis and evaluation of antiviral activities of triterpenic conjugates with 2-aminobutan-1-ol as potent microbicidal agents",
"abstract": "The effect of the synthetic modifications of the triterpenic A ring on the level of antiviral activity of triterpenic C3, C28 amides with a residue of racemic, (S), or (R)-enantiomeric 2-aminobutan-1-ol against herpes simplex viruses type I (HSV-I) and type II (HSV-II), as well as against human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) was investigated. The 2,3-secolupane racemic amide 5a was selected as a potent microbicidal agent with the highest virus inhibitory (against HSV-I and HSV-II) and virucidal (against HSV-1 and HIV-1) actions, the antiviral activity of which was provided by the (S)-enantiomeric conjugate 5b.",
"corpus_id": 199445082
} | {
"title": "A Concise Semi-Synthetic Approach to Betulinic Acid from Betulin",
"abstract": "Abstract Betulin was convert to betulinic acid using two different synthetic routes. The first approach involved an oxidation of betulin using Jones' reagent to betulonic acid and subsequent NaBH4 reduction to betulinic acid. The second approach involved steps utilizing different protecting groups on the alcohol functional groups of betulin and Jones' oxidation to circumvent the isomerization of the secondary alcohol of betulinic acid.",
"corpus_id": 96072949,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "hanges in the atherogenic profile of patients with type 1 Gaucher disease after iglustat therapy",
"abstract": "Objective: Type 1 Gaucher disease (GD1) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder associated with abnormal accumulation of glucocerebrosides. Plasma total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) are decreased in GD1 patients. The effects of substrate reduction therapy (SRT) with miglustat on plasma lipids and atherogenic factors have not yet been examined. Here, we report plasma atherogenic profile data from GD1 patients undergoing long-term SRT. Methods: Plasma was analysed in 26 GD1 patients treated with miglustat for up to 36 months. Ten patients were therapy-naïve and 16 had switched from enzyme replacement therapy (ERT); the interval between stopping ERT and starting SRT was 2–6 weeks. Plasma TC, triglycerides (TG), LDL-c, HDL-c, apolipoproteins (apoA-I, apoB, and Lp[a]), C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations, and chitotriosidase activity were measured before SRT (baseline) and at 12, 24, and 36 months follow up. Results: In therapy-naïve patients, miglustat significantly increased plasma HDL-c and apoA-I, and slightly increased TC; while TG, CRP concentrations, and TC/HDL-c ratios decreased significantly after 24 months. In contrast, there were no changes in HDL-c and apoA-I, or in the TC/HDL-c ratio in switch patients. However, a decrease in CRP was observed after 12 months. LDL-c and apoB were not significantly altered in either patient group. Conclusions: Miglustat appears to have beneficial effects on plasma lipid, lipoprotein, and CRP concentrations in therapy-naïve GD1 patients, resulting in an improved atherogenic lipid profile. Further studies e the are required to determin",
"corpus_id": 3173301
} | {
"title": "Reduced plasma concentrations of total, low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with Gaucher type I disease",
"abstract": "Plasma lipid and serum apoprotein concentrations were determined in twenty‐nine individuals with Gaucher type I disease. Plasma total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were all significantly reduced in the patients with Gaucher disease compared to a group of matched control subjects. Total, LDL and HDL cholesterol were lower in males than in females with Gaucher disease. These sex differences appeared to be inversely correlated with the severity of disease manifestations which were greater in the males. Serum levels of apoprotein‐B and apoprotein‐AI, the major structural apoproteins of LDL and HDL, respectively, were decreased in the subjects with Gaucher disease. Thus, the reductions in LDL and HDL cholesterol were associated with reduced numbers of lipoprotein particles in plasma. In contrast, apoprotein‐E, a protein which is secreted by several tissues, including activated macrophages and which may mediate hepatic catabolism of lipoproteins, was elevated in the patients. Since macrophages may also catabolize lipoproteins, Gaucher disease may serve as a model for the effect of activated macrophages upon human lipoprotein metabolism.",
"corpus_id": 12255039
} | {
"title": "Parkinsonism in type I Gaucher's disease.",
"abstract": "The majority of patients with type I Gaucher's disease never develop neurological signs or symptoms. However, several case reports of Parkinson's disease associated with type I Gaucher's disease have been published, suggesting a genetic link between the two diseases. Hence, detailed clinical investigations are required when the two diseases occur simultaneously, in order to determine whether this is coincidental or whether a true association is present. We present a Japanese man in whom parkinsonism was associated with type I Gaucher's disease. Findings of brain positron tomography (PET) and metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) cardiac scintigraphy are presented.",
"corpus_id": 13426663,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Causes of treatment failure for hepatitis C in the era of direct-acting antiviral therapy.",
"abstract": "Hepatitis C therapy in the era of the newer direct-acting antiviral agents has radically changed our treatment schemes by achieving very high rates of sustained virological response. However, treatment with direct antiviral agents fails in a subgroup of patients. This group of so-called difficult-to-treat individuals is the subject of this paper, which reviews the causes of virological failure, their clinical implications, and some final recommendations.",
"corpus_id": 2676122
} | {
"title": "Hepatitis C: review of the drugs used for treatment Hepatite C: revisão dos medicamentos utilizados no tratamento",
"abstract": "1. Bachelor of pharmacy by Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS); Master in pharmaceutical assistance and medicine undergraduate at Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2651-7588. Email: mperlin.cassio@gmail.com. 2. Medicine undergraduate at Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9028-4371. Email: andersongr01@ gmail.com. 3. Bachelor in Veterinary Medicine and Master in Animal Sciences by Universidade Paranaense (UNIPAR); Mato Grosso ́s state supervisor for agricultural and florestal defense. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7291-6910. Email: gustavoperlin@gmail.com. 4. Medical degree by Assis Gurgacz’s University Center (FAG); Master degree in Health Sciences teaching by Faculdade Pequeno Príncipe (FPP); Physician of Family Health Program in the city of Toledo, Paraná; Teacher in the medical course of Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2074-734X. Email: mayara_angelica@hotmail.com. Correspondence: Cássio Marques Perlin. Highway PR-182, no number, km 320/321 – BIOPARK. ZIP code: 85919-899. Email: perlin@ufpr.br ABSTRACT: The objective of this work was to conduct a review of the literature on the drugs used for treatments of the hepatitis C since the discovery of the virus in 1989. In order to reach this goal a search was made at the bases Medline and SciELO using the terms “hepatitis C”, “treatment”, “interferon-free”, “review” and “clinical trial”. This work presents a review of the general characteristics of hepatitis C together with its epidemiology and diagnosis. For a long time, the only option available for the treatment of hepatitis C was interferon. This drug did not show good efficacy and its use was minimized with the emergence of new interferon-free regimens that increased the success rate to somewhere around 95%. Such drugs have allowed the actual reach of virus cure, although they are available in Brazilian Single Health System (SUS), they are expensive treatments that restrict access to much of the infected population.",
"corpus_id": 237603582
} | {
"title": "Familial hemiplegic migraine due to L263V SCN1A mutation: Discordance for epilepsy between two kindreds from Douro Valley",
"abstract": "Background SCN1A is the most relevant gene in epilepsy. Only seven SCN1A mutations have been identified in 10 familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) kindreds worldwide. Cases and kindreds In 2009, we presented a kindred with FHM due to the L263V SCN1A mutation. In the current study, we report a novel FHM3 kindred from the same village. The first family exhibited the co-occurrence of FHM and epilepsy. No case of epilepsy was observed in the new kindred. An L263V mutation was found in all patients, and the haplotype analysis supports a unique mutational event. Comments Despite its bioelectric activity, the SCN1A L263V mutation most likely requires a combination of several endogenous or environmental induction stimuli to attain an epileptogenic threshold.",
"corpus_id": 5585243,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Ongoing pregnancy qualifies best as the primary outcome measure of choice in trials in reproductive medicine: an opinion paper.",
"abstract": "The most appropriate primary outcome measure for reproductive medicine has been discussed frequently. In 2003 the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology recommended that the outcome measure of assisted reproductive technology (ART) and non-ART should be singleton live birth. Although live birth is indeed the aim of clinical practice, and there is no discussion that it should be reported in infertility trials, we hereby provide arguments that plead for using ongoing pregnancy as the primary outcome in such trials. We feel that ongoing pregnancy best serves the many purposes of a primary outcome and best reflects the effectiveness of a treatment.",
"corpus_id": 401044
} | {
"title": "\"Patient-centered fertility treatment\": what is required?",
"abstract": "Corrected by: Erratum: Patient-centered fertility treatment: What is required? (in Fertil Steril (2014) 102(5):1499). There were errors in the listing of the authors' names in the print version of the article, “Patient-centered fertility treatment: what is required?” (Fertil Steril 2014;101(4):924–6). The authors should be listed as Eline Anke Dancet, Thomas Maria D'Hooghe, Fulco van der Veen, Patrick Bossuyt, Walter Sermeus, Ben-Willem Mol, and Sjoerd Repping.",
"corpus_id": 45659531
} | {
"title": "Fetal blood sampling via the umbilical cord using a needle guided by ultrasound report of 66 cases",
"abstract": "Pure fetal blood has been aspirated in utero from the umbilical vein near the placental insertion of the cord using a twenty gauge needle under ultrasound guidance.",
"corpus_id": 25908521,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Idiopathic encapsulating peritonitis: Report of two cases",
"abstract": "This report presents two cases of young males who developed the rare idiopathic form of sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP) presented as partial bowel obstruction, both diagnosed during surgical treatment, with satisfactory outcomes. Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis is a rare and enigmatic condition, characterized by intraperitoneal fibrosclerosis, which causes intestinal obstruction. It is a chronic entity with a poorly elucidated pathophysiology, leading to the constitution of a thick white nacreous fibrosis membrane that wraps the bowel in a concertina-like fashion with some adhesions configuring an intra-abdominal cocoon. Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis is reported in a wide variety of patients, including those who have undergone peritoneal dialysis, young adolescent girls, cirrhotic patients after peritoneal-venous shunting, and patients treated with β-blockers. Nevertheless, the etiology of SEP remains obscure. This entity presents many difficulties in preoperative diagnosis because of its peculiar characteristics. Recognition of the SEP results in proper management and prevents unnecessary bowel resection. Regardless of cause, the treatment of the obstruction is surgical, with dissection of the encasing membrane from the intestine and separation of adherent loops of small bowel until they are laid free and returned to their normal configuration. The prognosis after appropriate surgical therapy is good, but depends on coexisting diseases.",
"corpus_id": 804646
} | {
"title": "Transcriptional Patterns in Peritoneal Tissue of Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis, a Complication of Chronic Peritoneal Dialysis",
"abstract": "Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a devastating complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD), characterized by marked inflammation and severe fibrosis of the peritoneum, and associated with high morbidity and mortality. EPS can occur years after termination of PD and, in severe cases, leads to intestinal obstruction and ileus requiring surgical intervention. Despite ongoing research, the pathogenesis of EPS remains unclear. We performed a global transcriptome analysis of peritoneal tissue specimens from EPS patients, PD patients without EPS, and uremic patients without history of PD or EPS (Uremic). Unsupervised and supervised bioinformatics analysis revealed distinct transcriptional patterns that discriminated these three clinical groups. The analysis identified a signature of 219 genes expressed differentially in EPS as compared to PD and Uremic groups. Canonical pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes showed enrichment in several pathways, including antigen presentation, dendritic cell maturation, B cell development, chemokine signaling and humoral and cellular immunity (P value<0.05). Further interactive network analysis depicted effects of EPS-associated genes on networks linked to inflammation, immunological response, and cell proliferation. Gene expression changes were confirmed by qRT-PCR for a subset of the differentially expressed genes. EPS patient tissues exhibited elevated expression of genes encoding sulfatase1, thrombospondin 1, fibronectin 1 and alpha smooth muscle actin, among many others, while in EPS and PD tissues mRNAs encoding leptin and retinol-binding protein 4 were markedly down-regulated, compared to Uremic group patients. Immunolocalization of Collagen 1 alpha 1 revealed that Col1a1 protein was predominantly expressed in the submesothelial compact zone of EPS patient peritoneal samples, whereas PD patient peritoneal samples exhibited homogenous Col1a1 staining throughout the tissue samples. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis is a distinct pathological process from the simple peritoneal fibrosis that accompanies all PD treatment.",
"corpus_id": 3092893
} | {
"title": "Acquired disorders with hypopigmentation: A clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment.",
"abstract": "Acquired hypopigmented skin changes are commonly encountered by dermatologists. Although hypopigmentation is often asymptomatic and benign, occasional serious and disabling conditions present with cutaneous hypopigmentation. A thorough history and physical examination, centered on disease distribution and morphologic findings, can aid in delineating the causes of acquired hypopigmented disorders. The second article in this 2-part continuing medical education series focuses on conditions with a hypopigmented phenotype. Early diagnosis and appropriate management of these disorders can improve a patient's quality of life, halt disease progression, and prevent irreversible disability.",
"corpus_id": 52308042,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Resilience to offending in high-risk groups : focus on Aboriginal youth : research agenda",
"abstract": "This document outlines a plan for extending research previously commissioned by the Criminology Research Council, which sought to identify the various factors that promote resilience to offending, particularly in high-risk groups such as young Aboriginal people. It briefly situates the suggested research agenda with regard to current research in this area and provides a suggested agenda for progressing this research. As requested by the Criminology Research Council, the focus of the paper is on Aboriginal youth.",
"corpus_id": 153078173
} | {
"title": "Examining lives in context : perspectives on the ecology of human development",
"abstract": "Individual Development: A Holistic, Integrated, Model - David Magnusson - Understanding Individual Differences in Environmental-Risk Exposure - Michael Rutter, Lorna Champion, David Quinton, Barbara Maughan, and Andrew Pickles - The Life Course Paradigm: Social Change and Individual Development - Glen H. Elder, Jr. - Social Structure and Personality Through Time and Space - Melvin I. Kohn - Linked Lives: A Transgenerational Approach to Resilience - Phyllis Moen and Mary Arin Erickson - Taking Time Seriously: Social Change, Social Structure, and Human Lives - Duane F. Alwin - Differentiating Among Social Contexts: By Spatial Features, Forms of Participation, and Social Contracts - Jacqueline J. Goodnow - A Bioecological Model of Intellectual Development - Stephen J. Ceci and Helene A. Hembrooke - The Two Sexes and Their Social Systems - Eleanor E. Maccoby - Gender, Contexts, and Turning Points in Adults' Lives - John A. Clausen - Social Ecology Over Time and Space - Robert B. Cairns and Beverley D. Cairns - Authoritative Parenting and Adolescent Adjustment: An Ecological Journey - Laurence Steinberg, Nancy E. Darling, and Anne C. Fletcher, in collaboration with B. Bradford Brown and Sanford M. Dornbusch - Children in Families in Communities: Risk and Intervention in the Bronfenbrenner Tradition - Jeanne Brooks-Gunn - Jobless Ghettos and the Social Outcome of Youngsters - William Julius Wilson - Expanding the Ecology of Human Development: An Evolutionary Perspective - Jay Belsky - Homo Interpretans: On the Relevance of Perspectives, Knowledge, and Beliefs in the Ecology of Human Development - Kurt Luscher - The Bioecological Model From a Life Course Perspective: Reflections of a Participant-Observer - Urie Bronfenbrenner - Developmental Ecology Through Space and Time: A Future Perspective - Urie Bronfenbrenner",
"corpus_id": 142412096
} | {
"title": "From Here to Maternity",
"abstract": "The author of this book is a pioneer in the field of sociological research. In this classic re-issue, the author interviewed 60 women to find out what it is really like to have a baby. Covering pregnancy, birth and child care, the book relies on the stories mothers tell to discuss whether and why women want to become pregnant, how they imagine motherhood to be, the experience of birth, post-natal depression, feeding and caring routines, and the challenges for the domestic division of labour and to fathers. It shows that most women are unprepared for the birth or the work of caring for a baby, but also for the joys that a baby can bring. As topical today as the day it was written, this important book was the first to examine first-time motherhood in the words of those experiencing it, and it continues to influence generations of researchers today.",
"corpus_id": 153267685,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Chapter 4 Platyrrhine Ecophylogenetics in Space and Time",
"abstract": "We are far from developing an informed synthesis regarding the evolution of New World Monkeys – probably decades away. For even with the important strides made over the past 30–40 years regarding platyrrhine ecology and behavior, there are large gaps in our knowledge of the evolutionary and historical context. The scarceness of fossils is but one factor. Equally critical is our incomplete knowledge of largescale changes to the continent of South America (SAM), pertinent to the evolution of its fauna. An objective of this paper is to review some of this information as a basis for interpreting the platyrrhines from an ecophylogenetic point of view in space and time. Our goal is to integrate information on living and extinct forms in order to identify community or regional patterns of platyrrhine evolution, rather than examining the moderns and fossils as distinct entities or evolutionary problems. In keeping with the South American emphasis of this volume, we do not consider the primate fauna of the Middle American mainland but have elected to examine the Caribbean subfossil monkeys for reasons that will become clear below. We suggest that the casual way of thinking about New World Monkeys (NWM) as a monolithic radiation inhabiting a rainforest wonderland – South America – is a model that needs to be changed. The continent is about 2.5 times the size of today’s Amazonian rainforest in area, it contains diverse landscapes and habitats, and the Amazonian region changed vastly during the Cenozoic (e.g., Bigarella and Ferreira 1985). At present, more of the continent is grassland than rainforest (Fig. 4.1a), and the grasslands have been flourishing for 20–30 million years (see below). The first primates to arrive did not encounter the Amazonia we know, for it may have begun to take on its present character only about 15 Ma (Campbell et al. 2006). Thus, even though the NWM have a monophyletic, unitary origin, their",
"corpus_id": 3895142
} | {
"title": "Role of the Drake Passage in Controlling the Stability of the Ocean’s Thermohaline Circulation",
"abstract": "The role of a Southern Ocean gateway in permitting multiple equilibria of the global ocean thermohaline circulation is examined. In particular, necessary conditions for the existence of multiple equilibria are studied with a coupled climate model, wherein stable solutions are obtained for a range of bathymetries with varying Drake Passage (DP) depths. No transitions to a Northern Hemisphere (NH) overturning state are found when the Drake Passage sill is shallower than a critical depth (1100 m in the model described herein). This preference for Southern Hemisphere sinking is a result of the particularly cold conditions of the Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) formation regions compared to the NH deep-water formation zones. In a shallow or closed DP configuration, this forces an exclusive production of deep/bottom water in the Southern Hemisphere. Increasing the depth of the Drake Passage sill causes a gradual vertical decoupling in Atlantic circulation, removing the influence of AABW from the upper 2000 m of the Atlantic Ocean. When the DP is sufficiently deep, this shifts the interaction between a North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) cell and an AABW cell to an interaction between an (shallower) Antarctic Intermediate Water cell and an NADW cell. This latter situation allows transitions to a Northern Hemisphere overturning state.",
"corpus_id": 19089800
} | {
"title": "Evidence for Late Tertiary Uplift of Africa Relative to North America, South America, Australia and Europe",
"abstract": "Differential vertical movement between continents is suggested by plotting percentages of continental areas that were flooded at a certain time in the geologic past on the corresponding continental hypsometric curves. If the plots do not lie at the same elevation, the continents have moved differentially since the time of flooding. A plot of Eocene and Miocene percentages of flooding on hypsometric curves suggests that Africa has risen significantly relative to North America, South America, Europe and Australia since the Miocene and possibly since the Eocene. Evidence for widespread epeirogenic uplift in Africa during the Tertiary implies that the epeirogenic rise of Africa rather than subsidence of the other continents best accounts for the relative uplift indicated by the plots on hypsometric curves. The large amount of uplift in Africa relative to the other four continents suggests that the African type of epeirogeny could be an important factor in the cause of widespread regressions that occurred during the geologic past.",
"corpus_id": 129731185,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Energy Efficiency in The Kingsport Housing Redevelopment Authority (Khra) Riverview Place: Actual Vs. Predicted",
"abstract": "Annual energy costs are rising and threatening the affordability of public housing and are subsequently increasing subsidy payments from the government. Action needs to be taken to reduce energy consumption and to improve the energy efficiency of low-income housing. This is the case with the Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority (KHRA) in Kingsport, Tennessee. In 2010, KHRA completed construction at Riverview Place of 38 energy-efficient housing units. Although designed for energy efficient operation, energy use in some of the units far exceeds projections and results in utility bills for tenants that are much higher than their subsidies cover. The purpose of this study was to determine the underlying factors related to energy consumption in the Riverview Place development. With spending decisions based on grant money received, city financial support, and annual operating and upkeep costs of the development, this study sought to provide recommendations addressing cost-saving energy efficiency measures and programs. To do this, a survey was distributed to the primary tenant of each of the 38 units. The 2013 monthly and annual energy consumption data for each home within Riverview Place was used to choose six units for building performance testing. These six units were subjected to air leakage testing, including a blower door and duct blaster test. In order to better explain why such a large percentage of tenants exceeded utility allowances in Riverview Place, this study highlighted two major points. First, KHRA should allot utility subsidies that reflect actual tenant behavior; specifically, use of air conditioning in summer months. Second, KHRA should implement education programs for tenants regarding energy efficiency and the need to follow certain energy-efficiency strategies.",
"corpus_id": 157209369
} | {
"title": "Energy financing for energy retrofit in COVID-19: Recommendations for green bond financing",
"abstract": "The aim of study is to estimate the role of energy financing for energy retrofit in COVID-19, with the intervening role of green bond financing. For this, Kalman technique is applied to infer the empirical findings. It is found that energy financing is significantly dependent on green bonds, and green bonds have a significant role in energy retrofit in E-7 economies specifically. It is further found that E-7 economies gained significant rise in energy efficiency financing green bonds financing, that has supportively extended energy retrofit - before and during COVID-19 crises. It is further found significant that the E-7 nations have to put alot of money into hydro and nuclear energy for energy retrofit, with low carbon emissions. In the light of COVID-19 crises, this study offers policy recommendations for effective energy management. However, such policy recommendations are expected to finely serve the financial intermediaries and national governments of E-7 economies to better optimize energy financing through green bond financing. The novelty of the study exists in topical framework and research directions, talking about the way forwards for energy efficiency financing - which is one of the latest issue of the recent times. Hence, this research provides some empirical verifications about energy financing in COVID-19 crises for energy retrofit, and shares some suggestions for stakeholders.",
"corpus_id": 244407621
} | {
"title": "Gas‐phase products and secondary aerosol yields from the photooxidation of 16 different terpenes",
"abstract": "The photooxidation of isoprene, eight monoterpenes, three oxygenated monoterpenes, and four sesquiterpenes were conducted individually at the Caltech Indoor Chamber Facility under atmospherically relevant HC:NO_x ratios to monitor the time evolution and yields of SOA and gas-phase oxidation products using PTR-MS. Several oxidation products were calibrated in the PTR-MS, including formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, formic acid, acetone, acetic acid, nopinone, methacrolein + methyl vinyl ketone; other oxidation products were inferred from known fragmentation patterns, such as pinonaldehyde; and other products were identified according to their mass to charge (m/z) ratio. Numerous unidentified products were formed, and the evolution of first- and second-generation products was clearly observed. SOA yields from the different terpenes ranged from 1 to 68%, and the total gas- plus particle-phase products accounted for ∼50–100% of the reacted carbon. The carbon mass balance was poorest for the sesquiterpenes, suggesting that the observed products were underestimated or that additional products were formed but not detected by PTR-MS. Several second-generation products from isoprene photooxidation, including m/z 113, and ions corresponding to glycolaldehyde, hydroxyacetone, methylglyoxal, and hydroxycarbonyls, were detected. The detailed time series and relative yields of identified and unidentified products aid in elucidating reaction pathways and structures for the unidentified products. Many of the unidentified products from these experiments were also observed within and above the canopy of a Ponderosa pine plantation, confirming that many products of terpene oxidation can be detected in ambient air using PTR-MS, and are indicative of concurrent SOA formation.",
"corpus_id": 8306081,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Dynamic neural control for a plasma etch process",
"abstract": "This paper presents results and commentary on using a cascade neural network and a policy-iteration optimization routine to provide suggested process setpoints for recovery from long-term machine drift in a LAM 4520 6-in dielectric etcher. Traditional plasma etch variables such as pressures, gas flows, temperatures, RF power, etc, are combined with a generalized representation of the time dependent effects of maintenance events to predict film etch rates, uniformity, and selectivity, A cascade neural-network model is developed using 15 months of data divided into train, test, and validation sets. The neural model both fits the validation data well and captures the nonuniformity in the in-control region of the machine. Two control algorithms use this model in a predictive configuration to identify input state changes, including maintenance events, to bring an out-of-control situation back into control. The overall goal of the optimization is to reduce equipment downtime and decrease cost of ownership of the tool by speeding up response time and extending the lifetime of consumable parts. The optimization routines were tested on 11 out-of-control situations and successfully suggested reasonable low-cost solutions to each for bringing the system back into control.",
"corpus_id": 2357745
} | {
"title": "A comparison of statistically-based and neural network models of plasma etch behavior",
"abstract": "A neural network modeling methodology is applied to the removal of polysilicon films by plasma etching. For a polysilicon etch in a CCl/sub 4//He/O/sub 4/ plasma, the etch rate, uniformity, and selectivity to both silicon dioxide and photoresist were modeled as a function of RF power, pressure, electrode spacing, and the three gas flows. Neural process models were subsequently compared to models derived by response surface methodology (RSM) for the same data. It was demonstrated that the neural models possess significantly superior performance. Furthermore, the derivation of accurate neural models was shown to require fewer training experiments. As a result, neural network modeling promises to be a faster, more efficient, and less expensive method of process characterization.<<ETX>>",
"corpus_id": 110611385
} | {
"title": "A Comparison of Discriminant Analysis versus Artificial Neural Networks",
"abstract": "Artificial Neural Network (ANN) techniques have recently been applied to many different fields and have demonstrated their capabilities in solving complex problems. In a business environment, the techniques have been applied to predict bond ratings and stock price performance. In these applications, ANN techniques outperformed widely-used multivariate statistical techniques. The purpose of this paper is to compare the ANN method with the Discriminant Analysis (DA) method in order to understand the merits of ANN that are responsible for the higher level of performance. The paper provides an overview of the basic concepts of ANN techniques in order to enhance the understanding of this emerging technique. The similarities and differences between ANN and DA techniques in representing their models are described. This study also proposes a method to overcome the limitations of the ANN approach, Finally, a case study using a data set in a business environment demonstrates the superiority of ANN over DA as a method of classification of observations.",
"corpus_id": 62561335,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Which supplements can I recommend to my osteoarthritis patients?",
"abstract": "OA is a chronic and disabling joint disease with limited evidence-based pharmacological treatment options available that improve outcomes for patients safely. Faced with few effective pharmacological treatments, the use has grown of dietary supplements and complementary medicines for symptomatic relief among people living with OA. The aim of this review is to provide a summary of existing evidence and recommendations supporting the use of supplements for OA. Systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials investigating oral supplements for treating OA were identified. Limited research evidence supports recommendations for the oral use of Boswellia serrata extract and Pycnogenol, curcumin and methylsulfonylmethane in people with OA despite the poor quality of the available studies. Few studies adequately reported possible adverse effects related to supplementation, although the products were generally recognized as safe. Further high quality trials are needed to improve the strength of evidence to support this recommendation and better guide optimal treatment of people living with OA.",
"corpus_id": 3688738
} | {
"title": "Efficacy and safety of avocado‐soybean unsaponifiables for the treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized placebo‐controlled trials",
"abstract": "We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis from randomized controlled trials to examine the efficacy and safety of avocado‐soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA).",
"corpus_id": 198131905
} | {
"title": "Rising demand for livestock products in India: nature, patterns and implications",
"abstract": "With a large population and recent growth in consumer income, India’s demand for food has increased. However, research continues to emphasise basic foods, and the demand for livestock products remains poorly understood. This study examines the demand for livestock products by Indian consumers using national sample survey data. The study shows that there has been a rapid rise in the demand for livestock products in India. Within the livestock products group, milk and milk products hold the dominant share. Our analysis further suggests that India’s rapid rise in the demand for livestock products may far outpace its domestic supply. Implications are discussed.",
"corpus_id": 153366950,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Identification of an immunosuppressive epitope of type II collagen that confers protection against collagen-induced arthritis",
"abstract": "We have previously reported that collagen-induced arthritis can be suppressed by intravenous injection of native type II (CII) but not type I collagen. We have now identified denatured fragments of CII capable of suppressing collagen-induced arthritis and inducing tolerance. Purified CII was cleaved with cyanogen bromide (CB), and the major resulting peptides were isolated. Female DBA/1 mice were administered OVA, native CII, or one of the CB peptides, intravenously, before immunization with native CII, 6 wk after immunization, mice tolerized with CII and CB11 had a markedly lower incidence of arthritis compared with controls. There was a correlation between the overall antibody response and the incidence of arthritis. In addition, animals tolerized with either CII or CB11 had a decreased antibody response not only to CII, but also to each of the other CB peptides tested. To identify the epitope involved in suppression of arthritis, five synthetic peptides, 21-26 amino acids in length, corresponding to selected regions of CB11, were generated. Each of the peptides was injected intravenously into mice before immunization. Only one of these, CB11 122-147, was capable of suppressing arthritis. In addition, mice given the synthetic peptide CB11 122-147 neonatally were suppressed for arthritis and antibody responsiveness when immunized with CII at 8 wk of age. Thus, we have identified CB11 122-147 as an epitope of CII important in induction of tolerance and suppression of disease. Further experiments narrowing down the pivotal amino acids for the immunogenicity of this epitope and the role this epitope plays in induction and regulation of disease will enhance our understanding of how the immune response to collagen affects autoimmune arthritis.",
"corpus_id": 223041
} | {
"title": "Fine specificity of regulatory T cells. II. Suppressor and helper T cells are induced by different regions of hen egg-white lysozyme in a genetically nonresponder mouse strain",
"abstract": "We have examined the ability of two purified peptide fragments derived from hen (chicken) egg-white lysozyme (HEL); N-terminal, Co-terminal peptide (a.a. 1--17:cys 6--cys 127:120--129) and mixed disulfide LII peptide (LII) (a.a. 13--105) to induce antigen-specific suppression or help in B10 (H-2b) nonresponder and B10.A (H-2a) responder mice. An anti-HEL primary in vitro antibody response can be obtained in either strain by stimulation with HEL coupled to erythrocytes (RBC). Preimmunization with HEL-complete Freund's adjuvant-(CFA) or N-C-CFA- induced suppression of the anti-HEL PFC response to HEL-RBC in spleen cell cultures from B10 mice, whereas helper activity was demonstrated in cultures from B10.A mice similarly immunized. LII-CFA priming elicited helper cells in both C57BL/10 Sn (B10) and B10.A/SgSn (B10.A) mice. The genetic nonresponsiveness of B10 mice to HEL can therefore be attributed to the activation of suppressor T cells by a limited portion of the molecule (e.g., N-C) which prevent the potential response directed against other epitopes on the same molecule (e.g., LII). One manifestation of major histocompatibility complex gene activity appears to be the intramolecular selection of different antigenic determinants leading to activation of functionally different T-cell subpopulations.",
"corpus_id": 13348408
} | {
"title": "MicroRNAs, Aging, Cellular Senescence, and Alzheimer's Disease.",
"abstract": "Aging is a normal process of living being. It has been reported that multiple cellular changes, including oxidative damage/mitochondrial dysfunction, telomere shortening, inflammation, may accelerate the aging process, leading to cellular senescence. These cellular changes induce age-related human diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cardiovascular, cancer, and skin diseases. Changes in somatic and germ-line DNA and epigenetics are reported to play large roles in accelerating the onset of human diseases. Cellular mechanisms of aging and age-related diseases are not completely understood. However, recent discoveries in molecular biology have revealed that microRNAs (miRNAs) are potential indicators of aging, cellular senescence, and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The purpose of our chapter is to highlight recent advancements in miRNAs and their involvement in cellular changes in aging, cellular senescence, and AD. This chapter also critically evaluates miRNA-based therapeutic drug targets for aging and age-related diseases, particularly Alzheimer's.",
"corpus_id": 3867698,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Motives underlying smoking in college students with ADHD",
"abstract": "ABSTRACT Background. The positive association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and smoking in youth has been well documented. Less research has examined why individuals with ADHD, particularly college students, are at increased risk for smoking. Objectives. This longitudinal study examined whether smoking motives [cognitive enhancement, tolerance, negative reinforcement (smoking to reduce negative affect or stress), craving, social influences, and weight control] helped to explain the relation between ADHD symptoms (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity) and cigarette smoking among college students. Methods. Participants were 889 undergraduates (21% men) and their parents who completed online surveys at the beginning and end of the Fall semester regarding their smoking behaviors, ADHD symptoms, and smoking motives. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data and answer research questions. Results. Nineteen percent of students reported smoking, while 20% reported one or more inattentive symptoms, 35% reported one or more hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, and 3.3% met criteria for ADHD. All smoking motives significantly moderated the relation between inattentive symptoms and smoking, while most smoking motives (negative reinforcement, tolerance, craving, cognitive enhancement, and weight control) moderated the link between hyperactive/impulsive symptoms and smoking. Results remained significant after controlling for stimulant medication use and conduct disorder symptoms. Conclusions/Importance. Addressing negative reinforcement, craving, social influences, and tolerance in prevention and intervention efforts on college campuses may reduce smoking. Results also highlight the importance of assessing a range of ADHD symptoms in college students as ADHD symptoms, even at subthreshold levels, were associated with increased smoking rates among college students.",
"corpus_id": 4406440
} | {
"title": "Association between smoking and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in a population-based sample of young adults.",
"abstract": "CONTEXT\nAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with increased risk of smoking, and some studies have suggested that inattentive symptoms specifically may underlie this risk. Few studies, however, have examined ADHD symptoms in nonclinical samples to determine the extent to which the number of symptoms-independent of the full diagnosis-confer risk for smoking-related outcomes.\n\n\nOBJECTIVE\nTo evaluate the relation between smoking-related variables and the number of retrospectively reported ADHD inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms in a population-based sample of young adults.\n\n\nDESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS\nThe study population consists of 15 197 eligible participants from wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative sample of adolescents followed from 1995 to 2002.\n\n\nMAIN OUTCOME MEASURES\nLogistic regression was used to examine the relation between self-reported ADHD symptoms and the lifetime likelihood of being a regular smoker, defined by having smoked at least 1 cigarette a day for 30 days. For individuals reporting regular smoking, we also examined the extent to which ADHD symptoms predicted age at onset of regular smoking and number of cigarettes smoked.\n\n\nRESULTS\nA linear relation was identified between the number of self-reported inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms and smoking outcome measures (P<.001 for each symptom domain). Controlling for demographic and conduct disorder symptoms, each reported inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptom significantly increased the likelihood of ever regular smoking (odds ratio [OR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-1.14 and OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.13-1.19, respectively). For those reporting lifetime regular smoking, reported symptoms decreased the estimated age at onset and increased the number of cigarettes smoked.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nSelf-reported ADHD symptoms were found to be associated with adult smoking outcome variables in this nationally representative sample, providing further evidence of a likely link between ADHD symptoms and risk for tobacco use.",
"corpus_id": 19104706
} | {
"title": "Evaluation of Analyses of Univariate Discrete Twin Data",
"abstract": "Akiake's Information Criterion (AIC) is commonly used in univariate twin modeling of a discrete trait to prune a full model into a more parsimonious submodel. It is possible that this practice could introduce bias and inaccuracy, and we could identify no prior systematic study of these issues. Thus, we used simulation to investigate the performance of AIC-guided modeling across a broad range of parameters. Our simulations indicated that the use of the AIC to determine the “best” univariate model for a discrete trait tended to yield the incorrect model rather frequently. Moreover the parameter estimates of the “best” model by AIC were biased sharply upward as were the associated 95% confidence intervals. These results suggest that the use of AIC to guide twin modeling for univariate discrete traits should either be abandoned or used with great caution.",
"corpus_id": 37275547,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "The Digital Divide and Economic Opportunity: Does Internet Use Matter for Less-Skilled Workers",
"abstract": "Karen Mossberger, University of Illinois at Chicago mossberg@uic.edu312.413.8246 Caroline Tolbert, University of Iowa Caroline-tolbert@uiowa.edu 319.335.2358 Kimberly Johns, University of Illinois at Chicago kjohns39@uic.edu Bridgett King, Kent State University bking@kent.edu Prepared for delivery at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, August 30-September 3, 2006. Copyright by the American Political Science Association.",
"corpus_id": 153547923
} | {
"title": "Explaining the Growing Inequality in Wages Across Skill Levels",
"abstract": "This article investigates two prominent explanations--technology and trade--for growing wage inequality by educational attainment. The analysis indicates a prominent role for technological improvements and a modest but still significant role for increased competition from imports.",
"corpus_id": 16577699
} | {
"title": "The Internationalization of the U.S. Labor Market and the Wage Structure",
"abstract": "The increasing internationalization of the U.S. labor market has had important effects on the wage structure. Immigration has probably increased wage inequality because recent immigrant waves tend to be less skilled than earlier waves. Growing trade deficits in durable goods have also increased wage inequality by reducing the relatively high wages of less-skilled workers in these industries and by displacing workers from them.",
"corpus_id": 2271806,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Investigation of Self-Assembly Processes for Chitosan-Based Coagulant-Flocculant Systems: A Mini-Review",
"abstract": "The presence of contaminants in wastewater poses significant challenges to water treatment processes and environmental remediation. The use of coagulation-flocculation represents a facile and efficient way of removing charged particles from water. The formation of stable colloidal flocs is necessary for floc aggregation and, hence, their subsequent removal. Aggregation occurs when these flocs form extended networks through the self-assembly of polyelectrolytes, such as the amine-based polysaccharide (chitosan), which form polymer “bridges” in a floc network. The aim of this overview is to evaluate how the self-assembly process of chitosan and its derivatives is influenced by factors related to the morphology of chitosan (flocculant) and the role of the solution conditions in the flocculation properties of chitosan and its modified forms. Chitosan has been used alone or in conjunction with a salt, such as aluminum sulphate, as an aid for the removal of various waterborne contaminants. Modified chitosan relates to grafted anionic or cationic groups onto the C-6 hydroxyl group or the amine group at C-2 on the glucosamine monomer of chitosan. By varying the parameters, such as molecular weight and the degree of deacetylation of chitosan, pH, reaction and settling time, dosage and temperature, self-assembly can be further investigated. This mini-review places an emphasis on the molecular-level details of the flocculation and the self-assembly processes for the marine-based biopolymer, chitosan.",
"corpus_id": 6595415
} | {
"title": "Microwave assisted synthesis and characterization of a novel bio-based flocculant from dextran and chitosan.",
"abstract": "Polysaccharide-modified flocculants as natural polymeric flocculants are receiving increased attention in the field of water treatment. In this study, a novel high-efficiency and ecofriendly flocculant was synthesized using dextran and chitosan. The flocculant-production method was based on a microwave-heating-initiated graft reaction. Results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the grafting was successful. The influences of temperature, flocculant dosage, and pH on flocculation efficiency were investigated. Results indicated that 93.6% of the kaolin solid suspended particles were removed by the flocculant. Previous studies on the flocculation mechanism have shown that flocculation comprises adsorption bridging, charge neutralization, and sweeping flocculation. All these findings indicated the broad prospects of the improved dextran in treating industrial wastewater and developing novel high-performance flocculants.",
"corpus_id": 85455466
} | {
"title": "Coulomb correlation and magnetic ordering in double-layered manganites: LaSr2Mn2O7",
"abstract": "Abstract A detailed study of the electronic structure and magnetic configurations of the 50% hole-doped double-layered manganite LaSr 2 Mn 2 O 7 is presented. We demonstrate that the on-site Coulomb correlation ( U ) of Mn d electrons (i) significantly modifies the electronic structure, magnetic ordering (from FM to AFM), and interlayer exchange interactions, and (ii) promotes strong anisotropy in electrical transport, reducing the effective hopping parameter along the c -axis for electrically active e g electrons. This finding is consistent with observations of anisotropic transport—a property which sets this manganite apart from conventional 3D systems. A half-metallic band structure is predicted with both the LSDA and LSDA+U methods. The experimentally observed A-type AFM ordering in LaSr 2 Mn 2 O 7 is found to be energetically more favorable with U ⩾7 eV. A simple interpretation of interlayer exchange coupling is given within double and super-exchange mechanisms based on the dependencies on U of the effective exchange parameters and e g state sub-band widths.",
"corpus_id": 12381406,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Balance of care considerations for elderly persons: dependency, placement and opportunity costs",
"abstract": "This paper is primarily an investigation of two distinct groups of eldely persons deemed by the appropriate health professional to be on the margins of domiciliary care and institutional care respectively. One group of elderly live at home but are on the margin of institutional care. The other group are in a long-stay institution but could, under some circumstances, be cared for at home in the community. The formal and informal costs of care are enumerated, measured and valued using an opportunity cost methodology. The dependency characteristics of the elderly persons are also examined while factors that determine their current placement are explored using a logit model.",
"corpus_id": 153671099
} | {
"title": "Caring and Disability in Long-Stay Institutions",
"abstract": "The paper investigates the empirical relationship between the dependency characteristics of elderly residents and the amount of care provided by health care professionals in a selected number of long-stay institutions in Ireland. The results confirm a positive, if not always significant, re;ationship between care provision and increasing dependency on a Guttman, activities of daily living-based scale of disability. The relationship between care provision and increasing severity on other dimensions of disability is not always positive. Type of institution also influences the provision of care hours by category of dependency.",
"corpus_id": 58923380
} | {
"title": "Make up your mind about food: A healthy mindset attenuates attention for high-calorie food in restrained eaters",
"abstract": "Attention bias for food could be a cognitive pathway to overeating in obesity and restrained eating. Yet, empirical evidence for individual differences (e.g., in restrained eating and body mass index) in attention bias for food is mixed. We tested experimentally if temporarily induced health versus palatability mindsets influenced attention bias for food, and whether restrained eating moderated this relation. After manipulating mindset (health vs. palatability) experimentally, food-related attention bias was measured by eye-movements (EM) and response latencies (RL) during a visual probe task depicting high-calorie food and non-food. Restrained eating was assessed afterwards. A significant interaction of mindset and restrained eating on RL bias emerged, β = 0.36, t(58) = 2.05, p = 0.045: A health mindset - as compared to a palatability mindset - attenuated attention bias for high-caloric food only in participants with higher eating restraint. No effects were observed on EM biases. The current results demonstrate that state differences in health versus palatability mindsets can cause attenuated attention bias for high-calorie food cues in participants with higher eating restraint. Our findings add to emerging evidence that state differences in mindsets can bias attention for food, above the influence of trait differences.",
"corpus_id": 3627623,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Hypersonic Flow over a Cylinder with a Nanosecond Pulse Electrical Discharge",
"abstract": "A computational study of Mach 5 airflow over a cylinder with a dielectric barrier discharge actuator was performed. The actuator was pulsed at nanosecond time scales and it rapidly added thermal energy to the flow, creating a shock wave that traveled away from the pulse source. As the shock wave traveled upstream, it interacted with the standing bow shock, and temporarily increased the bow shock standoff distance. This phenomenon was also observed experimentally through phase-locked schlieren photography. This paper aims to reproduce flow phenomena observed in the experiment using high-fidelity computations in order to provide additional insight into the shock–shock interaction, and subsequent effect on the cylinder, through a reduced-order phenomenological model of the actuator. A three-dimensional simulation of the experiment was able to accurately capture the complex cylinder/tunnel-sidewall interaction, and to replicate the changes in the flow produced by the nanosecond dielectric barrier discharge. T...",
"corpus_id": 11633998
} | {
"title": "Joule heating flow control methods for high-speed flows",
"abstract": "Joule heating is the generation of heat by the passage of current through a conductor. This is a review of a group of flow control methods that employ Joule heating to do so and can collectively be called energy deposition flow control methods. The energy deposition flow control methods discussed are surface plasma actuators, laser energy deposition and microwave generated plasma. These type of actuation methods are of particular interest for applications to high-speed flows. Conventional, mechanical actuation methods can be problematic in supersonic/hypersonic use as they require large forces to move and do not have fast enough response times depending on the application. Energy depositing actuators overcome these two problems as they have no moving parts and the response times can be in nanoseconds. This promising application to high-speed flows is one of the main driving factors behind the research in energy deposition flow control technologies. This review brings together the fundamental physics behind the operation of such methods. Both the fundamental characteristics of the flow control methods as well as the experience of their applications in high-speed flows is covered. A brief discussion of potential areas that require further study for each type of actuator/technique is also provided. Finally, a discussion of the possible future applications of energy deposition flow control methods is presented.",
"corpus_id": 42782970
} | {
"title": "Flow Control with Electrohydrodynamic Actuators",
"abstract": "Theabilityofanelectrohydrodynamicactuatortomodifythecharacteristicsofa e owovera e atplateisanalyzed. Thedeviceconsidered usese ush-mounted electrodes and a dcpowersupply to createa plasma sheeton thesurface of the plate. We analyze the mechanism of formation of this plasma sheet, which has some similarities with the phenomenon of streamer formation. Experimental results are presented concerning e ow visualizations obtained at low e ow velocities (o 1 m/s) and velocity e elds obtained with a particle image velocimetry technique for higher e ow velocities (range 11.0-17.5 m/s). These results show that the discharge can induce an important acceleration of the e ow close to the surface. ORONAS are self-sustaining discharges characterized by a strong inhomogeneity of the electric e eld cone guration and electrodes having a low curvature radius. This cone guration cone nes the ionization process to regions close to the high-e eld electrodes. Thus, in this phenomenon, there are active electrodes, surrounded by ionization regions where free charges are created, a low-e eld drift region where charged particles drift and react, and low-e eld passive electrodes. Coronas can be unipolar or bipolar if oneorbothelectrodesareactiveelectrodes.Bipolarcoronascanlead to the formation of streamers, weakly conducting plasma e laments extending from one electrode and carrying their own ionization re- gion ahead of themselves. Positive streamers are cathode directed and negative streamers anode directed. The physics of corona discharge occurring in a gas close to an insulating surfacehasnotbeen as widely studied as coronaswithout anyextraneousbodiesinthevicinityofthedischarge. 1;2 Becausethe discharge involves the movement of ions as well as a large amount of neutral particles, this situation becomes of special interest in aerodynamics for e ow and instabilities control. The induced e uid motion is usually called electroconvection or sometimeselectricwind.Coulombianelectroconvectiontakesplace ifthecoulombianforcesactingonthee uidparticlesarepredominant in relation to the polarization ones. This is usually the case when the e uid medium is air. The way the electric forces act on e uid particles may be explained by considering that ions in their drift motion from one electrode to the other will exchange momentum with the neutral e uid particles and induce their movement. Because currents involved in the process are so lowthat magnetic effects can be disregarded the phenomenon is described by the set of equations used in electrohydrodynamics (EHD) problems.",
"corpus_id": 120799403,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Ionic mechanisms mediating oscillatory membrane potentials in wide-field retinal amacrine cells.",
"abstract": "Particular types of amacrine cells of the vertebrate retina show oscillatory membrane potentials (OMPs) in response to light stimulation. Historically it has been thought the oscillations arose as a result of circuit properties. In a previous study we found that in some amacrine cells, the ability to oscillate was an intrinsic property of the cell. Here we characterized the ionic mechanisms responsible for the oscillations in wide-field amacrine cells (WFACs) in an effort to better understand the functional properties of the cell. The OMPs were found to be calcium (Ca2+) dependent; blocking voltage-gated Ca2+ channels eliminated the oscillations, whereas elevating extracellular Ca2+ enhanced them. Strong intracellular Ca2+ buffering (10 mM EGTA or bis-(o-aminophenoxy)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid) eliminated any attenuation in the OMPs as well as a Ca2+-dependent inactivation of the voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Pharmacological and immunohistochemical characterization revealed that WFACs express L- and N-type voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels. Block of the L-type channels eliminated the OMPs, but omega-conotoxin GVIA did not, suggesting a different function for the N-type channels. The L-type channels in WFACs are functionally coupled to a set of calcium-dependent potassium (K(Ca)) channels to mediate OMPs. The initiation of OMPs depended on penitrem-A-sensitive (BK) K(Ca) channels, whereas their duration is under apamin-sensitive (SK) K(Ca) channel control. The Ca2+ current is essential to evoke the OMPs and triggering the K(Ca) currents, which here act as resonant currents, enhances the resonance as an amplifying current, influences the filtering characteristics of the cell membrane, and attenuates the OMPs via CDI of the L-type Ca2+ channel.",
"corpus_id": 3096941
} | {
"title": "Membrane Resonance in Bursting Pacemaker Neurons of an Oscillatory Network Is Correlated with Network Frequency",
"abstract": "Network oscillations typically span a limited range of frequency. In pacemaker-driven networks, including many central pattern generators (CPGs), this frequency range is determined by the properties of bursting pacemaker neurons and their synaptic connections; thus, factors that affect the burst frequency of pacemaker neurons should play a role in determining the network frequency. We examine the role of membrane resonance of pacemaker neurons on the network frequency in the crab pyloric CPG. The pyloric oscillations (frequency of ∼1 Hz) are generated by a group of pacemaker neurons: the anterior burster (AB) and the pyloric dilator (PD). We examine the impedance profiles of the AB and PD neurons in response to sinusoidal current injections with varying frequency and find that both neuron types exhibit membrane resonance, i.e., demonstrate maximal impedance at a given preferred frequency. The membrane resonance frequencies of the AB and PD neurons fall within the range of the pyloric network oscillation frequency. Experiments with pharmacological blockers and computational modeling show that both calcium currents ICa and the hyperpolarization-activated inward current Ih are important in producing the membrane resonance in these neurons. We then demonstrate that both the membrane resonance frequency of the PD neuron and its suprathreshold bursting frequency can be shifted in the same direction by either direct current injection or by using the dynamic-clamp technique to inject artificial conductances for Ih or ICa. Together, these results suggest that membrane resonance of pacemaker neurons can be strongly correlated with the CPG oscillation frequency.",
"corpus_id": 8365674
} | {
"title": "Detection of hepatitis B virus core antigen by phage display mediated TaqMan real-time immuno-PCR.",
"abstract": "The core antigen (HBcAg) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the markers for the identification of the viral infection. The main purpose of this study was to develop a TaqMan real-time detection assay based on the concept of phage display mediated immuno-PCR (PD-IPCR) for the detection of HBcAg. PD-IPCR combines the advantages of immuno-PCR (IPCR) and phage display technology. IPCR integrates the versatility of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with the sensitivity and signal generation power of PCR. Whereas, phage display technology exploits the physical association between the displayed peptide and the encoding DNA within the same phage particle. In this study, a constrained peptide displayed on the surface of an M13 recombinant bacteriophage that interacts tightly with HBcAg was applied as a diagnostic reagent in IPCR. The phage displayed peptide and its encoding DNA can be used to replace monoclonal antibody (mAb) and chemically bound DNA, respectively. This method is able to detect as low as 10ng of HBcAg with 10(8)pfu/ml of the recombinant phage which is about 10,000 times more sensitive than the phage-ELISA. The PD-IPCR provides an alternative means for the detection of HBcAg in human serum samples.",
"corpus_id": 24398187,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Study of the participation of MMP-7, EMMPRIN and cyclophilin A in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease.",
"abstract": "BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE\nPeriodontal disease is an infectious disease resulting from the immunoinflammatory response of the host to microorganisms present in the dental biofilm which causes tissue destruction. The objective of this study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP-7), extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) and cyclophilin A (CypA) in periodontal disease.\n\n\nDESIGN\nGingival tissue samples were divided as follows: clinically healthy gingiva (n=32), biofilm-induced gingivitis (n=28), and chronic periodontitis (n=30). Histological sections of 3μm were submitted to immunoperoxidase method and undergone quantitative analysis. The results were analyzed statistically by the Mann-Whitney and Spearman correlation tests, with the level of significance set at 0.05 (α=0.05).\n\n\nRESULTS\nImmunopositivity for MMP-7, EMMPRIN and CypA differed significantly between the three groups, with higher percentages of staining in chronic periodontitis specimens, followed by chronic gingivitis and healthy gingiva specimens (p<0.05). Immunoexpression of CypA and MMP-7 was higher in the intense inflammatory infiltrate observed mainly in cases of periodontitis (p<0.05). CypA expression was positively correlated with MMP-7 (r=0.831; p<0.001) and EMMPRIN (r=0.289; p=0.006). In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between probing depth and expression of MMP-7 (r=0.726; p<0.001), EMMPRIN (r=0.345; p=0.001), and CypA (r=0.803; p<0.001).\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nThese results suggest that MMP-7, EMMPRIN and CypA are associated with the pathogenesis and progression of periodontal disease.",
"corpus_id": 396335
} | {
"title": "Cyclophilin–CD147 interactions: a new target for anti-inflammatory therapeutics",
"abstract": "CD147 is a widely expressed plasma membrane protein that has been implicated in a variety of physiological and pathological activities. It is best known for its ability to function as extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (hence the other name for this protein, EMMPRIN), but has also been shown to regulate lymphocyte responsiveness, monocarboxylate transporter expression and spermatogenesis. These functions reflect multiple interacting partners of CD147. Among these CD147‐interacting proteins cyclophilins represent a particularly interesting class, both in terms of structural considerations and potential medical implications. CD147 has been shown to function as a signalling receptor for extracellular cyclophilins A and B and to mediate chemotactic activity of cyclophilins towards a variety of immune cells. Recent studies using in vitro and in vivo models have demonstrated a role for cyclophilin–CD147 interactions in the regulation of inflammatory responses in a number of diseases, including acute lung inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease. Agents targeting either CD147 or cyclophilin activity showed significant anti‐inflammatory effects in experimental models, suggesting CD147–cyclophilin interactions may be a good target for new anti‐inflammatory therapeutics. Here, we review the recent literature on different aspects of cyclophilin–CD147 interactions and their role in inflammatory diseases.",
"corpus_id": 24378622
} | {
"title": "EMMPRIN mediates beta-adrenergic receptor-stimulated matrix metalloproteinase activity in cardiac myocytes.",
"abstract": "Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) expression is increased in myocardium from patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and animal models of heart failure. However, little is known about the regulated expression or functional role of EMMPRIN in the myocardium. In rat cardiac cells, EMMPRIN is expressed on myocytes but not endothelial cells or fibroblasts. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that EMMPRIN expression regulates matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in rat ventricular myocytes in vitro. In adult rat ventricular myocytes (ARVM), beta-adrenergic receptor (betaAR) stimulation and H(2)O(2) (24 h) each increased EMMPRIN expression as assessed by immunoblotting. Pretreatment with a catalase/superoxide dismutase mimetic or adenoviral-mediated expression of catalase or a dominant-negative c-jun N-terminal kinase-1 (JNK) mutant inhibited the betaAR- and H(2)O(2)-stimulated increases in EMMPRIN expression suggesting that EMMPRIN expression is regulated via a reactive oxygen species-dependent JNK pathway. To determine whether EMMPRIN expression regulates matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity, EMMPRIN activity was inhibited by adenoviral expression of an inhibitory mutant of EMMPRIN. Expression of mutant EMMPRIN inhibited the betaAR-stimulated increases in MMP2 expression and zymographic MMP activity. Thus, in cardiac myocytes betaAR stimulation induces the expression of EMMPRIN via the ROS-dependent activation of JNK. The resulting increase in EMMPRIN activity stimulates MMP expression and activity. These findings suggest that in the myocardium the regulated expression of EMMPRIN is a determinant of MMP activity and may thus play a role in myocardial remodeling.",
"corpus_id": 6295676,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Robust speech interaction in a mobile environment through the use of multiple and different media input types",
"abstract": "Mobile and outdoor environments have long been out of \nreach for speech engines due to the performance limitations \nthat were associated with portable devices, and the \ndifficulties of processing speech in high-noise areas. This \npaper outlines an architecture for attaining robust speech \nrecognition rates in a mobile pedestrian indoor/outdoor \nnavigation environment, through the use of a media fusion \nknowledge component.",
"corpus_id": 452434
} | {
"title": "Dynamic Product Interfaces: A Key Element for Ambient Shopping Environments",
"abstract": "By embedding information technologies into tangible products a new class of products is created that we call smart products. Smart products use product information in product-centered communication with users. Communication of smart products is handled by dynamic product interfaces. We present a model for QA-based dynamic product interfaces and its implementation DyPI. It is based on a schema-driven question-and-answer approach for Natural Language understanding and generation. Product information is described by web-based semantic representation formats that are stored in distributed repositories. Communication between smart products and users are run on a dedicated middleware (Tip „n Tell) that supports user interactions with products by wireless, RFID-based infrastructures and manages requests on product information.",
"corpus_id": 5229690
} | {
"title": "Integration themes in multimodal human-computer interaction",
"abstract": "This research examines how people integrate spoken and written input during multimodal human-computer interaction. Three studies used a semi-automatic simulation technique to collect data on people's free use of spoken and written input. Within-subject repeated-measures studies were designed, with data analyzed from 44 subjects and 240 tasks. The primary factors that govern people's selection to write versus speak at given points during a human-computer exchange were evaluated. Analyses revealed that people write digits more often than textual content, and proper names more often than other text. A form-based presentation, in comparison with an unconstrained format, also increased the likelihood of writing. However, the most in uential factor in patterning people's integrated use of speech and writing is contrastive functionality, or the use of spoken and written input in a contrastive way to designate a shift in content or functionality, such as original versus corrected input, data versus command, and digits versus text. Di erent patterns of contrastive mode use accounted for approximately 57% of the integrated pen/voice use observed in these studies. Information also is summarized on preferential mode use, and simultaneity of pen/voice input. One long-term goal of this research is the development of quantitative predictive models of natural modality integration, which could provide guidance on the strategic design of robust multimodal systems.",
"corpus_id": 14700633,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Software Engineering Process in Web Application Development",
"abstract": "The methods used for the development of conventional software engineering models cannot be used directly for the development of web based applications. This paper identifies and analyses the various adaptations required in the conventional models to make them applicable for the development of web based applications.",
"corpus_id": 112150
} | {
"title": "Process Models in Software Engineering",
"abstract": "Software systems come and go through a series of passages that account for their inception, initial development, productive operation, upkeep, and retirement from one generation to another. This article categorizes and examines a number of methods for describing or modeling how software systems are developed. It begins with background and definitions of traditional software life-cycle models that dominate most textbook discussions and current software development practices. This is followed by a more comprehensive review of the alternative models of software evolution that are of current use as the basis for organizing software engineering projects and technologies. \n \n \nKeywords: \n \nsoftware process model; \ndefinition; \nsoftware life-cycle models; \ndevelopment models; \nproduction process models",
"corpus_id": 2593377
} | {
"title": "A hypertext system to manage software life-cycle documents",
"abstract": "The Documents Integration Facility, an environment based on objects and relationships between objects that was constructed for the development, use, and maintenance of large-scale systems and their life-cycle documents, is presented. DIF helps integrate and manage the documents produced and used throughout the life cycle: requirements specifications, functional specifications, architectural designs (structural specifications), detailed designs, source code, testing information, and user and maintenance manuals. DIF supports information management in large systems where there is much natural-language text. The documentation method used by DIF and DIF's structure are described. How DIF is used is discussed, and the DIF environment is examined. Issues that were encountered in the design of DIF are considered.<<ETX>>",
"corpus_id": 6552062,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Domain-specific templates for refinement transformations",
"abstract": "Model transformations are a major instrument of model-driven software development. Especially in declarative transformation approaches, the structuring of transformations depends to a large extent on the structure of the source models and the generated artefacts. In many cases, similar code is written for transformations that deal with the same source or target metamodel. Writing such transformations can be simplified significantly if re-occurring parts within the transformation rules can be specified in a reusable way. Current approaches to transformation development include means for transformation reuse as well as inheritance. However, modularisation along the boundaries of different parts of domain metamodels is still lacking. Furthermore, the possibilities to reuse transformation fragments that re-occur in multiple transformations is limited. In this paper, we introduce domain-specific templates for refinement transformations with well-defined variation points. Transformation templates are based on known design patterns and enable a modular specification of refinement transformations and thus yield a simpler definition of transformations that can be grasped more easily and developed more efficiently. In addition, we present a real-world case study of transformation templates in the context of component based software architectures. The case study gives insight into the application of the presented approach.",
"corpus_id": 1780682
} | {
"title": "Model Based Development with the Skeleton Design Method",
"abstract": "In the template design method, an algorithm is defined in abstract terms. The template can then be used to create various subclasses to override that abstract behavior. This paper discusses a way in which the template method can be extended to the generation of software artifacts from models. Specifically, this new method will be an amalgam of techniques for applying template design concepts to modeling. This extended method is referred to as the skeleton method and has two major sub- methodologies that compose it. First, skeleton files are created to represent the end artifacts of the modeling language. Second, an interpreter template can be constructed from which language interpreters can be derived. As such, the modeling language can be easily extended to generate software for new programming languages or for new third party middleware. This paper presents two modeling languages which use the skeleton method for model based development.",
"corpus_id": 9195492
} | {
"title": "A novel performance criterion approach to optimum design of PID controller using cuckoo search algorithm for AVR system",
"abstract": "Abstract This article presents a novel tuning design of Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller in the Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) system by using Cuckoo Search (CS) algorithm with a new time domain performance criterion. This performance criterion was chosen to minimize the maximum overshoot, rise time, settling time and steady state error of the terminal voltage. In order to compare CS with other evolutionary algorithms, the proposed objective function was used in Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithms for PID design of the AVR system. The performance of the proposed CS based PID controller was compared to the PID controllers tuned by the different evolutionary algorithms using various objective functions proposed in the literature. Dynamic response and a frequency response of the proposed CS based PID controller were examined in detail. Moreover, the disturbance rejection and robustness performance of the tuned controller against parametric uncertainties were obtained, separately. Energy consumptions of the proposed PID controller and the PID controllers tuned by the PSO and ABC algorithms were analyzed thoroughly. Extensive simulation results demonstrate that the CS based PID controller has better control performance in comparison with other PID controllers tuned by the PSO and ABC algorithms. Furthermore, the proposed objective function remarkably improves the PID tuning optimization technique.",
"corpus_id": 52056296,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Towards foveated rendering for gaze-tracked virtual reality",
"abstract": "Foveated rendering synthesizes images with progressively less detail outside the eye fixation region, potentially unlocking significant speedups for wide field-of-view displays, such as head mounted displays, where target framerate and resolution is increasing faster than the performance of traditional real-time renderers. To study and improve potential gains, we designed a foveated rendering user study to evaluate the perceptual abilities of human peripheral vision when viewing today's displays. We determined that filtering peripheral regions reduces contrast, inducing a sense of tunnel vision. When applying a postprocess contrast enhancement, subjects tolerated up to 2× larger blur radius before detecting differences from a non-foveated ground truth. After verifying these insights on both desktop and head mounted displays augmented with high-speed gaze-tracking, we designed a perceptual target image to strive for when engineering a production foveated renderer. Given our perceptual target, we designed a practical foveated rendering system that reduces number of shades by up to 70% and allows coarsened shading up to 30° closer to the fovea than Guenter et al. [2012] without introducing perceivable aliasing or blur. We filter both pre- and post-shading to address aliasing from undersampling in the periphery, introduce a novel multiresolution- and saccade-aware temporal antialising algorithm, and use contrast enhancement to help recover peripheral details that are resolvable by our eye but degraded by filtering. We validate our system by performing another user study. Frequency analysis shows our system closely matches our perceptual target. Measurements of temporal stability show we obtain quality similar to temporally filtered non-foveated renderings.",
"corpus_id": 17614452
} | {
"title": "Wide Field Of View Varifocal Near-Eye Display Using See-Through Deformable Membrane Mirrors",
"abstract": "Accommodative depth cues, a wide field of view, and ever-higher resolutions all present major hardware design challenges for near-eye displays. Optimizing a design to overcome one of these challenges typically leads to a trade-off in the others. We tackle this problem by introducing an all-in-one solution — a new wide field of view, gaze-tracked near-eye display for augmented reality applications. The key component of our solution is the use of a single see-through, varifocal deformable membrane mirror for each eye reflecting a display. They are controlled by airtight cavities and change the effective focal power to present a virtual image at a target depth plane which is determined by the gaze tracker. The benefits of using the membranes include wide field of view (100° diagonal) and fast depth switching (from 20 cm to infinity within 300 ms). Our subjective experiment verifies the prototype and demonstrates its potential benefits for near-eye see-through displays.",
"corpus_id": 12919287
} | {
"title": "A Survey of Data Semantization in Internet of Things",
"abstract": "With the development of Internet of Things (IoT), more and more sensors, actuators and mobile devices have been deployed into our daily lives. The result is that tremendous data are produced and it is urgent to dig out hidden information behind these volumous data. However, IoT data generated by multi-modal sensors or devices show great differences in formats, domains and types, which poses challenges for machines to process and understand. Therefore, adding semantics to Internet of Things becomes an overwhelming tendency. This paper provides a systematic review of data semantization in IoT, including its backgrounds, processing flows, prevalent techniques, applications, existing challenges and open issues. It surveys development status of adding semantics to IoT data, mainly referring to sensor data and points out current issues and challenges that are worth further study.",
"corpus_id": 3271705,
"score": -1
} |
{
"title": "Acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase promotes oxidized LDL/oxysterol-induced apoptosis in macrophages Published, JLR Papers in Press, July 1, 2005. DOI 10.1194/jlr.M500101-JLR200",
"abstract": "7-Ketocholesterol (7KC) is a cytotoxic component of oxidized low density lipoproteins (OxLDLs) and induces apoptosis in macrophages by a mechanism involving the activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2). In the current study, we examined the role of ACAT in 7KC-induced and OxLDL-induced apoptosis in murine macrophages. An ACAT inhibitor, Sandoz 58-035, suppressed 7KC-induced apoptosis in P388D1 cells and both 7KC-induced and OxLDL-induced apoptosis in mouse peritoneal macrophages (MPMs). Furthermore, compared with wild-type MPMs, ACAT-1-deficient MPMs demonstrated significant resistance to both 7KC-induced and OxLDL-induced apoptosis. Macrophages treated with 7KC accumulated ACAT-derived [14C]cholesteryl and [3H]7-ketocholesteryl esters. Tandem LC-MS revealed that the 7KC esters contained primarily saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. An inhibitor of cPLA2, arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone, prevented the accumulation of 7KC esters and inhibited 7KC-induced apoptosis in P388D1 cells. The decrease in 7KC ester accumulation produced by the inhibition of cPLA2 was reversed by supplementing with either oleic or arachidonic acid (AA); however, only AA supplementation restored the induction of apoptosis by 7KC. These results suggest that 7KC not only initiates the apoptosis pathway by activating cPLA2, as we have reported previously, but also participates in the downstream signaling pathway when esterified by ACAT to form 7KC-arachidonate.",
"corpus_id": 847558
} | {
"title": "Oxidized LDL activates phospholipase A2 to supply fatty acids required for cholesterol esterification Published, JLR Papers in Press, June 1, 2003. DOI 10.1194/jlr.M300012-JLR200",
"abstract": "We examined the roles of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in oxidized LDL (oxLDL)-induced cholesteryl ester formation in macrophages. In [3H]oleic acid-labeled RAW264.7 cells and mouse peritoneal macrophages, oxLDL induced [3H]cholesteryl oleate formation with an increase in free [3H]oleic acid and a decrease in [3H]phosphatidylcholine. The changes in these lipids were suppressed by methyl arachidonyl fluorophosphonate (MAFP), a cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) inhibitor. However, MAFP had no effect on the ACAT activity or the binding and/or uptake of oxLDL. Stimulation with oxLDL in the presence of [3H]cholesterol increased [3H]cholesteryl ester bearing fatty acyl chains derived from cellular and/or exogenous (oxLDL) lipids. The formation of cholesteryl ester under this condition was also inhibited by MAFP, and the inhibitory effect was reversed by adding oleic acid. While oxLDL did not affect the activity or amounts of cPLA2, preincubation with oxLDL enhanced the release of oleic acid and arachidonic acid induced by ionomycin in RAW264.7 cells. 13(S)-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid, but not 7-ketocholesterol, also enhanced ionomycin-induced oleic acid release. These results suggest that oxLDL induces cPLA2 activation, which contributes, at least in part, to the supply of fatty acids required for the cholesteryl esterification, probably through the acceleration by oxidized lipids of the catalytic action of cPLA2 in macrophages.",
"corpus_id": 12836637
} | {
"title": "The justification of organizational performance in annual report narratives",
"abstract": "In this paper, the nature of organizational discourse is theoretically underpinned by the concept of self-serving attributions, a type of causal reasoning that allows the writer to take credit for good news and avoid blame for bad news. We incorporated signaling theory to the extant theoretical framework for self-serving attributions in order to develop hypotheses for the expected levels of attributional bias in the justification of organizational performance. A sample of 49 companies was selected, both from a bad year and a good year regarding the capital market context. Each company’s Letter to Shareholders was content analyzed in order to test our propositions concerning the presence and intensity of self-serving attributions in that section of annual reports. The results partially corroborate the proposed theoretical hypotheses, but the sample size is an issue in terms of robustness. Nevertheless, the results indicate that companies attempt to create a positive corporate image to external stakeholders even when negative performance occurs in a clearly favorable external context. Moreover, we observed that companies with positive performance in a good external context blame negative effects on the environment in a proportion equivalent to that observed for companies with positive performance in a bad year.",
"corpus_id": 7901269,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Horseradish peroxidase embedded in polyacrylamide nanoparticles enables optical detection of reactive oxygen species.",
"abstract": "We have synthesized and characterized new nanometer-sized polyacrylamide particles containing horseradish peroxidase and fluorescent dyes. Proteins and dyes are encapsulated by radical polymerization in inverse microemulsion. The activity of the encapsulated enzyme has been examined and it maintains its ability to catalyze the oxidation of guaiacol with hydrogen peroxide as the electron acceptor, although at a slightly lower rate compared to that of the free enzyme in solution. The embedded enzyme is also capable of catalyzing the peroxidase-oxidase reaction. However, the rate is decreased by a factor of 2-3 compared to that of the free enzyme. The reduced rate is probably due to limitation of diffusion of substrates and products into and out of the particles. The catalytic activity of horseradish peroxidase in the polyacrylamide matrix demonstrates that the particles have pores which are large enough for substrates to enter and products to leave the polymer matrix containing the enzyme. The polymer matrix protects the embedded enzyme from proteolytic digestion, which is demonstrated by treating the particles with a mixture of the two proteases trypsin and proteinase K. The particles allow for quantification of hydrogen peroxide and other reactive oxygen species in microenvironments, and we propose that the particles may find use as nanosensors for use in, e.g., living cells.",
"corpus_id": 1395207
} | {
"title": "Aptamers embedded in polyacrylamide nanoparticles: a tool for in vivo metabolite sensing.",
"abstract": "We describe a new type of aptamer-based optical nanosensor which uses the embedding of target responsive oligonucleotides in porous polyacrylamide nanoparticles to eliminate nuclease instability. The latter is a common problem in the use of aptamer sensors in biological environments. These aptamers embedded in nanoparticles (AptaNPs) are proposed as a tool in real-time metabolite measurements in living cells. The AptaNPs comprise 30 nm polyacrylamide nanoparticles, prepared by inverse microemulsion polymerization, which contain water-soluble aptamer switch probes (ASPs) trapped in the porous matrix of the nanoparticles. The matrix acts as a molecular fence allowing rapid diffusion of small metabolites into the particles to interact with the aptamer molecules, but at the same time it retains the larger aptamer molecules inside the nanoparticles providing protection against intracellular degradation. We tested the ability of the AptaNPs to measure the adenine-nucleotide content in yeast cells. Our results successfully demonstrate the potential for monitoring any metabolite of interest in living cells by selecting specific aptamers and embedding them in nanoparticles.",
"corpus_id": 11379000
} | {
"title": "Iron accumulation, iron‐mediated toxicity and altered levels of ferritin and transferrin receptor in cultured astrocytes during incubation with ferric ammonium citrate",
"abstract": "The cellular uptake and storage of iron have to be tightly regulated in order to provide iron for essential cellular functions while preventing the iron‐catalysed generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In contrast to cells in other organs, little is known about the regulation of iron metabolism in brain cells, particularly in astrocytes. To investigate the regulation of iron metabolism in astrocytes we have used primary astrocyte cultures from the brains of newborn rats. After application of ferric ammonium citrate (FAC), cultured astrocytes accumulated iron in a time‐ (0–48 h) and concentration‐dependent (0.01–1 mm) manner. This accumulation was prevented if FAC was applied in combination with the iron‐chelator deferoxamine (DFX). Application of FAC to astrocyte cultures caused a strong increase in the cellular content of the iron storage protein ferritin and a decrease in the amount of transferrin receptor (TfR), which is involved in the transferrin‐mediated uptake of iron into cells. In contrast, application of DFX strongly increased the level of TfR. Both up‐regulation of ferritin content by iron application and up‐regulation of TfR content by DFX were prevented by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX). During incubation of astrocytes with FAC, a mild and transient increase in the extracellular activity of the cytosolic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase and in the concentration of intracellular ROS was observed. In contrast, prevention of protein synthesis by CHX during incubation with FAC resulted in significantly more cell loss and a persistent and intense increase in the production of intracellular ROS. These results demonstrate that both iron accumulation and deprivation modulate the synthesis of ferritin and TfR in astrocytes and that protein synthesis is required to prevent iron‐mediated toxicity in astrocytes.",
"corpus_id": 21119838,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "A frequency-selective nested dual-loop broadband low-noise amplifier in 90 nm CMOS",
"abstract": "A broadband, frequency-selective low-noise amplifier (LNA) with at least 25 dB of rejection at frequencies below the L-band (includes GPS and GSM carriers) is fabricated in a 90 nm standard CMOS process. The proposed LNA can be used for broadband impulse-radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) and frequency modulated FM-UWB. The frequency-selective (3.5-10.5 GHz) LNA is power-to-current (P-I) configured and comprises nested reactive feedback loops: a positive current-to-current (I-I) feedback loop to boost the power gain and a negative I-I feedback loop for impedance and noise matching. The measured gain of the P-I LNA is 15±3 dB. It has a noise figure (NF) of 2.4±0.8 dB and a 1-dB gain compression point (P-½dB) of -17.5±2.5 dBm. The die area of the LNA is 0.7×0.8 mm2 and it consumes 9.6 mW from a 0.8 V power supply. The proposed P-I LNA is most suitable for a sub-1 V single-cell radios.",
"corpus_id": 4657341
} | {
"title": "Frequency notched UWB antennas",
"abstract": "This paper describes a method for creating frequency notches in an otherwise ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna element. By deliberately introducing a narrow band resonant structure, an antenna may be made insensitive to particular frequencies. This technique is useful for creating UWB antennas with narrow frequency notches, or for creating multi-band antennas.",
"corpus_id": 114450867
} | {
"title": "A Low-voltage, Fully-integrated (1.5-6) GHz Low-Noise Amplifier in E-mode pHEMT Technology for Multiband, Multimode Applications",
"abstract": "This paper describes the design and implementation of a fully-integrated MMIC low-voltage, low-noise amplifier (LNA) for use in multimode, multiband receivers using 0.25 um enhancement-mode GaAs pHEMT technology. The LNA has two cascaded gain stages and is fully usable down to 0.8 V supply voltage and 5 mA total current drain. Power supply inductors, bypass capacitor and interstage matching are integrated on the die. An external inductor can be added to improve input match and gain. At 1.4 V supply, it achieves broadband (1.5-6)GHz gain of 17.5 dB and typical noise figure of 1.5 dB while consuming 18 mA of total current. Gain variation is typically less than 1.5 dB. Input IP3 is better than -4 dBm across the band. The complete chip occupies an area of 1.1 mm2.",
"corpus_id": 14724146,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "A 4R/2W Register File Design for UDVS Microprocessors in 65-nm CMOS",
"abstract": "This brief presents a 4R/2W register file design for two-issue microprocessors with ultra-wide dynamic voltage scaling. A full-N separated read port has been proposed to save ~ 19% area and to improve 4.5 ~ 10.4 % performance of state-of-the-art 1P3N designs for subthreshold operations. In addition, a reconfigurable write scheme has been proposed to utilize the unused write port in the energy-efficient mode with single-issue execution for ~ 18% write noise margin improvement. A test chip has been designed and fabricated using the TSMC 65-nm GP process, of which a minimum operating voltage of 148 mV has been measured.",
"corpus_id": 9889308
} | {
"title": "A 28nm 360ps-access-time two-port SRAM with a time-sharing scheme to circumvent read disturbs",
"abstract": "With the rapid growth in the market for mobile information terminals such as smart phones and tablets, the performance of image processing engines (e.g., operation speed, accuracy in digital images) has improved remarkably. In these processors, 2-port SRAM (2P-SRAM) macros, in which a read port and a write port are operated synchronously in a single clock cycle, are widely used. Since the 2P-SRAM is placed in front of large scale logic circuitry for image processing, a faster access time (e.g., <;1 ns) is required. In general, the read-out operation in 2P-SRAM utilizes full-swing of the single read bitline (BL), so a drastic improvement of the access time is not expected. On the other hand, the dual-port SRAM (DP-SRAM) makes use of the voltage difference between BL pair in the read-out operation, which is suitable for the high-speed operation. In this study, we present a time-sharing scheme using a DP-SRAM cell to achieve high-speed access in 2P-SRAM macros in such image processors.",
"corpus_id": 34250464
} | {
"title": "Coke Formation and Coupled effect on Permeability",
"abstract": "10 The development of hypersonic vehicles (up to Mach 10) leads to an important 11 heating of the whole structure. The fuel is thus used as a coolant. It presents an endothermic 12 decomposition with possible coke formation. Its additional permeation through the porous 13 structure involves internal convection. This implies very complex phenomena (heat and mass 14 transfers with chemistry). In this paper, the n-dodecane pyrolysis is studied through stainless 15 steel porous medium up to 820 K and 35 bar (supercritical state). The longitudinal profiles of 16 chemical compositions inside the porous medium are given thanks to a specific sampling 17 technique with off-line Gas Chromatograph and Mass Spectrometer analysis. By comparison 18 with previous experiments under plug flow reactor, the conversion of dodecane is higher for 19 the present experimental configuration. The pyrolysis produces preferentially light gaseous 20 species, which results in a higher gasification rate for a similar pyrolysis rate. The effects of 21 the residence time and of the contact surface area are demonstrated. The transient changes of 22 Darcy’s permeability are related to the coke formation thanks to previous experimental 23 relationship with methane production. A time shift is observed between coke chemistry and 24 ha l-0 07 05 54 9, v er si on 1 7 Ju n 20 12",
"corpus_id": 34546144,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Long Term Dynamics for Two Three-Species Food Webs",
"abstract": "In this paper, we analyze two possible scenarios for food webs with two prey and one predator (a food web is similar to a food chain except that in a web we have more than one species at some levels). In neither scenario do the prey compete, rather the scenarios differ in the selection method used by the predator. We determine how the dynamics depend on various parameter values. For some parameter values, one or more species dies out. For other parameter values, all species co-exist at equilibrium. For still other parameter values, the populations behave cyclically. We have even discovered parameter values for which the system exhibits chaos and has a positive Lyapunov exponent. Our analysis relies on common techniques such as nullcline analysis, equilibrium analysis and singular perturbation analysis.",
"corpus_id": 615458
} | {
"title": "Population oscillations of boreal rodents: regulation by mustelid predators leads to chaos",
"abstract": "THE four-year cycle of microtine rodents in boreal and arctic regions was first described in 1924 (ref. 1). Competing hypotheses on the mechanisms underlying the small mammal cycle have been extensively tested2–5, but so far the sustained rodent oscillations are unexplained. Here we use two mutually supportive approaches to investigate this question. First, building on studies of the interaction between rodents and their mustelid predators6–9, we construct a predator–prey model with seasonality. Second, we use a new technique of nonlinear analysis10,11 to examine empirical time-series data, and compare them with the model dynamics. The model parameterized with field data predicts dynamics that closely resemble the observed dynamics of boreal rodent populations. Both the predicted and observed dynamics are chaotic, albeit with a statistically significant periodic component. Our results suggest that the multiannual oscillations of rodent populations in Fennoscandia are due to delayed density dependence imposed by mustelid predators, and are chaotic.",
"corpus_id": 4269846
} | {
"title": "A Review of Solar Radiation Models—Part I",
"abstract": "Energy is considered as a key source for the future and plays a pivotal role in its socioeconomic development by raising the standard of living and the quality of life, not only for India but also for the world. In view of the scarce fossil fuel reserves, solar energy is one of the important sources of renewable energy used in India because of the suitable climate conditions. It receives about 5485.17 Wh/m2 day of solar insolation with an annual total of about 19, 74, 661.2 Wh/m2. Except for the monsoon months, solar radiation incidence is very encouraging, from the application point of view. For the efficient functioning and better performance of solar energy device, the information of solar radiation and its components at particular location is very essential for designing the solar energy devices. Therefore, over the years, several empirical correlations have been developed in order to estimate the more appropriate solar radiation in India as well as around the world. Here we present a review of different solar radiation models which predict global solar radiation and discussed the long-term plan to meet future energy demand with renewable energy due to economy growth.",
"corpus_id": 129711927,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "A design of substation temperature online monitoring system based on SAW temperature sensor",
"abstract": "Temperature is an important aspect to reflect the status of substation power equipment. The temperature monitoring by manual inspection is inaccurate and poor continuity. And it may cause abnormal operating conditions missed or faults occurred. So temperature monitoring on substation power equipment is important. The SAW temperature sensor gets the temperature data by measuring the velocity change of SAW. The velocity of SAW is influenced by the temperature of the piezoelectric crystal. Thus, the sensor is suitable for a high voltage and complex electromagnetic environment. In summary, a substation temperature on-line monitoring system based on SAW temperature sensor is put forward. Then the principle of SAW temperature sensor is explained. The reader and the transponder of SAW temperature sensor have been designed and a method of data transmitting and power supply based on Power over Ethernet is put forward. An IEC 61850 standard compatible IED temperature monitoring model has been established. And also achieve the standard communication between the temperature monitoring system and the intelligent substation.",
"corpus_id": 8277333
} | {
"title": "A Temperature Monitoring System for SF6 Circuit Breaker Quenching Pot Based on Temperature Field Analysis",
"abstract": "Quenching pot’s temperature monitoring has been one of the most important problems in on-line monitoring of power equipment. A system of quenching pot of SF6 circuit breaker temperature online monitoring is designed. According to the heat transfer theory, a mathematical model of quenching pot of high voltage circuit breaker is established. Having finite element calculation through COMSOL simulation software, the simulation results reflect the heat transfer law of each part of quenching pot and the temperature field distribution. Analyzing the characteristic of quenching pot temperature field gas flow field model. Using surface acoustic wave sensor to collect temperature, through the data processing module, sending the data to host computer’s interface, analyzing, displaying and storing the temperature data. Though the experimental test, the temperature monitoring system can meet the requirements of SF6 circuit breaker quenching pot’s real-time monitoring.",
"corpus_id": 61807312
} | {
"title": "Wireless measurement of temperature using surface acoustic waves sensors",
"abstract": "Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices can be used as wireless sensor elements, called SAW transponders, for measuring physical quantities such as temperature that do not need any power supply and may be accessed wirelessly. A complete wireless sensor system consists of one or more such SAW transponders and a local radar transceiver. The SAW transponder receives an RF burst in the VHF/UHF band transmitted by the radar transceiver. The reader unit performs a radar measurement of the impulse response of the SAW transponder via a high-frequency electromagnetic radio link. A temperature variation changes the SAW velocity and thereby the response pattern of the SAW device. By analyzing the time delay between backscattered pulses with different time delays we get a rough estimation of the temperature of the SAW transponder. By using this information the ambiguity of /spl plusmn/2/spl pi/ in the phase differences between the pulses can be eliminated, which provides an overall and unambiguous temperature resolution of /spl plusmn/0.2/spl deg/C.",
"corpus_id": 39035408,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Time-dependent density functional theory: past, present, and future.",
"abstract": "Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) is presently enjoying enormous popularity in quantum chemistry, as a useful tool for extracting electronic excited state energies. This article discusses how TDDFT is much broader in scope, and yields predictions for many more properties. We discuss some of the challenges involved in making accurate predictions for these properties.",
"corpus_id": 2659101
} | {
"title": "Quantum Computing Without Wavefunctions: Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory for Universal Quantum Computation",
"abstract": "We prove that the theorems of TDDFT can be extended to a class of qubit Hamiltonians that are universal for quantum computation. The theorems of TDDFT applied to universal Hamiltonians imply that single-qubit expectation values can be used as the basic variables in quantum computation and information theory, rather than wavefunctions. From a practical standpoint this opens the possibility of approximating observables of interest in quantum computations directly in terms of single-qubit quantities (i.e. as density functionals). Additionally, we also demonstrate that TDDFT provides an exact prescription for simulating universal Hamiltonians with other universal Hamiltonians that have different, and possibly easier-to-realize two-qubit interactions. This establishes the foundations of TDDFT for quantum computation and opens the possibility of developing density functionals for use in quantum algorithms.",
"corpus_id": 616913
} | {
"title": "A value for G from beam-balance experiments",
"abstract": "A high-precision measurement of the Newtonian gravitational constant G by means of a beam balance is being carried out at the University of Zurich. We have made test measurements in which the gravitational force of 103 kg of water was used and G was determined with a relative standard uncertainty of 220 × 10-6. Currently, measurements with 13.5 × 103 kg of mercury are in progress. These measurements are not completed yet, but a preliminary result is presented.",
"corpus_id": 120427692,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Combination of high solids loading pretreatment and ethanol fermentation of whole slurry of pretreated rice straw to obtain high ethanol titers and yields.",
"abstract": "In cellulosic ethanol production using lignocellulose, an increase in biomass solids loading during the pretreatment process significantly affects the final ethanol titer and the production cost. In this study, pretreatment using rice straw at high solids loading (20% (w/v)) was evaluated, using maleic acid as a catalyst. After pretreatment at optimal conditions of 190°C, 20 min, and 0.2% or 5% (w/v) maleic acid, the highest enzymatic digestibility obtained was over 80%. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of the whole slurry of pretreated rice straw in the presence of activated carbon to separate inhibitory compounds generated a high ethanol yield of 62.8%, based on the initial glucan in unpretreated rice straw. These findings suggest that high solids loading pretreatment using maleic acid and SSF of the whole slurry of pretreated rice straw can be combined to improve the process economics of ethanol production.",
"corpus_id": 3438405
} | {
"title": "Rheology measurements of a biomass slurry: an inter-laboratory study",
"abstract": "The conversion of biomass, specifically lignocellulosic biomass, into fuels and chemicals has recently gained national attention as an alternative to the use of fossil fuels. Increasing the concentration of the biomass solids during biochemical conversion has a large potential to reduce production costs. These concentrated biomass slurries have highly viscous, non-Newtonian behavior that poses several technical challenges to the conversion process. A collaborative effort to measure the rheology of a biomass slurry at four separate laboratories has been undertaken. A comprehensive set of rheological properties were measured using several different rheometers, flow geometries, and experimental methods. The tendency for settling, water evaporation, and wall slip required special care when performing the experiments. The rheological properties were measured at different concentrations up to 30% insoluble solids by mass. The slurry was found to be strongly shear-thinning, to be viscoelastic, and to have a significant concentration-dependent yield stress. The elastic modulus was found to be almost an order of magnitude larger than the loss modulus and weakly dependent on frequency. The techniques and results of this work will be useful to characterize other biomass slurries and in the design of biochemical conversion processing steps that operate at high solids concentrations.",
"corpus_id": 55913001
} | {
"title": "Characterization of Dicarboxylic Acids for Cellulose Hydrolysis",
"abstract": "In this paper, we show that dilute maleic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, hydrolyzes cellobiose, the repeat unit of cellulose, and the microcrystalline cellulose Avicel as effectively as dilute sulfuric acid but with minimal glucose degradation. Maleic acid, superior to other carboxylic acids reported in this paper, gives higher yields of glucose that is more easily fermented as a result of lower concentrations of degradation products. These results are especially significant because maleic acid, in the form of maleic anhydride, is widely available and produced in large quantities annually.",
"corpus_id": 1713842,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Experimental investigation on corroded reinforced concrete beam in coastal environment using strain gauges",
"abstract": "Reinforced concrete cantilever beams were tested for flexure. Totally three strain gauges were used for measuring strains: two strain gauges on the reinforcement, one on the top of the rebar and another on the bottom of the rebar near to the end support and the third strain gauge was fixed on the surface of the concrete beam. Strains were measured by Data Acquisition (DAQ) system as well as manually. Demac buttons were fixed on the surface of the beams near the support to measure the strain manually and National Instrument (NI) DAQ card was used for assessing strain gauge data. Strains were measured for specimen with different corrosion levels. Good agreement was observed in measurement of strain gauges in mechanical and DAQ system.",
"corpus_id": 7542866
} | {
"title": "Moment redistribution and ductility of RHSC continuous beams strengthened with CFRP",
"abstract": "In continuous concrete beams, ductility allows redistribution of moment between the negative and positive moment zones. Although many in situ reinforced high strength concrete (RHSC) beams are of continuous construction, there has been very little research on such beams with external reinforcement. Due to premature debonding failures and the linear stress-strain characteristics of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) up to failure, the ductility of plated members and their ability to redistribute moment is less than that of unplated RC beams. The present study examined the responses of RHSC continuous beams, in terms of enhancement of moment and load capacity, moment redistribution, and different types of ductility. Thickness of carbon FRP (CFRP) sheets, strengthening of both the hogging and sagging region, and end anchorage technique were the main parameters investigated. Various monitoring devices were used to monitor the loading history of the beams. Increasing the number of CFRP sheet layers increased ultimate strength, and decreased ductility, moment redistribution, and ultimate strain on CFRP sheets. Additionally, using end anchorage increased ultimate strength and moment redistribution. The moment enhancement ratio of the strengthened beams was significantly higher than the ultimate load enhancement ratio in the same beam. The proposed equation for converting the energy ductility index to the displacement ductility index provided accurate results.",
"corpus_id": 59038646
} | {
"title": "Hot-Carrier Degradation in GaN HEMTs Due to Substitutional Iron and Its Complexes",
"abstract": "We report the experimental data, quantum-mechanical calculations, and engineering-level modeling that provide insight into the atomic-scale processes that underlie the hot-electron degradation of AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors during electrical stress at moderate drain bias. There is relatively large degradation (up to 20%) of the peak transconductance (gm) in the semi-ON state, along with a small shift of the threshold voltage (VT). The VT shift and gm degradation increase with temperature. A model of the degradation is presented, based on the hot-carrier-induced defect generation. The model considers carrier energy distributions for different temperatures obtained using an ensemble Monte Carlo (EMC) approach. The Ensemble Monte-Carlo results show that the concentration of energetic carriers is maximum at the end of the gate on the gate-drain access side in the semi-ON state of operation. The degradation is directly related to the number of carriers with sufficient energy to generate defects, and the carrier energy distribution depends strongly on the device temperature. The first-principles density functional theory calculations and the analysis suggest that the dehydrogenation of substitutional iron and its complexes is the dominant cause of the observed degradation in these devices.",
"corpus_id": 10647933,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Variability in reasons for hemodialysis catheter use by race, sex, and geography: findings from the ESRD Clinical Performance Measures Project.",
"abstract": "BACKGROUND\nRace, sex, and geographic differences in hemodialysis vascular access use have been reported, but differences in reasons for catheter use have not been assessed.\n\n\nSTUDY DESIGN\nCross-sectional.\n\n\nSETTING & PARTICIPANTS\nData obtained from the 2005 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services End-Stage Renal Disease Clinical Performance Measures Project for adult hemodialysis patients.\n\n\nPREDICTORS\nRace, sex, and geographic region.\n\n\nOUTCOMES & MEASUREMENTS\nReasons for catheter use were categorized as short term and long term. Race, sex, and geographic associations with reasons were assessed by using bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression.\n\n\nRESULTS\nOf 8,479 hemodialysis patients, 3,302 (39%) used a fistula, 2,725 (32%) used a graft, and 2,299 (27%) used a catheter. We placed 857 patients with a catheter (37%) in the short-term-reason cohort and 1,404 (61%) in the long-term-reason cohort, and 38 (2%) lacked information to be placed. Reasons for catheter use were independently associated with race, sex, and geographic region. Whites were 43%, 49%, and 34% less likely than African Americans to use a catheter because of graft maturation, graft interruption, and all vascular access sites exhausted and 70% and 40% more likely because of fistula maturation and no fistula or graft surgically planned, respectively. Men were 50% less likely than women to use a catheter because of graft interruption and 80% more likely because of fistula maturation. Geographic end-stage renal disease network was associated with catheter use because of fistula maturation (P = 0.03), no fistula or graft surgically created (P < 0.001), and no fistula or graft surgically planned (P = 0.05).\n\n\nLIMITATIONS\nThe cross-sectional study design precludes our ability to assess trends over time in reasons for catheter use. Associations were assessed for a limited set of variables.\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nRace, sex, and geographic differences in reasons for hemodialysis catheter use exist. Understanding these differences may aid in developing strategies to decrease catheter initiation rates.",
"corpus_id": 3478726
} | {
"title": "Prevalence and correlates of central venous catheter use among haemodialysis patients in the Irish health system - a national study",
"abstract": "BackgroundCentral venous catheters (CVC) are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality among patients undergoing haemodialysis (HD), yet they are frequently used as the primary vascular access for many patients on HD. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence and variation in CVC use across centres in the Irish health system.MethodsData from the National Kidney Disease Clinical Patient Management System (KDCPMS) was used to determine CVC use and patterns across centres. Data on demographic characteristics, primary cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), comorbid conditions, laboratory values and centre affiliation were extracted for adult HD patients (n = 1, 196) who were on dialysis for at least three months up to end of December 2016. Correlates of CVC use were explored using multivariable logistic regression.ResultsOverall prevalence of CVC use was 54% and varied significantly across clinical sites from 43% to 73%, P < 0.001. In multivariate analysis, the likelihood of CVC use was lower with increasing dialysis vintage, OR 0.40 (0.26–0.60) for 4 years vs 1 year vintage, rising serum albumin, OR 0.73 (0.59–0.90) per 5 g/L), and with cystic disease as a cause of ESKD, OR 0.38 (95% CI 0.21–0.6). In contrast, catheter use was greater for women than men, OR 1.77 (1.34–2.34) and for 2 out of 10 regional dialysis centres, OR 1.98 (1.02–3.84) and OR 2.86 (1.67–4.90) respectively compared to referent group).ConclusionsCatheters are the predominant type of vascular access in patients undergoing HD in the Irish health system. Substantial centre variation exists which is not explained by patient-level characteristics.",
"corpus_id": 4566603
} | {
"title": "9 Screening and prenatal diagnosis of the haemoglobinopathies",
"abstract": "Summary In this paper we have reviewed the social and technical aspects of carrier screening and prenatal diagnosis of the inherited haemoglobinopathies. The characteristics of programmes based on carrier screening and prenatal diagnosis ongoing in a number of at-risk Mediterranean populations have been described. The most relevant and common aspects of these programmes are the continuous educational campaign directed to the population at large, the voluntary basis and non-directive counselling. The target population has been most commonly couples before or after marriage. The vast majority of couples counselled accepted prenatal diagnosis. All programmes have encountered a high degree of success as indicated by the marked reduction in the birth rate of infants with thalassaemia major. No significant adverse effects have been reported. A programme with similar characteristics and for which the preliminary results are encouraging, is operating for sickle cell anaemia in the Cuban population. In a population with high frequency of hydrops fetalis, screening for deletion α-thalassaemia is recommended to prevent the negative effects on a pregnant woman of the presence of an hydropic fetus. Thalassaemia carrier screening is now carried out by automatic red cell indices and HbA 2 determination. Definition of atypical cases may require iron studies, globin chain synthesis determination and/or α, β- and δ-globin gene analysis. Identification of the carrier state is followed by definition of the mutation on enzymatically amplified DNA. Known mutations may be detected by restriction endonuclease analysis, non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, allele-specific primers or allele-specific probes. The most promising procedures, which are also amenable to complete automation are reverse oligonucleotide hybridization and primer-specific amplification. Unknown mutations are defined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis, and chemical mismatch cleavage analysis followed by direct sequencing. The same methods on enzymatically amplified chorionic villus DNA are used for prenatal diagnosis. The potential pitfall resulting from maternal contamination can be avoided by careful dissection of the maternal decidua from the chorion and by the simultaneous amplification of a suitable polymorphism.",
"corpus_id": 72750413,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Cost Estimation of Laser Additive Manufacturing of Stainless Steel",
"abstract": "Abstract Laser additive manufacturing (LAM) is a layer wise fabrication method in which a laser beam melts metallic powder to form solid objects. Although 3D printing has been invented 30 years ago, the industrial use is quite limited whereas the introduction of cheap consumer 3D printers, in recent years, has familiarized the 3D printing. Interest is focused more and more in manufacturing of functional parts. Aim of this study is to define and discuss the current economic opportunities and restrictions of LAM process. Manufacturing costs were studied with different build scenarios each with estimated cost structure by calculated build time and calculating the costs of the machine, material and energy with optimized machine utilization. All manufacturing and time simulations in this study were carried out with a research machine equal to commercial EOS M series equipment. The study shows that the main expense in LAM is the investment cost of the LAM machine, compared to which the relative proportions of the energy and material costs are very low. The manufacturing time per part is the key factor to optimize costs of LAM.",
"corpus_id": 12977459
} | {
"title": "Variability in the Geometric Accuracy of Additively Manufactured Test Parts | NIST",
"abstract": "A.L. Cooke and J.A. Soons National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD, USA Abstract This paper describes the results of a study on the variability in the geometric accuracy of a metal test part manufactured by several service providers using either an electron beam or laser beam powder bed thermal fusion process. The part was a circle-diamond-square test part with an inverted cone that is used to evaluate the performance of five-axis milling machines. The study was conducted to aid development of standardized parameters and test methods to specify and evaluate the performance of additive manufacturing systems. Without standards for performance characterization, it is difficult to match system capabilities with part requirements and ensure consistent and predictable part quality across systems, operators, and manufacturing facilities. Introduction There are many additive manufacturing (AM) system vendors with various types of AM systems on the market. No standards exist for the unambiguous specification, comparison, and evaluation of AM system performance. This makes it difficult to match machine/process capabilities with part requirements and ensure consistent and predictable results across systems, operators, and manufacturing facilities. There are many aspects of system performance to consider, such as processing speed, part accuracy, surface finish, maximum part size, minimum feature size, feasibility of overhang features, and part material properties. This paper focuses on part accuracy.",
"corpus_id": 55283671
} | {
"title": "The incoming global technological and industrial revolution towards competitive sustainable manufacturing",
"abstract": "Abstract The major global challenges we are facing today need to be addressed in the multifaceted context of economy, society, environment and technology (ESET). In recent years, the consensus of calling for sustainable development (SD) and implementation has emerged. Along with this belief, high added value, knowledge-based, competitive sustainable manufacturing (CSM) has been widely considered as main enabler. This paper presents the necessary steps from economic growth to sustainable development. The reference model for proactive action (RMfPA) is proposed to develop and implement CSM, at national and global levels. Furthermore, we also review strategies to pursue CSM at the macro–meso–field level in addition to ongoing national initiatives in different countries and by international organizations. A case study concerning the European Manu future initiative is cited. The overall results conclude that RMfPA is a good ground for pursuing CSM. Necessary actions by stakeholders at different levels, spanning from policymakers to Industry, University and Research Institutes, are also discussed. CIRP, as a global academy, can play a relevant role at strategic, scientific and technological levels for the incoming global technological and industrial revolution: CSM.",
"corpus_id": 16775885,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Synthesis and conformational characterization of functional di-block copolymer brushes for microarray technology",
"abstract": "Abstract Surface initiated polymerization (SIP) coupled with reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) was used to functionalize microarray glass slides with block polymer brushes. N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and N-acryloyloxysuccinimide (NAS) ( graft -poly[DMA- b -(DMA- co -NAS)]) brushes, with di-block architecture, were prepared from a novel RAFT chain transfer agent bearing a silanating moiety (RAFT silane) directly anchored onto the glass surfaces. Conformational characterization of the coatings was performed by Self Spectral Interference Fluorescence Microscopy (SSFM), an innovative technique that describes the location of a fluorescent DNA molecule relative to a surface with sub-nanometer accuracy. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the coatings composition and morphology.",
"corpus_id": 206442
} | {
"title": "Oligonucleotide Immobilization and Hybridization on Aldehyde-Functionalized Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) Brushes.",
"abstract": "DNA biosensing requires high oligonucleotide binding capacity interface chemistries that can be tuned to maximize probe presentation as well as hybridization efficiency. This contribution investigates the feasibility of aldehyde-functionalized poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) brush-based interfaces for oligonucleotide binding and hybridization. These polymer brushes, which allow covalent immobilization of oligonucleotides, are prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of HEMA followed by a postpolymerization oxidation step to generate side chain aldehyde groups. A series of polymer brushes covering a range of film thicknesses and grafting densities was investigated with regard to their oligonucleotide binding capacity as well as their ability to support oligonucleotide hybridization. Densely grafted brushes were found to have probe oligonucleotide binding capacities of up to ∼30 pmol/cm(2). Increasing the thickness of these densely grafted brush films, however, resulted in a decrease in the oligonucleotide binding capacity. Less densely grafted brushes possess binding capacities of ∼10 pmol/cm(2), which did not significantly depend on film thickness. The oligonucleotide hybridization efficiencies, however, were highest (93%) on those brushes that present the lowest surface concentration of the probe oligonucleotide. These results highlight the importance of optimizing the probe oligonucleotide surface concentration and binding interface chemistry. The versatility and tunability of the PHEMA-based brushes presented herein makes these films a very attractive platform for the immobilization and hybridization of oligonucleotides.",
"corpus_id": 32298686
} | {
"title": "Protein chip technology.",
"abstract": "Microarray technology has become a crucial tool for large-scale and high-throughput biology. It allows fast, easy and parallel detection of thousands of addressable elements in a single experiment. In the past few years, protein microarray technology has shown its great potential in basic research, diagnostics and drug discovery. It has been applied to analyse antibody-antigen, protein-protein, protein-nucleic-acid, protein-lipid and protein-small-molecule interactions, as well as enzyme-substrate interactions. Recent progress in the field of protein chips includes surface chemistry, capture molecule attachment, protein labeling and detection methods, high-throughput protein/antibody production, and applications to analyse entire proteomes.",
"corpus_id": 39054102,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "REPORTING OF MANAGEMENT FORECASTS: AN EIGENVECTOR MODEL FOR ELICITATION AND REVIEW OF FORECASTS",
"abstract": "Increasingly, business firms will be disclosing management forecasts in financial reports to investors. Single estimates based on a consensus view (e.g., Delphi estimates) may be used. It seems logical, however, to consider methods that seek formally to derive internally consistent subjective views regarding the sensitivity of assumptions and interacting events on forecasts. \n \n \n \nThe major purpose of this paper is to extend micro-level cross-impact analysis to a macro-level eigenvalue analysis approach that elicits views of the effects of assumptions and interaction events on entire scenarios. Both methods are illustrated and contrasted. They are complementary rather than alternative methods. In particular, each method offers some potential in the development of operational guidelines for elicitation and reporting of management forecasts. In addition, the eigenvalue analysis offers several key advantages that make it potentially useful in preparing entire scenario forecasts.",
"corpus_id": 154096242
} | {
"title": "An Information-Maximizing Interactive Procedure for Scenario Probability Elicitation",
"abstract": "Various approaches have been proposed for determining scenario probabilities to facilitate long-range planning and decision making. These include microlevel approaches based on the analysis of relevant underlying events and their interrelations and direct macrolevel examination of the scenarios. The determination of a unique solution demands excessive consistency and time requirements on the part of the expert and often is not guaranteed by these procedures. We propose an interactive information maximizing scenario probability query procedure (IMQP) that exploits the desirable features of existing methods while circumventing their drawbacks. The approach requires elicitation of cardinal probability assessments and bounds for only marginal and first-order conditional events, as well as ordinal probability comparisons (probability orderings or rankings) of carefully selected scenario subsets determined using concepts of information theory. Guidelines for implementation based on simulation results are also developed. A goal program for handling inconsistent ordinal probability responses is also integrated into the procedure. The results of behavioral experimentation (which compared our approach to Expert Choice and showed that the IMQP was viable) compared favorably in terms of ease of use and time requirements, and works best for problems with a large number of scenarios. Design modifications to IMQP learned from the experiments, such as incorporating interactive graphics, are also in progress.",
"corpus_id": 62555237
} | {
"title": "Some computational aspects of cross impact matrix forecasting",
"abstract": "Tactical questions of implementing the cross impact matrix method of forecasting were raised by initial experiments described in an article by T.J. Gordon and H. Hayward.1 These questions involve certain computational aspects of the method. The cross impact matrix technique takes account of possible interrelationships among a group of questions in a Delphi forecasting exercise, and this paper deals with the nature of the variabilities in the modified probabilities that arise in its application. It is shown that the variance can be eliminated by increasing the number of trials used in computation.",
"corpus_id": 62535735,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Developmental Origins of Cerebrovascular Disease II",
"abstract": "The second part of this review of the developmental origins of cerebrovascular disease discusses prenatal gene-environment interactions concerning maternal, placental, and fetal conditions that culminate in specific injuries such as perinatal stroke, as well as complications of intrauterine growth restriction and congenital heart disease. A greater understanding of gene-environment influences on cerebrovascular health and disease in early life will contribute to the successful development of neuroprotective strategies throughout the lifespan.",
"corpus_id": 1610631
} | {
"title": "Current World Literature",
"abstract": "This bibliography is compiled by clinicians from the relevant journals scanned by this publication. It is based on the literature regularly pulled into our database from OvidSP (articles are generally added to the database about two and a half months after publication). In addition, the bibliography contains every paper annotated by reviewers; these references were obtained from a variety of bibliographic databases and published between the beginning of the review period and the time of going to press. The bibliography has been grouped into topics that relate to the reviews in this issue.",
"corpus_id": 43604300
} | {
"title": "Clinical Neurophysiology of Multiple Sclerosis.",
"abstract": "Different neurophysiological methods such as evoked potentials (EP), testing of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) or polysomnography have the potential to detect clinically silent lesions or to confirm the existence of an association between a clinical symptom and multiple sclerosis (MS); previously undetected by MRI. Therefore, in the most recent MRI criteria for the diagnosis of MS (MAGNIMS consensus guidelines), neurophysiological confirmation of optic nerve dysfunction (slowed conduction on visual EP), support dissemination in space and, in patients without concurrent visual symptoms, dissemination in time. In this chapter we will review the existing evidence regarding the role of different neurophysiological tests (specifically the role of EPs, autonomic nervous system testing and sleep testing in MS) in the diagnosis and management of MS.",
"corpus_id": 42938186,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Effects of MDL 73005EF on central pre- and postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptor function in the rat in vivo.",
"abstract": "The effects of MDL 73005EF (8-[2-(2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxin-2-yl)methylamino]-8- azaspiro[4,5]decan-7,9-dione methyl sulphonate), a novel selective 5-HT1A receptor ligand with putative anxiolytic properties, were explored using models of central pre- and postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptor function in the male rat. MDL 73005EF dose dependently decreased the hippocampal 5-HT output measured by in vivo microdialysis in chloral hydrate-anaesthetised rats and this response was antagonised by the 5-HT1A/B receptor antagonist, pindolol. Local administration of MDL 73005EF had no effect on the hippocampal 5-HT output. MDL 73005EF failed to alter basal plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) levels but, in common with pindolol, attenuated the ACTH response to the 5-HT1A receptor agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT). In contrast to 8-OH-DPAT, MDL 73005EF significantly increased plasma prolactin but apparently not through a 5-HT receptor-mediated mechanism. The results indicate that MDL 73005EF possesses mixed 5-HT1A receptor agonist/antagonist properties, acting as an agonist at presynaptic 5-HT1A receptors controlling 5-HT release and as an antagonist at postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors mediating ACTH release.",
"corpus_id": 1172921
} | {
"title": "Relationship of increased food intake and plasma ACTH levels to 5-HT1A receptor activation in rats",
"abstract": "Various putative agonists of the 5-HT1A receptor subtype induce feeding in rats, probably by activating raphé somatodendritic 5-HT autoreceptors. These drugs also produce a marked increase in plasma concentrations of corticotropin (ACTH). In the present experiment we attempted to localize the site of action of 5-HT1A agonists on the secretion of ACTH and examined the relationship between 5-HT1A agonist-induced feeding and ACTH secretion. Rats were injected with either the high affinity 5-HT1A agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) (0.016-1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) or the novel anxiolytics buspirone, gepirone or ipsapirone (2.0-16.0 mg/kg, s.c.), and either had their food intake measured 2 hr post injection or were sacrificed 30-40 min post injection for measurement of plasma ACTH. Plasma ACTH also was measured in rats pretreated with the serotonin synthesis inhibitor, para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) for three days (150 mg/kg, i.p. per day) and subsequently injected with 8-OH-DPAT (0.3 mg/kg, s.c.). As previously reported, the 5-HT1A agonists increased both food agonists increased both food intake and plasma ACTH concentrations. After 8-OH-DPAT, ipsapirone and gepirone the amount of food consumed was positively correlated with the concentration of plasma ACTH. No such correlation was evident following buspirone. PCPA pretreatment resulted in near total depletion of brain 5-HT content but had no effect on the ACTH rise induced by 8-OH-DPAT. Therefore, in contrast to the presynaptic site previously proposed for 5-HT1A agonist-induced feeding, the present results suggest a agonist-induced feeding, the present results suggest a postsynaptic location for the 5-HT1A receptor mediating ACTH release.",
"corpus_id": 22799521
} | {
"title": "On-Line Individual Differences in Statistical Learning Predict Language Processing",
"abstract": "Considerable individual differences in language ability exist among normally developing children and adults. Whereas past research have attributed such differences to variations in verbal working memory or experience with language, we test the hypothesis that individual differences in statistical learning may be associated with differential language performance. We employ a novel paradigm for studying statistical learning on-line, combining a serial-reaction time task with artificial grammar learning. This task offers insights into both the timecourse of and individual differences in statistical learning. Experiment 1 charts the micro-level trajectory for statistical learning of nonadjacent dependencies and provides an on-line index of individual differences therein. In Experiment 2, these differences are then shown to predict variations in participants’ on-line processing of long-distance dependencies involving center-embedded relative clauses. The findings suggest that individual differences in the ability to learn from experience through statistical learning may contribute to variations in linguistic performance.",
"corpus_id": 7913656,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Analysis of the Scott–Zhang interpolation in the fractional order Sobolev spaces",
"abstract": "Abstract Since it was originally designed, the Scott-Zhang interpolation operator has been very popular. Indeed, it possesses two keys features: it can be applied to fields without pointwise values and it preserves the boundary condition. However, no approximability properties seem to be available in the literature when the regularity of the field is weak. In this Note, we provide some estimates for such weakly regular fields, measured in Sobolev spaces with fractional order between 0 and 1.",
"corpus_id": 2581413
} | {
"title": "Approximation by finite element functions using local regularization",
"abstract": "The aim ofthis paper is to give an elementary proof of a theorem of approximation of Sobolev spaces H(Q) by fimte éléments without to use classical interpolation The construction which we give hère allows us in some cases to fit boundary conditions",
"corpus_id": 55065631
} | {
"title": "Artificial oxygen carrier based on polysaccharides-poly(alkylcyanoacrylates) nanoparticle templates.",
"abstract": "Biomimetic nanoparticles based on polysaccharides-poly(alkylcyanoacrylates) copolymers were initially developed in view of drug delivery. Core-shell nanoparticles covered with a sufficiently long brush of polysaccharides were shown to be very low complement activators and have the potential for long circulation times in the bloodstream. Such nanoparticles bearing haemoglobin were envisaged as potential red cell substitutes. Different core-shell nanoparticles with a brush shell made of dextran, dextran-sulphate, or heparin were prepared and haemoglobin (Hb) could be adsorbed on their surface. Benzene tetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) was used as a coupling agent for Hb to dextran-coated nanoparticles; the Hb loading capacity of the dextran nanoparticles showed a 9.3 fold increased. The coupled Hb maintained the allosteric properties of free Hb. While modification of nanoparticles by BTCA slightly increased complement activation, the further addition of Hb totally reversed this effect providing Hb-loaded nanoparticles with a very low level of complement activation. Such nanoparticles could be a suitable alternative to haemoglobin solutions in the development of a blood substitute.",
"corpus_id": 27878294,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Processing nested complex sequence pattern queries over event streams",
"abstract": "Complex event processing (CEP) has become increasingly important for tracking and monitoring applications ranging from health care, supply chain management to surveillance. These monitoring applications submit complex event queries to track sequences of events that match a given pattern. As these systems mature the need for increasingly complex nested sequence queries arises, while the state-of-the-art CEP systems mostly focus on the execution of flat sequence queries only. In this paper, we now introduce an iterative execution strategy for nested CEP queries composed of sequence, negation, AND and OR operators. Lastly we have introduced the promising direction of applying selective caching of intermediate results to optimize the execution. Our experimental study using real-world stock trades evaluates the performance of our proposed iterative execution strategy for different query types.",
"corpus_id": 2613303
} | {
"title": "High-performance complex event processing over XML streams",
"abstract": "Much research attention has been given to delivering high-performance systems that are capable of complex event processing (CEP) in a wide range of applications. However, many current CEP systems focus on processing efficiently data having a simple structure, and are otherwise limited in their ability to support efficiently complex continuous queries on structured or semi-structured information. However, XML streams represent a very popular form of data exchange, comprising large portions of social network and RSS feeds, financial records, configuration files, and similar applications requiring advanced CEP queries. In this paper, we present the XSeq language and system that support CEP on XML streams, via an extension of XPath that is both powerful and amenable to an efficient implementation. Specifically, the XSeq language extends XPath with natural operators to express sequential and Kleene-* patterns over XML streams, while remaining highly amenable to efficient implementation. XSeq is designed to take full advantage of recent advances in the field of automata on Visibly Pushdown Automata (VPA), where higher expressive power can be achieved without compromising efficiency (whereas the amenability to efficient implementation was not demonstrated in XPath extensions previously proposed). We illustrate XSeq's power for CEP applications through examples from different domains, and provide formal results on its expressiveness and complexity. Finally, we present several optimization techniques for XSeq queries. Our extensive experiments indicate that XSeq brings outstanding performance to CEP applications: two orders of magnitude improvement are obtained over the same queries executed in general-purpose XML engines.",
"corpus_id": 7978971
} | {
"title": "Push-pull functional reactive programming",
"abstract": "Functional reactive programming (FRP) has simple and powerful semantics, but has resisted efficient implementation. In particular, most past implementations have used demand-driven sampling, which accommodates FRP's continuous time semantics and fits well with the nature of functional programming. Consequently, values are wastefully recomputed even when inputs don't change, and reaction latency can be as high as the sampling period. This paper presents a way to implement FRP that combines data- and demand-driven evaluation, in which values are recomputed only when necessary, and reactions are nearly instantaneous. The implementation is rooted in a new simple formulation of FRP and its semantics and so is easy to understand and reason about. On the road to a new implementation, we'll meet some old friends (monoids, functors, applicative functors, monads, morphisms, and improving values) and make some new friends (functional future values, reactive normal form, and concurrent \"unambiguous choice\").",
"corpus_id": 5661008,
"score": -1
} |
{
"title": "Fast generation of result snippets in web search",
"abstract": "The presentation of query biased document snippets as part of results pages presented by search engines has become an expectation of search engine users. In this paper we explore the algorithms and data structures required as part of a search engine to allow efficient generation of query biased snippets. We begin by proposing and analysing a document compression method that reduces snippet generation time by 58% over a baseline using the zlib compression library. These experiments reveal that finding documents on secondary storage dominates the total cost of generating snippets, and so caching documents in RAM is essential for a fast snippet generation process. Using simulation, we examine snippet generation performance for different size RAM caches. Finally we propose and analyse document reordering and compaction, revealing a scheme that increases the number of document cache hits with only a marginal affect on snippet quality. This scheme effectively doubles the number of documents that can fit in a fixed size cache.",
"corpus_id": 12487768
} | {
"title": "TextRank: Bringing Order Into Texts",
"abstract": "In this paper, the authors introduce TextRank, a graph-based ranking model for text processing, and show how this model can be successfully used in natural language applications.",
"corpus_id": 577937
} | {
"title": "Research and Application on Intelligent Parking Solution Based on Internet of Things",
"abstract": "This paper has researched on intelligent parking lot Based on Internet of Things, and provided reliable solutions. In addition, we proposed a number of novel ideas of how to resolve problems like intercommunication of different network interface among various sensors and detecting deviations come from a single kind of sensor. Furthermore, this paper has also proposed a advanced vehicle positioning method Based on the collaboration of RFID network and Wi-Fi network.",
"corpus_id": 6963911,
"score": -1
} |
{
"title": "Improving Neural Question Generation using Answer Separation",
"abstract": "Neural question generation (NQG) is the task of generating a question from a given passage with deep neural networks. Previous NQG models suffer from a problem that a significant proportion of the generated questions include words in the question target, resulting in the generation of unintended questions. In this paper, we propose answer-separated seq2seq, which better utilizes the information from both the passage and the target answer. By replacing the target answer in the original passage with a special token, our model learns to identify which interrogative word should be used. We also propose a new module termed keyword-net, which helps the model better capture the key information in the target answer and generate an appropriate question. Experimental results demonstrate that our answer separation method significantly reduces the number of improper questions which include answers. Consequently, our model significantly outperforms previous state-of-the-art NQG models.",
"corpus_id": 52176706
} | {
"title": "A Unified Query-based Generative Model for Question Generation and Question Answering",
"abstract": "We propose a query-based generative model for solving both tasks of question generation (QG) and question an- swering (QA). The model follows the classic encoder- decoder framework. The encoder takes a passage and a query as input then performs query understanding by matching the query with the passage from multiple per- spectives. The decoder is an attention-based Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) model with copy and coverage mechanisms. In the QG task, a question is generated from the system given the passage and the target answer, whereas in the QA task, the answer is generated given the question and the passage. During the training stage, we leverage a policy-gradient reinforcement learning algorithm to overcome exposure bias, a major prob- lem resulted from sequence learning with cross-entropy loss. For the QG task, our experiments show higher per- formances than the state-of-the-art results. When used as additional training data, the automatically generated questions even improve the performance of a strong ex- tractive QA system. In addition, our model shows bet- ter performance than the state-of-the-art baselines of the generative QA task.",
"corpus_id": 24005757
} | {
"title": "Supporting Wicked Problems with Procedural Decision Support Systems",
"abstract": "Wicked problems are immensely complex problems that do not lend themselves to resolution through traditional problem-solving approaches. This capriciousness is particularly troublesome for organizations that encounter such problems due to their very nature being highly prone to fluctuation. Further, any attempts to resolve wicked problems tend to be irreversible --- for better or for worse. Decision support systems (DSSs) have long been hailed as a panacea of sorts for highly complex problems due to their ability to assist in storing, retrieving, and manipulating information to arrive at a decision. However, traditional DSSs, being originally aimed at semi-structured problems, are rendered almost ineffectual in the face of the high levels of complexity inherent in wicked problems. Consequently, this paper outlines the argument that posits procedural rationality as an alternative underlying mechanism for developing DSSs for wicked problems. An empirical literature review is utilized to locate the required characteristics of such a DSS, to evaluate cognizance thereof in the research, and to present an integrated model for the design, development, and utilisation of procedural DSSs specifically for resolution of wicked problems.",
"corpus_id": 18291690,
"score": -1
} |
{
"title": "Connected Population Synthesis for Urban Simulation",
"abstract": null,
"corpus_id": 11852326
} | {
"title": "Understanding urban human activity and mobility patterns using large-scale location-based data from online social media",
"abstract": "Location-based check-in services enable individuals to share their activity-related choices providing a new source of human activity data for researchers. In this paper urban human mobility and activity patterns are analyzed using location-based data collected from social media applications (e.g. Foursquare and Twitter). We first characterize aggregate activity patterns by finding the distributions of different activity categories over a city geography and thus determine the purpose-specific activity distribution maps. We then characterize individual activity patterns by finding the timing distribution of visiting different places depending on activity category. We also explore the frequency of visiting a place with respect to the rank of the place in individual's visitation records and show interesting match with the results from other studies based on mobile phone data.",
"corpus_id": 5175470
} | {
"title": "Predicting breast cancer recurrence using effective classification and feature selection technique",
"abstract": "Breast cancer is a major threat for middle aged women throughout the world and currently this is the second most threatening cause of cancer death in women. But early detection and prevention can significantly reduce the chances of death. An important fact regarding breast cancer prognosis is to optimize the probability of cancer recurrence. This paper aims at finding breast cancer recurrence probability using different data mining techniques. We also provide a noble approach in order to improve the accuracy of those models. Cancer patient's data were collected from Wisconsin dataset of UCI machine learning Repository. This dataset contained total 35 attributes in which we applied Naive Bayes, C4.5 Decision Tree and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification algorithms and calculated their prediction accuracy. An efficient feature selection algorithm helped us to improve the accuracy of each model by reducing some lower ranked attributes. Not only the contributions of these attributes are very less, but their addition also misguides the classification algorithms. After a careful selection of upper ranked attributes we found a much improved accuracy rate for all three algorithms.",
"corpus_id": 17015456,
"score": -1
} |
{
"title": "An evaluation of our experience in position verification of catheters used for interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy of solitary bladder tumors.",
"abstract": "PURPOSE\nThe goal of this study was to verify the position of catheters used over 4 days for brachytherapy of solitary bladder tumors.\n\n\nMETHODS AND MATERIALS\nThe study covered three phases. Shifting of catheters was studied using daily position verification CT scans of 20 patients. The possibility to omit the CT scan on Day 2 by adding a loading margin of 4 mm on each side was studied using data of 5 patients. Whether the Day 4 verification CT scan could be omitted if this margin was used, was studied for another group of 10 patients, comparing the Day 3 treatment plan to the Day 4 CT scan.\n\n\nRESULTS\nAn average catheter shift on Days 2, 3, and 4 of, respectively, -0.3 mm (-8 to 10 mm), -0.5 mm (-14 to 10 mm), and -0.1 mm (-16 to 28 mm) was found over the measurements at both sites of the catheter. Including only shifts causing underdosing of the clinical target volume (CTV), the average shift on Days 2, 3, and 4 was, respectively, -3.6 mm (-1 to -8 mm), -5.4 mm (-1 to -14 mm), and -5.3 mm (-1 to -16 mm). After adding a loading margin, the CTV was covered on Day 2; however, the margin was not sufficient for Days 3 and 4. On Day 4, in 2/10 patients, the CTV was not completely covered. In 5/10 patients, an increased 200% isodose volume was found.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nPosition verification is necessary in bladder brachytherapy. If a 4-mm margin on each side of the loading pattern was added, position verification on Day 2 could be omitted. The verification CT scan of Days 3 and 4 is still necessary.",
"corpus_id": 3360332
} | {
"title": "Don’t forget the bladder!",
"abstract": "With a lot of interest, we have read your review paper [1] recently published in the Educational Articles section. You gave a comprehensive overview of the present clinical indications for brachytherapy. These range from the curative treatment of prostate cancer, with a lot of scientific evidence, to the palliative treatments of esophageal cancer and bile duct cancer, on which there are only a small number of papers that describe clinical results. Your work provides a valuable contribution and can be widely used for educational purposes. However, what we regrettably missed is the subject of brachytherapy of muscle invasive bladder cancer. This treatment, which is performed in combination with transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURB) and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), is curative and saves the patient’s bladder. Already in the 40’s of the past century, the treatment of 522 patients was reported in two American papers [2,3] and in the 1950’s, the treatment was introduced in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. In 2009, we reported the results of a multicenter, case control study, from the East of the Netherlands, comparing brachytherapy with cystectomy in solitary bladder cancer, and demonstrated no difference in survival and less toxicity in favor of brachytherapy [4], not to mention impact on quality of life! In 2012, a multicenter study by Koning et al. confirmed a 75% local control (LC) in 1,040 patients treated between 1983-2010 in twelve Dutch departments [5]. In a recent meta-analysis comparing radical cystectomy with combined modality treatment, no difference in overall survival at 5 years or progression-free survival at 10 years was found in a cohort of 9,554 patients [6]. The meta-analysis included two Dutch studies, in which EBRT was combined with a brachytherapy boost, and whereby the patients kept a functional bladder. According to the recommendations of the Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie – European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (GEC-ESTRO), brachytherapy is an essential part of the treatment to be applied after EBRT to a cumulative dose of 70 Gy EQD2 [7]. In Arnhem, in this way, we have currently treated 211 patients for bladder cancer. In 2009, the treatment was modified by using a Da Vinci robot to laparoscopically implant brachytherapy catheters and by applying high-dose-rate (HDR) instead of low-dose-rate brachythe rapy [8]. The procedure was augmented by position verification of the catheters with the use of computed tomography [9]. Nowadays, the indications for the brachytherapybased bladder sparing procedure are: T2 solitary tumor diameter < 5 cm, in patients with general condition allowing anesthesia. Bladder neck location was in the past considered as contraindication. However, this area can be implanted with the robot technique, unless there is an infiltration in ostium of prostatic urethra. Compared to the open-surgery implantation technique and using pulsed-dose-rate, the robot assisted procedure and HDR resulted in substantially shortened hospitalization time and less perioperative toxicity.",
"corpus_id": 29157050
} | {
"title": "Temperature measurement from the intensity ratio of the Raman-scattering lines in carbon tetrachloride constituting the liquid core of an optical fiber",
"abstract": "A liquid-core optical fiber is used to measure the temperature from the intensity ratio of Ramanscattering lines. CCl4 doped with benzene, which ensures conditions for the total internal reflection, serves as the fiber core. Measurements were performed at three Raman-scattering lines in CCl4: 218, 314, and 459 cm−1. The results obtained at 459 cm−1 best correspond to the actual temperature. The advantages of using a liquidcore optical fiber and factors affecting the measurement results are discussed.",
"corpus_id": 121654608,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "IEEE 802.15.6 DPSK Impulse-Radio Ultra-Wideband Physical Layer: Receiver Architectures and Interference Performance",
"abstract": "The paper analyses performances of the two lowest data rates of impulse-radio ultra-wideband DPSK physical layer of recently published IEEE 802.15.6 Body Area Networks standard. Two receiver architectures suitable for the reception of symbols with signal structure described in specification of this physical layer, namely duty-cycled sampling receiver and chirp receiver, are introduced. Then, performance of these receiver architectures are analyzed through probabilities of error in different phases of packet reception. Analysis has been performed in the presence of different types of interference; namely frequency modulated ultra-wideband, WiMax and other co-located IEEE 802.15.6 impulse-radio ultra-wideband devices.",
"corpus_id": 194184
} | {
"title": "Principles and Limitations of Ultra-Wideband FM Communications Systems",
"abstract": "This paper presents a novel UWB communications system using double FM: a low-modulation index digital FSK followed by a high-modulation index analog FM to create a constant-envelope UWB signal. FDMA techniques at the subcarrier level are exploited to accommodate multiple users. The system is intended for low (1–10 kbps) and medium (100–1000 kbps) bit rate, and short-range WPAN systems. A wideband delay-line FM demodulator that is not preceded by any limiting amplifier constitutes the key component of the UWBFM receiver. This unusual approach permits multiple users to share the same RF bandwidth. Multipath, however, may limit the useful subcarrier bandwidth to one octave. This paper addresses the performance with AWGN and multipath, the resistance to narrowband interference, as well as the simultaneous detection of multiple FM signals at the same carrier frequency. SPICE and Matlab simulation results illustrate the principles and limitations of this new technology. A hardware demonstrator has been realized and has allowed the confirmation of theory with practical results.",
"corpus_id": 18554588
} | {
"title": "Complex analog correlating pulsed UWB-receiver in realistic 0-1GHz channels",
"abstract": "The complex analog correlating (CAC) receiver is an excellent candidate for low power, low data rate pulsed UWB communication, but only in ideal AWGN channels. This paper adapts the traditional architecture and acquisition scheme of this receiver for operation in realistic multipath channels. Two schemes are presented: a high performance scheme, and a simpler, but easy to implement and low power scheme. Monte-Carlo simulations illustrate the performance improvement in realistic 802.15.4a (LOS and NLOS) channels. The receiver’s power consumption can be traded for performance by tuning the number of resolved path components. The system outperforms the traditional CAC receiver and the transmitted reference receiver in all environments.",
"corpus_id": 6207677,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Visualizing High-Dimensional Data: Advances in the Past Decade",
"abstract": "Massive simulations and arrays of sensing devices, in combination with increasing computing resources, have generated large, complex, high-dimensional datasets used to study phenomena across numerous fields of study. Visualization plays an important role in exploring such datasets. We provide a comprehensive survey of advances in high-dimensional data visualization that focuses on the past decade. We aim at providing guidance for data practitioners to navigate through a modular view of the recent advances, inspiring the creation of new visualizations along the enriched visualization pipeline, and identifying future opportunities for visualization research.",
"corpus_id": 745262
} | {
"title": "Pattern Trails: Visual Analysis of Pattern Transitions in Subspaces",
"abstract": "Figure 1:Visual analysis of subspace patterns by a series of consecutive pattern transitions between scatterplots. (a) Scatterplots depict subspaces and are grouped and sorted based on similarity. (b) This example shows the pattern transitions in the University data set. Based on a 3D cube like visualization, one can trace sorted patterns in a side and top view on the cube (see Section 7.1).Subspace analysis methods have gained interest for identifying patterns in subspaces of high-dimensional data. Existing techniques allow to visualize and compare patterns in subspaces. However, many subspace analysis methods produce an abundant amount of patterns, which often remain redundant and are difficult to relate. Creating effective layouts for comparison of subspace patterns remains challenging. We introduce Pattern Trails, a novel approach for visually ordering and comparing subspace patterns. Central to our approach is the notion of pattern transitions as an interpretable structure imposed to order and compare patterns between subspaces. The basic idea is to visualize projections of subspaces side-by-side, and indicate changes between adjacent patterns in the subspaces by a linked representation, hence introducing pattern transitions. Our contributions comprise a systematization for how pairs of subspace patterns can be compared, and how changes can be interpreted in terms of pattern transitions. We also contribute a technique for visual subspace analysis based on a data-driven similarity measure between subspace representations. This measure is useful to order the patterns, and interactively group subspaces to reduce redundancy. We demonstrate the usefulness of our approach by application to several use cases, indicating that data can be meaningfully ordered and interpreted in terms of pattern transitions.",
"corpus_id": 3875748
} | {
"title": "Quantum-dot cellular automata circuits with reduced external fixed inputs",
"abstract": "Abstract Nanotechnologies, notably quantum-dot cellular automata, have achieved world-wide attentions for their prominent features as compared to the conventional CMOS circuitry. Quantum-dot cellular automata, particularly owning to its considerable reduction in size, energy consumption and latency of circuits, is considered as a potential alternative for the CMOS technology. Considering the manufacturing aspects, in this paper, a method is proposed for designing efficient quantum-dot cellular automata circuits. We inspect an alternative approach for streamlined design of quantum-dot cellular automata circuits such that the required external fixed inputs are substantially reduced. In order to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method, the widely used multiplexer, XOR and party generator circuits are considered as case studies. All of the proposed circuits are simulated and verified using QCADesigner which is a valid and popular simulation tool. Comparisons indicate that the proposed method considerably reduces the number of external fixed inputs which simplifies the overall circuit implementation and fabrication.",
"corpus_id": 4718387,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Lung Cancer",
"abstract": "Lung cancer currently ranks as the leading cause of cancer related deaths in men and women. Although continuing to decline in men, incidence rates remain steady in women. Trends in lung cancer related death reflect trends in smoking over the past several decades. In 2016, the American Cancer Society estimates 224,390 new cases will be diagnosed and 158,080 deaths due to lung cancer will occur in the United States.",
"corpus_id": 2121039
} | {
"title": "Predictors of radiation response in lung cancer. A clinico‐pathobiological analysis",
"abstract": "From February 1972 to July 1975, 200 lung cancer patients were seen at the University of Rochester Cancer Center's Division of Radiation Oncology; 40% had squamous cell tumors and 87.5% had advanced disease localized to the thorax. Of the 160 patients who completed treatment, 101 were treated with continuous therapy schedules, and 59 were treated with split‐course schedules; 40 patients did not complete treatment because of early metastatic disease or death. Radiation therapy was very effective in local tumor ablation. To assess local tumor response, doubling times were obtained in measurable lesions prior to treatment. The doubling times (DT) were 25 days for small cell cancers and 192 days for adenocarcinoma. More than 50% tumor shadow regression was a good prognosticator of local tumor response; this increased as the mean DT decreased. The order of kinetic increase in tumor ablation per histology was the opposite of the one‐year survival results because of the metastatic spread patterns of the different tumors. Survival rates in lung cancer emerge as simplistic and inadequate to explain local radiation effectiveness. Survival is conditioned by stage, histology, modality of treatment, total dose delivered, and local tumor response. Although the most effective treatment dose seems to be over 6000 rads, the most efficient schedules were split‐courses delivering lower tumor doses. This modality of treatment is proposed as the optimal schedule to be combined with other forms of therapy with the goal of achieving better survival.",
"corpus_id": 9863017
} | {
"title": "A clinical trial to compare two different tumour dose levels in the treatment of advanced carcinoma of the bronchus.",
"abstract": "The author describes a clinical trial designed to compare the effects of two different dose levels for advanced inoperable anaplastic carcinoma of the bronchus. The results in 102 patients suggest that a calculated tumour dose of 3000 rads gives a better survival rate and less morbidity than does a tumour dose of 4000 rads.",
"corpus_id": 25345239,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Supply-side urbanization? A pooled time series analysis.",
"abstract": "Data for various time periods from 1831 to 1980 are used to test George S. Tolleys supply-driven urban growth model. The results do not conform to the models predictions except for higher-income market economies. The need is demonstrated for an urban growth theory with dynamics that are grounded in an understanding of the periodic structure of economic macrohistory. (ANNOTATION)",
"corpus_id": 153413421
} | {
"title": "TOLLEY'S MODEL: SOME MORE TIME SERIES OF ACTUAL AND PREDICTED URBAN GROWTH",
"abstract": "This is an expansion of a previous paper by the author on migration to urban areas. \"In [that] paper George S. Tolleys supply-driven two-sector urban growth model for a closed economy...was used to predict migration and urban growth rates for the U.S.\" In this article the author presents 12 more cases from around the world with a focus on time series information \"for each of which Tolley model predictions of the urban growth rate are compared with the actuals for time periods that are as long as 150 years.\" (EXCERPT)",
"corpus_id": 145295032
} | {
"title": "Technological transformations and long waves. Part I",
"abstract": "Abstract Although empirical evidence of “long waves” in economic activity has existed since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, perhaps even earlier, it is not known whether such waves are essentially accidental or consequences of the inner dynamics of economic growth. The answer, however, is of considerable interest not only to economists but also to policy-makers. One of the most attractive causal hypotheses has been Schumpeter's notion that temporal clusters of major innovations create new opportunities, thereby accelerating economic growth. To this may be added Mensch's idea that major innovations tend to occur during recessions—when fewer low-risk investment opportunities are available—then during periods of prosperity. This paper addresses these two hypotheses from a technological and historical point of view. For this purpose, it is convenient to identify five major technological “transformations.” The first (1770–1800) was the shift from charcoal to coal for purposes of iron-making, fueling the first steam engines, building the first canals and mechanizing cotton spinning. The second transformation (1830–1850) applied steam power to the textile industry and to transportation (the railway and the steam boat). The third transformation (1860–1900) was complex: It centered on steel-making and the mechanization of manufacturing, on illumination, telephones, electrification and the internal combustion engine. The fourth transformation (1930–1950) centered on synthetic materials and electronics. The fifth, beginning around 1980, centers on the convergence of computers and telecommunications. It is argued that while major innovations have occurred in clusters, the clustering can probably be explained best in terms of technological opportunity per se. Opportunity is created both by “breakthroughs,” which push back the limits of existing technology, and by the “convergence” or “fusion” of developments in different fields. Either way, the timing in most cases appears to be technologically determined. Moreover, the historical evidence suggests that in many cases the economic impact of an important innovation contributed little to the “next” upswing but may have contributed significantly to subsequent ones. Indeed, the weakest link in the Schumpeter-Mensch theory is that it does not offer a good explanation for the downswing at the end of a period of prosperity.",
"corpus_id": 154310240,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Depletion of B‐Cells With Rituximab Improves Endothelial Function and Reduces Inflammation Among Individuals With Rheumatoid Arthritis",
"abstract": "Background Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, partly due to systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. B‐cells play an important pathogenic role in the inflammatory process that drives RA disease activity. Rituximab, a chimeric murine/human monoclonal antibody that depletes B‐cells, is an effective therapy for RA. The purpose of this study was to determine whether B‐cell depletion with rituximab reduces systemic inflammation and improves macrovascular (brachial artery flow‐mediated dilation, FMD) and microvascular (reactive hyperemia) endothelial function in RA patients. Methods and Results RA patients received a single course of rituximab (1000 mg IV infusion at baseline and on day 15). FMD, reactive hyperemia, inflammatory markers, and clinical assessments were performed at baseline, week 12, and week 24. Twenty patients (95% female, median age 54 years) completed the study. Following treatment, FMD improved from a baseline of 4.5±0.4% to 6.4±0.6% at 12 weeks (mean±SE; P<0.0001), followed by a decline at week 24; a similar pattern was observed for hyperemic velocity. Significant decreases in RA disease scores, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and circulating CD19+ B‐cells were sustained through week 24. Cholesterol and triglycerides became significantly although modestly elevated during the study. Conclusions Depletion of B‐cells with rituximab improved macrovascular and microvascular endothelial function and reduced systemic inflammation, despite modest elevation in lipids. Given these results, rituximab should be evaluated in the future for its possible role in reducing excess cardiovascular risk in RA. Clinical Trial Registration URL http://ClinicalTrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00844714.",
"corpus_id": 1967461
} | {
"title": "Role of T‐Cell Dysfunction, Inflammation, and Coagulation in Microvascular Disease in HIV",
"abstract": "Background Compared to uninfected adults, HIV‐infected adults on antiretroviral therapy are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Given the increase in T‐cell dysfunction, inflammation, and coagulation in HIV infection, microvascular dysfunction is thought to contribute to this excess cardiovascular risk. However, the relationships between these variables remain undefined. Methods and Results This was a cross‐sectional study of 358 HIV‐infected adults from the SCOPE cohort. Macrovascular endothelial function was assessed using flow‐mediated dilation of the brachial artery and microvascular function by reactive hyperemia. T‐cell phenotype was determined by flow cytometry. Plasma markers of inflammation (tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐6, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, sCD14) and coagulation (fibrinogen, D‐dimer) were also measured. In all HIV+ subjects, markers of inflammation (tumor necrosis factor‐α, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein), coagulation (D‐dimer) and T‐cell activation (CD8+PD1+, CD4+interferon+cytomegalovirus‐specific) were associated with worse reactive hyperemia after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors and co‐infections. In treated and suppressed subjects, tumor necrosis factor‐α and CD8+PD1+ cells remained associated with worse reactive hyperemia after adjustment. Compared to the untreated subjects, CD8+PD1+ cells were increased in the virally suppressed group. Reactive hyperemia was predictive of flow‐mediated dilation. Conclusions CD8+PD1+ cells and tumor necrosis factor‐α were associated with microvascular dysfunction in all HIV+ subjects and the treated and suppressed group. Additionally, D‐dimer, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, sCD‐14, and interleukin‐6 were associated with microvascular dysfunction in all HIV+ subjects. Although T‐cell dysfunction, inflammation, and microvascular dysfunction are thought to play a role in cardiovascular disease in HIV, this study is the first to look at which T‐cell and inflammatory markers are associated with microvascular dysfunction in HIV‐infected individuals.",
"corpus_id": 2560222
} | {
"title": "Synthesis and Characterization of Biodegradable Amphiphilic Star and Y-Shaped Block Copolymers as Potential Carriers for Vinorelbine",
"abstract": "Two amphiphilic block copolymers using hydrophobic poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) and hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were successfully synthesized. One of them is an (A-b-B)4 type star polymer [(PCL-b-PEG)4] and the other one is a Y-shaped PEG–(PCL)2. A star-shaped polymer (PCL-b-PEG)4 was prepared by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of e-caprolactone continued by click reaction of (PCL-azide)4 and PEG-alkyne. The synthesis of Y-shaped PEG–(PCL)2 block copolymer was carried out via Diels-Alder click reaction of a furan protected maleimide end-functionalized PEG (PEG-MI) with an anthracene end-functionalized PCL following the ROP of e-caprolactone. The characterization of micelles is carried out using both materials in aqueous media as drug delivery vehicles, which showed satisfying results and enhanced the cytotoxic effect of the anti-cancer drug vinorelbine (VLB). However, micelles consisted of Y-shaped unimers were found to be more convenient for delivery of hydrophobic drugs such as VLB because they formed in lower concentration, carrying a higher amount of drugs and owing a monomodal distribution. We concluded that the free tails of hydrophobic chains in Y-shaped block copolymer facilitate the assembly of amphiphilic material in water to form micelles.",
"corpus_id": 1909044,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "The Ecology of Wrath",
"abstract": "Suggested citation for this article: Potter P. The ecology of wrath. Emerg Infect Dis [Internet]. 2013 Oct [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1910.AC1910",
"corpus_id": 379716
} | {
"title": "Migration, Environment and Public Health: Theory and Interdisciplinary Research from a Regional Science Perspective",
"abstract": "As regional climate evolves into new climatic states in different parts of the world, humanity will be facing increasing issues associated with migration environment and health concerns. Challenges of major hazards and impacts on human societies, involving water resources, agriculture, economy and energy issues are central issues. This paper examines the generalization of Tiebouti¯s model in our understanding of the forced environmental migration of the Great Planes farmers to California during the Dust Bowl period in 1931-1939. The paper considers the issues of public health that arose from this migration after the arrival and settlement of the Okies in California. Settlement of the migrants in California was more bitter than the migration itself, prompting John Steinbeck to write his award winning novel of the journey in the i°Grapes of Wrath.i± Among many health risks in their new environment a relatively unappreciated and unpublicized airborne fungus causing Valley fever when inhaled emerged. Valley fever was, and is today, highly endemic in Californiai¯s San Joaquin Valley where many of the Okies remained, staying for employment in agriculture and working the fertile soil that harbored the fungus. The vast majority of migrants into the San Joaquin Valley had been infected, but we know today that most who were, did not report it. A very high percentage of migrants did become infected when a few statistics emerged, such as 25% of the population of one migrant camp were diagnosed with the disease. Many migrants fought the disease only to die later in the 1940s and 1950s. The destiny of the migrants was not exposed in books or mass media until the early 1960s. Many migrants escaped infection when they left the fields for employment in the factories and manufacturing supporting the World War II effort. Other reasons for this historical silence were the Great Depression, those who went to war, the Cold War era, and the Californian farmers themselves who kept the infection secret. The second generation migrants or the i°survivorsi± from Valley fever infection exposed the destiny of their parents in the Californian farms in the mass media in the early 1960s and later on Internet webpages and blogs in the 1980s. We examine the general implications and lessons learned from these historical cases.",
"corpus_id": 147238394
} | {
"title": "Host resistance and the immune system.",
"abstract": "Elderly persons are more susceptible and vulnerable to many infections compared with young adults. This phenomenon can be attributed to a decline in host defense mechanisms, particularly altered immune function. The effects of aging on T- and B-lymphocyte function; antigen-presenting cells, natural killer cells, and granulocytes; and organ-specific host resistance are discussed in this article.",
"corpus_id": 12100620,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Effect of vitamin B6 availability on serine hydroxymethyltransferase in MCF-7 cells.",
"abstract": "Folate-activated one-carbon units are derived from serine through the activity of the pyridoxal-phosphate (PLP)-dependent isozymes of serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT). The effect of vitamin B(6) availability on the activity and expression of the human mitochondrial and cytoplasmic SHMT isozymes was investigated in human MCF-7 cells. Cells were cultured for 6 months in vitamin B(6) replete (4.9 microM pyridoxine) minimal essential medium (alphaMEM) or vitamin B(6)-deficient medium containing 49, 4.9 or 0.49 nM pyridoxine. Total cellular PLP levels and SHMT activity were reduced 72% and 7%, respectively, when medium pyridoxine was decreased from 4.9 microM to 49 nM. Cells cultured in medium containing 4.9 nM pyridoxine exhibited 75%, 27% and 60% reduced levels of PLP, SHMT activity and S-adenosylmethionine, respectively, compared to cells cultured in alphaMEM. Cytoplasmic SHMT activity and protein levels, but not mRNA levels, were decreased in cells cultured in vitamin B(6) deficient medium, whereas mitochondrial SHMT activity and protein levels were less sensitive to vitamin B(6) availability. PLP bound to cytoplasmic SHMT with a K(d)=850 nM, a value two orders of magnitude lower than previously reported for the bovine cytoplasmic SHMT isozyme. Collectively, these data indicate that vitamin B(6) restriction decreases the activity and stability of SHMT, and that the cytoplasmic isozyme is more sensitive to vitamin B(6) deficiency than the mitochondrial isozyme in MCF-7 cells.",
"corpus_id": 891374
} | {
"title": "Cloning, expression, purification, and characterization of zebrafish cytosolic serine hydroxymethyltransferase.",
"abstract": "A cDNA which encodes for zebrafish serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) has been cloned into a pET43.1a vector as a NdeI-EcoRI insert and transformed into HMS174(DE3) cells. After induction with isopropyl thiogalactoside, the enzyme was purified with a three-step purification protocol and about 15 mg of pure enzyme was obtained per liter of culture. Spectral and structural characteristics of the recombinant zebrafish SHMT are similar to the rabbit and human cytosolic SHMT. Kinetic constants for the natural substrates l-serine and tetrahydrofolate are also comparable to the values obtained previously for the rabbit and human cytosolic enzyme.",
"corpus_id": 2901125
} | {
"title": "Ocean acidification and marine aquaculture in North America: potential impacts and mitigation strategies",
"abstract": "Shifting environmental conditions resulting from anthropogenic climate change have recently garnered much attention in the aquaculture industry; however, ocean acidification has received relatively little attention. Here, we provide an overview of ocean acidification in the context of North American aquaculture with respect to potential impacts and mitigation strategies. North American shellfish farms should make ocean acidification an immediate priority, as shellfish and other calcifying organisms are of highest concern in an increasingly acidifying ocean and negative effects have already been felt on the Pacific coast. While implications for various finfish have been documented, our current understanding of how acidification will impact North American finfish aquaculture is limited and requires more research. Although likely to benefit from increases in seawater CO2, some seaweeds may also be at risk under more acidic conditions, particularly calcifying species, as well as non-calcifying ones residing in areas where CO2 is not the primary driver of acidification. Strategies to mitigate and adapt to the effects of acidification exist on the regional scale and can aid in identifying areas of concern, detecting changes in seawater carbonate chemistry early enough to avoid catastrophic outcomes, and adapting to long-term shifts in oceanic pH. Ultimately, ocean acidification has already imposed negative impacts on the aquaculture industry, but can be addressed with sufficient monitoring and the establishment of regional mitigation plans.",
"corpus_id": 87136905,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Single crystalline metal oxide nano-wires/tubes: controlled growth for sensitive gas sensor devices",
"abstract": "Interest in quasi ID nanostructures of semiconducting oxides is exponentially grown in the last years, due to their attracting potential applications in electronic, optical and sensor field. After comparing the characteristics of several MOX nanowires recently published we discussed on the sensing properties of metal oxide nanowires and nanotubes, as conductometric and optical gas sensors, prepared by the authors. Single crystal nanostructures were synthesized with the aim of exploring and studying their capabilities as nanosized sensors in form of multi and single nanowire sensors.",
"corpus_id": 11856090
} | {
"title": "Resistive, Capacitive and Temperature Sensor Interfacing Overview",
"abstract": "In this chapter we consider the most important sensor typologies, according to their electrical behaviour, describing the fundamentals of electronic interfaces which are essential components in sensor systems for the detection and the quantification of a physical or chemical measurand. In particular, we will describe, in a deeper detail, some kinds of sensors presented in Chapter 1, together with other sensors, in terms of their characteristic electrical parameters and responses. Moreover, we will give some generalities on the main measurement techniques and describe the simplest analog electronic read-out circuits for the interfacing of resistive, capacitive and temperature sensors.",
"corpus_id": 108070759
} | {
"title": "CO2 absorption in aqueous solutions of hindered amines",
"abstract": "Sterically hindered amines constitute a new class of chemicals which have recently come into industrial use in a variety of gas-treating processes: chemical solvents in both aqueous and non-aqueous solutions, rate promotion additives for the hot carbonate process, and chemical solvents for the selective removal of hydrogen sulfide. The scant published data on the behavior of hindered amines do not allow one to estimate the actual values of the apparent kinetic constants or equilibrium constants, and even less to establish the chemical steps involved. \n \nIn this paper, the results of an investigation of the behavior of one particular amine, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP), as a chemical solvent for CO2 in aqueous solutions are reported. The equilibrium behavior of a hindered monoamine like AMP in aqueous solutions is dominated by the values of two equilibrium constants: the protonation constant Kp and the carbamate stability constant Kc. The value of Kp at infinite dilution has been determined experimentally, and is large enough to neglect formation of the carbonate ion. The value of Kc has been found experimentally to be significantly less than 10−1 1/gmol, as is expected for a hindered amine. \n \nA thermodynamic model has been developed and tested against experimental equilibrium data. Preliminary kinetic data seem to indicate that the reaction with CO2 is first order with respect to both CO2 and AMP. A first step in the elucidation of the chemical steps involved is presented.",
"corpus_id": 94011956,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Hybrid connections for timber structures",
"abstract": "The performance and efficiency of any structure depend on the connections that join their components; as such they constitute the most critical component. This is also true for timber structures, where joining of components is mostly achieved by means of mechanical interlocking, metal fasteners, adhesively bonding, or less common, a hybrid solution between two or more of these means. This paper gives an overview of hybrid jointing approaches: glued-in rods and plates, and a novel grouting technology with concrete-type adhesives, and hybrid carpentry type joints. The review of glued-in rods and plates illustrates that high stiffness and high ductility can be achieved using a combination of steel and adhesive. The grouted joints were investigated experimentally and numerically and the good agreement between them validated the design process and allows dimensioning. The carpentry type joints were combined with self-tapping screws, an adhesive layer between joist and beam, and a combination of both: the results demonstrated that all three types of creating a hybrid joint increased the joint stiffness. All these examples of best practise timber engineering show the potential that connections can be more efficient by improving established solutions through hybridization.",
"corpus_id": 14816167
} | {
"title": "On the failure modes and strength of steel-wood-steel bolted timber connections loaded parallel-to-grain",
"abstract": "The current Canadian code provisions for the design of timber bolted connections were essentially developed based on connections showing a ductile behavior and then further modified to account for situations where connections fail in a brittle way. An experimental study was undertaken to evaluate the strength of bolted connections specifically experiencing a brittle mode of failure. Specimens consisting of steel-wood-steel connections with either 19.1 mm or 12.7 mm bolts were tested in tension. Test variables included end distance, bolt spacing, row spacing, number of bolts per row, number of rows, thickness and species of wood member, glulam or sawn lumber members. Connections were tested to the ultimate to observe possible modes of failure as variables were changed. Results show that the current Canadian standard approach to evaluate the resistance of timber bolted connections is not optimal although conservative. Brittle modes of failure such as row shear-out, group tear-out, and splitting were observe...",
"corpus_id": 110206339
} | {
"title": "Spot activity in the RS CVn binary HR 1099",
"abstract": "UBV photometry of HR 1099 obtained during the 1979-80 and 1980-81 observing seasons is presented. An analysis of the available data shows that the brightness at the light curve maximum increases as the wave amplitude increases, while the brightness at the light minimum remains almost the same. In terms of the starspot model it implies that there is always a hemisphere of the active component that is nearly ’saturated’ with spots and that spots occupy a larger fraction of the stellar surface when the wave amplitude is smaller. The continuous migration attributed to the photometric wave by various authors is far from certain. The amplitude of the wave has a sharp rise followed by slow decay with a period around 5–6 yr. It is found that the two-spot model proposed by Dorren and Guinan (1982) is inadequate to describe all the observed photometric peculiarities of HR 1099.",
"corpus_id": 121719685,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Inference by eye: Confidence intervals and how to read pictures of data",
"abstract": "Wider use in psychology of confidence intervals (CIs), especially as error bars in figures, is a desirable development. However, psychologists seldom use CIs and may not understand them well. The authors discuss the interpretation of figures with error bars and analyze the relationship between CIs and statistical significance testing. They propose 7 rules of eye to guide the inferential use of figures with error bars. These include general principles: Seek bars that relate directly to effects of interest, be sensitive to experimental design, and interpret the intervals. They also include guidelines for inferential interpretation of the overlap of CIs on independent group means. Wider use of interval estimation in psychology has the potential to improve research communication substantially.",
"corpus_id": 14273617
} | {
"title": "Misinterpretations of Significance: A Problem Students Share with Their Teachers?",
"abstract": "The use of significance tests in science has been debated from the invention of these tests until the present time. Apart from theoretical critiques on their appropriateness for evaluating scientific hypotheses, significance tests also receive criticism for inviting misinterpretations. We presented six common misinterpretations to psychologists who work in German universities and found out that they are still surprisingly widespread - even among instructors who teach statistics to psychology students. Although these mi-sinterpretations are well documented among students, until now there has been little research on pedagogical methods to remove them. Rather, they are considered \"hard facts\" that are impervious to correction. We discuss the roots of these misinterpreta-tions and propose a pedagogical concept to teach significance tests, which involves ex-plaining the meaning of statistical significance in an appropriate way.",
"corpus_id": 16472277
} | {
"title": "Security Considerations in Minutiae-Based Fuzzy Vaults",
"abstract": "The fuzzy vault scheme is a cryptographic primitive that can be used to protect human fingerprint templates where stored. Analyses for most implementations account for brute-force security only. There are, however, other risks that have to be consider, such as false-accept attacks, record multiplicity attacks, and information leakage from auxiliary data, such as alignment parameters. In fact, the existing work lacks analyses of these weaknesses and are even susceptible to a variety of them. In view of these vulnerabilities, we redesign a minutiae-based fuzzy vault implementation preventing an adversary from running attacks via record multiplicity. Furthermore, we propose a mechanism for robust absolute fingerprint prealignment. In combination, we obtain a fingerprint-based fuzzy vault that resists known record multiplicity attacks and that does not leak information about the protected fingerprints from auxiliary alignment data. By experiments, we evaluate the performance of our security-improved implementation that, even though it has slight usability merits as compared with other minutiae-based implementations, provides improved security. However, despite heavy efforts spent in improving security, our implementation is, like all other implementations based on a single finger, subjected to a fundamental security limitation related to the false acceptance rate, i.e., false-accept attack. Consequently, this paper supports the notion that a single finger is not sufficient to provide acceptable security. Instead, implementations for multiple finger or even multiple modalities should be deployed the security of which may be improved by the technical contributions of this paper.",
"corpus_id": 206710593,
"score": -1
} |
{
"title": "Proposed Islamic Educational Loan-backed Securities for Quality Life of University Graduates in Malaysia☆",
"abstract": "Abstract This research investigates a structure for student loans’ securitization, identifies the potential of the asset backed securitization processes and proposed an Islamic framework of securitization. The findings of the study are expected to benefit the university students for cheaper cost of funding their studies and upon graduation they will be able to repay their monthly subsidized educational loans that may improve their quality life as young employees. Likewise, the Malaysian government will benefit for its continuous source of education funding without scarifying its limited funds for public projects that reflects the life of the urban environment among Malaysian university graduates.",
"corpus_id": 154039751
} | {
"title": "Tuition Isn't the Only Thing Increasing",
"abstract": "As the demand for capital to fund the increasing costs of education grows, lenders have utilized the student loan asset-backed securities (“SLABS”) market to help provide this funding. This article provides an overview of the development of the SLABS market, examines student loans and a variety of regulatory issues affecting the student loan market, and concludes with a prediction of future developments. The SLABS sector consists of both “government” loans and private loans. The majority of government student loans are funded under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (“FFELP”) of Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) registered or public transactions make up the largest segment of student loan issuances. The SLABS market has evolved from a simple pass-through structure to more elaborate multi-tranche structures. Student loans have a number of payment characteristics that differentiate them from other asset types.",
"corpus_id": 153759282
} | {
"title": "Student loans in Canada: an analysis of borrowing and repayment",
"abstract": "Abstract This paper reports the results of an econometric analysis of the borrowing and repayment patterns of Canadian bachelor's level university graduates, using data from the National Graduates Survey (NGS) of the class of 1990. After confirming the intuition that the level of borrowing is determined by supply-side rather than by demand-side factors, we analyze the repayment experience of the graduates. We calculate that the fraction of graduates who reported problems repaying their student loans was, overall, quite small, falling in the 7–8 percent range. Among both men and women, graduates with low current earnings and those in fields likely to have low lifetime earnings reported significantly greater problems with repayment. Holding other variables constant, women reported more difficulty in repayment than men. Overall, it would seem that women borrowed only slightly less than men, repaid as quickly as men (despite lower earnings), but reported having significantly more difficulty in repayment.",
"corpus_id": 16073225,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Rendered Insecure: GPU Side Channel Attacks are Practical",
"abstract": "Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are commonly integrated with computing devices to enhance the performance and capabilities of graphical workloads. In addition, they are increasingly being integrated in data centers and clouds such that they can be used to accelerate data intensive workloads. Under a number of scenarios the GPU can be shared between multiple applications at a fine granularity allowing a spy application to monitor side channels and attempt to infer the behavior of the victim. For example, OpenGL and WebGL send workloads to the GPU at the granularity of a frame, allowing an attacker to interleave the use of the GPU to measure the side-effects of the victim computation through performance counters or other resource tracking APIs. We demonstrate the vulnerability using two applications. First, we show that an OpenGL based spy can fingerprint websites accurately, track user activities within the website, and even infer the keystroke timings for a password text box with high accuracy. The second application demonstrates how a CUDA spy application can derive the internal parameters of a neural network model being used by another CUDA application, illustrating these threats on the cloud. To counter these attacks, the paper suggests mitigations based on limiting the rate of the calls, or limiting the granularity of the returned information.",
"corpus_id": 52085083
} | {
"title": "Property Inference Attacks on Fully Connected Neural Networks using Permutation Invariant Representations",
"abstract": "With the growing adoption of machine learning, sharing of learned models is becoming popular. However, in addition to the prediction properties the model producer aims to share, there is also a risk that the model consumer can infer other properties of the training data the model producer did not intend to share. In this paper, we focus on the inference of global properties of the training data, such as the environment in which the data was produced, or the fraction of the data that comes from a certain class, as applied to white-box Fully Connected Neural Networks (FCNNs). Because of their complexity and inscrutability, FCNNs have a particularly high risk of leaking unexpected information about their training sets; at the same time, this complexity makes extracting this information challenging. We develop techniques that reduce this complexity by noting that FCNNs are invariant under permutation of nodes in each layer. We develop our techniques using representations that capture this invariance and simplify the information extraction task. We evaluate our techniques on several synthetic and standard benchmark datasets and show that they are very effective at inferring various data properties. We also perform two case studies to demonstrate the impact of our attack. In the first case study we show that a classifier that recognizes smiling faces also leaks information about the relative attractiveness of the individuals in its training set. In the second case study we show that a classifier that recognizes Bitcoin mining from performance counters also leaks information about whether the classifier was trained on logs from machines that were patched for the Meltdown and Spectre attacks.",
"corpus_id": 52218951
} | {
"title": "Big Data Mining with Parallel Computing : A Comparison of Distributed and MapReduce Methodologies",
"abstract": "The performances of distributed and MapReduce methodologies over big datasets are compared.Particularly, mining accuracy and efficiency of these two methodologies are examined.The MapReduce based procedure by different numbers of nodes performs very stable.Moreover, the MapReduce procedure requires the least computational cost to process big datasets. Mining with big data or big data mining has become an active research area. It is very difficult using current methodologies and data mining software tools for a single personal computer to efficiently deal with very large datasets. The parallel and cloud computing platforms are considered a better solution for big data mining. The concept of parallel computing is based on dividing a large problem into smaller ones and each of them is carried out by one single processor individually. In addition, these processes are performed concurrently in a distributed and parallel manner. There are two common methodologies used to tackle the big data problem. The first one is the distributed procedure based on the data parallelism paradigm, where a given big dataset can be manually divided into n subsets, and n algorithms are respectively executed for the corresponding n subsets. The final result can be obtained from a combination of the outputs produced by the n algorithms. The second one is the MapReduce based procedure under the cloud computing platform. This procedure is composed of the map and reduce processes, in which the former performs filtering and sorting and the later performs a summary operation in order to produce the final result. In this paper, we aim to compare the performance differences between the distributed and MapReduce methodologies over large scale datasets in terms of mining accuracy and efficiency. The experiments are based on four large scale datasets, which are used for the data classification problems. The results show that the classification performances of the MapReduce based procedure are very stable no matter how many computer nodes are used, better than the baseline single machine and distributed procedures except for the class imbalance dataset. In addition, the MapReduce procedure requires the least computational cost to process these big datasets.",
"corpus_id": 7359568,
"score": -1
} |
{
"title": "Assessment and improvements of Geant4 hadronic models in the context of prompt-gamma hadrontherapy monitoring",
"abstract": "Monte Carlo simulations are nowadays essential tools for a wide range of research topics in the field of radiotherapy. They also play an important role in the effort to develop a real-time monitoring system for quality assurance in proton and carbon ion therapy, by means of prompt-gamma detection. The internal theoretical nuclear models of Monte Carlo simulation toolkits are of decisive importance for the accurate description of neutral or charged particle emission, produced by nuclear interactions between beam particles and target nuclei. We assess the performance of Geant4 nuclear models in the context of prompt-gamma emission, comparing them with experimental data from proton and carbon ion beams. As has been shown in the past and further indicated in our study, the prompt-gamma yields are consistently overestimated by Geant4 by a factor of about 100% to 200% over an energy range from 80 to 310 MeV/u for the case of 12C, and to a lesser extent for 160 MeV protons. Furthermore, we focus on the quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) modeling of ion–ion collisions, in order to optimize its description of light nuclei, which are abundant in the human body and mainly anticipated in hadrontherapy applications. The optimization has been performed by benchmarking QMD free parameters with well established nuclear properties. In addition, we study the effect of this optimization on charged particle emission. With the usage of the proposed parameter values, discrepancies reduce to less than 70%, with the highest values being attributed to the nucleon–ion induced prompt-gammas. This conclusion, also confirmed by the disagreement we observe in the case of proton beams, indicates the need for further investigation on nuclear models which describe proton and neutron induced nuclear reactions.",
"corpus_id": 6462167
} | {
"title": "CeBr3 scintillators for 4He prompt gamma spectroscopy: Results from a Monte Carlo optimization study",
"abstract": "PURPOSE\nRange uncertainties limit the potential of charged particle therapy. In vivo and online range verification techniques could increase the confidence in the dose delivery distribution and lead to more conformal treatments. Prompt gamma imaging and prompt gamma spectroscopy (PGS) have been demonstrated for such a purpose. The successful application of these techniques requires the development of a dedicated detector system optimized to the radiation energy ranges and the intensity. In this work, we investigated a detector system based on CeBr3 crystals capable of performing spectroscopy of the prompt gamma radiation induced by 4 He beams.\n\n\nMETHODS\nWe performed Monte Carlo simulations to optimize the detector system. The study was carried out both with the Geant4 toolkit and the FLUKA package. The simulated system consisted of a primary crystal for spectroscopy and secondary crystals for noise reduction in anticoincidence (AC). For comparison purposes, we considered a configuration without AC crystals. We first defined the dimensions of the primary cerium bromide (CeBr3 ) crystal and the secondary bismuth germanate (BGO) or CeBr3 crystals. We then evaluated their detection performance for monoenergetic gamma radiation up to 7 MeV in such way that the probability of the photo-peak detection was maximized in comparison to the number of escape peak and Compton events. We simulated realistic prompt gamma radiation spectra induced by 4 He beams on homogeneous targets (water, graphite, and aluminum) and on implants (water with an aluminum insert). Finally, we tested the performances of the optimized systems in the detection of the realistic gamma spectra. The quantitative analysis was accomplished by comparing the signal-to-noise ratio between the different configurations and the ability to resolve the discrete reactions.\n\n\nRESULTS\nWe present the optimized dimensions for the primary CeBr3 crystals with and without AC shielding. The specific values are given over a wide range of crystal volumes. The results show an optimal primary CeBr3 crystal with an approximately diameter to length ratio of 1 without AC shielding and 0.5 with AC shielding. The secondary BGO and CeBr3 should have a transverse dimension of 3 and 4.56 cm, respectively. The analysis of the prompt gamma spectra from 4 He beams highlighted the presence of specific discrete reactions not observed in 1 H studies, for example, 12 C transition 0+ (7.65 MeV) →2+ (4.44 MeV). This reaction is responsible for the generation of the 3.21 MeV prompt gamma peak. The optimized primary crystal provides a significant increase in the signal-to-noise ratio together with an improved resolution of the discrete gamma lines, especially in the high-energy region. The detection configuration with an optimized anticoincidence crystal improved the signal-to-noise ratio up to a factor of 3.5.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nThis work provides the optimal geometry for primary and secondary crystals to be used in range verification through PGS. The simulations show that such a PGS system may allow for the simultaneous detection of the discrete lines from a thin metal implant within a water phantom.",
"corpus_id": 4911829
} | {
"title": "Imaging with secondary radiation in hadron therapy beams with the 3D sensitive voxel detector",
"abstract": "In this work we present the technique enabling visualization of the field of scattered and secondary ions generated by primary beam. The technique uses a small 3D sensitive voxel detector composed of several layers of Timepix pixel detectors. The device is placed close to the irradiated object (outside of the primary ion beam) recording the traces of all radiation coming from the sample. Detector provides the timestamp and/or deposited energy for each single particle. The shapes of traces are very typical for different particles which allows for separation of ions from other background such as electrons and gamma photons. The 3D information form the voxel detector allows for reconstruction of direction of incoming radiation. Therefore it is possible to distinguish whether particle came with the beam or it was generated or scattered later. The back projection of reconstructed directions for all registered ions can be in suitable geometry used for generation of image of distribution of scattering or fragmentation in the volume of the irradiated object. The initial experimental study to register the out coming ion radiation from testing phantom was performed at the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT) in Germany using medical carbon ion beam.",
"corpus_id": 29219810,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Synthesis of a 2,3-dideoxy-2,3-difluorofuranose with the D-lyxo configuration. An intramolecular rearrangement of methyl 5-O-benzoyl-2,3-dideoxy-2,3-difluoro-D-lyxofuranoside observed during the attempted synthesis of 1-(2,3-dideoxy-2,3-difluoro-beta-D-lyxofuranosyl)thymine.",
"abstract": "A new sugar, methyl 5-O-benzoyl-2,3-dideoxy-2,3-difluoro-D-lyxofuranoside (8), which features fluorine substituents on adjacent carbon positions above the plane of the tetrahydrofuran ring, was synthesized from 1,2: 5,6-di-O-isopropylidine-alpha-D-allofuranose in seven steps and 22% overall yield. During the synthesis, introduction of the second fluorine atom required conditions more forceful than those normally used with diethylaminosulfur trifluoride (DAST). An attempt to use 8 in the synthesis of the all-cis nucleoside, 1-(2,3-dideoxy-2,3-difluoro-beta-D-lyxofuranosyl)thymine, failed to give the desired product, providing instead 1-(3-deoxy-3-fluoro-2-O-methyl-beta-D-xylofuranosyl)thymine (11), the structure of which was confirmed by an independent synthesis. Formation of the rearranged product occurred with the concurrent loss of fluorine and retention of the methoxy group which was transposed from the anomeric to the 2'-position. The present work highlights the reactive nature of this novel dideoxydifluoro sugar precursor.",
"corpus_id": 5896494
} | {
"title": "3'-substituted 2',3'-dideoxynucleoside analogues as potential anti-HIV (HTLV-III/LAV) agents.",
"abstract": "A series of 2',3'-unsaturated and 3'-substituted 2',3'-dideoxynucleoside analogues of purines and pyrimidines have been synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The 2',3'-unsaturated analogues of 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddeCyd) and 2',3'-dideoxythymidine (ddeThd), 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AzddThd), 3'-fluoro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine, 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddCyd), and 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine (ddAdo) emerged as the most potent inhibitors of HIV-induced cytopathogenicity in the human T lymphocyte cell lines ATH8 and MT4. In ATH8 cells ddCyd, ddeCyd, and ddAdo had the highest therapeutic index whereas in MT4 cells AzddThd, ddThd, ddCyd, and ddAdo were the most selective. Derivatives from ddThd in which the substituent group was linked to the 3'-carbon atom via a thio, sulfonyl, or oxygen bridge were far less inhibitory to HIV than was AzddThd.",
"corpus_id": 39903494
} | {
"title": "Water use in rain-fed farming at different scales in the Pampas of Argentina",
"abstract": "Water use in farming will be an issue of increasing global concern since competition for freshwater among sectors will grow, especially in a water-scarce scenario. Understanding how farming system configurations at different scales affect the partitioning of annual rainfall between production and losses is essential to manage water in rain-fed farming. Data from 198 commercial farms in the Pampas of Argentina were analyzed to assess water use at four different scales: (a) plot, (b) farm, (c) agro-ecological area and (d) whole region. This study offers a novel cross-scale approach and an analytical tool to evaluate water-use relationships in the study region beyond the classical plant–soil–water relationships. Results showed that cattle activities require more water than crops at the plot scale but at broader ones water use patterns are determined largely by cultivation. Given the different performance across scales, results suggest that complex spatial interactions and emerging properties can arise when the analyses are scaled-up from the plot to the regional level. The detection of scale-dependent properties regarding water use will enhance the value of information and knowledge that decision makers operating at different scales need.",
"corpus_id": 154341265,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Digital coherent receiver based on parallel optical sampling",
"abstract": "We propose a coherent receiver scheme exploiting optical sampling to overcome the speed limitations of electronic analog-to-digital converters. Transmission of 56GBd quadrature phase-shift keying signals over 610km standard single-mode fiber and coherent detection with electronic impairment mitigation is demonstrated.",
"corpus_id": 1809650
} | {
"title": "Loop-Assisted Coherent Matched Detector for Parallel Time-Frequency Sampling",
"abstract": "Optical sampling is performed mostly in either time or frequency domain. In the former approach, sampling points are temporally taken by photo-mixing of received signals with locally generated ultrashort pulses. In the latter approach, the received signal is spectrally sliced and decomposed, which are taken as sampling points in the frequency domain. In this paper, as an alternative way, we propose and investigate an optical sampling technique called optical time-frequency-domain sampling, in which sampling points are taken in the time-frequency domain in an optoelectronic manner, by means of optoelectronic coherent matched detectors. Using this technique, it is possible to demultiplex and detect subchannels of ultrawideband multi-carrier signals at e.g. 100, 400 Gb/s, 1 Tb/s or higher, without relying on either ultrashort pulses or high-resolution optical filters necessary in the conventional time- or frequency-domain sampling approaches. Moreover, in this paper, we propose and demonstrate a loop-assisted coherent matched detector that simply and practically extends the time-frequency sampling to parallel sampling configuration just using a single coherent matched detector. Provided are some experimental proof focusing on demultiplexing and detection of orthogonal time-frequency-domain multipelxed (OTFDM) signals, a sort of ultrawideband multicarrier signals. All subchannels of 160-Gb/s QPSK-OTFDM signals are simultaneously detected and measured with the loop-assisted coherent matched detector employing a single set of low-speed 10-Gbaud photo-receivers.",
"corpus_id": 36240681
} | {
"title": "Valuing freshwater salmon habitat on the west coast of Canada.",
"abstract": "Changes in land use can potentially reduce the quality of fish habitat and affect the economic value of commercial and sport fisheries that rely on the affected stocks. Parks and protected areas that restrict land-use activities provide benefits, such as ecosystem services, in addition to recreation and preservation of wildlife. Placing values on these other benefits of protected areas poses a major challenge for land-use planning. In this paper, we present a framework for valuing benefits for fisheries from protecting areas from degradation, using the example of the Strait of Georgia coho salmon fishery in southern British Columbia, Canada. Our study improves upon previous methods used to value fish habitat in two major respects. First, we use a bioeconomic model of the coho fishery to derive estimates of value that are consistent with economic theory. Second, we estimate the value of changing the quality of fish habitat by using empirical analyses to link fish population dynamics with indices of land use in surrounding watersheds. In our example, we estimated that the value of protecting habitat ecosystem services is C$0.93 to C$2.63 per ha of drainage basin or about C$1322 to C$7010 per km of salmon stream length (C$1.00=US$0.71). Sensitivity analyses suggest that these values are relatively robust to different assumptions, and if anything, are likely to be minimum estimates. Thus, when comparing alternative uses of land, managers should consider ecosystem services from maintaining habitat for productive fish populations along with other benefits of protected areas.",
"corpus_id": 28555809,
"score": 0
} |
{
"title": "Physical therapists and importance of work participation in patients with musculoskeletal disorders: a focus group study",
"abstract": "BackgroundMusculoskeletal disorders are a major health problem resulting in negative effects on wellbeing and substantial costs to society. Work participation is associated with positive benefits for both mental and physical health. Potentially, generalist physical therapists (GPTs) can play an important role in reducing absenteeism, presenteeism and associated costs in patients with musculoskeletal disorders. However, work participation is often insufficiently addressed within generalist physical therapy practice (GPTP). Therefore, this study evaluates whether GPTs take work participation into account as a determining factor in patients with musculoskeletal disorders, and how this might be improved.MethodsThis qualitative study consisted of seven focus groups involving 30 participants: 21 GPTs and 9 occupational physical therapists (OPTs). Based on an interview guide, participants were asked how they integrate work participation within their practice, how they collaborate with other professionals, and how GPTs can improve integration of the patient’s work within their practice.ResultsAlthough participants recognized the importance of work participation, they mentioned that the integration of this item in their GPTP could be improved. Generally, GPTs place insufficient priority on work participation. Moreover, there is a lack of cooperation between the generalist physical therapist and (other) occupational healthcare providers (including OPTs), and the borderlines/differences between generalist physcial therapy and occupational health physcial therapy were sometimes unclear. GPTs showed a lack of knowledge and a need for additional information about several important work-related factors (e.g. work content, physical and psychosocial working conditions, terms of employment).ConclusionsAlthough a patient’s work is important, GPTs take insufficient account of work participation as a determining factor in the treatment of patients with musculoskeletal disorders. GPTs often lack specific knowledge about work-related factors, and there is insufficient cooperation between OPTs and other occupational healthcare providers. The integration of work participation within GPTP, and the cooperation between GPTs and other occupational healthcare providers, show room for improvement.",
"corpus_id": 726496
} | {
"title": "Addressing Occupational Factors in the Management of Low Back Pain: Implications for Physical Therapist Practice",
"abstract": "There is mounting evidence that occupational factors influence the extent of sickness absence following an episode of low back pain, but there have been limited efforts to integrate the identification and management of occupational factors into the routine practice of physical therapists. Systematic reviews suggest that a client's report of heavy physical demands, inability to modify job tasks, work stress, lack of organizational support, job dissatisfaction, poor expectations for resuming usual work, and fear of reinjury are indications of significant barriers to returning to work. Recommended strategies for evaluating and addressing occupational factors are explored with respect to the physical therapist's role in client assessment, development of activity and lifestyle recommendations, therapeutic exercise, communication with other providers, and summary reports. Primary recommendations include: (1) administration of self-report questionnaires to assess a client's perspective of physical job demands, (2) client-centered interviewing to highlight individual return-to-work concerns, (3) early discussions with clients about possible job modifications, and (4) incorporation of clients' workplace concerns in progress reports and summaries. These strategies may improve low back pain outcomes by encouraging effective communication with key stakeholders and by developing clients' ability to resolve obstacles to returning to work.",
"corpus_id": 23506169
} | {
"title": "Pituitary responses to thyrotropin releasing hormone in depressed patients: A review",
"abstract": "Numerous studies show that most depressed patients show abnormal pituitary responses to challenge by intravenous injection of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH). Some patients show after TRH diminished thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) release, some show unexpected growth hormone release; prolactin release may be increased or decreased. The diminished TSH release is the most widely reported finding. It cannot be accounted for by primary changes in the pituitary or thyroid glands. Interference with TRH-induced TSH release by elevated cortisol may account for some observations, but this possibility has not been studied. The present data provide additional evidence that in depression there is often a disruption of hypothalamic regulatory function.",
"corpus_id": 40983666,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Regulation of myosin phosphorylation and myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in vascular smooth muscle.",
"abstract": "The Ca2+-dependent, reversible phosphorylation of the 20 kDa regulatory myosin light chain (MLC) plays a primary role in regulating the contraction of smooth muscle. However, it is well known that the Ca2+ signal is not the only factor which regulates such contraction, however, the alteration of the Ca2+ sensitivity in the contractile apparatus is also known to play an important role. The degree of MLC phosphorylation is determined by the balance of the activity between phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Either the Ca2+-independent activation of MLC phosphorylation or the inhibition of MLC dephosphorylation causes a greater MLC phosphorylation for a given level of Ca2+ signal and thereby potentiates the myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity. The smooth muscle myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP) consisting of three subunits was first isolated and cloned in the early '90s. The intensive investigation thereafter has uncovered the biochemical basis for regulating the activity of MLCP. The regulation of the MLCP activity is now considered to play a critical role in regulating the myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity. There are three major mechanisms in the regulation of MLCP; (1) the phosphorylation of a 110 kDa regulatory subunit of MLCP (2) the conformational change of the trimeric structure, and (3) the inhibition by a smooth muscle specific inhibitor protein, CPI-17. Furthermore, some kinases have been found to phosphorylate the MLC and activate the contraction of smooth muscle in a Ca2+-independent manner. Numerous protein kinases have been found to be involved in the regulation of MLC phosphorylation, and rho-kinase is one of the most frequently investigated kinases. The smooth muscle physiology is now asked to integrate the current understanding of the biochemical mechanisms and to clarify which kinases and/or proteins in the contractile apparatus play a physiological role in regulating the myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and how such extracellular contractile stimulation modulates these mechanisms.",
"corpus_id": 654721
} | {
"title": "LDL-Induced Impairment of Human Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Repair Function Is Reversed by HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibition",
"abstract": "Growing human atherosclerotic plaques show a progressive loss of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) becoming soft and vulnerable. Lipid loaded-VSMC show impaired vascular repair function and motility due to changes in cytoskeleton proteins involved in cell-migration. Clinical benefits of statins reducing coronary events have been related to repopulation of vulnerable plaques with VSMC. Here, we investigated whether HMG-CoA reductase inhibition with rosuvastatin can reverse the effects induced by atherogenic concentrations of LDL either in the native (nLDL) form or modified by aggregation (agLDL) on human VSMC motility. Using a model of wound repair, we showed that treatment of human coronary VSMC with rosuvastatin significantly prevented (and reversed) the inhibitory effect of nLDL and agLDL in the repair of the cell depleted areas. In addition, rosuvastatin significantly abolished the agLDL-induced dephosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chain as demonstrated by 2DE-electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Besides, confocal microscopy showed that rosuvastatin enhances actin-cytoskeleton reorganization during lipid-loaded-VSMC attachment and spreading. The effects of rosuvastatin on actin-cytoskeleton dynamics and cell migration were dependent on ROCK-signalling. Furthermore, rosuvastatin caused a significant increase in RhoA-GTP in the cytosol of VSMC. Taken together, our study demonstrated that inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase restores the migratory capacity and repair function of VSMC that is impaired by native and aggregated LDL. This mechanism may contribute to the stabilization of lipid-rich atherosclerotic plaques afforded by statins.",
"corpus_id": 523161
} | {
"title": "Diverse Array of New Viral Sequences Identified in Worldwide Populations of the Asian Citrus Psyllid (Diaphorina citri) Using Viral Metagenomics",
"abstract": "ABSTRACT The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, is the natural vector of the causal agent of Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening disease. Together; HLB and D. citri represent a major threat to world citrus production. As there is no cure for HLB, insect vector management is considered one strategy to help control the disease, and D. citri viruses might be useful. In this study, we used a metagenomic approach to analyze viral sequences associated with the global population of D. citri. By sequencing small RNAs and the transcriptome coupled with bioinformatics analysis, we showed that the virus-like sequences of D. citri are diverse. We identified novel viral sequences belonging to the picornavirus superfamily, the Reoviridae, Parvoviridae, and Bunyaviridae families, and an unclassified positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus. Moreover, a Wolbachia prophage-related sequence was identified. This is the first comprehensive survey to assess the viral community from worldwide populations of an agricultural insect pest. Our results provide valuable information on new putative viruses, some of which may have the potential to be used as biocontrol agents. IMPORTANCE Insects have the most species of all animals, and are hosts to, and vectors of, a great variety of known and unknown viruses. Some of these most likely have the potential to be important fundamental and/or practical resources. In this study, we used high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and bioinformatics analysis to identify putative viruses associated with Diaphorina citri, the Asian citrus psyllid. D. citri is the vector of the bacterium causing Huanglongbing (HLB), currently the most serious threat to citrus worldwide. Here, we report several novel viral sequences associated with D. citri.",
"corpus_id": 5324893,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "The wall shear stress produced by the normal impingement of a jet on a flat surface",
"abstract": "A method for the theoretical determination of the wall shear stress under impinging jets of various configurations is presented. Axisymmetric and two-dimensional incompressible jets of a wide range of Reynolds numbers and jet heights are considered. Theoretical predictions from this approach are compared with available wall shear stress measurements. These data are critically evaluated based on the method of measurement and its applicability to the boundary layer under consideration. It was found that impingement-region wall shear stress measurements using the electrochemical method in submerged impinging liquid jets provide the greatest accuracy of any indirect method. A unique wall shear stress measurement technique, based on observing the removal of monosized spheres from well-characterized surfaces, was used to confirm the impinging jet analysis presented for gas jets. The technique was also used to determine an empirical relation describing the rise in wall shear stress due to compressibility effects in impinging high-velocity jets.",
"corpus_id": 14771907
} | {
"title": "Timing and size of flow impingement in a giant intracranial aneurysm at the internal carotid artery",
"abstract": "Flow impingement is regarded as a key factor for aneurysm formation and rupture. Wall shear stress (WSS) is often used to evaluate flow impingement even though WSS and impinging force are in two different directions; therefore, this raises an important question of whether using WSS for evaluation of flow impingement size is appropriate. Flow impinging behavior in a patient-specific model of a giant aneurysm (GA) at the internal carotid artery (ICA) was analyzed by computational fluid dynamics simulations. An Impingement Index (IMI) was used to evaluate the timing and size of flow impingement. In theory, the IMI is related to the WSS gradient, which is known to affect vascular biology of endothelial cells. Effect of non-Newtonian fluid, aneurysm size, and heart rate were also studied. Maximum WSS is found to be proportional to the IMI, but the area of high wall shear is not proportional to the size of impingement. A faster heart rate or larger aneurysm does not produce a larger impinging site, and the Newtonian assumption overestimates the size of impingement. Flow impingement at the dome occurs approximately 0.11 s after the peak of flow waveform is attained. This time delay also increases with aneurysm size and varies with heart rate and waveform.",
"corpus_id": 9097069
} | {
"title": "Regular-sampled harmonic-elimination PWM control of inverter drives",
"abstract": "Novel harmonic elimination PWM strategies for drives, uninterruptible power supplies and static power converters have been developed using modified regular-sampling techniques. These new PWM strategies can be generated on-line in real-time using a simple microprocessor software algorithm, without resorting to the usual time consuming off-line mainframe computer harmonic elimination numerical techniques. These new PWM techniques can be used over the complete voltage/frequency range of the drive up to and including the transition from PWM to quasi-square wave operation. Results from an experimental microprocessor controlled PWM inverter drive are presented to demonstrate and confirm the special feature of the new regular-sampled harmonic elimination PWM control strategies. >",
"corpus_id": 110253382,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Three essays on trade costs and national borders",
"abstract": "of Thesis Individuals of the same country buy and sell from each other far more than they do with individuals of a different country. A cost is associated with exchanging goods and service across national boundaries. Economists have had diffi culty, however, in reconciling the small observable trade frictions with the very large trade reducing effect of borders. In the first chapter of this thesis, we propose an explanation which explains a great deal of the border puzzle between the United States and Canada. Few observable trade frictions exist which prevent the buying and selling of goods across this border, yet Canadian provinces and American states trade far more with themselves than they do with each other. Using a novel data set on Facebook friendship connections between North American regions, we uncover a substantial home bias in social linkages between the United States and Canada. Simply put, Canadians and Americans do not know each other very well. Social networks are important for trade in that they reduce information costs and increase the effi cacy of informal trust mechanisms. We find that including social linkages in a gravity model substantially mediates the effect of the US-Canada border on trade. In the second chapter of this thesis, we focus on how trade costs are formed. Workhorse models of international trade typically assume, for great simplicity, that trade costs are exogenous to trade. We present a model in which the act of trading affects the cost of trade and vice versa. We focus on the trade cost associated with informal trust mechanisms. A great deal of evidence exists which shows that ceteris paribus, countries that trust each other trade far more with each other. In our model, trust is a necessary condition for trade to exist, but trust can only be formed through repeated interaction. This creates a supermodular game between would-be traders of the same country. Broadly speaking, two equilibria exist in this game. One with trust and trade, and one without trust and without trade. This framework highlights the importance of trade missions as a coordinating device. In the final chapter, based on a joint work, we assess the welfare implications of political separation. Because borders dramatically reduce trade, what happens when national borders are created when they once did not exist? The focus of this chapter is on the Basque Country in Spain, in which there is a strong pressure for full political separation. While it is certainly diffi cult to say what exactly would happen to the cost of trading between the Basque Country and the rest of Spain if political separation occurred, we use the cost of trade between Portugal and Spain as a benchmark. That is, we ask what the welfare implications would be if the cost of trade between the Basque Country and the rest of Spain were equal to the cost of trade between Portugal and Spain. We find that increasing trade costs in this manner would decrease the Basque Country’s real income by more than 12%. Declaration of Own Work I declare that this thesis was written and composed by myself and is the result of my own work unless clearly stated and referenced. This thesis has not been submitted for any other degrees or professional qualifications. Chapter 3 of this thesis is based on a joint work with David Comerford and Sevi Mora Rodriguez. In addition to individual contributions to the ongoing joint work, this chapter represents a unique and significant contribution to the joint project. Nicholas R. Myers May 2014",
"corpus_id": 153134668
} | {
"title": "Intra-National Versus International Trade in the European Union: Why Do National Borders Matter?",
"abstract": "Based on the estimation of a theoretically consistent gravity equation, together with a careful computation of transportation costs across countries and industries, the Paper first provides estimates of ‘border effects’ among EU countries. The second objective is to examine the reasons for border effects. Contrarily to the previous findings reported in the literature, we show that national trade barriers do provide an explanation. In particular, technical barriers to trade, together with firm and product-specific information costs, increase border effects, whereas non-tariff barriers are not significant. Our results however suggest that these barriers are not the only cause since the spatial clustering of firms is also shown to matter.",
"corpus_id": 154638060
} | {
"title": "LOCAL AUTHORITY EXPENDITURE DECISIONS: A MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ANALYSIS OF BUDGET SETTING IN THE FACE OF PIECEWISE LINEAR BUDGET CONSTRAINTS\n \n *",
"abstract": "As a result of the system of central government grants-in-aid, local authorities in England have until recently faced piecewise linear budget constraints. A two-error estimation technique is used to analyze local authority expenditure decisions given these nonlinear budget constraints, and simulations of alternative grant regimes are considered. The empirical work is applied to local authorities in England from 1983-84 to 1988-89, a period during which the government was actively using the grant system in an attempt to restrain local authority. Copyright 1992 by Royal Economic Society.",
"corpus_id": 153427142,
"score": 1
} |
{
"title": "Reflections on a Reflective Cycle: A Tale of Knowledge Development in Design Practice",
"abstract": "This paper explores the way design rules are developed and enacted. Literature on design stresses that scientific knowledge should be used as input for constructing a coherent repertoire of design rules. In line with the reflective cycle, these rules have to be tested and refined during their application in organizational praxis. However, in this paper we argue that do not particularly consider this process as linear and unproblematic. More specifically, our research reveals major impediments to the establishment of allegedly tested and grounded design rules. The paper illustrates this by drawing on a longitudinal case study on the evolution of a piece of design knowledge. As a result, the study provides an understanding of the specific conditions and elements that may inhibit or encourage the development and enactment of technological rules at the interface of science and design. It adds support to the importance of considering the (1) cognitive and (2) socio-political process in which design rules gain ‘good currency’ in design praxis and sets an agenda for further studying the development and enactment process of design knowledge.",
"corpus_id": 57822
} | {
"title": "On the automatic generation of workflow processes based on product structures",
"abstract": "Workflow management promises a new solution to an age-old problem: controlling, monitoring, optimizing and supporting business processes. What is new about workflow management is the explicit representation of the business process logic which allows for computerized support. Business processes supported by a workflow management system (WFMS) are case-driven in the sense that tasks are executed for specific cases. A case corresponds to a service to the environment. Approving a loan, processing an insurance claim and handling a traffic violation are examples of case-driven processes. A case corresponds to a product that needs to be produced. Although the product is not a physical object, it has an internal structure, i.e., it is an informational object assembled from components. Therefore, the well-known bill-of-materials (BOM) can be used to describe the product that is manufactured using a WFMS. This paper describes a technique (based on Petri nets) to automatically generate a workflow process based on a BOM. It allows workflow designers to think in terms of the end-product instead of the internal process and constitute a basis for the automatic configuration of a WFMS on the basis of a BOM.",
"corpus_id": 61640388
} | {
"title": "Keeping the Tension: Pressures to Keep the Controversy in the Management Discipline",
"abstract": "Management journals often contain heated discussions about disciplinary approaches, or how and whether to legitimate different kinds of research. The author classifies nine such approaches in a typology. These varied approaches arise because none can fully accommodate the conflicting scientific and pragmatic pressures placed on academic research. The airing of these views, however, helps members of the discipline meet their responsibility to re-evaluate the value of existing research and new currents in an ongoing fashion.",
"corpus_id": 167644143,
"score": 2
} |
{
"title": "Tree Ring, Varve and Carbon-14 Chronologies",
"abstract": "CARBON-14 dating has become of great importance and it is therefore necessary to determine the possible deviations between radiocarbon and actual ages. A radiocarbon age, given in radiocarbon years elapsed since the origin of the sample, is based on 14C decay and is calculated from the ratio of the present 14C activity of the sample to the 14C activity of the standard (95 per cent of the 14C activity of NBS oxalic acid). The standard 14C activity is assumed to be identical to the atmospheric 14C activity over the whole time interval over which 14C dating is used. Thus the conventional radiocarbon age does not allow for deviations in atmospheric 14C content during the past. As a result, radiocarbon years need not always be equal to solar years.",
"corpus_id": 4221392
} | {
"title": "Spread of Spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) in Fennoscandia and Possible Climatic Implications",
"abstract": "The stepwise spread of spruce from east to west was probably determined by periodic fluctuations in the climate.",
"corpus_id": 4272049
} | {
"title": "Scaling Properties of Atmospheric Wind Speed in Mesoscale Range",
"abstract": "The scaling properties of turbulent flows are well established in the inertial sub-range. However, those of the synoptic-scale motions are less known, also because of the difficult analysis of data presenting nonstationary and periodic features. Extensive analysis of experimental wind speed data, collected at the Mauna Loa Observatory of Hawaii, is performed using different methods. Empirical Mode Decomposition, interoccurrence times statistics, and arbitrary-order Hilbert spectral analysis allow to eliminate effects of large-scale modulations, and provide scaling properties of the field fluctuations (Hurst exponent, interoccurrence distribution, and intermittency correction). The obtained results suggest that the mesoscale wind dynamics owns features which are typical of the inertial sub-range turbulence, thus extending the validity of the turbulent cascade phenomenology to scales larger than observed before.",
"corpus_id": 209970152,
"score": 1
} |